Welcome to Optics Trade review of Vector Optics Continental 2.5-15×56. This is a rare lowlight specialist scope that won’t empty your bank account, so we are excited to tell you all about it. Let’s go.
Interested in Vector Optics Continental 2.5-15×56?
Vector Optics
Vector Optics is a Chinese manufacturer of riflescopes, red dot sights, and other products. The people behind the Vector brand gained experience by working as an OEM manufacturer for various sports optics companies. Since the 2007 establishment, many things have changed for Vector Optics. The focus has shifted to end-costumer products.
Models in the Continental series are very sought-after. They have the best optical performance of all Vector Optics scopes but remain reasonably priced.
Physical Properties
The particular Continental scope we’re reviewing today is Vector Optics Continental 2.5-15×56., which has a magnification range from 2.5 to 15x. The lens size is 56mm, perfect for twilight. This scope is made for low light.
The scope features a 30-millimeter main tube. It has an adjustable parallax, illumination, and capped turrets.
The outer diameter of the 56mm objective lens clocks at 64 millimeters. If you plan to attach this 2.5-15×56 scope to NV or thermal clip-ons, it’s the 64mm dimension that you need to look at.
Water, Temperature and Shock Resistance
The chassis is made of aircraft-grade aluminum and is shockproof up to .338 Lapua Magnum caliber. The entire housing is purged with dry Nitrogen gas. That means this air-tight scope will be a trusted companion even at the lowest of temperatures. This Vector scope also remains impervious to liquid damage down to one meter of depth for 30 minutes.
The eyepiece is well-made and glides smoothly. The same goes for the magnification ring that goes from 2.5x to 15x in and about a 180-degree twist. The magnification wheel was obviously made for use with gloves. It’s one of the rare oversights in the otherwise well-made design. The ridges are sharp enough to make the use with bare hands uncomfortable.
Vector Optics Continental 2.5-15×56 is very lightweight at 670 grams. With 370 millimeters, the scope is of average length compared to competitors’ optics.
Parallax Adjustment
The side illumination turret also houses parallax adjustment, which is nicely executed. The parallax goes from 10 yards or meters all the way to infinity.
Up to 200 meters or yards, the adjustment is very precise because you have enough space. Precise adjustments are made more difficult beyond the 200m mark as the user runs out of dial space. So you have to be a little bit more delicate and make small corrections. It’s really good that all the moving parts on the scope are really smooth.
Windage and Elevation Turrets
Windage and elevation turrets are nearly identical. Both are multi-turn, allowing for multiple revolutions in each direction. In a single turret revolution, you get exactly 15 MOA of elevation. The maximum reticle travel possible is 110 MOA, both horizontally and vertically. Reticle moves 1/4 MOA per click.
After you established your zero on the range, pull on the elevation turret. Dial your zero to where your zero marker would be (this Vector scope has none, which is a pity). Push down on the turret to secure it in position. The windage turret is enumerated with steps from 0 to 7 MOA in each direction and is also very easily adjusted to zero.
DIY Elevation Turret
To make use of the full elevation range, the user receives a blank DIY elevation turret. The default and additional DIY turret can be easily swapped. The user only needs to unscrew the middle part of the pre-installed turret with a zeroing tool. The next step is to screw the new turret into place. A final push is needed to securely lock the DIY turret into place.
With DIY turret, the user can make their own lines for personal ballistics. Let’s say you want to shoot at 300m. All you need to do is go to your third line, make the clicks and the bullet drop should be exactly as you write it on the DIY turret.
This is a very low-cost alternative from Vector Optics. Of course, such DIY elevation turrets instead of proper BDC ones are very very straightforward to produce. However, we would appreciate it if Vector Optics at least included some custom ballistic labels. That way, the user doesn’t have to write directly on the turret.
Changing the bullet or the ammunition manufacturer gives you entirely different ballistics. If Vector included labels or turret wraps, you could simply swap your old ones with a new, blank piece. Writing your personal ballistics directly onto the scope may also affect the resale value.
Optical Properties
This scope features a magnification from 2.5 to 15, with the 56 millimeters objective. The eye relief is 10 centimeters. The eyebox is very forgiving and decent for such an affordable scope.
Given the scope’s huge lens diameter, it’s primarily intended for low-light applications. Why? Because larger lens gathers more light than scopes with smaller lenses. As a result, you obtain a clearer, brighter picture. According to the maker’s claims, the scope has a light transmission rate of 90%. For 729 EUR, the performance is respectable.
