Vortex Sparc AR with Vortex VMX-3T Magnifier
OPTICAL FEATURES
Fully Multi-Coated
Multiple anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces increase light transmission.
Bright Red Dot
Display is highly visible in daylight.
Brightness Settings
Provides 10 variable illumination settings—the lowest two settings are night-vision compatible.
CONSTRUCTION FEATURES
Nitrogen Gas
Nitrogen gas purging with o-rings-seals delivers fogproof, waterproof performance.
Single-Piece Chassis
Compact and lightweight.
Waterproof
O-ring seals prevent moisture, dust and debris from penetrating for reliable performance in all environments.
Shockproof
Rugged construction withstands recoil and impact.
Hard Anodized Finish
Highly durable low-glare matte finish. Operating Temperature Rated from -4 degrees to +158 degrees Fahrenheit.
CONVENIENCE FEATURES
Multi-Height Mount System
Includes a spacer shim that can be utilized to provide two different mounting heights: lower 1/3 co-witness (40 mm) & absolute co-witness (37 mm).
Unlimited Eye Relief
Non-critical eye relief for rapid target acquisition.
Battery Life
12-hour auto-shutdown feature maximizes battery life. Typical battery life is 300 hours at maximum brightness and 5,000 hours at minimum brightness setting.
Battery Installation
Remove the battery compartment cover. Install one AAA battery so the “+” lettering faces inward and replace the cover. When replacing the cover, be sure to fully screw it down.
Powering Up
To turn the SPARC AR on, press the UP button. To turn the SPARC AR off, press and hold the DOWN button for five seconds.
Note: If you forget to turn off the SPARC AR, it will automatically shut down in approximately 12 hours.
Brightness Adjustments
The SPARC AR red dot sight offers ten variable illumination settings—the lowest two settings being ultra-low for use with night-vision equipment. Adjust the dot brightness by tapping the appropriate UP or DOWN adjustment control button.
Typical Battery Life
The SPARC AR uses a AAA battery. The typical battery life depends on the brightness intensity setting of the dot.
Windage and Elevation Adjustments
The SPARC AR red dot incorporates elevation and windage dials with audible clicks. Each small click will move the point-of-impact one Minute of Angle (MOA). 1 MOA will closely correspond to one inch at 100 yards, 1/2 inch at 50 yards, 1/4 inch at 25 yards, etc.
Example
At a 50 yard sight-in distance, it will take twelve clicks of the dial to move the bullet’s point-of-impact six inches.
Adjust the elevation and windage settings:
- Remove the dial covers. The battery cover can also be used as a tool to loosen and tighten the dial covers
- Use the raised bars on the dial covers, coin or screw driver to make the adjustments.
- Turn the adjustment dial in the appropriate direction as indicated by the arrows. Move the dials in the direction you wish the bullet’s point-of-impact to change.
Elevation Adjustment
• Remove the turret cap and turn the inner screw counter- clockwise to adjust the bullet’s point-of-impact up; turn the inner screw clockwise to adjust bullet’s point-of-impact down.
Windage Adjustment
• Remove the turret cap and turn the inner screw counter- clockwise to adjust the bullet’s point-of-impact to the right; turn the inner screw clockwise to adjust windage bullet’s point-of- impact to the left.
Mounting the SPARC AR
To get the best results proper mounting is essential. Although
not difficult, the correct steps must be followed. Your firearm requires a Picatinny or Weaver style rail/base. If needed, these may be purchased at most firearms dealers. If you are unsure of your abilities, it would be best to use the services of a qualified gunsmith.
1.Attach the SPARC AR to the rail/base with the adjustment control buttons facing the shooter and make sure the mount
is solidly seated in the base groove. In order to prevent recoil injury, position the SPARC AR so you have at least four inches of eye relief.
2.Be sure the base clamp is hooked around the outside of the rail/base.
3.Press the SPARC AR downward and forward toward the muzzle. Then, firmly tighten the base clamp bolt using the hex wrench.
Mount Height Options
The SPARC AR can be mounted at two heights, lower 1/3 co- witness and absolute co-witness. To mount it at lower 1/3, mount the sight as received. The optic center will be 40mm above the base surface. To mount for absolute co-witness you can remove the 3mm base shim. The optic center at absolute co-witness will be 37mm above the base surface.
To change the mount height, loosen and remove the four base screws and remove the base clamp along with the 3mm shim. Reinstall the base clamp with the four shorter screws supplied with your SPARC AR.
SIGHTING IN
Bore Sighting
After mounting, an initial bore sighting of the SPARC AR at short range (25–50 yards) will save time and money at the range. This can be done using a bore sighter according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or by removing the bolt on some rifles to visually sight through the barrel
To visually bore sight a rifle:
1.Place the rifle solidly on a rest and remove the bolt.
