Vortex Optics went hard this year with several new releases, including three new optics. We looked at the Vortex Spitfire Prism 5x, and now we got our hands on the Vortex Spitfire HD Gen 2 3x prism. The Spitfire series isn’t new, but the Gen 2 have entirely rewritten the script on what a prism optic is. The Vortex Spitfire HD Gen 2 3x prism is a bit of a mouthful, so let’s call it the Spitfire Gen 2 HE from here on out.
Spitfire Gen 2 3X Prism Specs
Magnification – 3X Fixed
Objective Lens Diameter – 21 mm
Eye Relief – 2.6 inches
Field of View – 37.9 feet
Length – 3 inches
Weight – 9 ounces
MSRP – 549.99
Why a Prism?
Prism optics are great, and while a lot of people have moved to the LPVO, I’ve clung to my prisms. I like my rifles like I like boots; light and simple. Prisms offer a good mix of the features that make a magnified optic great with the features that make a red dot great. This Goldilocks style combination grants users the best of both worlds.
Albeit, some users feel the opposite and find that the combination gives you the worst of both worlds. Their arguments might have merit, and it’s tough to beat the versatility of the LPVO, but I keep clinging to my prisms.
Specifically, I’m going to start using the Spitfire Gen 2 3x prism to bolster my argument. Look at those specs! The Spitfire Gen 2 Prism weighs 9 ounces and is 3 inches long. That’s compact red dot size, people, but I get built-in 3x magnification. The efficiency of the design makes it quite desirable.
Weight-wise it’s rather average, but still not bad. Footprint wise we are getting a magnified optic smaller than most red dot magnifiers. At only a few inches long, you won’t need much rail space to make this thing tick.
Prisms also offer etched and illuminated reticles. If the world ends and batteries are impossible to find, you can still use your reticle without illumination. It’s idiot-proof at its core, and when something can be simple, it doesn’t make sense to introduce a complication. Etched reticles also provide relief to shooters with astigmatism and give them a very clear and crisp reticle devoid of starbursts.
Breaking Down the Spitfire Gen 2 3X
Besides being small and light, the Spitfire offers lots of desirable features for any optic. Vortex includes both a high and low mount option to make the Spitfire accessible for any firearm. It’s not AR-centric, and it’s nice to see. The high mount does work perfectly with a AR 15 and similar rifles.
The low mount provides an option for shooters with AKs, Scorpions, and non-in-line rifle designs. Vortex equipped the Spitfire Gen 2 3X prism with an Aimpoint Micro footprint, so a field of aftermarket mounts exist already,
While the optic mounts are not AR-centric, the reticle is. Vortex tossed the AR-BDC4 reticle into the Spitfire Gen 2 3X prism. This reticle provides a bullet drop compensating scale out to 650 yards. You can always adapt the holdovers to various calibers, and Vortex published the subtension measurements.
Around the BDC is a three-quarter circle, and in the center is a 1 MOA dot. The three-quarter circle and dot are illuminated red, and the Spitfire Gen 2 3X sports 12 brightness settings. Ten providing you a bright daylight option and two for night vision use.
Blasting Away
When I began zeroing the Spitfire Gen 2 3X, I had a dislike for the measurements per adjustment. Every click moves the reticle 1 MOA. Vortex equipped their latest three optics with 1 MOA adjustments, and while it’s fine on a red dot, I don’t care for it on a magnified optic.
Half an inch is a lot to be off, and I can make that measurement if I wanted to. I zeroed the optic where I wanted it, but I wish I could fine-tune it a bit more than 1 MOA per adjustment. Heck, most red dots even offer .5 MOA adjustments.
While I don’t like the 1 MOA adjustments, I do like the clarity of the optic. The picture through the lens is crystal clear and provides awesome HD clarity at the ranges you’d use a 3X optic. It scoots you nice and close to the target.
I could easily distinguish the different colors of the target I used to zero and the various colors of the range itself. From red shotgun hulls on the ground to orange clay pigeon remains fading in the sunlight. The optic’s design makes it quite friendly for a two-eye open shooting style.
The minimalist ocular frame keeps your peripheral vision quite clear and makes focus swaps easy. Like any good prism sight, the Spitfire HD Gen 2 can be used in an occluded shooting method for close-quarters use.
Focus with your non-dominant eye on the target, and the illuminated reticle can be used like a red dot. It’s not as precise as a red dot, but you can get lead on target quite quickly at super close ranges. The reticle gets plenty bright and shows up well in bright daylight.
The Ergonomics of an Optic
Multiple mounts, and heights, on top of a lightweight optic means it already scores high in the ergonomics department. The adjustments might be large, but they are very tactile and click loudly as they move.
On top of that, the brightness controls are big rubberized buttons that are tough to beat. They take a dedicated push to activate and won’t accidentally get pressed. The large size and location make them easy to press without breaking your sightline.
The eye relief kind of sucks. This is a prism problem as a whole. For a prism, the Spitfire Gen 2 HD isn’t bad at 2.6 inches. Compared to other optics, it makes you get close. Nose to charging handle close, and mounting it as far rearward on the gun as possible.
Small, Powerful, and Clear
The Vortex Spitfire Gen 2 HD is my new example for the reasons why prism optics rock. The Spitfire’s small size but capable magnification make it a perfect carbine optic. It’s no designated marksman’s optic, but for the typical carbine ranges, the Spitfire works and works well. The price point is affordable, and the optic is well suited for a variety of firearms. Check it out here.