Check out the Impact here! tinyurl.com/vortex-impact-4000 Also make sure you get the best mounting solution on the market 😉 www.area419.com/product/area-419-tactical-one-piece-scope-mount/
As a rule, I never buy the 1st generation of a product. The Gen 2nd and Gen 3 are always significantly better. Once everyone gives Vortex their feedback the Gen 2 will likey be insane. I also would want black. FDE isnt my thing.
Great comparison! I've been eagerly awaiting someone like Vortex to release one of these. SilencerCo had the Radius as the first reasonably priced one, but it never took off and was discontinued. Vortex is the perfect company to bring this to the consumer market. I bet we'll see others follow in the near future. I do like how the Raptar sits lower though... Those are chonky units.
i really think the side mounting option is best. lower profile. you can use you r left hand to tap. and your left eye to view without removing your cheek from the rifle. it is a little chunky but i love it. very quick to use.
Got mine 2 weeks ago. Will set it up and test it on Saturday and hopefully use it at long range for the first time on Saturday after😃 it would be awesome if Vortex came out with a light weight version for AR15/10s that works up to 800 or 1000y
Doubt it. The civilian market wasn’t Wilcox’s intention and the gov will still buy them. With that said good on vortex and I’m glad there are more WMLRF’s popping up and adding a competitive price point.
Raptar is still a much, much more powerful laster. All the info and review videos seem to leave out the fact we are talking about a 905nm laser vs a 1550nm laser. Take the most expensive sig or vortex, or the terrapin-x and put them up against a plrf25c or vector 21.....not even close. Same idea here. 905nm vs 1550nm. The vortex seems good....for what it is. But you can't overcome the power difference.
@@SigmaBallistics different conversation. Point being, the raptar isn't going to lose much market share at all. It's not like that many people were paying $8k and now won't. They just weren't using a WMLR because 8k was too expensive. On that topic though, if you shoot enough in not so great conditions, a 905nm laser will fail you enough times that you'll pony up for a 1550nm. This is why people are continually buying the next bast laser that comes out and keep doing so. You can't get around the fact that it's a 905nm. You could just save up and buy a PLRF25c or Vector 21 (vector 21's are going insanely cheap now comparatively), or a raptar......and you'd never want to buy another laser.
I understand the speed component of this since its look at a target and the solution is there - how does it compare to my Kestrel 5700 Elite connected to my Terrapin and Kestrel HUD? This unit seems very very tempting.
The key thing here is use on the rifle. If your use case is as a spotter/secondary, your setup is really nice. Discerning your ideal use case is important in making that comparison.
How would this compare to an sig 10k abs bino ? Which would give you a better holdover ? Which has better ballistics ? I’m trying to decide what would be easier the bino or this - and which would give me a more accurate shot
They will return you the same, quality of solution, unless you think that the Vortex GeoBallistics solver is flawed - which we do not. Separate binos are probably more versatile overall, but the weapon-mount is really useful if there is a benefit to staying on the weapon. It's about picking the right tool for the job, knowing that each is quite capable.
It's built to work with Vortex's GeoBallistics. The wind is something you input manually, though the input screen is really intuitive. Past the anemometer function, there isn't much a Kestrel would add here. Atmospherics, etc, are all captured by the Impact.
Even on a FP Raptar the IR isn't very good. And the Raptar S is a 1/4-20 mount point with some molded lugs into the bottom of the unit that try to help it. It's not the same. And the units are really pretty similar in size weight. Again, I'm guessing you've not had the two in-hand?
It is but doesn’t get super (like NV) dim, unless we’ve missed something in a setting. For specs like beam divergence, head to Vortex. They don’t list it and we don’t have a technical way to measure, but it’s hit every shootable target we’ve put it on.
It’s a 905, absolutely meant to be a “civi type” unit. This seems to be a play to get more units into an accessible price point and maintaining a high level of capability.
