Vortex Still Can't Make a Good Red Dot: The Defender CCW

[@RandyTheB_]

holy shit vortex is now on the same level as the burris fast fire 2! game changing. the ripples of this release will be felt by the entire industry,

[@natsuccubus]

the nipples of this release will be felt by me >:3c

[@chaoticcaninejb]

Gotta be honest, I'd rather have a fast fire over this

[@kxkxkxkx]

@@chaoticcaninejb6 moa? Yeah you def want the 3moa fastfire 💯

[@pewpewTN]

​​@@chaoticcaninejb The Fast Fire 3 is actually good. Haven't tried the 4.

[@chaoticcaninejb]

@@pewpewTN agreed, I had one for a while and never had any issues with it and dot was super crisp

[@taylormartin4346]

How does Vortex have some of the finest high power, insanely robust rifle scopes in the industry while simultaneously having waffle house tier optics with booty cheek reticles as well..........actually, on second thought, that's literally Leupold's entire schtick too. Nevermind

[@oso1165]

And sig is the reverse. Nice red dots and garbage scopes 😂😂😂

[@baconatordoom]

​@@oso1165 Not all sig red dots are good, the ones made by holosun for sig are. The romeo zero is the most garbage optic of them all. Lense cleaning wipes made for lenses scratch the lense. And you have to put a shim under the battery so the optic will stay on. One drop and it's done without the optional "Ironside" cover.

[@chaoticcaninejb]

​@@oso1165 damn which ones are good 😅

[@oso1165]

@@chaoticcaninejb the Romeo series is solid, from the budget 5 to the expensive 4 and 8 are great. Their new enclosed pistol dot they're developing for the US seems like its gonna be solid too

[@mmclaurin8035]

What's wrong with Waffle House?

[@Chonkasaurus]

It would be interesting to see a review on the updated CCW looks like they updated the emitter and changed it to 10 minute auto shutoff

[@Beals_life]

Went to The Gathering in South Carolina and they had a booth. My buddy and I were talking about the refresh rate, it was terrible. They got pretty defensive about it and said oh you won’t notice when it’s on a gun and you’re shooting.

[@not_your_business666]

I wouldn't trust my life with a red dot made by a company which has their booth at a juggalo fest.

[@Pyreleaf]

'Guys, it's okay, you already make fantastic scopes, you don't have to be good at everything.'

[@sithticklefingers7255]

“Oh that speed wobble‘ll break right in after about 200 miles.”

[@jailbotmark1379]

Whoop whoop

[@Murphy82nd]

The “you won’t notice it” comment is kind of silly when you can just buy a red dot where this isn’t even noticeable, and I’m not sure what the selling point of the Vortex is over those other dots.

[@Roshanimani]

Pistol red dot tier list when?

[@operator8014]

They would all be in the F-tier for him. He's so salty.

[@isafleader]

It's not his fault that's the majority of red dots are shit

[@getoveryourself2212]

@@isafleader especially most of em lack style points for cool reticles.. understandable that it’s implied in most of the names (red dot)

[@gypsonny2]

​@@operator8014 irons would probably get a D

[@operator8014]

@@gypsonny2 Only if they were officially licensed EOTech irons.

[@prototype3a]

The usual alternative to PWM for LED brightness control is "constant current" where you regulate the current through the LED. Voltage regulation doesn't really work for LEDs when you're trying to very precisely adjust the brightness.

[@BasedF-15Pilot]

The refresh rate flicker is my biggest 'nope' for any dot displayed optic. The problem has been solved, so there is no excuse for it. Some people have a brain configuration where they are immune to seeing the flicker, but it's literally the first thing I see if I use an optic with flicker.

[@GodsDrunkestDriver]

493rd Gang! On topic, having (I assume) astigmatism, most red dots are a mess for me.

[@TeensierPython]

I have problems with TVs and refresh/stutter/flicker rates as well Some people aren’t as sensitive to the flicker; so not an issue for them I suppose?

[@sinisterthoughts2896]

​@@TeensierPython it's more common for people to be less sensitive.

