VORTEX DIAMONDBACK SPOTTING SCOPE 20-60X80

FRANCOIS VAN EMMENES

Aquality spotting scope is an essential piece of equipment for competition and long-distance target shooting. I’ve tested the Vortex Diamondback over the last 14 months during various range sessions, as well as in the field. Weighing in at 1 335 kg, it is not overly heavy and can easily be added to a range bag or box. Overall length is 37,6 cm. It is supplied with a handy carry/ storage pouch with a length-adjustable carry sling.

Magnification range, as suggested by the model number, is 20-60 with an 80 mm objective lens. The objective lens is encapsulated by a retractable sunshade – a handy feature when using in a low-sun environment. The eye relief can be adjusted by twisting the eyecup inwards or outwards between 16,5 mm and 20 mm for those who wear glasses. The knurled magnification ring sits just before the rotating eyecup and is clearly marked – 20 on the right-hand side and 60 on the left, with 11 dots between the 20 and 60 markers. Rotation is smooth but more than firm enough to stop accidental movement. A focus dial sits on top of the main body and can turn almost to five rotations, resulting in fine focus adjustments.

Obviously, for optimum results, a spotting scope must be attached to a tripod, and the Diamondback has a tripod mount collar at the junction between the lens body and the main body that can rotate 180 degrees and thus cater for any possible viewing angle combinations – seated, lying prone, etc. The collar features a retainer thumb screw to keep it in the chosen position. The collar also features a tripod mount foot that worked flawlessly with my own camera tripod. The linear field of view is given as 51-105 feet at the maximum and minimum magnification levels, respectively.

As mentioned, I used the Diamondback on various range sessions at all times of the year. During summer it is always a pain when the mirage can pick up as early as 11 o’clock on a hot and sunny morning and no spotting scope or telescope is immune to its effects. Good optics do, however, make a difference. On one such a day the mirage was just becoming apparent and I hurried to conclude all our ammo tests for the day. This entailed grouping tests with my 6,5 Creedmoor and .223 Remington at 400 metres. On this specific day, I was able to see the bullet holes in a white paper target with both calibres at about 40x magnification – this was the magnification that was suited for the specific circumstances on that day. Interestingly, for the sake of comparison, I couldn’t make out the .223 holes with a good-quality 30x magnification scope.

Optical clarity is as good as one could wish for, with no distortion that I could notice. Definition is particularly good, although somewhat impaired at maximum magnification, but that holds true for every spotting scope. I also used the Diamondback on our yearly trip to friend Schalk’s farm where we tend to shoot many hundreds of rounds at gongs and paper targets all the way out to 800 metres. The Diamondback proved invaluable in this regard – we could spot for each other and call shots that did not hit the gong for our buddies, enabling them to make immediate adjustments for shots at the longer distances.

The Vortex Diamondback is a quality product that I can recommend. It is backed by Vortex’s lifetime warranty and the suggested retail price is R15 399, including VAT.

* Call Whylo Distributors on 031-584-8088 to find a local dealer near you.