There is no IR illuminator on it, so you may be able to set a system up to allow this to work in NV/Thermal, but it's not ready on its own. Part of keeping it under $2k street price was to balance features.
@@area419 makes sense. I don’t want it to show the range inside the thermal but rather to be able to range at night separately from my thermal. I used the Radius that way and was considering a MARS unit.
Vortex specs say reflective out to 4,000 - trees out to 2,500 and deer to 1,500. While we haven't done exhaustive testing here, it's ranged everything shootable that we've pointed it at. Specs on max distance with LRF are also SUPER dependent on conditions, and most companies will publish conservative specs for this reason. Crisp/clear day gets you a LOT more range than a hazy day.
We have to stop using the word super. What recoil is this rated for? Can it handle 50BMG and for how long? I’m skeptical. I just don’t trust vortex these days but I hope I’m proven wrong. The market needs this to work.
Vortex being 905nm and Wilcox being a 1550nm is going to be significant for bad conditions, small, or less reflective targets. But, those likely won't matter so much for people who the Vortex is aimed at.
@@rkwjunior2298 I disagree, but would love to be wrong. My understanding is that this unit borrows some concepts from the NGSW but is very different. That one is smaller, more powerful, and a LOOOOOOOT more costly
@@area419 vortex podcast they talk about introducing the NGSW scope to the commercial market, its not off-limits to consumers. I'm sure it will be pricey, but people will buy it.
@@area419 I know a few guys with both. They say the vortex is fine for the money but there isn’t really a comparison between them. I think it’s great other companies are making rail mounted LRFs
Raptars fail all the time. They glitch and throw out profiles, Lose zero, (designed for a m4), takes longer to range and spit out dope, pressure pad is really stiff to press. For 4-5th of the price you have a device that is super easy to setup, Doesn’t randomly delete profiles etc. The raptar is doomed
Check out the Impact here! tinyurl.com/vortex-impact-4000 Also make sure you get the best mounting solution on the market 😉 www.area419.com/product/area-419-tactical-one-piece-scope-mount/
How do you enable “scan” mode as mention in the video? Cannot seem to find it on my unit.
I think this would pair really well with a thermal clipon. You could still get out to distance at a fraction of the cost of a pvs30/raptor setup.
As a rule, I never buy the 1st generation of a product. The Gen 2nd and Gen 3 are always significantly better. Once everyone gives Vortex their feedback the Gen 2 will likey be insane. I also would want black. FDE isnt my thing.
Great vid team!
Ordered one last nights as soon as they dropped hoping the initial reviews would be good. No buyers remorse after watching your video.
Money well spent, you'll be very pleased.
Its so rad! Enjoy!
Great comparison! I've been eagerly awaiting someone like Vortex to release one of these. SilencerCo had the Radius as the first reasonably priced one, but it never took off and was discontinued. Vortex is the perfect company to bring this to the consumer market. I bet we'll see others follow in the near future. I do like how the Raptar sits lower though... Those are chonky units.
The Radius was a little too ahead of its time, which is unfortunate. Not a bad unit at all.
How does it perform in early mornings and late evening low light situations
It would be awesome if Vortex came out with a light weight version for AR15/10s that works up to 600 or 1000y
Great summary fellas
Liked your write-up as well!
i really think the side mounting option is best. lower profile. you can use you r left hand to tap. and your left eye to view without removing your cheek from the rifle. it is a little chunky but i love it. very quick to use.
Depends on the use case. Might not work as well, if trying to camouflage among bushes etc
Ordered one last night boom
Got mine 2 weeks ago. Will set it up and test it on Saturday and hopefully use it at long range for the first time on Saturday after😃 it would be awesome if Vortex came out with a light weight version for AR15/10s that works up to 800 or 1000y
How'd it turn out for you?
Raptar is doomed. Way overpriced. It’s about time someone else came out with one.
