When it comes to optics, there are plenty of high-value options that you can trust. Case in point is Vortex. For some years after it was established in 2004, consumers passed on Vortex optics due to the price. Only recently, now that prices on the whole have gone up, are shooters realizing that Vortex is one of those high-value brands. Their optics range from rifle scopes to reflex sights to binoculars.
This review concerns the Vortex Crossfire. This 1x magnification optic comes with either a green or red 2 MOA dot and is set up for rifle use out of the box. But how good can a $200 dot be?
Vortex Crossfire: What’s In the Glass?
The Vortex Crossfire is a 2 MOA 1x magnification optic. You can choose between a green dot or a red dot. The Crossfire with the red dot option is finished in either a black or FDE anodized coating. You can also pick between a low-profile Picatinny mount that sits closer to the barrel or a conventional monolithic chassis that allows for a lower 1/3 co-witness with iron sights.
The optic itself consists of an aluminum tube housed in polymer armor for greater impact resistance. Inside the tube are a pair of multicoated lenses and the light emitter that is nitrogen purged and O-ring sealed for waterproofing and fog-proofing purposes. The optic and chassis tips the scales at only 5.3 ounces.
The Crossfire is powered by a single 2032 coin battery and has an advertised battery life of 50,000 hours. In terms of controls, the Crossfire features 1 MOA adjustments for both windage and elevation. The dot itself has nine daytime brightness settings and two night vision settings.
Like other budget RDOs, the Crossfire lacks automatic Off/On and must be manipulated to the desired setting before use.
Shooting Impressions
I tested the Vortex Crossfire between three different AR platforms, as well as a bolt-action upper with a thousand rounds downrange. Testing was conducted in conditions over the course of several months, ranging from temperature swings between 40-95 degrees Fahrenheit and typical Louisiana humidity of near 100%, as well as the rain that often follows.
Dialing In
I used the Vortex Crossfire between a Smith & Wesson Sport III, a Colt M5, and a Springfield Saint Victor—all of which are chambered in 5.56 NATO. I also topped a BCA 6mm ARC upper receiver with the Crossfire to see how it handles additional recoil beyond what a typical AR-style rifle would provide. The hardest part of dealing with the Crossfire is the initial sight-in, which in itself is simple.
The optic chassis mounts securely to a section of Picatinny rail with the included hex wrench. Operation consists of turning the brightness knob up or down to increase or decrease the flare of the red dot. The dot adjustment knob requires a determined twist to actuate. This does not make for the fastest operation, but the knob certainly can’t be bumped into the On position accidentally.
Windage and elevation are adjusted by removing the protective caps and adjusting for up-down and left-right movement. The adjustments are positive and tactile as you move 1 MOA at a time. The windage and elevation knobs are generously slotted to allow the use of any impromptu tool. In my case, I used the back end of a handy 5.56 cartridge case to help me get sighted in.
accuracy
The benefit of a red dot on its own is that it offers a singular and finer aiming point than iron sights. It also picks up readily in the dark. The 1x magnification works well on targets of an appropriate size that can be picked up distinctly by the eye. With my eyes, the Vortex Crossfire is a 200-yard optic on a half-sized silhouette. That range can be enhanced by a quality magnifier, but I stuck with the optic alone for its closer-range capabilities.
In theory, the 2 MOA dot can cover up 2 inches of a target at 100 yards, and that is about as good as it gets in terms of accuracy. With the 5.56 NATO chambered AR-15s, the Crossfire readily holds a one-inch pattern at 50 yards and 2 inches at 100. More than useful!
Durability
The Vortex Crossfire stood up to 500 rounds of firing through four different rifles, and it never lost its zero. Nor did it shake apart. While I did not chuck it into a creek to see if it was waterproof, it was stored in high humidity on a frequent basis and went through a rainstorm and some mud as well. Because of its minimalist design, it has few obvious openings for dust and mud to enter.
In the three months of testing, I have kept the dot on for most of that duration, and there was no perceived dimming of the dot. About the worst abuse I piled onto the Crossfire was running the unit over with a small car. About all that did was smear my lens with mud. The optic was fine, and when installed on a rifle, it kept zero.
Vortex Crossfire: A Budget Optic for a Budget Build?
The Vortex Crossfire makes me uncomfortable. It made me uncomfortable to get an optic dirty and outright abuse it. Years ago, optics were more fragile, and it was drilled into my head to guard my rifle scope like it is your manhood.
Imagine the teeth gnashing while I put the car in gear and sailed forward over the Crossfire. But this optic is also disquieting in that one this inexpensive should not be so well built. While it lacks some of the smart technology of new optics, and no solar panels and antennas are sticking out of it, the Vortex Crossfire plays it straight with its simplicity and effectiveness.
I unboxed the Crossfire, thinking of it as an option for a budget rifle build or a disposable item that is meant to be expendable, but as I slap it on the next rifle, I know it is made of tougher stuff.
