What’s the difference between Vortex Sparc 2 and Strikefire 2?
I wanted to find out, so I bought both red dot sights and hand-tested everything:
- Reticle
- Durability
- Battery life
- Field of view
- And so much more
By the end of this Vortex Sparc 2 vs Strikefire 2 comparison review, you’ll know which red dot is best for you.
Let’s get started!
Comparison Table
| Features | Sparc 2 | Strikefire 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Mount | Multi-Height Mount System | Offset Cantilever Mount |
| Brightness Levels | 12 | 10 |
| Battery Life | 50,000 hours | 80,000 hours |
| Reticle | 2 MOA Dot | 4 MOA Dot |
| Illumination Color | Red | Red/Green |
| Weight | 5.9 oz | 7.2 oz |
| Dimensions | 5.75 x 4.6 x 2.6 in | 7.5 x 3.25 x 6.5 in |
Vortex Sparc 2 vs Strikefire 2 Review
The Vortex Sparc 2 is a versatile red dot sight that allows for precision accuracy. But if you’re looking for fast target acquisition, then the Vortex Strikefire 2 may for you.
To be clear: both sights are made with quality Vortex glass, are highly durable, and are easy to use.
Question is:
Which is the better red dot sight?
Read on to find out…
Glass Clarity & Reticle
The glass clarity on the Sparc 2 is crisp and clear.
The multi-coated lenses allow better light transmission while also cutting out glare.
The 2 MOA dot reticle makes precision shooting a breeze. With 12 illumination settings, including 2 that are night vision compatible, you’ll be able to hit your target no matter the time.
The Strikefire 2 also has excellent glass clarity.
It has fully multi-coated lenses, giving you a clean and bright sight picture. The 4 MOA red dot reticle is ideal for the AR-15. The larger dot allows you to get on target fast. Although, if you want the fastest red dot sight around, check out my Burris Fastfire 3 vs. Trijicon RMR review.
Another advantage for the Strikefire 2 is that you can choose between a red/green dot or the bright red dot. The red is better for daylight, and the green is better for low-light visibility.
This is a great feature, and the Strikefire 2 still has 10 illumination settings, with the lowest 2 compatible for night vision.
Round 1 (Glass Clarity & Reticle) Champion: Strikefire 2
Battery Life
Both the Vortex Sparc 2 and Strikefire 2 red dot sights have an impressive battery life.
The Sparc 2 runs off of a AAA battery. Even so, you’ll get 700 hours of illumination on the highest setting and up to 50,000 on the lowest. This is an improvement over the first generation of the Sparc AR.
Once again, I found the Strikefire 2 beat out the Sparc 2, though.
It has a CR2 battery that’ll get you up to 80,000 hours on the lowest setting! That’s pretty incredible.
Both have an automatic shutoff after 12 hours, so you won’t have to worry about your battery getting drained like I’ve had happen on my Burris 332.
Round 2 (Battery Life) Champion: Strikefire 2
Eye Relief & Eye Box
Both Vortex red dot sights offer unlimited eye relief.
The Sparc 2 has a 22mm tube, which is pretty small, making it a little harder to get a wide field of view, much like the Sig Romeo 5. On the other hand, the Strikefire 2 has a 30mm tube, giving you a much larger sight picture.
Round 3 (Eye Relief & Eye Box) Champion: Strikefire 2
Durability & Weight
Where the Sparc 2 excels is in its compact design and light weight.
Without the mount, it only weighs 5.9 oz.
It’s also incredibly durable, with a hard-anodized finish that’s aircraft grade aluminum. It’s waterproof, shockproof, and fog proof, meaning it can stand up to any weather conditions.
Built with the same quality, the Strikefire 2 is ruggedly durable. Its downfall is that it’s heavier and bulkier than the Sparc 2.
The good news is that you’ll get an unlimited lifetime warranty on both red dot sights.
However, if you’re looking for the most rugged and durable scopes on the market, check out my best Leupold rifle scopes review.
Round 4 (Durability & Weight) Champion: Sparc 2
Windage, Elevation & Brightness Knob
The dials for windage and elevation give crisp, audible clicks on the Sparc 2.