Doubt it. The civilian market wasn’t Wilcox’s intention and the gov will still buy them. With that said good on vortex and I’m glad there are more WMLRF’s popping up and adding a competitive price point.
Raptar is still a much, much more powerful laster. All the info and review videos seem to leave out the fact we are talking about a 905nm laser vs a 1550nm laser.
Take the most expensive sig or vortex, or the terrapin-x and put them up against a plrf25c or vector 21.....not even close.
Same idea here. 905nm vs 1550nm.
The vortex seems good....for what it is. But you can't overcome the power difference.
^^This^^
@@Solving_Live_Poker Sure it has a more powerful laser, but how much does the average user needing a WMLR really need?
@@SigmaBallistics different conversation. Point being, the raptar isn't going to lose much market share at all. It's not like that many people were paying $8k and now won't. They just weren't using a WMLR because 8k was too expensive.
On that topic though, if you shoot enough in not so great conditions, a 905nm laser will fail you enough times that you'll pony up for a 1550nm.
This is why people are continually buying the next bast laser that comes out and keep doing so. You can't get around the fact that it's a 905nm. You could just save up and buy a PLRF25c or Vector 21 (vector 21's are going insanely cheap now comparatively), or a raptar......and you'd never want to buy another laser.
What IR features would the impact need to be used at night?
How do you enabled the “SCAN” mode mentioned in the video. I cannot seem to find it on mine.
When I get Zucks new AI raybans they'll be ranging the targets for me.
Look up the "Puttview X" - looks like some fake movie stuff, but it's very real and the tech is only getting smarter, smaller, and faster.
What is the distance of the laser pulse on the laser rangefinder?
I understand the speed component of this since its look at a target and the solution is there - how does it compare to my Kestrel 5700 Elite connected to my Terrapin and Kestrel HUD? This unit seems very very tempting.
The key thing here is use on the rifle. If your use case is as a spotter/secondary, your setup is really nice. Discerning your ideal use case is important in making that comparison.
@@area419 Do both so device purchased. Excited to try this out.
How would this compare to an sig 10k abs bino ?
Which would give you a better holdover ? Which has better ballistics ?
I’m trying to decide what would be easier the bino or this - and which would give me a more accurate shot
They will return you the same, quality of solution, unless you think that the Vortex GeoBallistics solver is flawed - which we do not.
Separate binos are probably more versatile overall, but the weapon-mount is really useful if there is a benefit to staying on the weapon.
It's about picking the right tool for the job, knowing that each is quite capable.
Wondering if it works with a Kestrel...balistic profiles and wind holds.
It's built to work with Vortex's GeoBallistics. The wind is something you input manually, though the input screen is really intuitive. Past the anemometer function, there isn't much a Kestrel would add here. Atmospherics, etc, are all captured by the Impact.
The raptar isn’t just an LRF, it’s also an IR las/ilum. Also, it has the same style cross bolt pic mount. They’re also not that similar in size.
Even on a FP Raptar the IR isn't very good. And the Raptar S is a 1/4-20 mount point with some molded lugs into the bottom of the unit that try to help it. It's not the same. And the units are really pretty similar in size weight. Again, I'm guessing you've not had the two in-hand?
@@area419 I have. My Raptar came with a pic mount with two cross bolts
Can you tell me if the display backlight is dimmable? Also, any idea what the beam divergence is? Thanks
It is but doesn’t get super (like NV) dim, unless we’ve missed something in a setting. For specs like beam divergence, head to Vortex. They don’t list it and we don’t have a technical way to measure, but it’s hit every shootable target we’ve put it on.
Bout fucking time I been watching this since the leak. DYING for this
Is this a 1550nm wavelength unit like the Raptar? Or just another civi type 905nm wavelength? I don’t see it in the specs..
It’s a 905, absolutely meant to be a “civi type” unit. This seems to be a play to get more units into an accessible price point and maintaining a high level of capability.