[@4thbx]

It's possible that your eyes are cameras. Your frame rate is out of sync with a particular red dot's typically imperceptible flicker. Please report to the Tyrell Corporation immediately for an optical firmware update.

[@BasedF-15Pilot]

@@GodsDrunkestDriver 493rd and 390th then back to 493rd. :)

[@zobiya17]

I'm just happy to see the MC2C making appearances. Hop doesn't lie about when he really likes a gun.

[@sebring4444]

MC2C is a great gun, would recommend it over the G48 any day.

[@xx8836]

Gross.

[@ElTejon47901]

Perhaps the Vortex RDS we have been waiting for are the friends we made while waiting Vortex to act competently.

[@toddinfl]

I love it when Hop says Oooooooof...

[@bebopwing1]

So I have a Sparc AR and a Crossfire red dot and I've honestly never noticed the flicker. They're definitely not aimpoint quality, but I've always found them to be fine and serviceable. And then just out of curiosity, after watching this video I was playing with them last night, and now I can't not see the flicker... Why Hop, why!?

[@kumbackquatsta]

vortex is clearly hiring engineers from sonoran desert institute

[@Quality_Guru]

Thanks for sharing your insight on the Vortex red dot. I will say that I found that Holosun’s customer Service is outstanding. I had an issue with a red dot in which the coating was scratched and they sent me a new optic right away. The best part is that they actually answered the phone. It’s hard to consider anyone else other than Holosun when it comes to red dots. They are the price to performance leader delivering more value than their competitors.

[@Pyreleaf]

@@___meph___4547 Sig's high-end dots seem g2g, but yeah, otherwise hard to beat Holosun.

[@Osprey1994]

I would say the main issue with holosun is their risers for their rifle dots, are pretty bad. That being said you can easily swap them out for something super nice or for something good enough.

[@angelokolinoff370]

​@OspreyBravo18 yeah I've had the picatinny bolts on the mounts just randomly snap. So now most just get any other type of mount like an ADM

[@Error_404_Account_Deleted]

Shows their true cost on it if they fling replacements like poo and vortex

[@Quality_Guru]

@@Error_404_Account_Deleted And if they don’t honor their warranty and never respond to a request it means they are solidly built?

[@m1industries873]

Another solid video filled with the right information. No sugar coating on the negatives either. I think people who are shopping for optics with budget in mind should certainly watch your videos first. Even if the price point is good for them. There are still a lot of negatives people really need to consider when going with cheaper optics. Thanks for sharing the info.

[@razorseal]

Started using this on a glock 43x (3moa). Directly mounted, needed no zeroing, didn't fail after a few hundred rounds. PLENTY bright outside at noon in fl. Racked off items... shot out to 100 yards ringing steel. 200 too, but i just couldn't hold pistol steady enough to ring it. Yes, I see the refresh rate issue people mentioned, but in no way did it cause any issues shooting... I did notice it maybe once, but that's it. We will need battery life. I changed out the no-name battery to a Duracell. My ONLY complaint is, 14 hour auto shut-off? Are you serious? I could get way longer battery life if it just shut off after 10 mins. All that being said... I highly recommend this red dot.

[@marcusborderlands6177]

Why reccomend it? There are better options for less money

[@Artburg]

HOLOSUN?

[@glockster68]

the new model has a 10 min shutoff on it.

[@R0YB0T]

@@Artburg but holosun does not make one that fits 43x without an adapter

[@Reldez_1]

I've been using mine for about a month now and this is literally the first time I've ever heard of refresh rate flicker as a concept. Never thought about it, never bothered me. 😆

[@braydenkenney3313]

On some red dots it's unacceptably bad and some people are just sensitive to it. It's most noticeable when you're transitioning between targets and doing ready up type drills.

[@Reldez_1]

@Brayden Kenney I got out my optic check it out, and now I can't unsee it. It's hard to believe I've never noticed it. I think when I transition between targets I usually keep the dot dead center so I've never really affected me. This actually bums me out because I was really enjoying this optic.

