“The Vortex SPARC is ideal for use as a backup red dot sight mounted on a side rail of a tactical rifle, yet shooters wishing to place it in a more traditional location will benefit from this optic as well.”

The Vortex SPARC is a light weight heavy duty red dot sight designed for use on a variety of tactical rifles. Its smaller size allows it to be used as a backup sight when the shooter uses either a fixed power higher magnification scope or night vision scope as their primary optic. As a primary optic it will work on any rifle rated up to the power level of a 375 H&H Magnum and is well suited for some of the lighter carbines or even PDW (Personal Defense Weapons) used by military and law enforcement personnel. This sight is ideal for a shooter who wants to keep his rifle in a compact package.

I tested it on 3 different rifles: A GSG-5 (HK MP5 Clone in 22lr), an AR-15 using a 6X Trijicon ACOG scope (which prevented the use of back up iron sights) and a Savage 110-BA in 338 Lapua Magnum using a 20X SWFA Super Sniper 20X.

Vortex SPARC Red Dot Sight

On the GSG-5 I mounted it on a slightly forward top rail and it performed admirably, but 25 years of shooting H&K rifles makes me more comfortable with the factory irons. I found myself raising my head too often to acquire the dot, but this may be a hazard of shooting in full sun.

I mounted it on the forward right hand rails of both the Savage and the AR-15. Using the rotate and cant technique; it was almost second nature on the AR-15 and where it performed best. On the Savage chambered in 338 Lapua it worked well in theory. That rifle weighs in at close to 20lbs with all of its accessories mounted, but the rifle assumed the position and was easy to fire. At $5 a round I fired 2 shots at a target 100 yards away and the brutal recoil did not disturb the mounting at all. To dial the sight in at close range, could get expensive, so if you are considering it for use on a 338 Lapua, Chey-Tac or 50 BMG keep this in mind.

Build Quality:

The scope is very similar to higher priced red dot sights and reflex sights that retail for a much higher price point.  It is very close in size if not identical to the Aimpoint T1/H1. For a shooter looking for a quick release mount offered by companies such as La Rue Tactical; there is an opportunity to upgrade. The Vortex SPARC will accept a #4 Butler Creek flip up scope cap on either end if necessary.

Reticle – Red Dot

The Vortex SPARC uses an electronic Red Dot Reticle that is 2 MOA in size.

Glass Quality

The lenses used in the Vortex SPARC are of a high quality and clarity and on par with those produced for use on higher end electronic sights.

Magnification

The Vortex SPARC offers no magnification on its own, but comes with a 2X magnifier that can extend the shooter’s range.

Pros

• This sight is extremely reliable and like others in its class it offers an extremely long battery life. The light weight unobtrusive sight is compatible with most night vision devices. The 2X magnifier is a nice bonus, but for my purposes I found it unnecessary.
  

Cons

• This may be a shooter/reviewer related problem based on shooting at high elevation in the bright sunlight of Northern Nevada, but at times it can be a challenge to quickly acquire the red dot in daylight hours. Night time or heavy cloud cover produced the best results for me, but if most of your shooting is performed at an indoor range, you should have no problems at all.
• The included rubber caps are essentially “throw away” items. I recommend an upgrade to the Butler Creek #4 scope covers to protect the lenses.
• It is very easy to activate this scope unintentionally, but the automatic shut off will save the battery eventually. Take extra precautions when placing a rifle, carbine, shotgun or pistol with this sight into a safe, range bag, storage case, etc.

Last Thoughts

User Reviews

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