In this Vortex Nation holiday episode, Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn skip the fluff and hit a bunch of real-world gear for hunters and shooters. If you’re into 2A, turkeys, deer, and range time, watch the video. We picked four products that we liked the best. Check ’em out and let us know if you would have picked something else?
Vortex Viper Shotgun Enclosed Micro Red Dot
(Turkey Gun “Cheat Code”)
This is the star of the show for serious shotgun hunters.
- Purpose-built enclosed micro red dot for shotguns
- Mounts directly to most drilled-and-tapped receivers
- Older guns (like many 870s) can be drilled and tapped easily
- Available in dot-only and multi-reticle versions
Ryan flat-out calls it “legal cheating” for turkey hunting. The optic sits low, so you keep a proper cheek weld, but instead of guessing with a front bead, you zero the gun like a rifle. If the dot is on the bird’s head or waddles, that’s where your payload goes.
He talks about making 50+ yard shots he would never feel good about with just a bead. For anyone running TSS and patterning their gun seriously, this dot stretches effective range, cleans up marginal shots, and helps when you’re twisted up in awkward positions at the base of a tree.
Vortex Triumph 850 Laser Rangefinder
(Budget Rangefinder That Actually Works)
This one hits that sweet spot of useful and affordable, which makes it a perfect gift.
- Around $100
- 850-yard rating on reflective targets
- Roughly 400+ yards on typical game targets
- Simple, fast black LCD display
No clutter, no overthinking. For a new hunter, youth shooter, or anyone running a budget rifle, this little unit solves a real problem: “How far is that, really?” It’s small, practical, and cheap enough that you don’t feel guilty beating it up in the field.
Vortex Triumph HD 3–9×40 SFP Riflescope
(The Classic 3–9x Hunting Scope, Under $100)
Vortex took the classic American hunting scope and made it genuinely affordable:
- 3–9×40, second focal plane
- 1-inch tube, BDC reticle
- Around $99
- Includes scope rings and neoprene cover in the box
Mark and Ryan talk about this configuration as the “everyman’s riflescope”—good for whitetails in the Midwest, elk, and pretty much anything that doesn’t require dialing turrets to 900 yards. For the guy or girl who just bought their first rifle, this is plug-and-play: mount, zero, hunt.
Vortex Diamondback HD 10×42 Binoculars
(“The Glock of Binoculars”)
Ryan calls the Diamondback HD 10×42 the “Glock of binoculars” for a reason:
- Tough, reliable, no-nonsense
- 10×42 is the do-everything hunting and range combo
- Optics that punch well above the price tag
- Long-time workhorse favorite in the Vortex lineup
Guides and serious hunters run these because they just work. From backyard glassing to backcountry elk to range steel spotting, the Diamondback HD 10×42 covers all of it without asking Razor money.
If you want one bigger gift that’ll ride in someone’s truck, pack, and blind for years, this is the one.
Live Inventory Price Checker
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Vortex Diamondback HD 10x42 Binoculars | GunMag Warehouse | $ 249.99 |
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Vortex Diamondback HD 10x42 Binoculars - DB-215 | Palmetto State Armory | $ 299.99 $ 249.99 |
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Vortex Viper HD 10x42 Binoculars | GunMag Warehouse | $ 499.99 |
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Vortex Razor HD 10x42 Binocular - RZB-2102 | Palmetto State Armory | $ 999.99 |
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Final Thoughts
The episode covers a lot of fun swag, but if you’re shopping for real gun people, these four products are the core:
- Run the Viper red dot on your turkey or defensive shotgun
- Pack the Triumph 850 to stop guessing distance
- Throw the Triumph 3–9×40 on the next budget deer rifle
- Glass with Diamondback HD 10x42s for everything else
The vidcap looks like a couple homos, one of the more emasculating things I’ve had the displeasure of seeing lately