Vortex Diamondback HP 3-12x42

[flat9999]

So, a few days ago, I opened my gunsafe and saw something which has been bugging me for some time. I have a back-up rifle; a Tikka T3 Lite in .270WSM that has been without a scope for a few years. This gun sometimes rides shotgun to several other primary rifles that I hunt with, and as such, I'm sure feels neglected. I originally purchased this rifle about 10 years ago, and paid in the neighborhood of $400 for it. For that price, it was a heck of a deal, and a really good shooter. I swapped the trigger for a Jard set at 2.5 lbs. and added a Limbsaver recoil pad. The rifle used to wear a Leupold 3x9, but that has since found its way to my muzzie.

Anywho, I did a quick search and found a piece of glass that I thought would fit this rifle perfectly.  Since it gets very little use, I decided not to get high-end optics for it. My search found me buying the Vortex Diamondback HP in 3-12x42. At this magnification range, I could get full use of the caliber in just about any situation, exactly what the purpose of this rifle was.

I checked CamerlandNY.com, and found that they had a deal-of-the-day special on the scope, and it was selling for $199. I couldn't pass that price up and ordered it asap. Free shipping also sweetened the deal.

The scope arrived 1 1/2 days later and I quickly installed it. Here are my initial impressions.

• The scope is very compact and lightweight, but feels like it is well made.
• Adjustment knobs felt very smooth, but solid. They would not turn on their own, or during recoil.
• The reticle was Vortex's V-plex. Very dark lines. A little heavier than what I'm used to, but probably a good compromise in low light.
• Glass was very clear and bright. I would put it on par with VX3.
• Came with scope cover, cleaning cloth and sunshade; nice additions for the price point.
• Tracking was spot-on, zero reset was simple, but worked just fine.
• Turret has +/- MOA markings and could help in long-range shooting, if that's what you like. I typically holdover when hunting, with a 300yd zero.

All-in-all, I would buy again. I think that I'll also be exploring their higher-end scopes in the future.

Packaging---

 

Reticle view, boresighting---

 

Mounted scope---

Edited December 14, 2015 by flat9999