Vortex water/fog issues?

[Jpr778]

Just looking to share my pain and see if anyone else has had a similar issue…
Long story short, I have a Vortex Crossfire II 3-9x50 on my muzzleloader. Haven’t had a single issue with it in the 5-6 years I’ve had it. Hunted with it here in Ohio this past Sunday, rainy cold conditions. Scope constantly fogged up all day and was hard to see through. I did not have caps on it in the field. I had to wipe the lens multiple times throughout the day. -
Fast forward to today, similar conditions, maybe slightly heavier rain. I left the caps on the scope in hopes to avoid that happening again. 20 min before sunset, a decent 140ish buck is 80 yards broadside. I grab my muzzy and slowly shoulder it, quietly taking the caps off. Look through the scope, nothing but grey! Couldn’t see a thing, figure it was fog. Wipe the lens, no improvement. Had about 5 minutes of trying to make the scope usable before the deer caught my wind and bolted. 30 min after the hunt the scope was in the same condition, couldn’t make out a single thing through the scope. Now that it’s been a few hours, the scope seems to be perfectly fine.

I don’t want to make a warranty claim if I don’t have to, but I’ve never had this happen before. I currently have vortex on all of my weapons, also use their rangefinders and binos, no issues ever. This is making me question the legitimacy of their waterproof / fogproof claim.

 

[87TT]

Email them. You will have a return label faster than you can box it up. They will make it right.

 

[Macintosh]

Yah, you have two major problems.
1) your scope needs resealed and purged, that needs to go back asap.
2) you have a warped idea of what “decent” means.

 

[Jpr778]

Yah, you have two major problems.
1) your scope needs resealed and purged, that needs to go back asap.
2) you have a warped idea of what “decent” means.

This has been one of my worst seasons ever. Normally I will see multiple 130-150 inch deer a season, with one or two opportunities ( I normally hunt with a compound bow, anything inside 30 yards I consider an opportunity). The buck tonight was only the third good one I’ve seen all season and the first I would’ve had a chance to shoot at if the scope was working. I’ve passed on countless does and smaller 4/6 points.

It’s been a long season, have hunted 2-3 days a week since the start of season in late September, all public land.

 

[Honyock]

You get what you pay for with optics. I don't care what the warranty is if it craps out on me when I need it.

 

[SCHUNTER73]

Similar experience with their diamondback binos. Left them in pack in the back of my truck (under a hard cover) for a week or so. Obviously my fault. Environment was damp but they were not in the water. Since then, they have been somewhat foggy. Maybe I should send them back and see what they say. I always enjoyed using them before this happened.

 

[bojangles808]

Putting a crossfire on a muzzleloader is a bold strategy cotton

 

[ckleeves]

That’s disappointing I always figured the Crossfire was a drop deal reliable scope and could take pretty much anything man or Mother Nature could dish out. Might be time to upgrade to a Barska?

 

[Jpr778]

That’s disappointing I always figured the Crossfire was a drop deal reliable scope and could take pretty much anything man or Mother Nature could dish out. Might be time to upgrade to a Barska?

 

[BCsteve]

So the fogging was occurring inside the scope?

 

[roosiebull]

You get what you pay for with optics. I don't care what the warranty is if it craps out on me when I need it.

That’s not very true unfortunately, there are lots of expensive scopes that suck