[@braydenkenney3313]

@Bob Zedler sometimes it's better to not know haha. I have a Vortex Sparc 2 and I've heard some people say they see it with that dot but I never have. I was just doing some drills last night with it and never noticed any sort of trailing or refresh related artifacts.

[@save2a4all]

​​@@Reldez_1 what do you have it mounted on - direct RMSc? Compact and avoiding adapter plates for G43x/G48 is the biggest appeal to me.

[@Reldez_1]

@@save2a4all Mounted straight to my Masada Slim. You can actually cowitness the iron sights with it.

[@adamw4469]

Hop I have had a VERY rough start to my week and when I saw this video title I literally LOLed. Thank you.

[@Hoplopfheil]

Glad I could help

[@bghiggy]

Vortex is so strange to me. They were pretty innovative 10ish years ago and they seem to have a bunch of smart gun guys working there but they consistently come out with mediocre gear for a mid tier price

[@ElTejon47901]

Vortex=Big Retard Energy

[@rodiculous9464]

It's called POORtex for a reason

[@Ando2k10]

Probably putting all of their efforts into the new military optic. Have you seen Garand Thumb's video on that thing?

[@getoveryourself2212]

@@Ando2k10 what’s it called?

[@-Seeker-]

@@getoveryourself2212 NGSW FC (XM 157). NGSW is the weapons program and FC is the optic (Fire Control).

[@GBGuns]

Please continue that viscious cycle; the result is valuable information for the rest of us.

[@Hard_Corsair]

I was hoping you'd talk about the polymer insert and reveal whether it's a clever way to enhance durability without getting a nasty letter from Trijicon's lawyers, or just marketing fluff.

[@silly_ghillie]

I didn't even know refresh rate flicker was a thing till you bought it up in this video. I'm a fan of this channel though and grateful to have an honest review. Maybe my brain is too slow to process the flicker on my venom.

[@BRING_GUNS]

I can't really see any flicker on my Venom but on the internet I've seen at least one person complain about the Viper's flicker and then say he bought a Venom which didn't have flicker, so maybe it's just a Viper issue. I can notice bad flicker on my Burris Fastfire IV with the auto brightness setting on but it goes away if I put it on any of the set brightness settings.

[@hopewilliams6705]

I'm excited for your take on the Ruger ready Dot!

[@GranTigerGaming]

You should consider doing a re-review on the newer version, they fixed the refresh rate and its a 10 minute auto-off now. I really wanted a 507k ACSS but I preferred to direct mount so went with the Vortex CCW, the updates make a huge difference. My only gripe is that if you have a setting you like locked in, it unlocks when it sleeps. They should keep it locked until you want it to unlock.

[@peterdarlington4117]

It works great for me on my hellcat pro lots of use and abuse and 9 months on original battery still going strong!

[@Tilt_TM]

I'm glad I stumbled across this video, I was considering picking one of these up.

[@bronzemfp26]

I didn't hear great things about the auto brightness on the Shield RMSc and having a vortex venom on another pistol that I've been happy with, I decided to try the defender. The venom does not suffer from the refresh rate issue. I'm guessing they had more space to properly implement a different design internally, but you would have thought they could have overcome that in the proceeding years leading up to the defender. Yes, the refresh rate is is very apparent at anything but the highest brightness setting. That being said, I only really notice it if I move the optic around in my hand where the dot is moving around a lot in the window. If I'm transitioning targets, and my view is shifting with the gun/optic, it's way less of an issue. It hasn't gotten on my nerves enough yet for me to consider replacing it, but time and more shooting/competitions will tell on that. I do like the meat tenderizer on the front of the optic, I use it pretty regularly for press checks. It's handy for small guns like the sheild plus that don't have a ton of slide real estate for manipulation... Or I'm just lazy. As for the overhang of the optic on the sides of the slide, I think maybe they did that on purpose to get a larger window. I have a Holosun SCS on another pistol. It fits flush with the sides of the slide, but the window is noticeably narrower. The auto-shutoff function, like hop said, basically means it never shuts off. They need to drop the timer way down for it to be useful at all at saving battery life. But if the battery dies, the cowitness is great and the optic doesn't impede use of the iron sights at all. All that being said, I think if they dropped the price on this optic, it would be easier to consider. $160 - $180 range might be an easier pill to swallow.

