Estimated reading time: 14 minutes
Vector X is the most advanced pair of ballistic rangefinding binoculars currently available on the market. These binoculars are outfitted with Applied Ballistics software. They also have an incredibly strong laser rangefinder, glass-etched reticle, and range enhancers. Not to mention many other features that validate my earlier statement.
Table of contents
Safran Vectronix is known as a world leader in Swiss optoelectronic equipment, but many of their products are military-focused. Vectronix Shooting Solutions may sound familiar and should be something to get familiar with. Vectronix Shooting Solutions just released the most versatile rangefinding binoculars available and I’m fortunate enough to have been testing these Vector X rangefinding binoculars for months now. The Vector X is a Jack-of-all-trades, without the negative connotation that some people associate with this phrase.
About The Vector X
The Vector X is many products stuffed into one pair of binoculars. These include an incredibly strong and accurate laser rangefinder, Applied Ballistics software, atmospheric measurement devices, Bluetooth interface for electronic connectivity, and a unique twist on binocular technology that includes range enhancers and an etched reticle.
You could easily carry a standard pair of binoculars during your hunt or mission. You’d still need to pack around a ballistic calculator, weather station (Kestrel), and laser rangefinder. Still, you would lack the in-optic reticle and adaptability that the 40% range enhancers provide on the Vector X. Because of this, the Vector X comes at a price that starts at $2,799.00 and goes up with other options.
Available on GunsAmerica Now
The Vector X rangefinding binoculars are available in 8x, 10x, and 12x magnification models. All of these share the same 42mm objective lens diameter while the 12x model costs $100 more than the 8x and 10x. All magnification Vector X binoculars have 40% range enhancers available for purchase at an additional $599.00.
Specifications and Features (for 10x Vector X)
- weight: 34 ounces
- dimensions: 2.59″ x 5.31″ x 6.45″
- eye relief: 17mm
- field of view: 333 feet @ 1,000 yards
- angular field of view: 6.3 degrees
- exit pupil: 4.2mm
- objective diameter: 42mm
- interpupillary distance: 58mm – 77mm
- twilight factor: 20.5
- laser rangefinder capabilities:
- max range: 7000 yards
- tree: 3000 yards
- deer: 2400 yards
- minimum range: 3 yards on all target types
- laser: 905nm, Class 1m according to IEC 60825-1
- measurement time: < or = to 0.25 seconds
- measurement units: yards/meters
- beam divergence: 1.8 MRAD x 0.1 MRAD
- battery type:
- 1x3V lithium battery CR123A (standard, on-board)
- 18650 rechargeable battery (optional with included adapter)
- Included accessories:
- neckstrap
- CR123 battery
- flip-up lens covers
- ocular cover
- soft case
- extended battery cap for 18650
- torx key
- tripod mount
- lens cloth
- MSRP: $2,799.00
Laser Rangefinder
Vectronix is likely known by most of you for their advanced laser-rangefinding equipment. They took this knowledge and applied it to the Vector X, giving it one of the most impressive laser rangefinder specifications that I’ve seen. Outfitted with a 905 nm, Class 1M laser engine with a beam divergence of only 1.5 x 0.1 MRAD. The Vector X will range targets at distances of up to 7,000 yards.
If you didn’t know, commercial lasers are limited by law to operate within certain wavelengths for safety reasons. The effect of this is practically all laser rangefinders use the same wavelength. This isn’t what makes the Vector X special. However, this laser is a beam of light, and you may know how light will spread out at increasing distances until it’s hardly perceptible.
The beam divergence of 1.5 x 0.1 MRAD is a very impressive specification. This means the beam is very narrow and concentrated, allowing precise measurements at long distances.
Ballistics and Atmospheric Measurements
As I’ve already mentioned several times, Vector X uses Applied Ballistics software in conjunction with onboard atmospheric measurements to calculate real-time firing solutions at the click of a button. This software is likely the most trusted and accurate available, suitable for tasks from hunting to law enforcement, where lives depend on the results.
The Vector X has sensors that measure azimuth, inclination, temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity in real time. Azimuth is used in calculating the impact of the Coriolis effect, and the rest are more or less self-explanatory.
This binocular can provide wind-drift calculations, but you must measure or estimate the wind value. From this point, plugging this value in and getting a horizontal solution is just a matter of a few quick button presses. Once a solution is calculated, it is displayed in the field of view. From range to solution, it’s only a fraction of a second.
VECSS Mobile App
The VECSS mobile app is incredibly intuitive and easy to navigate. The Vector X binoculars are able to communicate with your smartphone via Bluetooth connection. Because of this, information from the binoculars can be sent to your phone. Information from your phone can be sent to the binoculars too. The main screen organizes the way you can interact on the app between seven different main categories: pairing, measurements, environment, gun profiles, mapping, account, and news & support.
To allow the binoculars and your phone to communicate, you need to go to the pairing menu where you follow the on-screen instructions to connect the binoculars to your phone. Once that is done, the next thing I would do is go to “gun profiles” and input your rifle and ammo information. I currently have 16 different gun profiles saved on the app, which I thought was a lot. It turns out that you can have up to 30 gun profiles synced to the Vector X itself, and they are very easy to switch between!