Field of View
The winning feature of the Continental series, including this model, is their field of view. The 16.6-meter field of vision on the smallest magnification at 100 meters beats some pricier competitor’s scopes. At the highest 15x magnification, the field of view is 2.8 meters.
Vector Optics Continental 2.5-15×56 SFP Reticle
The reticle is positioned in the second focal plane, which means the reticle will not change the dimensions with image enlargement.
Vector Continental 2.5-15×56 offers two reticle designs to choose from: German #4, one of the most popular reticles in Europe; and BDC, which is a favorite for extended ranges. Both feature an illuminated center dot for greater accuracy.
Illumination
Users can choose from 6 illumination intensity levels. There is an OFF stage between each brightness level.
It should be noted that all 6 levels are only intended for use in twilight situations. As a result, the illumination isn’t as powerful as on some competitors’ models.
The battery compartment is located inside the illumination turret. You can access it by removing the turret cap. The illumination is powered by a single CR2032 coin.
Scope of Delivery
Now, let’s see what you get in the box.
Vector Optics supplies a DIY elevation turret, 23mm Picatinny rings, lens protection, a sunshade (which is rather unusual for a hunting scope), zeroing tool, and a cleaning cloth.
You’ll also receive a user guide, registration card for your product’s warranty, and some additional advertising material.
Looking for more Continental 2.5-15×56 accessories?
- Vector Optics Continental Flip-up Cap – Size 56mm
- Vector Optics Riflescope Neoprene Cover – Size L
- Vector Optics Continental Throw Level
Vector Optics Continental 2.5-15×56 SFP Warranty
This Vector Optics Continental 2.5-15×56 comes with 15 years of warranty. This is a testament to the customer-oriented approach to business. No matter what happens, you can be sure that your riflescope will be taken care of.
This scope is manufactured in China, at Vector Optics factory plant in Shanghai.
Find out more about Vector Optics factory!
Vector Optics Continental 2.5-15×56 SFP Price
Pricing on the Vector Optics Continental 2.5-15×56 riflescope is very reasonable, especially when you consider the quality and features of the optic. At €729, this riflescope offers tremendous value for the money, especially when compared to other scopes in its class.
Pros
Lastly, let’s discuss the positive and negative aspects of this Vector Optics model.
Starting with the positives, the build quality is excellent. All moving parts are well-machined and operate smoothly. Additionally, both reticles are quite useful.
The optical quality is fantastic for a scope of 729 euros, and we are particularly pleased with the generous FOV. As we previously stated, the Vector Continental field of view can be compared to some of the most expensive rifle scopes in this magnification range.
The supplied do-it-yourself turret is a nice touch, even if it really isn’t an advanced BDC turret. The added Picatinny rings are also a rare bonus. Since the ring height is 23mm, some users may need to buy additional scope rings anyways.
Pros Summary:
- great value for money
- build quality
- wide FOV
- DIY turret included
- Picatinny rings included
Need quality-made 30mm scope rings?
Cons
The first area of needed improvement is the magnification ring. The edges are too sharp and need to be dulled down. That would make the grip with bare hands in cold weather much more comfortable. Instead of the bikini covers supplied in the box, we would prefer flip-up covers.
The quick elevation turret is easy to use, but you can make a mistake of an entire revolution because W&E turrets are multi-turn. If the turret gets bumped accidentally, it’s hard to tell which direction it moved and how much. Because of this, we prefer a zero stop so that you can only go back to zero in a singular direction.
Last but not the least, the main body of the scope has no zero marker. Because of this, you can easily miss the zero by a couple of clicks.
Cons Summary:
- sharp magnification ring knurls
- no zero marker on the chassis
- basic bikini covers
Interested in Vector Optics Continental 2.5-15×56?
Final Thoughts
The Vector Optics Continental 2.5-15×56 riflescope is a great choice on a budget It offers excellent build quality, a wide field of view, and two useful reticle designs, BDC and #4. The only drawbacks are the sharp magnification ring edges, the easily bumped quick elevation turret, and the lack of a zero marker on the main body of the scope. The 15-year warranty is the assurance needed to take a chance on an affordable newcomer like Vector Optics.
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Vector Optics Continental 2.5-15×56 SFP Photos