[@Rockhurst22]

I said the exact same thing when I saw this in the store. I really value your honesty.

[@CDOES]

1:17 - Im getting serious Terminator 1 vibes from that whole outfit. Love it!

[@SMDaboobity]

They added the knurling to the front for Aaron Cowen points

[@2ndchance632]

Like usual, don’t buy the first generation. Well done video with true point comments. Keep up the excellent work.

[@mitchelperkins6723]

I have 3 Vortex Venom red dot s. Never had any of the issues on any of them. They are installed on competition pistols amd have performed flawlessly theough thousands of rounds each. Also have a Burris FF3 on a G19. Zero issues with it. Just purchased a Holosun RMSc footprint 407. Having a 1911 slide cut for it. I have 3 Vortex rifle scopes on 3 long range rifles and a Vortex Spitfire 2 red/green serup on a 300BO AR. NEVER any issues with any of them. Pretty much all red dot sights are China made.

[@nurse-dude]

In other news: the sky is still falling, taxation is still theft, and holosun is still the default pistol RDS

[@SamSam-ih6nt]

​@Jesse Robinson okay John, or is it Jason

[@The_Rob_D]

@@TL8311-j6x So what do you use to compensate for your small dick?

[@nateb9346]

@@TL8311-j6x I have a Trijicon RMR and I still prefer the holosun on one of my other pistols. It’s so much better in just about every way.

[@CameronMorrison-sy8tb]

Triji is life

[@timowens7214]

​@@TL8311-j6x trijicon far behind in the times. Only thing going for it is durability

[@meekrob29]

I had honestly never noticed the refresh rate and was a bit confused. I picked up my rifle with a Vortex viper dot on it and couldn't see it until decreasing the brightness a lot and doing a quick and constant circular motion that I would never do in normal use. Maybe it will be one of those things that I'll continue to notice now that it's been pointed out, but I doubt it. Having done similar motions with other optics, I do now notice the difference where it's a streak instead of discrete dots. Maybe it's just me and my eyes, but I don't see why that's obviously better.

[@KTheStruggler]

From what I've seen it depends on the person. I don't have any issues with flicker either unless it's so bad I can't track it while moving.

[@TeensierPython]

Flicker is the only thing I notice. I see it in LED lights, TVs, and so on. Lucky you don’t notice it. Save some money on many electronics.

[@baconatordoom]

The vortex warranty is what they do right. Wouldn't trust them as an EDC. But a fair priced optic with that kind of warranty for range toys, I can't complain. I ran over my venom on a lawnmower. Customer service just laughed and asked for my address. Sent a new one with a return package for the old one.

[@Pouncer_Fox]

As always, I appreciate your straight honesty. Thanks for another great review.

[@markhansen9735]

Another good review. Thanks hop. I’ll hold on to my 407k. But I appreciate vortex trying to do better, kinda haha

[@NeonVars]

The refresh deniers give me similar vibes to those who said the difference between 30fps and 60fps didn't matter back in the 2000s.

[@pagannova3621]

Almost sounds like they got two teams, a team during the week coming up with odd choices, then a weekend team coming up with good ideas..

[@gregoryroberts973]

Just on battery life. The defender works out to 375 days. I hope you change the battery at least every year. 15,000 hours is 625 days. I would not trust any battery left in my optics for two years and hope it doesn’t corrode in the meantime. All I have to say about battery life.

[@Lilskidmarks14]

Would love to see a Promethean LP-1 review. I bought one on the preorder and their drop testing video was very interesting since an eotech broke on the first drop.

[@ArmandD]

Seeing as you did a tier list of magpul stocks, would doing a tier list for Sig rifle red dots be something you'd be interested in doing?

[@joshuagunderson6593]

I’d love a full budget optic tier list with Holosun, Sig, Vortex and Primary optics. But I’d definitely settle for sig alone.

