Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x Scope: A Hands-On Review

When I first heard of Vortex Optics, I was slightly hesitant to get one. Why? Because some of their scopes don’t cost much, I’ve long believed that you get what you pay for. Not that I want to spend a lot of money on optics, but cheap optics can lead to never-ending frustrations on the range. Enter the Vortex Crossfire.

Now and then, you find a product that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, yet it still gives solid performance. I’m happy to report that Vortex is such a company. But I’m getting ahead of myself here; let’s take a quick look at Vortex’s particulars for those unfamiliar.

History

It all started modestly back in 2002 when Vortex started making binoculars, mostly for bird watchers (and others who wanted to see far-off objects more closely). In no time, Vortex binoculars gained a good reputation, with hunters taking them afield and loving them. It wasn’t long before Vortex surged ahead and began making spotting scopes, tripods, rifle scopes, rangefinders, and a pile of other quality products. They even have their own clothing now if you’re into that sort of thing.

The company grew quickly, and they currently have over 300 employees working for them.

Customer Service/Warranty

Nowadays, customer service from many companies is simply lackluster at best and most often disappointing. So whenever I deal with a company that comes through for me, I get excited.

I’m happy to report that Vortex is a great company. A few years back, I had a problem with one of their rifle scopes. I contacted them, expecting to get a huge run-around and pushback on getting the scope fixed, but I was in for a shocking surprise.

What I received was a cheerful person on the other end of the phone who was extremely apologetic about the issue I was having. And before we go any further, let me clarify that we can have issues with scopes from any manufacturers; it just happens sometimes. Anything man-made can be flawed.

After he listened to my description of the problem, he advised that they were going to be shipping me a brand-new scope. I was instructed that, when it arrived, I should keep the new scope and use the box and return label (prepaid) to ship the old scope back to Vortex. That was it. No pushback, no argument or run around…simply a 100% covered warranty service. I was so awestruck I nearly dropped the phone. You just don’t see customer service that’s this stellar very often these days! At that moment, Vortex had a customer for life, and I told them so. The new scope arrived a couple of days later, which was another pleasing factor.

Incidentally, I’ve never had another issue with any of the scopes from Vortex that I’ve owned or used. I also own a few of their binoculars, as well as a spotting scope, and they have served reliably.

Crossfire Scopes

Vortex’s Crossfire line of rifle scopes offers a wide array of options. Models include 6-24x50mm, 3-12x56mm, 4-16x50mm, 6-18x44mm, 1-4x24mm, 3-9x40mm, and several others. These scopes seem to be a “bread and butter” line of Vortex and cover just about every base we could imagine for rifle scopes.

The scope we’re reviewing today is the 2-7x32mm Crossfire II model. I don’t own this scope; it belongs to a friend. It all started when he asked me about mounting a scope on his Ruger 10/22 and whether or not I thought it would make any sense to scope out his .22 rifle. I opined that it would make hits easier at longer ranges. I suspect that my pal, Jason, was bored with the open sights and just wanted to step up his game with the rifle, and a scope could make that happen. He didn’t want a huge, bulky scope, though, because that would make the little 10/22 unwieldy.

I suggested Vortex’s 2-7x32mm scope, as it’s a reasonably priced model that offers good magnification without being too large. As I write this, the scope retails at GunMag Warehouse for $129.99.

Crossfire II 2-7x32mm

Now, we’ll examine the technical specs of the scope to see what we’re working with.

• Magnification: 2-7x
• Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Tube Size: 1 inch
• Overall Length: 11.52 inches
• Height: 1.61 inches
• Objective lens: 32mm
• Eye Relief: 3.9 inches
• Maximum Elevation: 60 Minutes Of Angle
• Maximum Windage: 60 Minutes Of Angle
• Field of View at 100 Yards: 12.6 to 42 Feet
• Adjustment Graduations: 1/4-Minute

This scope is made from aircraft-grade aluminum, as are many rifle scopes these days. Armor Tek coating protects the lenses from scratches and other damage, and the scope is also shockproof and waterproof.

Reticle

This particular scope utilizes a simple Plex reticle, which is refreshingly uncluttered. Lately, it seems like some manufacturers like to add all sorts of doo-dads to their reticles, such as ranging marks and other gadgets. While they might be effective, they can also be distracting when a shooter is using the scope. I go with the KISS Principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

Turrets

The turrets on the Crossfire II are numbered, which is a nice option for rifles that can be fired at longer ranges because various scope settings can be recorded. That way, if you’re shooting at a few hundred yards, you can refer to the necessary scope settings for that particular range. Let’s say I see a target at 600 yards. I’ve pre-sighted my rifle at that range and have recorded the scope settings, so all I have to do is refer to my DOPE card (Data On Personal Equipment) and see what numbers I need to dial in on the scope and I’ll theoretically be spot on at 600 yards, or whatever range we’re talking about.

For a .22 rifle, we really don’t have to get into all of that since the .22 Long Rifle isn’t a very long-range round. I recommended that Jason pick a range (say 50 yards), zero at that range, and leave the settings alone. Figure out where the rounds hit at 75 and 100 yards, which shouldn’t be terribly far off from the 50-yard zero, and let it alone.

For tactical applications, competition, and long-range hunting/shooting, the numbered turrets are a really thoughtful addition, considering this isn’t a high-end scope. I’m happy to see that Vortex added them.

Clarity and Ease of Use

Optical clarity with the Crossfire II 2-7x32mm scope is good, and we could easily see small details of the targets at 50 yards and beyond. It was easy to focus on the scope as well. The power ring has enough resistance that it’s not going to accidentally be bumped to a different power setting, and yet it’s not difficult to change the powers as you desire.

Size/Weight Ratio

As mentioned, we were seeking a scope that wasn’t gigantic to mount on this rifle. Overall, the modest size of the Crossfire II is a winner. It’s not a tiny scope, but neither is it too large, striking a nice balance. If I were going to scope out some of my other rifles, this might be the scope I’d go with. Potentially, it would be a nice scope for say, a .30-30 lever action should I be inclined to add a scope to such a platform. Other .22 rifles, such as bolt-action rifles, would also be well suited for a scope like this one.

I’m not going to be making 500-yard shots with rifles such as these, so I don’t need a ton of magnification. While we frequently have the viewpoint of “more is better,” such is not necessarily always the case. Higher magnifications generally mean one thing: more size and bulk. It’s like an engine in that if you want more horsepower, you have to get a bigger engine. With scopes, it’s the same thing, which isn’t always desirable.

Final Thoughts

Vortex’s Crossfire II, 2-7x32mm scope, offers good clarity and performance with enough magnification to go out a couple of hundred yards, and it does so without adding a ton of bulk to your rifle. The price is extremely reasonable while still providing the consumer with good reliability and durability.

In short, this is a no-frills scope at a great price point that you don’t have to treat with kid gloves. I highly recommend picking one up.