If you’ve ever tried aiming through iron sights and thought, “I must need glasses or perhaps fewer cups of coffee,” you’re not alone. Iron sights are reliable but can make shooting feel like performing brain surgery with oven mitts. Thankfully, modern technology provides us with red dot optics that turn aiming into something your grandmother could do after Sunday dinner. And the Vortex Spitfire AR Prism Scope is the perfect AR-15 red dot to do it with.
Just about anyone who owns an AR-15 these days wants to add some type of optic. But when you start looking at the choices out there, it’s overwhelming. There are micro dots, massive red dots that look more like spotting scopes, LPVO’s and more.
I use a combination of red dot sizes and even some LPVO’s on a few of my rifles. But for those who are not sure what size of optic you want, the Spitfire AR is a perfect size for just about any AR-15.
There are several things I like about this red dot and so far, not much I don’t like. Here’s a quick rundown of the optic and what I like about it.
Vortex Spitfire AR
The Vortex Spitfire AR Red Dot is a prism sight designed specifically for AR-platform rifles. It’s a medium size optic which is perfect for full-size AR-15’s. It’s not even too big for those little shorties we call “pistols”.
It’s constructed from a single piece of aircraft-grade aluminum and has a somewhat square shape to it. The battery compartment sits under the optic with a threaded battery cap on the front side, which we will talk more about below.
As you would expect for a quality optic like this, it’s nitrogen-purged and O-ring sealed, to keep it fog-proof and waterproof. So, yes, this thing might just survive the zombie apocalypse.
With a 1x magnification, the Spitfire AR is designed for close to mid-range engagements. Its reticle is etched directly onto the prism, meaning you’ll always have a visible aiming point. This is one of the features I like about this optic. Even if your battery dies in the middle of nowhere, you stay running.
The reticle is a dual-ring design, which has a center dot surrounded by two concentric circles for rapid target acquisition.
And for another feature I like, the Spitfire AR uses a single AAA battery (I’ll talk more about this below too). Battery life on the Spitfire AR is impressive at 250 hours on the maximum brightness setting and up to 3,000 hours on the lower brightness levels.
Red dot green dot, or not
Don’t you like trying to choose between the color of a dot when purchasing an optic? The Spitfire AR has both so you can switch to the color fits your fancy. I personally prefer green if I have a choice, but I’m not an against red either.
The dot color people prefer often depends on the individual’s eyesight, time of day they are shooting, and more. Regardless of which color you like, it doesn’t hurt to have both options.
To change between red and green dots, press and hold both buttons at the same time for three seconds. And of course, if you don'[t have time to turn it on or the battery dies, the reticle is etched onto the glass so you can still use the optic.
Spitfire AR Specs:
- Magnification: 1x
- Reticle: DRT (Dual Ring Tactical)
- Illumination: Red and green with multiple brightness settings
- Battery: Single AAA battery
- Battery life: Up to 3,000 hours (low brightness)
- Weight: 11.2 oz
- Length: 4.3 inches
- Construction: Aircraft-grade aluminum
- Waterproof, fog-proof, shockproof
- About $220 retail
Operating the Spitfire AR
One of the most appealing things about the Spitfire AR is just how straightforward it is to use. Even if you’re someone who struggles with technology (think of your dad trying to text), you’ll find operating this red dot refreshingly simple.
Turning on the Spitfire AR requires just a quick push of either button located conveniently at the rear of the optic. I like having the power button on the back of the optic compared to a dial on the side.
To turn it on, press either of the rubberized buttons labeled with plus (+) or minus (-) symbols to activate the reticle. Adjusting brightness is equally straightforward: the plus button increases brightness and… well you get the point.
You can turn the optic off by pressing and holding both buttons at the same time for about five seconds. One feature I haven’t seen before is a “step-down” process before powering off. If there is no movement after two hours, the optic will power down to level 6 (if it was above that). After 12 hours, it shuts the optic off. There is no auto on feature, which I would have liked to see on this optic.
There are twelve illumination settings available, with the two lowest settings being night-vision compatible.
DRT reticle and reticle focus
The Spitfire AR includes a reticle focus dial so you can make sure to have a clear, sharp picture. Just pull off the optic cover to access the reticle dial.
As for the reticle itself, Vortex used a DRT (dual ring tactical) MOA Reticle. The center dot is a 4 MOA dot, the inner circle is 44 MOA and the outer circle is 140 MOA. For quick acquisition, this is a perfect style of dot. To switch from red to green, press both buttons at the same time and release them. Again, my favorite color to use on an optic is green most of the time.
Sighting in the optic is also an easy task. It has capped windage and elevation adjustments, which are easy to use. Each click moves the point of impact half an MOA (minute of angle), so you can get it fairly precise on your target. Also, the adjustments are the taller style used on scopes so you can turn them without using any tools.
Battery type and location
As I mentioned above, the battery is located under the optic and loads from the front. One of the reasons I like larger batteries like the AAA compared to coin cell batteries is handling them in the field. This is just my opinion because of my clumsy fingers. Retrieving a tiny battery from your gear and switching it in the field without dropping it is near impossible. With a AAA or AA, their easy to store in the grip of your rifle and switch out when needed.
There is a lot of pressure on the battery cap when installing a new battery. This is to keep enough pressure on the battery that it doesn’t disconnect when you fire the gun. I’ve had some optics that would “flicker” when you pull the trigger because the recoil of the gun disconnected the battery momentarily. After shooting this one on the range for a while, I never had any issues with this.
A great option for a $220 optic?
I mounted the Spitfire to my HM Defense MC5 Raider, which is a “pistol” chambered in 5.56 NATO. AmmoToGo.com provided some Winchester 5.56 target ammo for the review so a shout out to them. The DRT reticle was awesome to use during move and shoot drills. With the center dot you can still hit those precise targets, but the large circle made it easy to shoot quickly from one target to the next.
I would like to see an auto on feature added to the Spitfire since it already has auto off. This is a nice feature to have when your rifle is used for self-defense, patrol etc. It doesn’t take long to turn it on, but when incidents occur, turning an optic on isn’t something your brain always processes.
Having said that, everything else on this optic is user friendly and perfect for an AR. It’s not overly bulky, it has a decent run-time, red and green
The Vortex Spitfire AR Red Dot also carries the VIP warranty, so it’s guaranteed for life. Their customer service team answers the phone quickly and they will resolve any issues you have with an optic, regardless of what happened to it.
I know a guy that dropped his binoculars from a tree stand and they bounced from one limb to anther before landing on a rock. He called them and told them what he did, and they replaced them. For me, that makes a world of difference when I choose a brand.
So, when you’re ready to graduate from iron sights, or your if you’re just looking for a new optic, give the Vortex Spitfire AR a try.
Can I use it with their Micro3X?