[@chap23305]

Everyone else: Vortex is amazing. Hop: Still sucks. 😅😅

[@tombrady5867]

Because he is paid to trash brands other than Holosun.

[@curlyfryactual]

"That one semester of microelectronics I took back in high school" Brother what! My highschool didn't have that, I had to pay the college rate for all my electronics classes ..

[@HawaiiFoodAndFun]

Vortex has one of the best warranties out today. That being said, the Defender adds a shake awake ON with a 14 hr shutdown. They said it was for officers on duty. (That means the optic will be ALWAYS ON for estimated 3-4 days straight) Theres also the chance of hitting that lockout if that left button is pressed against you in a IWB holster when carrying concealed. That can be fixed if Vortex changes to a 2-button activation. Get well soon HOP

[@HawaiiFoodAndFun]

@@___meph___4547 not a big fan of the long shutdown either

[@glockster68]

The new models has a 10 min shutoff.

[@stevensrspcplusmc]

Good review as usual! I’ll stick with trijicon or aimpoint, less disappointment and I don’t need a good warranty, just a sight that works!! You can have good customer support and still make a crap optic !!

[@Thee_Analyst]

Thank you for all of your information and work, you provide so much to the community. Have you ever reviewed the RITON MPRD Gen2? I think for $100-125 it's a decent competitor for these 2 that you compared. I have a couple, one on a 5.5-inch PCC and a 8-inch 300AAC. after a few(350-500) hundred rounds on either, it has surprised my expectations. On a price pont I was considering the 407k for another build but now after watching this, I may reconsider that and continue with what works for me. Appreciate the video.

[@sonsofthunder007]

I used Vortex; it's not bad optics, but I tend to favor Holosun because of the two moa red dot. I'm not too fond of a three moa, and I want a large enough dot to see the target. Plus, the shake and wake technology, I give the upper hand to Holosun. Great content 💪

[@nateeller2683]

I have a new vortex defender ccw, and the refresh rate and the auto shutoff have been amended. I don't notice any flickering, and the auto shutoff has been shortened to 10 minutes

[@donniebarajas8564]

I like mine.... Have both a 407k and this. This is better than the 407 with my astigmatism. The refresh rate doesn't bother me. Dot is there when i point it at the target. The refresh pattern up until that point for me isn't an issue. To each their own i guess. Low light, in the house, my 407k is a butterfly dot. This, is indeed a nice, red dot.

[@wtdconcepts]

Thanks for the unbiased and colorful review!

[@LinusScrubTips]

One caveat. Defenders are continually under $200. I got mine for $190 shipped from Simmons sporting goods. Can’t comment on holosun prices lately. I do own all 3. 407/507k. I think they’re all great. Plus I didn’t want to cut my Glock slide to fit a 407/507k. That’s important imo.

[@williamcarey6592]

I am 78 and still an active shooter. I have about 10 red dot sights. I bought one of these for my TX22 competition and it’s OK. I have sights that I like better, but I am satisfied with this for the application in using it on.

[@whiskeyactual.]

3:45 Got the Sparc Solar as an offset red dot for the Badger C1. No issues with refresh rate. Dot is actually as clear and sharp as my T2. Sage Dynamics has a pretty thorough review of it and touches on refresh rate if I remember correctly.

[@CantHaveNiceThings8]

Your videos are great. I like your honest commentary and delivery.

[@mauricehardy5012]

I have one just as good as my other red dots the tricky tac stuff is crazy it works and works well

[@dubmeisterxd2133]

a while ago you modernized the German roller delayed guns. have you thought about doing more videos about modernizing older weapons?

[@lonewanderer3603]

Hop, have you tried any of these optic mounts that go in the rear dovetail? For pistols that maybe a person doesn't want to mill out, are these things viable?

[@liamdowdy1659]

No

[@jpettit27]

Hop went to American Renaissance conference? Based!

[@Senator-Wary]

The Venom was my first pistol red dot upgraded to an RMR

[@Redsparrow12]

*pets RMR RM07 and says* "sssshhhhh you're still the king of MRDS's I prromise"

[@squib3083]

As usual, really appreciate your honesty w product evaluations.

