Reading a lot about scopes but.........

[rottenit]

+1 on the Vortex, nice scope for the $$ very good customer service as well.

[UnaStamus]

For the money, the Weaver Tactical is an exceptional scope. The optical quality is great and clear, and I think that it has slightly better resolution than the PST at higher magnification. Owning a PST and having used several, I have noticed two things with them- they lose resolution at higher magnification, and they have a very tight lateral eye box (the area where your eye can be behind the scope and still have a full optical picture, and how far you can move right/left before you lose the picture). The Weaver has a better eyebox, and the resolution is better. SWFA SS is also very good with a decent eye box and good resolution. Obviously all will lose some resolution at the top end, but I've noticed that the PST tends to lose the most out of those options.

The following usually starts a firestorm, and it's not said very much because of it, but I have to say it:
Everyone talks about how great Vortex's customer service is. In fact, they do have exceptional customer service so this is 100% true. Everyone seems to dismiss the fact that a lot of people are NEEDING Vortex customer service in the first place. The fact that a lot of people know Vortex has good customer service is indication that there are a lot of people that are needing to use Vortex customer service. This should be a red flag, I'm just saying...
Any Vortex scope below the Viper PST/HS is Chinese junk. The PST uses numerous Japanese components, including Japanese glass, so it's better quality. The weak link with the PST is that it is using numerous Chinese and Philippine components, and it's assembled in the Philippines. Because of this, there are QC issues from assembly that cause problems to the consumers. My 2.5-10x44 Viper PST had a zero shift issue. Problem is all solved, but a search of the internet reveals a lot of PST owners who have sent their scopes back to Vortex. Fortunately, nearly all scopes with problems have only had to be sent in once and the problem has been solved. Another issue is that there are reported consistency issues between lots of scopes with relation to inconsistent optical quality.
In talking to Vortex, as well as optics experts, I've learned that there are drastic quality and component differences between the different models. The only Vortex scopes I will own from this point are the Razor HD scopes. They are a massive jump up in quality from the PST, and rival top name companies for durability and optical quality. The Razor HD series is made wholly in Japan and has Japanese quality control, which is well-recognized in the optics world. This is why the Razor HD is much more consistent and reliable than the PST. The Bushnell, Weaver and SWFA scopes are all made in Japan, and thus having the better QC. Vortex has acknowledged that the "Pacific rim" manufacturing of the PST was a cost-cutting measure to bring the price point under $1k for the entire line.

I'm not saying that the PST is bad. Quite the opposite. If you get one that is reliable, you are getting a good scope for your money. The line offers more options than a lot of the competitors, but with the cost of the FFP models, I think that money is better spent on Bushnell Elite Tactical scopes. Bushnell is emerging as an up-and-coming tactical powerhouse.
With the SFP model Viper PSTs, the same money can be spent on a FFP scope with equal or slightly better optics with the Weaver Tactical or SWFA SS. Just my opinion though. YMMV