By Joe Ferronato
There’s an old adage that I’m sure most of you have heard. It’s along the lines of, “If you have $1000 to spend on a hunting rifle, spend $200 on the rifle and $800 on the scope.” This saying doesn’t ring true for many reasons anymore. First, you’d be hard-pressed to find a rifle for $200. Second, there are a lot of scopes out there that are considered “budget” optics that will outperform the skill of most that slap them on their rifle.
One of those scopes is EOTECH’s Vudu X 2-12×40. Now, some of you may recognize this from FE’s own Hunting and Shooting Editor Jeff Johnston who wrote an excellent review nearer to the scope’s release. For that reason, I’ll stick to my field-testing observations with the optic.
I recently spent a week in Montana hunting elk with the EOTECH atop an Aero Precision Solus Lightweight Hunter chambered in 7 PRC. Sighting in was easy, the scope tracked well and accurately. The magnification range was more than suitable for the bench, but the magnification adjustment was stiff out of the box. The throw lever was a welcome addition to be able to make adjustments.
Before going on, the Vudu X is a simple scope with capped turrets. In my mind it seemed like a weird fit for the 7 PRC, but it is more than capable. Though, you backcountry, public-land, DIY, long-range (Did I miss any other click-bait adjectives?) hunters may think otherwise, as it isn’t equipped with exposed, locking turrets that have been deemed a necessity. Locking turrets are nice, they make shooting at extended ranges easier, sure, but they come at a premium. For those of you who need a do-all scope at a price point that doesn’t break the bank, the EOTECH is chock-full of features that just work.
There are two reticle options for the 2-12×40: the DP1 and the BD1. Both are lighted, but the BD1, instead of being a simple duplex, comes with holdover and windage marks. I chose to get the DP1 as I like the simplicity of a duplex reticle.
On the hunt, the scope performed just as I expected it would. Climbing through snow-covered hills, being strapped to a pack, tossed in a truck, and being exposed to extreme cold and winter weather, it held its zero and was always clear to look through. It’s rugged and reliable.
The glass is very clear, and the low-light performance is impressive. After pursuing elk for several days, an opportunity presented itself early on an overcast morning. Light was dull, but at nearly 300 yards, I was able to clearly identify my target bull and make the shot. In hindsight, I would’ve preferred the BD1 reticle in this instance to make quick easy adjustments instead of judging holdover on the animal itself. But all’s well that ends well.
With the killing of my bull, the Vudu X had proven to be a very capable hunting scope. Next, I carried it afield in hopes of finding a wolf, but it was put to use by my hunting companions to fill some cow tags—one of which was a similar shot to that of my bull at 300 and the other at 500 yards.
That is the thing about the Vudu X that really set it apart in my mind. Though it has capped turrets, they feature a zero reset to return the dial to zero, making dialing a simple task—after unscrewing the cap of course. The only downside to dialing is there is no zero lock, so when returning to zero you need to take extra care as to not dial past your zero.
When dialing for the 500-yard shot, the turrets tracked accurately, and it showed in the shot, yet another great attribute of this scope. If you’re looking for a budget scope to put on your next hunting rifle, the EOTECH Vudu X 2-12×40 is a highly versatile optic that has everything you need and nothing you don’t.
Cost: $859
Pros: sleek; simple; great glass; good lowlight performance; won’t break the bank
Cons: none
