Vortex Strikefire 2 Review (2023): Is This Red Dot Worth the Money?

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The Vortex Strikefire 2 is an affordable red dot sight that’s comparable to sights twice the price.

The glass quality and versatility of this sight blew me away.

Why?

I’ll cover that and more in this Vortex Strikefire 2 review.

Let’s get started!

FeaturesVortex Strikefire 2
BrandVortex
ColorBlack
Eye ReliefUnlimited
Magnification Range1x
Reticle Type4 MOA red/green dot
Illuminated?Yes
Weight7.2 oz
Dimensions7.25 x 6.25 x 3 inches
Objective Lens Diameter30 mm

Here’s my Vortex Strikefire 2 Review

The Vortex Strikefire 2 is the most versatile red dot sight that the company makes.

Best of all:

The Vortex red dot optic has both red dot and green dot reticles.

What about the other Vortex Strikefire II features?

Keep reading to hear all about them…

Glass Clarity & Reticle

The Strikefire II red dot/green dot has crisp and clear glass.

STRIKEFIRE 2 OBJECTIVE LENS

Vortex manufactures some of the highest glass quality around, and the Strikefire II red dot doesn’t disappoint.

STRIKEFIRE 2 CLARITY

The lenses are fully multi-coated, offering higher light transmission and reduced glare for a clean, bright sight picture.

STRIKEFIRE 2 RED DOT

The Strikefire II red dot/green dot has a 4 MOA reticle that’s perfect for the AR-15.

STRIKEFIRE 2 RED DOT (2)

The Vortex Strikefire II optic may not be the best scope for the AR-15, but the large, red dot/green dot makes split-second target acquisition a breeze.

STRIKEFIRE 2 GREEN DOT (1)

If you don’t love the super bright red dot, you can easily swap to a green dot. This is especially helpful at night since green light delivers higher contrast in low-light conditions.

STRIKEFIRE 2 GREEN DOT

The Strikefire II red dot/green dot also has ten variable illumination settings, allowing you to adjust the brightness to your desired level.

STRIKEFIRE 2 RED DOT (1)

On top of that, the lowest two settings are night vision compatible!

Eye Relief & Eye Box

As with any other red dot sight, you’ll get unlimited eye relief.

STRIKEFIRE 2 MOUNTED (2)

The 30mm objective lens offers maximum field of view with both eyes open.

No need to worry about eye positioning or closing an eye with this wide lens, as you’ll be able to get on target as quickly as you would with the best reflex sight.

STRIKEFIRE 2 OVERVIEW

Durability

The Vortex Strikefire 2 optic is ruggedly durable.

STRIKEFIRE 2 OVERVIEW (2)

It’s made of aircraft-grade aluminum with a hard-anodized finish. The Vortex Strikefire II optic is also waterproof, fog proof, and shockproof, so you’ll never have to worry about taking this out, no matter the weather.

STRIKEFIRE 2 FINISH

It’s pretty lightweight at 7.2 oz, but when I compared the Vortex Strikefire II to the Vortex Sparc 2, it felt a little bulky.

STRIKEFIRE 2 FINISH (2)

Still, the Strikefire II red dot/green dot has an insane battery life with up to 80,000 hours on the lowest setting. To save power, it even has an automatic shutoff after 12 hours.

If that’s not enough, the Vortex Strikefire II comes with an unlimited lifetime warranty.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

The Strikefire II red dot sight has ½ MOA adjustment clicks.

STRIKEFIRE 2 TURRET

The dials give audible clicks, but they’re not the easiest to adjust.

STRIKEFIRE 2 POWER BUTTONS

The Vortex Strikefire II has dial flip-cap optic covers that need to be entirely removed to make the adjustments, and you’ll need a coin or screwdriver to do it.

STRIKEFIRE 2 MOUNTED (1)

The good news:

It came zeroed right out of the box!

I’ve spent a lot of time playing with this thing and have yet to readjust the Vortex Strikefire II.

Parallax & Magnification

Like most red dot sights, the Vortex Strikefire II red dot/green dot has a fixed magnification of 1x.

This is all you’ll need for close range shooting up to 150 yards. If you need something further, you can add on a magnifier.

Unlike the Sig Romeo 5, this red dot sight is completely parallax-free.

Mounting & Rings

The Strikefire II red dot comes with its own cantilever ring mount.

STRIKEFIRE 2 MOUNTED

The Strikefire II red dot optic bore center was designed to co-witness with an AR-15’s iron sights.

How convenient is that?

It also comes with flip caps for the lenses.

Since it’s short on magnification, you may want to pick up a magnifier like the Vortex Optics VMX-3T Magnifier with Built-in Flip Mount.

Sale
Vortex Optics VMX-3T 3X Red Dot Sight 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.

Price

The Strikefire II red dot is a pretty affordable red dot sight.

It may not be as cheap as the Vortex Sparc or Sparc 2, but it’s still only roughly $200 on Amazon.

The good quality you’ll receive for that price is well worth it.

Is the Vortex Strikefire II Red Dot for you?

For the maximum field of view and versatile dot options, the Vortex Strikefire 2 optic can’t be beat.

It features

  • Large field of view
  • Long-lasting battery
  • Magnifier compatible
  • Ten dot intensity levels
  • Red dot/Green dot reticle
  • ½ MOA adjustment value

If you need a waterproof red dot that offers split-second target acquisition and reliability, check out the Vortex Strikefire 2. You won’t be disappointed.

Now It’s Your Turn

I hope you enjoyed my Vortex Strikefire 2 review.

Now I want to turn it over to you:

What do you think about the Vortex Strikefire II? Or perhaps you already bought it and would like to share your thoughts.

Either way, let me know by leaving a quick comment down below.

FAQ

Does the Vortex StrikeFire 2 have night vision?

The Vortex Strikefire 2 sight has two illumination settings that are compatible and the green dot is easier to see in lower light, but it is not a night vision sight.

What is the LED upgrade on Vortex StrikeFire 2?

Many people complained about the green light being weak and hard to see on the Strikefire 1. The Strikefire II red dot optic has an upgraded LED that’s brighter and easier to see in the daylight. It also has a longer battery life than the previous model.

What battery does the Vortex StrikeFire 2 take?

The Strikefire II red dot/green dot runs off a CR2 battery that’ll last for 80,000 hours on the lowest setting. 

What magnifier should I use with the Vortex Strikefire 2?

I’d recommend the Vortex Optics VMX-3T Magnifier with Built-in Flip Mount to pair with the Strikefire II red dot.

Sale
Vortex Optics VMX-3T 3X Red Dot Sight 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.

7 thoughts on “Vortex Strikefire 2 Review (2023): Is This Red Dot Worth the Money?”

  1. I am waiting on delivery of the strikefire II , should be here today. I will mount it on my Ruger AR 223/556. Purchased the Strikefire on Amazon for $199.99. Ray

    Reply
  2. Love my Strikefire II. Very accurate for 4 MOA. Just bought another one from Palmetto State Armory. With discount code it is $119 with free shipping.

    Reply

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