Vortex Viper HD 20-60x85 Straight Spotting Scope Review – HD Optics & Rugged Performance
The Vortex Viper HD 20-60x85 Straight Spotting Scope is designed for serious glassing, featuring a straight eyepiece and uncompromising quality. Featuring HD optics, rugged weatherproof construction, and a smooth zoom from 20x to 60x, it delivers sharp, bright views in any condition. Comes with a stay-on case and is backed by Vortex’s unbeatable lifetime warranty, no questions asked. Whether you are spotting birds at 20m, spotting range hits at 500m or stalking the once is a lifetime buck across mountains, the Vortex Viper HD 20-60x85 is the unit for you with its extremely high level of quality and an extremely reasonable price point.
Quick Look
The Viper HD spotting scope features an optimised optical system with HD lens elements which deliver impressive resolution, cut chromatic aberration and provide excellent colour fidelity, edge-to-edge sharpness and light transmission, which offers High-Definition views. The optical system also features an XR fully multi-coated lens, which is a proprietary coating which aids further in light transmission with multiple anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces. A straight body design allows for speedy target acquisition and ease of use with the unit easily being used from either a standing, sitting or prone position. Waterproof O-Ring seals prevent moisture, dust and debris from entering the scope, offering reliable performance in any conditions. Argon gas purging on this unit offers the highest level of temperature use from scorching hot days to cold winters, preventing fogging from ruining your experience. ArmorTek scratch-resistant coating protects your glass from damage from scratches, oil and dirt, making sure you have a pristine unit for years to come. Conveniently, this unit also features an adjustable eye cup, Helical focus, a built-in sunshade, rotating tripod collar, allowing you to mount this unit in any viewing angle you want.
Specifications
Magnification: 20-60x
Objective Lens Diameter: 85 mm
Linear Field of View: 101-50 ft/1000 yds
Angular Field of View: 1.9-1 degrees
Close Focus: 36 feet
Eye Relief: 17.8-19.6 mm
Length: 18 inches
Weight: 76.4 oz
Attachment: Via Arca
Straight Eyepiece
This unit is another unit to benefit from the straight eyepiece, allowing you to easily use this unit in any conditions with no stress on your neck by allowing you to keep your neck straight. The best parts of the straight eyepiece is the versatility, you can use this unit while standing, sitting or prone. I prefer using this unit sitting down while doing long-range shooting. Who wants to stand when you can sit down?
Built-in Sunshade
Ever been tracking a target or shooting at a range, and the sun moves in the direction of the target or vice versa? If this is an issue that you have had, then the Viper HD is the spotting scope for you. This unit benefits from a built-in sunshade which allows you to use the unit without worrying about glare or accidentally scanning too far and turning a crisp, clear image into a lightsaber for your retina.
What's in the Box?
What is better than the bits you paid for...the bits you didn't
Eyepiece cap
Objective lens cover
Custom-fitted case
Cost
As of 22/10/25
£895.95
Honest Opinion
Field with hedges, fences at gates at 1800m and a small hut at over 1900m. You can see the definition in the roof tiles at 1900m, how cool is that?
This unit is AMAZING!!! It comes in at a higher price point than the Crossfire HD by a couple of hundred pounds, but it does offer a much higher level of image quality that the Crossfire can only dream of. If I needed a spotting scope for any use, whether it be nature spotting or prize buck hunting, I would choose this unit. They offer an immense level of glass quality at a good price, and also offer a wide field of view and a world-leading warranty. The straight eyepiece is a game-changer, as I like to sit down when I shoot, and this offers easy use as you just put the optic into the tripod and look at the target as you usually would without an optic and not strain your neck by looking down at a 45-degree angle all day. Standing, sitting or prone, just lie down and look straight through this and wonder...why did I ever do it anyway else???