Is Bigger Always Better?! Meet the New Vortex Defender-XL!

Estimated studying time: 11 minutes

Presenting the newest innovation from Vortex Optics – the Defender-XL pink dot pistol sight. This cutting-edge sight boasts an array of options designed to reinforce efficiency, that includes an exceptionally giant window, movement activation, and a DeltaPoint Professional footprint. Engineered for pace, the Defender-XL excels in aggressive pistol taking pictures, however its versatility additionally makes it a wonderful alternative for rifles and shotguns.

With a rugged 7075 aluminum physique using a textured Quick-Rack entrance face for simple slide-racking off any floor to a handy high mount battery for hassle-free adjustments with out re-zeroing, it’s a critical contender on this planet of pink dots.

Vortex Defender-XL Specs:

Dot Dimension: 5 MOA, 8 MOA Battery Sort: CR2032 Battery Life: 25,000 hours Illumination Settings: 12 Settings (10 Daylight, 2NV) Eye Reduction: Limitless Magnification: 1x Footprint: DeltaPoint Professional Adjustment Commencement: 1 MOA Journey per Rotation: 25 MOA Whole Elevation Adjustment: 120 MOA Whole Windage Adjustment: 115 MOA Parallax Setting: Parallax Free Size/Width/Top: 2.0″/1.4″/1.4″ Weight (with battery): 1.9 oz

Defender-XL Out of the Field

The Defender-XL arrives straight from the manufacturing facility, totally geared up with almost the whole lot you may want. Included within the package deal are a Picatinny mount, a Glock MOS adapter plate, a lens material, a customized software, a CR2032 battery, and a protecting cowl. Moreover, Vortex gives quite a lot of fasteners, permitting this pink dot to be mounted on most Leupold DPP optic-cut pistols obtainable available on the market. Every fastener bag is conveniently labeled, simplifying the method of discovering the appropriate set in your particular firearm.

Unboxing the Defender-XL — All included contents for the Vortex Defender-XL

One factor to pay attention to is that the Defender-XL’s entrance lens protrudes previous the entrance of the bottom identical to the Trijicon SRO. Most slide cuts aren’t deep sufficient to have any points, however my Stealth Arms Platypus has a really deep slide reduce which induced the entrance of the pink dot to hit the body conserving it from mounting appropriately. To deal with this, I made a 0.040″ shim which raised the pink dot simply sufficient to maintain it from interfering.

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The dot ended up working free with this combo, and I believe it was partly as a result of the rear pins now not made contact with the housing. I believe a machined riser with the DPP footprint would repair this concern. Nonetheless, I’m nonetheless grateful for deep slide cuts as they permit decrease iron sights to clear the bases of pink dot housings.

Red dot sight installed on a Stealth Arms Platypus handgun — Housing hitting on the highest of the slide conserving it from being mounted

Vortex Defender-XL mounted on the Stealth Arms Platypus — Utilizing a 0.040″ shim, the Defender-XL mounts up completely with the Stealth Arms Platypus

Housing On The Defender-XL

For these acquainted with the Vortex’s Defender lineup of pink dots, the Defender-XL has many similiarities with a number of key variations. Maintaining custom, Vortex continues to make the most of its distinctive Quick-Rack textured entrance face. The texturing permits for simpler one-handed slide manipulations by pushing the optic into objects to rack a pistol slide. Moreover, this protruding entrance face creates a steel standoff which in flip protects the recessed lens.

Closeup on the front view of a Vortex red dot — Quick-Rack entrance face of the Defender-XL

The highest of the housing additionally incorporates a polymer insert which Vortex calls a ShockShield. This helps take in shock for the optic and is meant to assist shield the glass from cracking when the housing is getting used and abused. Not solely does this enhance reliability, nevertheless it additionally shifts the middle of gravity in direction of the underside of the housing. This helps cut back muzzle flip on a pistol and reduces the general weight to only one.9oz.

Top view of a Vortex red dot — Rubber ShockShield constructed into the highest of the housing

Not like the Defender-CCW and Defender-ST, the brand new Defender-XL options an upgraded battery tray. As an alternative of the older screw-on cap, the Defender-XL has a flip-up hinge, making it a lot simpler to make use of. For added safety, the battery tray contains two fail-safes: a set screw on the left facet that locks the tray utterly, and a spring-loaded pin with a lever on the appropriate facet that have to be moved to open the compartment. This double fail-safe design ensures peace of thoughts whereas offering straightforward and handy entry to the battery when wanted.

The Vortex Defender-XL mounted on a beige handgun — Hinged battery tray with the set screw on the left, and a spring-loaded pin and lever on the appropriate

Battery

The Defender-XL is powered by a CR2032 battery and affords a powerful estimated runtime of round 25,000 hours, assuming the dot is about to the sixth stage out of its 12 brightness settings. To preserve battery life, it incorporates a manufacturing facility default auto-shutoff set to activate after 10 minutes of inactivity. This function will be toggled on or off by holding the up and down buttons for 3 seconds. When enabled, the auto-shutoff perform pairs with movement activation, immediately reactivating the dot with any motion.

For customers who’ve the pink dot mounted on an obligation or hid carry pistol, it stays on constantly as a result of common movement. Conversely, inserting the firearm in a secure or on a nightstand triggers the auto-shutoff, preserving battery life.

Buttons

The Defender-XL options brightness adjustment controls on each the left and proper sides of the housing. The up arrow will increase brightness, whereas the down arrow decreases it. It affords 12 brightness settings in whole, with 10 for daylight situations and a pair of to be used with evening imaginative and prescient. This pink dot sight is exceptionally vibrant, even surpassing the Trijicon RMR at its highest setting. Nonetheless, the evening imaginative and prescient settings are brighter than ideally suited on the lowest stage.

