Vortex Viper Shotgun Enclosed Micro Red Dot Review

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Today, Vortex unveiled the all-new enclosed Viper Shotgun sight, featuring a universal mounting system for seamless installation. Traditionally, mounting a red dot on a shotgun meant using rib-mounted solutions or aftermarket plates, often resulting in awkward positioning and a compromised cheek weld. The Viper eliminates those issues with its integrated mount, allowing direct installation on drilled and tapped shotguns.

This design ensures a natural sight picture and consistent shooting stance, making it ideal for hunting and competitive shooting. I have been shooting with this optic since December, so let’s dive into the specifics and how it held up.

Specifications:

Vortex Viper Shotgun Sight: Out of the Box

The Vortex Viper Shotgun Enclosed Micro Red Dot arrives ready for action with an integrated universal mount, making it easy to attach to most drilled and tapped shotgun receivers without extra plates or adapters. Included in the box are mounting screws for most shotguns, a CR2032 battery, and a custom tool for installation. It also includes a rubber optic cover, lens cloth, and owner’s manual.

Mounting and Compatibility

Designed specifically for shotguns, the Viper’s integrated universal mounting footprint eliminates the need for additional plates or adapters. The included mounting screws secure the optic directly to most drilled and tapped shotgun receivers. The ultra-low mount ensures a tight cheek weld, keeping the shooter’s line of sight naturally aligned with the reticle. Vortex provides a compatibility list to confirm fitment for those using different shotguns. While this mount sits slightly too high to still utilize the rib and front sight for aiming, it sits low allowing me the same cheek weld. 

Housing and Durability

Constructed from 6061 aluminum, the enclosed housing provides a durable shell to protect the optic from moisture, dirt, and recoil-related stress. The enclosed design ensures reliability in rough conditions, preventing debris from interfering with the emitter—an issue that plagues open-style red dots. This is also the first enclosed emitter microdot from Vortex which is cool to see. Given its rugged construction and low-profile mounting, the Viper is built to withstand the high-impact environment of turkey hunting, waterfowl shooting, and sporting clays.

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Reticle Options and Glass

Both a multi-reticle system and a single-reticle system are currently available. However, the Viper stands out with its multi-reticle system, offering a 3 MOA dot, a 32 MOA circle, and a 65 MOA circle. These options are tailored for different shotgun applications: the 3 MOA dot works well for precise aiming at stationary or slow-moving targets, while the larger circles provide an intuitive aiming reference that aligns with common shotgun patterns. The large viewing window enhances target acquisition, keeping the shooter’s field of view open and unobstructed. The fully multi-coated glass reduces glare while maximizing light transmission. There is a little bit of a blue hue, but it is minimal and not distracting. Also, due to the achromatic lens, there is a slight distortion of the wide-circle reticle that makes it look more squashed at the top of the lens. However, the glass remains clear. 

Viper Shotgun Sight Parallax

To evaluate the Vortex Viper Shotgun Sight’s “parallax-free” claim, I tested for any reticle shift when viewed from different angles within the window. Ideally, the dot should remain fixed regardless of head position, ensuring consistent shot placement. At 12 yards, I observed approximately a 1-inch shift both vertically and horizontally when viewing the reticle from the extreme edges of the window. While this amount of deviation is minor for most shotgun applications, it’s something to be aware of, especially for precise slug shooting. To minimize any impact, I recommend zeroing in with the dot centered in the window for the most consistent point of impact.

Controls and Brightness

Adjusting the Viper is straightforward, with 12 brightness settings (10 for daylight and 2 for night vision) to accommodate different lighting conditions. The red dot maintains visibility even in bright daylight, ensuring a crisp aiming point. Reticle selection is simple—simultaneously clicking both the “+” and “-” buttons cycles through the available options, making adjustments quickly and efficiently in the field. The buttons also give an audible and tactile click, making it easy to feel your adjustments. 

While the Viper Shotgun sight has 2 NV settings, the dimmest setting still seems a bit brighter than most NV settings on other red dots. However, it still will work and could be fun for the adventurous shotgunner who tries to shoot clay pigeons after dark.

Vortex Viper Shotgun Sight Elevation Turrets

The Vortex Viper Shotgun Sight features an elevation turret on the top of the housing and a windage turret on the right side, allowing precise adjustments to the point of impact. Dialing the turrets up or down shifts the impact accordingly, ensuring quick and intuitive zeroing. Each click moves the point of impact by 1 MOA, providing shooters with fine-tuned control.

The turrets have an audible click with each position even though they are pretty mushy to dial through. With a total adjustment range of 100 MOA for both windage and elevation, the Viper offers ample correction to match various shotgun loads and shooting distances.

Battery Life and Power Management

Powered by a CR2032 battery, the Viper boasts a claimed battery life of up to 50,000 hours at a medium setting. While actual longevity depends on usage and brightness settings, the motion activation feature helps conserve power by shutting off after 10 minutes of inactivity and automatically turning back on when movement is detected. If users prefer, the motion activation can be disabled. Just hold the “+” and “-” buttons simultaneously for 3 seconds while manually powering down the unit. The battery cap is located on the right-hand side of the housing.

Performance in the Field

Testing the Viper in various situations revealed its strengths. The ultra-low mount made it easy to keep a natural sight picture, and the large viewing window allowed for rapid target acquisition. To prove this, I did some drills shooting a steel target from 20 yards after resting the stock on my leg until given the start signal. I was consistently getting a first shot off in 0.6-0.8 seconds without any issue finding the red dot. 

The reticle selection also proved useful, with the 32 MOA and 65 MOA circles aligning well with common shotgun patterns. This makes it an excellent choice for turkey hunting, wingshooting, and sporting clays. The various rings can align with the patterns of different chokes, and can also be used as holds for flying objects. From shooting birdshot to 3.5″ magnum loads, the optic held zero reliably. 

READ MORE: Testing the New Vortex Viper HD 3-15 SFP!

Final Thoughts On the Viper Shotgun Red Dot

Vortex has designed the Viper Shotgun Enclosed Micro Red Dot with the pleas of shotgun shooters in mind. Its rugged enclosed housing, intuitive reticle options, and ultra-low mounting system make it a solid choice for hunters and competitive shooters alike.

While the street price of $299 ($349 for the multi-reticle model) places it in a competitive market, its tailored design for most shotguns gives it a strong edge over generic red dots. For those looking for a purpose-built shotgun optic, the Viper delivers where it counts.

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