[@TheNewps]

Ouch that kinda hurt but your review was honest. I got to compare the Vortex Defender Red 3 MOA vs the ESP Carry GR 2 MOA on Saturday. I CCW without a round in the chamber (save it...I have my reasons) so the checkering on the Defender was a cool feature. The EPS Carry 2 MOA dot, green reticle, closed emitter, 25k hrs battery life w/ the 3 to 5 minute sleep timer was the difference in which one I purchased. I hope Vortex continues to develop this optic line to compete with the competition. Because Vortex's customer service is amazing, from sale reps to customer service reps.

[@BasedHyperborean]

Is the reason you being a scaredy-cat?

[@Northwoods208]

I have one of the original sparc red dots (non solar) I like it. My only complaint would be it lacks shake awake

[@EricBrownWins]

Your negative reviews are much more enjoyable to watch than the positive ones for what it's worth

[@joshuajohnson7269]

Damn I’m glad I watched this review because I was leaning towards this red dot for my m18. Thank u sir.

[@JakeCamo]

I don’t know if I trust holosuns battery life quotes anyway (I do carry holosun and like them). I avg about 5-6mo on the 507k circle dot for the last 2 years (I keep track in my phone, and don’t carry it exclusively). It’s fine with me since it starts to slow flicker and I just pop a new one in in the morning. But assuming I was running it 365, that’s at max 4,000hrs? YMMV Love your reviews hop, keep up the dry wit!

[@CallsignWulf]

They say the battery life is for dot only, medium setting. Circle dot is outputting more, the circle AND the dot. That alone lowers battery life. Depends on red or green LED as well. But best practice anyway is to replace batteries once a year on a specified date. Birthday makes it easy.

[@JakeCamo]

@@CallsignWulf id love to do that (and do for my rifle optics). Like I said it unfortunately only lasts 5-6mo

[@tommccormick9290]

In the past week I've been trying to get one at stores in my area but they keep selling out. That tells you something .

[@TheRavensCaw]

The hero we need but surely don't deserve. Hop out here spreading the lords word.

[@chrissewell1608]

This was a Very thorough review. Covering topics most people don't even consider! Good job Hop. 🍻

[@AndyCigars]

Ooo, cool new farm setting. 🚜💨

[@waterboy330]

I love Vortex scopes. What do I think of their red dots? I think I love their scopes.

[@JohnDoe-sx2zk]

i have a venom and vipr and they are both good. just cause hop shits on them doesnt make it true

[@waterboy330]

@@JohnDoe-sx2zk drop your red dot on the ground from holster height and watch what happens. Their reflex sights will hold zero but they have no durability.

[@gary6212]

I have multiple vortex venoms - no issues, no noticable flickers, no problems at all.

[@Osprey1994]

Thanks for the honesty Hop.

[@GTacticalJody]

This why I like yo channel you get straight to the business ong💯💯

[@dividedbyjames]

I have the 407K and a Swampfox Sentinel and compared it to the Defender while at the LGS/range. Sadly the refresh rate is worse on the Defender than on the Sentinel, though it took seeing the Defender's horrible refresh rate in person to recognize that Swampfox's refresh rate isn't up to par with Holosun either. For those who don't see the issue with the Defender, it's likely because you don't have anything to compare it against.

[@zaneedick]

I really enjoy your content and demeanor. Thank you Hop! Appreciate you man!

[@GunRoastShorts]

The holosun customer service like you said is amazing.

[@dwaynechristensen6449]

You need to review. The Ruger Ready Dot. Good video Sir.

[@e7tegt503]

Great review. Refresh rate is a deal breaker for me. Thanks.