2.Sight through the bore and center the target inside the barrel. 3.With the bulls eye centered in the bore, make windage and elevation adjustments until the illuminated dot is also centered over the bulls eye.
Final Range Sight-In
Final sight-in should be done at the range using the exact ammunition you expect to hunt or shoot with:
1.After bore sighting the SPARC AR, fire a shot or two at your desired zero distance to check that you’re roughly on target. If necessary, adjust the dot to put you near the center of the target (see Windage and Elevation Adjustment on page 6).
2.Fire a three-shot group as precisely as possible.
3.Using the center of this group as a reference, make any necessary adjustments for windage and elevation correction. Using arrows for reference, adjust dials in the direction you wish the group to move.
4. Fire a final three-shot group to confirm proper adjustment. Repeat as necessary.
Shooting With The Sparc AR
The key thing to remember when shooting with the SPARC AR red dot is to keep both of your eyes open! Shooting with both eyes open allows you to take full advantage of your peripheral vision to get on target very quickly. Eye placement is not critical. As long as you can see the dot, you’ll hit your target!
Note: If using an optional magnifier for distance shooting, you may find it easier to shoot with one eye closed due to the increased magnification.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Please check the following before returning the SPARC AR for service.
If the red dot does not illuminate:
• Is the battery dead? Replace.
• Be sure the battery is oriented with “+” lettering facing inward.
• Is the battery cover loose? Be sure cover is snug and contact points are clean.
If bullets are not grouping:
• Be sure all mount screws are tight. You should not be able to twist or move the SPARC AR in any direction. Many times, problems thought to be with the scope are actually mount problems.
Maintenance
Cleaning
The SPARC AR red dot will require very little routine maintenance other than periodically cleaning the exterior lenses. Just wipe down the exterior with a soft, dry cloth.
When cleaning the lenses, be sure to use products that are specifically designed for use on coated optical lenses such as the VTX Lens Pen and FogFree Cleaning Kits.
• Be sure to blow away any dust or grit on the lenses prior to wiping the surfaces.
• Using your breath, or a very small amount of water or pure alcohol, can help remove stubborn things like dried water spots.
Lubrication
All components are permanently lubricated, so no additional lubricant should be applied.
Note: Do not attempt to disassemble any components of the red dot.
Storage
Use the included lens cover to protect the lenses when not in use.
Remove the battery before putting in storage for extended periods.
Avoid storage in direct sunlight or in any very hot location.
Storage and use in extreme cold will shorten battery life.
The VIP Warranty
We build optics based on our commitment to your absolute satisfaction. That’s why our products are unconditionally guaranteed and we make this Very Important Promise to you—a Very Important Person.
MOUNTING THE VMX-3T MAGNIFIER
Attach VMX-3T to Flip Mount
Using the included screws, attach theVMX-3T magnifier to the Flip Mount. Ocular lens and Release Button should face shooter.
Mount height options
Absolute Co-Witness Height with Flip Mount
Positions the VMX-3T at 37 mm from the base surface to the center of the optic. This puts the dot height at a center (absolute) sight picture when co-witnessed with standard AR-15 iron sights. For this height, do not install the included shim plate.
Lower 1/3 Co-Witness Height with Flip Mount and Shim Plate
Positions the VMX-3T at 40 mm from the base surface to the center of the optic. This puts the dot height at a lower 1/3 sight picture when co-witnessed with standard AR-15 iron sights. For this height, install the included shim plate between the VMX-3T and the Flip Mount.
Center the red dot image
The VMX-3T is easy to use and does not require any special sight-in—just zero-in the red dot as normal and add the VMX- 3T behind for additional 3x magnification.
The dot-centering screws can be used to help center the red dot in the VMX-3T’s field of view. After the VMX-3T is mounted in front of red dot scope, the dot may seem off-centered while viewing through the VMX-3T. This will not affect the point-of- impact. If desired, the centering screws can be used to move the dot up/down or left/right until the dot is more centered. Do not force screws once resistance is felt and the end-of-travel range has been reached.
Note: Perfectly centering the red dot in the VMX-3T is not required for accuracy. Once the primary red dot optic has been sighted in using its own adjustments, the adjustments done to the VMX-3T using the centering screws will not affect the point-of-impact.
Adjust the focus
Use the focus knob to achieve a sharp image. Turn the focus dial clockwise or counter-clockwise until image is as sharp as possible.
Using the flip mount
To use the included flip mount, simply push on the release button and flip the VMX-3T off to the side.
Specifications |
|
Magnification | 1 x |
Objective Lens Diameter | 22 mm |
Eye Relief | Unlimited |
Adjustment Graduation | 1 MOA |
Max Elevation Adjustment | 90 MOA |
Max Windage Adjustment | 90 MOA |
Parallax Setting | Parallax Free |
Length | 2.9 inches |
Weight | 7.5 oz |
Reviews