From this “gun profile” menu, you can also access the range card function. Here, you can edit wind values and atmospheric measurements easily. You also have a fully customizable range card displaying 2 different wind values and a myriad of other information.
Mobile App Menus Continued…
The other main menus on the VECSS app are fairly self-explanatory. In “environment”, you adjust your environmental data or choose to use the data provided by the sensors onboard the Vector X. It also provides current weather information from the closest station for you to reference. The “mapping” menu shows the location of your position and the location of the ranged targets in a satellite view from Google. you are also provided with information about the ranged targets in a generated chart.
The last menu that I think is worth mentioning is the “measurements” menu. From here, you can choose to view the measurements you have made using the rangefinder in either a HUD format or as a target card showing up to 26 different target distances with firing solutions. I also used this menu for hands-free, tripod-mounted measurements to get ranges on very distant targets. In the measurement menu on your phone, you can click a button and the rangefinder will take a measurement.
Qualitative Optics Evaluation
To be plain and get to the point, the incredible feature set of the Vector X did not come without compromise. These are rangefinding binoculars that are top-tier in the rangefinding/ballistics department but I would put the optics just below top-tier level. Why? There are four things that the average person will notice when looking through a pair of binoculars: Eye relief, edge-to-edge clarity, brightness, and resolution. If you award the Vector X one point for each category that it does well in, it will get three points from me. One point for eye relief, one for brightness, and one for resolution.
The point that I did not award was for edge-to-edge clarity, but I still gave it one point for resolution. You should know that resolution and edge-to-edge clarity are related but not mutually exclusive. In the case of the Vector X, the center 2/3 of your field of view is very sharp and bright while the outside 1/3 of your field of view is still very bright (no vignetting), but the resolution (sharpness) of the image drops off significantly.
Since I had received a pre-production sample for review, I thought this may have been an issue with my particular pair of Vector X rangefinding binoculars. I sent this first pair back and received another set of Vector X rangefinding binoculars at around the same time that production models began shipping to you all. Still, I experienced the same loss of sharpness toward the edges of my field of view.
More than Just Optics
In the end, I think these Vector X are the best and most capable rangefinding binoculars, electronically and optically, that are currently available on the market. However, they will not optically outperform the incredibly expensive top-tier, plain-Jane, binoculars that some people have optically compared them to. I am okay with this, though, because the Vector X brings tons of capabilities to the table in one optic.
For the user to accomplish what the Vector X can do while using the Swarovski binoculars in the picture above, they would have to add several other items to their kit. This is added expense and weight, which isn’t always what you want.
Reticle Options On The Vector X
One thing that makes the Vector X unique among other rangefinding binoculars is its etched reticle which was designed by FinnAccuracy. This etched MSR reticle is much easier to use precisely than the digital reticle often found in other rangefinding binoculars, and it is permanently within your vision without timing out to save battery. There are two different MRAD-based reticle options found in the Vector X, the Dual Magnification Reticle (DMR) and Single Magnification Reticle (SMR).
The MSR-DMR reticle consists of two different reticle trees. One has values that are accurate at the base magnification of the binoculars (without the use of range enhancers), and the other is accurate at the higher magnification provided by the addition of range enhancers. This is the reticle that my Vector X rangefinding binoculars have, and the design is growing on me as I continue to use it.
The MSR-SMR reticle is made for you who do not plan to buy/use the range enhancers since this reticle only has one L-shaped reticle that is scaled to be accurate for the binocular’s base magnification. This L-shaped reticle of the MSR-SMR is very simple and clean, leaving much of your field of view unobstructed.
Radical X
With the Vector X rangefinding binoculars, I also received a pair of Radical X binoculars from Vectronix. The Radical X binoculars are the same as the Vector X but without the electronics. The Radical X binoculars are available in the same magnification options, can also use the range enhancers, has the same etched reticle selection, but lacks any rangefinding or ballistic capabilities that the Vector X has.
If you are looking for a solid pair of binoculars with an etched reticle and the mission adaptability that the range enhancers can provide, the Radical X may be the perfect pair of binoculars for you.
Final Thoughts
The Vector X rangefinding binoculars are an incredibly powerful and capable tool for long-range shooters of any application. I never failed to get a range on non-reflective targets within the ~3500 yard range. it often would give measurements well beyond this. Rocks tended to reliably provide ranges around 5000 yards, even. In conjunction with this, the ABS firing solutions were always spot-on and the menu was easy to navigate for any gun profile changes or wind value modifications that I wanted to make.
Considering all that the Vector X is capable of, I only have two complaints and that is phenomenal. The first is one that I discussed earlier, which is edge-to-edge clarity. The second is a matter of preference where I would like the binoculars to power up immediately upon pressing the power button, instead of holding the button for a second. The binoculars measure almost instantaneously after I press the measurement button, provided they are already powered on.
Vector X, An Excellent Tool
The Vector X rangefinding binoculars are a valuable tool and any long-range shooter would benefit from having them. With so many features and capabilities, you would be able to run less equipment and still fill the same requirements with the Vector X alone, which is extremely valuable. When you mount the Vector X to a tripod and install range enhancers, it can even replace your spotting scope in many scenarios. All-in-all, the Vector X is a jack-of-all-trades and master of many.
Learn more about the vector X or Radical X binoculars on the Vectronix site.
You can purchase the Vector X binoculars from Eurooptic here.
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