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SHOT Show 2016: 3 standout products from Vortex Optics

The folks at Vortex have stepped up their game for 2016

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With a length just under three inches and a weight around 7.5 ounces, the new SPARC AR won’t take up much real estate on your receiver.

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The folks at Vortex have stepped up their game for 2016. From Red Dot sights to long range scopes, new reticles, new combinations and new ideas are sure to please even some of the most diehard optics users. I looked at a variety of their offerings and I was pleased with what I found.

Particularly intriguing was their new 6-24 x 50mm FFP AMG long range scope made entirely in America. That’s right, entirely in America. Most of the major scope manufacturers have at least a portion of their scopes, particularly the glass, done overseas. This particular scope departs from their high-end 4.5-27 x 56mm by weighing over 20 ounces less! Orders for this particular scope are already coming in fast and furious and this product will be hard to come by for at least half the year. Look for more made totally in America from Vortex in the future.

On the red dot side, the new SPARC AR is geared to the AR market and is similar in size to the Aimpoint Micro-dot sight. With a length just under three inches and a weight around 7.5 ounces, this sight won’t take up much real estate on your receiver. Battery life is listed at 5000 hours at minimum setting and 300 hours on maximum. It has a simple two MOA dot without a lot of needless clutter in the reticle.

Also worthy of note were the new RAZOR HD LH riflescopes. The LH stands for “Light Hunter.” More hunters are finding value in leaving the heavy tactical scopes behind when they start “going vertical.” These are 1” tubes and are available in 3-15 x 42, 2-10 x 40 and 1.5-8 x32 and weigh 16.5, 15.4 and 13.4 respectively - almost a pound less than my Nightforce 3.5-15 x 50mm. They have a couple of MOA-based reticles to choose from to allow for longer range shooting. The turrets are nice and low and the lines of the scope are simple and clean. Sometimes, less is more. Price points are $1099 for the 3-15x, $999 for the 2-10x and $949 MSRP for the 1.5-8x.

Ron Avery is President and Director of Training for The Practical Shooting Academy, Inc. and Executive Director of the non-profit, Rocky Mountain Tactical Institute - both training institutions dedicated to professional firearms and tactics courses, higher police standards and training and use of force research.

Ron is a former police officer with many years of street experience, which he brings into the training environment. He is internationally recognized as a researcher, firearms trainer and world class shooter. His training methodology is currently being used by hundreds of agencies and thousands of individuals across the US and internationally.

He has worked as a consultant and trainer for top level federal agencies, special operations military from all branches of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies across the US.

He is a weapons and tactics trainer for, handgun, carbine, select fire, precision rifle and shotgun, as well as advanced instructor schools, defensive tactics, team skills and tactics, low light tactics, arrest and control and officer survival. He is also a consultant for firearms training programs, use of force and firearms research, range development, instructor development and other firearm related topics.

For over 25 years he has consistently ranked among the best shooters in the world in national, international and world championship competitions, winning many different titles including two-time National Law Enforcement Champion. In 2002, he represented his country as a member of the first place, United States Practical Shooting Association’s “Gold Team” in the Standard Division in the World Championships in South Africa.

As a published writer, his articles have been featured in SWAT Magazine, Petersen’s Handguns, American Handgunner, U.S.P.S.A.'s Front Sight, Colorado State Shooting Association and other law enforcement publications and journals.

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