[@redeye8526]

EPS full size is the king of the rmsc / k footprint

[@vielumiereg9794]

I mean, it's an ok optic tbh. I think it should be a little cheaper, probably around the $189 mark in my personal opinion. It certainly fares better than the RomeoZero from Sig because at least the Vortex is consistent and it's not made of plastic. The RomeoZero seems to have reviews scattered all over the place. Some people say it's the best optic for the price, other people say it's one of the worst optics you can spend money on. Despite the refresh rate issue though, being able to change the battery without removing the optic is a big selling point for me because I definitely do not want to have to re-zero the optic every freakin time I change the battery, especially since on this particular one, it seems like you might be changing the battery a little more often (yes I know Holosun also offers this feature). At the price point though, it's hard to not just go with a Holosun, they're not that much more in cost even when they aren't on sale anyways.

[@Fmily]

People who say they can't see red dot refresh are the same people who say they can't see the difference between 30 fps and 60 fps video games.

[@daveross1968]

I recently bought a Smith & Wesson Shield Plus what would you recommend for the best optic for it

[@Slugonthese]

I own a vortex viper optics planet edition and I love it, I just wish it had shake awake. I also bought a cyelee green dot and haven’t tried it yet. But I’ve seen the enclosed holosuns suck too. The o rings don’t work, fogs up in rain.

[@TheGunBrotha]

lol you got me at the end because the whole time i was like who cares about refresh rate flicker it doesnt bother me. BUT im not a fan boy nor close minded so im going to get the holosun (i have the defender, it works for me) and see if theres a difference for me. ✌

[@texasrex2222]

I got one of these on a deal with a Browning Buck Mark...yeah the refresh rate is terrible. Figured I'd get it and throw the optic on my True Precision 43X slide, but nope. Definitely ordering the EPS Holosun

[@not_your_business666]

Contact their customer support, somehow you got the old version. The new ones are fine and some people have reported they were able to exchange it for free.

[@frmtheden]

I like my CCW Defender not to bad for my first Red dot and got a good deal at Scheels

[@mikegee9473]

So, why don't you tell us what you really think of the Vortex Defender😉 You seem sharp and direct no sugar, I like that. Thank You!!

[@tubeguy4066]

Hey Hop, thoughts on the GBRS Hydra?

[@dankinsler1930]

The newer ones have a 10 minute shut off and a better refresh rate.

[@danielweissenborn3508]

If you notice the fresh rate you're looking at your dot, not your target. I think that's backwards and only really shows up in a review where you are staring at it. No one doing practical shooting will notice that.

[@thomaskeshel3874]

My eps carry died within 2 mags on my Glock 48. Sent it in for warranty at the end of January and finally just got a replacement last week. I’ll see how this one fares….

[@a.c.m.4548]

Love you, Hop. Even if you don't love you, I do.

[@kylegamer48]

Hop, would you be interested in looking at budget red dots for pistols? Specifically the Bushnell RXU-200, it's what I run and I've not had any problems with the optic in the almost 1,000 rounds I've put through it so far and would like someone that's capable of actually testing things do a review of it.

[@mobeus5019]

I really wish vortex would fire their engineers who are eating paint and sniffing markers. Who stat down in a meeting and said "hey. We want auto shut off. How long should it stay on?" "Are we going to put shake awake on this product too?" "Yes. It will have shake awake." "It makes sense to me that it should stay on for 14 hours with no motion at all. Because when you get home and go to bed it should be on waiting for you, and it will turn on when you get ready to leave the next day" "Wait... that does not make sense. If it has auto on, shouldnt it turn off after like... 3-5 minutes of no motion?" "Nah, 14 hours is fine. The battery is on top, so it is easy to change."

[@Yahweh-Chase-Bella]

Looks cool too bad doesnt stand up. Any advice on bushnell red dots, like the bushnell 250. Just curios cuz i just ordered a 22 that has that which was a really good price. Not expecting anything spectacular but functional

[@Dex01-Z_WingZero]

Thanks for the info👍 would you have a recommendation for my Springfield XDM Elite 9 mm?

[@DylanFarmer-hg6nd]

Are you going to do another review now that they’ve updated the auto shutoff time and refresh rate

[@lordhuck2689]

Enclosed emitter only going forward. Tired of cleaning lint out of open emitters with compressed air and Q tips

[@kzyt87]

window looks bigger than 407 507K?