Each click is a 1 MOA adjustment, which is a pretty big jump for me.
That’s why I like the Strikefire 2 red dot. The dials also give audible clicks, but they’re ½ MOA adjustments, giving you a little more control.
While this still isn’t as good as the ¼ MOA adjustments you’ll find on an LPVO scope like the Vortex Viper HS, it’s totally acceptable for a red dot sight.
Of course, the Sparc 2 dials have turret caps that keep them protected and are easy to move out of the way when you need to make an adjustment.
And it only took me about 10 rounds to get it zeroed.
The Strikefire 2 has dial covers rather than caps, so they need to be removed entirely to make adjustments.
You’ll also need a coin or a screwdriver to actually make the adjustments.
Another bonus for the Strikefire 2, though, is that it came zeroed right out of the box! I’ve also never had to readjust it.
Round 5 (Windage, Elevation, & Brightness Knob) Champion: Strikefire 2
Mounting
Both the Vortex Sparc II and Strikefire 2 red dot sights come with their own mounts.
I love how versatile the Vortex Sparc is, as far as mounting. It comes with multiple height mounts, allowing you to use it on a variety of platforms, from shotguns to AR-15s and other semi-automatic rifles.
It also comes with a rubber cover with a flip-up lens cap, so you really don’t need anything else.
The Strikefire red dot sight comes with a cantilever mount that was explicitly designed to co-witness with the iron sights on an AR-15.
It also comes with flip caps to cover the lenses.
When it comes to accessories, the Strikefire 2 can be used with a magnifier, like the Vortex Optics VMX-3T Magnifier with Built-in Flip Mount.
- The VMX-3T Magnifier and Flip Mount combo adds a 3x magnification to your rifle's red dot sight. Simple, fast, and effective, the push button design engages and disengages the flip mount allowing the...
- The lens are fully multi-coated maximizing resolution, light gathering capability, and color fidelity. Eye Relief-2.2 inches. Field of View-38.2 feet/100 yards
- The VMX-3T does not require any special sight-in. The dot centering screws can be used to help center your red dot image in the VMX-3T's field of view.
Round 6 (Mounting) Champion: Sparc 2
Price
When it comes to price, both the Vortex Sparc II and Strikefire II are affordable options, with quality that’s equal to red dot sights that are twice the price.
However, if you need to really save on money, the Vortex Sparc II is a few bucks cheaper.
The Sparc 2 is around $190 on Amazon…
- The updated SPARC features rugged construction that’s still compact, with a lightweight form-factor. The 2 MOA dot is quick to acquire in close ranges, but fine enough for pin-point accuracy at...
- With up to 700 hours of battery life on the highest setting, 50,000 hour on its lowest, the SPARC red dot will keep working in a variety of conditions.
- Increased light transmission with multiple anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces. Unlimited eye relief for rapid target transitions. 12 illumination settings to change the dot...
…compared to the Strikefire 2 at $200.
Round 7 (Price) Champion: Sparc 2
Vortex Strikefire 2 vs Sparc 2 Red Dot Sights: Which is Better?
After thoroughly testing out the Vortex Sparc 2 and the Strikefire 2, I’d choose the Strikefire 2 as the better red dot sight.
Here’s why:
- Longer battery life
- Large field of view
- Magnifier compatible
- Red/Green dot reticle
- ¼ MOA adjustment value
The Strikefire red dot sight allows for more control, fast target acquisition, and more dot options, making it a better choice for close to mid-range applications.
Now I’d like to hear from you. Which red dot sight would you choose? Leave a comment below.
And if you’re looking for a scope with a little more magnification than a red dot sight, check out my Bushnell 1-4×24 review.
I am a newbie and confused if the Strikefire ll is the right choice for a Mossberg 590 Cruiser. Is it rugged enough to handle extended use of a 12gauge and will it mount to gun with the included mount? Thank you in advance!
Shouldn’t be an issue, especially with the Vortex unconditional lifetime warranty. As long as your gun has a picatinny/weaver rail mount you’ll be fine.
What is the parallax setting on each ? At what range do they become parallax free ? How much shift do they have at closer or longer ranges ?
Thanks.