@@Albet27 fascinating comment - thank you for making it!
8k for the Raptar is a truly offensive price.
Can I change yards to meters?
Only if you’re a Frenchman or commie.
Kidding, but yes you can.
@@area419 What is the distance of the laser pulse on the laser rangefinder?
So this doesn’t work at night say with a thermal?
There is no IR illuminator on it, so you may be able to set a system up to allow this to work in NV/Thermal, but it's not ready on its own. Part of keeping it under $2k street price was to balance features.
@@area419 makes sense. I don’t want it to show the range inside the thermal but rather to be able to range at night separately from my thermal. I used the Radius that way and was considering a MARS unit.
And it’s made in what country?
Taiwan. It's an electronic, unfortunately they're all coming from over there somewhere.
10k vs 2k? I'll go with saving 8k...
Retail price for the 4000 is 2999.99
No, that’s their MSRP - they’ve been for sale this week from about $1,850-1,999.
bluetooth is a total no-go for any sort of combat use
This is certainly meant as a civilian or sport-use unit
YYAAAASSSS!
Maximum range distance
Vortex specs say reflective out to 4,000 - trees out to 2,500 and deer to 1,500. While we haven't done exhaustive testing here, it's ranged everything shootable that we've pointed it at.
Specs on max distance with LRF are also SUPER dependent on conditions, and most companies will publish conservative specs for this reason. Crisp/clear day gets you a LOT more range than a hazy day.
We have to stop using the word super. What recoil is this rated for? Can it handle 50BMG and for how long? I’m skeptical. I just don’t trust vortex these days but I hope I’m proven wrong. The market needs this to work.
nice intro !!!
Mmm, I just fine with the new vortex razor hd gb
Always in store and never on field to make demo
Vortex being 905nm and Wilcox being a 1550nm is going to be significant for bad conditions, small, or less reflective targets.
But, those likely won't matter so much for people who the Vortex is aimed at.
Raptar is more flat its good to reduce gap between sight line and laser line, good for more precision
Raptar is done. Wilcox has been ripping everybody off forever
I'll buy it when it's not chunky
I'll wait till they release the ballistic scope that the military uses.
Can’t think that happens any time soon
@area419 I think this product release is buttering everyone up for it. I think sooner than later.
@@rkwjunior2298 I disagree, but would love to be wrong. My understanding is that this unit borrows some concepts from the NGSW but is very different. That one is smaller, more powerful, and a LOOOOOOOT more costly
@@area419 vortex podcast they talk about introducing the NGSW scope to the commercial market, its not off-limits to consumers.
I'm sure it will be pricey, but people will buy it.
@@rkwjunior2298 I'd love to see it happen! Would buy one in a second
Maybe holosun will make one next🤙
I'm somewhat surprised they haven't, really. Their little mini-thermal at SHOT was very cool, and they have a few models of WMLs.
I’m shocked they haven’t already. Esp considering the silencerco radius is done
Yes the raptar is doomed and it's about time. You get 90% of a raptar for 20% of the price.
The Raptar we have at home
Who do you know that has both that is saying this? Anyone?
@@area419 I know a few guys with both. They say the vortex is fine for the money but there isn’t really a comparison between them. I think it’s great other companies are making rail mounted LRFs
@@kevin11288what’s not comparable?
Ahah good but not milspec. Your video is good but no comparaison wilcox is indestructible i repeat MILspec its the big difference
Raptars fail all the time.
They glitch and throw out profiles,
Lose zero, (designed for a m4), takes longer to range and spit out dope, pressure pad is really stiff to press.
For 4-5th of the price you have a device that is super easy to setup,
Doesn’t randomly delete profiles etc.
The raptar is doomed
The nerd in the glasses is so annoying let’s repeat ourselves a few more times
Thanks for stopping by the channel, have a great day.
Also, while we’re here - which nerd in glasses? We were both wearing glasses, so gonna need some help narrowing things down.