Looking through the reticle of a Vortex red dot using night vision — Trying via the Defender-XL with NV when set on the bottom brightness setting

One concern I’ve observed is that the up and down arrows protrude barely from the housing. Whereas this design is much like the Trijicon RMR, the buttons on the Defender-XL are a lot simpler to press, which has led to unintended brightness changes. Merely inserting a pistol geared up with the Defender-XL on a desk has, every now and then, turned the pink dot off completely.

Buttons on a Vortex red dot — Button arrow protruding previous the sting of the housing

Turrets On The Defender-XL

For zero changes, the Defender-XL makes use of an elevation turret on the highest of the housing and a windage turret on the appropriate facet. Adjusting the bullet’s level of influence includes a easy twist of those turrets. If the preliminary influence is excessive and to the appropriate, regulate the turrets down and to the left accordingly. Every click on on the turrets corresponds to a 1 MOA motion within the bullet’s level of influence, that means it takes 10 clicks at 10 yards to maneuver the POI one inch. These changes produce audible and tactile clicks and provide as much as 120 MOA of whole adjustment vary.

Elevation turret on the Vortex Defender-XL red dot — Elevation turret on the highest, and the windage turret on the right-hand facet of the housing

Glass

The Defender-XL affords a considerably bigger window in comparison with the Defender-CCW and the newer Defender-ST. Using the DeltaPoint Professional footprint, it incorporates a vast physique and an expansive window. The hard-coated aspherical lens delivers a “distortion-free sight image.” Though the Defender-XL is obvious and freed from distortion, there’s a slight blue tint on the lens. To exhibit the way it compares to different optics available on the market, I created the picture beneath. Please concentrate on the readability of the optics fairly than their dimension, as some have been positioned nearer to the digicam than others. The image is barely meant to match glass readability.

comparing the lights on 8 different handgun red dots — Readability comparability between a number of pink dots

Parallax

One factor I needed to check with the Defender-XL is that if the dot shifted regardless of the place the consumer had the dot positioned within the window. Some pink dots can have a big POI shift, and it appears like this dot isn’t any exception. I mounted this pistol to a tripod after which took footage with the dot at every nook of the window. I measured a shift of three″ at 10 yards relying on the place the dot was at within the window, or roughly a 30 MOA vertical parallax shift. Horizontally, there was virtually no shift, however the vertical shift may show problematic.

To attenuate this impact, customers may sight the pink dot in the course of the window, after which whether it is on the higher or decrease portion of your subject of view when taking pictures you must solely have a 15 MOA shift in both route. On the subject of pistol taking pictures a most of three″ shift at 10 yards can be barely noticeable to most individuals. But, it’s one thing crucial to notice. Because of this, I would favor to run the Vortex Defender-ST regardless of a barely smaller window as a result of it having almost zero parallax shift. Nonetheless, for many who need the most important window round, the Defender-XL is for you.

Sturdiness

Vortex offered the Defender-XL pink dot previous to its launch, giving me time to check it. All through my testing, I encountered no mechanical points. The Vortex Defender-XL did work free after utilizing the Quick-Rack entrance face to rack my pistol towards varied objects. Nonetheless, when you’ve got a correct optic plate I don’t assume this may be a difficulty. Additionally, avoiding purposefully slamming the optic into objects could assist regardless that the rugged housing can take the beating.

The big sight window proved invaluable when taking pictures via a VTAC board or from unconventional positions, the place smaller dots will be arduous to find. The Defender-XL’s fast goal acquisition makes it ideally suited for quick transitions and competitors taking pictures. Its rugged construct additionally makes it appropriate to be used on rifles and shotguns.

Shooter firing a rifle outside with the Vortex Defender-XL red dot mounted — The Defender-XL works as a fantastic light-weight choice for AR’s and shotguns

Throughout testing, the benefits of the XL’s giant window grew to become clear whereas operating and gunning. Whether or not taking pictures on the transfer, via ports, or from awkward positions, discovering the dot was all the time straightforward. My transitions have been swift in close-quarters eventualities, and I used to be capable of hit metal targets at 100 yards with the Defender-XL mounted on my Stealth Arms Platypus. Moreover, the brand new hinged battery tray design is a big enchancment, as I’ve struggled with aligning and screwing within the cap on different Defender sights.

Stealth Arms Platypus handgun firing while Vortex Defender-XL red dot is mounted on top — Working the Defender-XL on the Stealth Arms Platypus

Abstract of the Defender-XL

Whereas I observed some vertical parallax shifts that may be problematic at a distance, the brand new Vortex Defender-XL is designed for fast-paced, close-quarters environments like competitors taking pictures. Its window is barely bigger than that of the Holosun 507 Comp, offering a greater subject of view. Priced at an MSRP of $569.99, with an anticipated road worth of round $400, this pink dot sight is constructed robust and designed to final. For added peace of thoughts, it comes with the Vortex VIP lifetime guarantee.

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The Defender-XL additionally features a Picatinny mount proper out of the field. With options like a top-loading battery, tactile changes, and a rugged Quick-Rack entrance face, it’s a sturdy contender within the competitors taking pictures enviornment. Nonetheless, the vertical parallax shift of as much as 3 inches at 10 yards could make the Vortex Defender-ST a greater total alternative, because it affords zero parallax shift regardless of its barely smaller window.

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