In this short Vortex UH-1 Gen 2 review, let's check out its specs, FOV, reticle, mount and price. Also go over pros and cons of this product.
I purchased this optic after seeing it so much on social media and at my local shooting range. While Vortex makes some of the top rifle scopes on the market, this is their high end holographic sight to compete with the EOTech.
So far I have used both of them to give potential buyers my recommendations.
Vortex Huey Gen 2 Core Specs
- Magnification - 1X
- Reticle - 1 MOA + 65 MOA Ring [EBR CQB reticle]
- Adjustment - 0.5 MOA / Click
- Brightness - 15 DL & 8 NV
- Battery - CR123A
- Construction - Aerospace Grade Aluminum
- Body Dimension - 3.9" X 2.7"
- Window Size - 1.35"X 1.15"
- Weight - 11.6 oz
Unboxing
The packaging is very high quality. Take a look
The VORTEX AMG UH 1 Huey Gen 2 is a big holographic optic!
Vortex UH 1 GEN 1 VS GEN 2
- No USB charging port this time
- Night vision capable
- Increased rear window size
- More lightening cuts to reduce weight
Right off the bat, the construction is rock solid and feels sturdy. It's definitely a competitor to the EOTECH holographic sight.
Very nice packaging
Tight tolerance
Very high end coating finish
Vortex Razor AMG UH-1 Gen 2 - Core Features
Window Size
The window size of UH 1 is slightly larger than the Gen 1 model, however the front lens doesn't funnel outward like the Leupold LCO to reduce the tube effect.
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Field Of View
The field of view of this optic feels similar to an EOTech, but the UH 1 feels slightly taller without any view obstruction on the side.
The field of view is large, but the inner wall of the optic can get in the way if the shooter shift the head off center too much. The length of the hood definitely is a factor.
Reticle
The Vortex AMG UH 1 features the EBR CQB reticle. We like this reticle a lot better than the EOTECH's 68 MOA ring because it has open sections that doesn't obscure the target much.
Zero distortion of the image gives the shooter the HUD (Heads Up Display) feel that many people love and talk about.
The reticle just floats in front of the shooter's eye, and makes it very fast for passive aiming.
Precise Aiming - The 1 MOA center dot gives a finer aim for long range shots
Range Estimation - 65 MOA outer ring is big & fast for the eyes to pick up, and it adds range estimation capability for known target sizes.
CQB Hold Over - The bottom triangle compensates for CQB shots at 10 yards or less. It's similar to using the bottom of the EOTECH 68 MOA ring for offset.
If you are curious about the difference between 68 MOA VS 65 MOA ring, they are the same with minor dimensional difference, and you can read more below:
Brightness Settings
The push button controls are well built, and it's a bit stiff to press sometimes when wearing gloves.
Up, Down & NV buttons are located on the back of the optic instead of the side to eliminate unwanted adjustment when bumped into things.
There are 15 daytime illumination settings and 8 NV settings.
These buttons also control on or off commands.
Reticle Clarity
The holographic reticle is crisp and clean for shooters with good eye sight.
However, for shooters with astigmatism, the reticle will be blurry until vision correction.
- Adjust the brightness setting
- Wear corrective lens
- Aim through it with a magnifier
- Cowitness the reticle through the rear iron sight peep hole
However, if none of these techniques have worked for you in the past, we highly recommend checking out a Prism sight.
Parallax Performance
No optic is 100% completely parallax free
Generally the parallax shift is more noticeable when aiming at a target close up.
Check out this parallax shift guide here, UH 1 Gen 2 POV demo video is included
Vortex UH 1 Gen 2 Battery Life
The battery life lasts ~1500 hrs on mid setting using 1 CR123A battery to power a laser instead of an LED.
Comparing to a red dot with LED technology that can run up to 50,000 hrs. The holosight's major down side is the battery life.
Auto Shutoff
Auto shutoff is also built into the optic to save battery juice after 14 hrs (Only if no button is pressed during that 14 hr period)
The auto shutoff can also be turned off by holding the "-" button for 5 seconds.
Construction
The construction of the UH 1 GEN 2 is rock solid & looks sick.
You can view as many images online as possible, but once you hold one in your hands close up, you will very quickly realize this thing is something you want to keep for a long time.
Since the holographic reticle projection requires the collimating reflector mirror to bounce the reticle back to the shooter's eye, so the hood of the optic can be a vulnerable part of the optic if excessive point impact is exerted on that area.
Mount
The Vortex UH 1 Gen 2 features a quick release integrated mount to go on any flat top rail system.
The user can also adjust the tension to fit on out of spec top rails.
The optic has the fixed 1/3 co-witness height, which works for most AR shooters, but requires a mount riser to get it up to Night Vision height.
NEED TO KNOW: One thing we want to point out is the independent windage adjustment on a spring tension system, which means the whole sight moves while the base mount stays stationary.
It's like the ELCAN SPECTERDR's base design.
So if the user puts pressure on the sight, it will move then return to zero. Nothing to worry about.
Features Vortex Micro 3X magnifier
The zero repeatability based on our field testing so far gives us confidence that it will continue to work well.
As round count increases over time, we will update our thoughts on it's zero retention performance.
Adjustment
The Vortex AMG UH 1 features 0.5 MOA/click recessed elevation and windage adjustment knobs, and both knobs can be easily adjusted with a flat head screw driver, a coin or a shell casing.
The MOA click value & directions are labeled on the optic to help shooters who may forgot what the click value is in the field without internet connection.
The click gives positive feedback so there shouldn't be any guessing whether you've dialed a click or over dialed without even noticing.
If the turret direction label tends throw you off when zeroing, please check out this guide that talks about why the reticle moves in the opposite direction of the click.
Color Options
The EOTech EXPS3 is available in:
- Black
Final Words
The Vortex UH 1 Huey Gen 2 holographic sight is by far the best product besides the EOTECH EXPS3.
Besides the HUD like aiming capability, this has a very unique look to a slick firearm setup.
The GEN 2 UH1 is lighter, less lens tint, bigger rear window FOV, and better looking than the GEN 1. On top of that it's less than $500 compared to a $680 EOTECH.
The current street price of the UH 1 GEN 2 is around $470 - 499, and you can probably find better deals by checking out one of our links below:
Pros
- Rock solid construction
- Big viewing window for great passive aiming performance
- QD lever mount with locking feature & adjustable tension screw
- Mil-spec grade quality from the top to bottom
Cons
- Short battery life (common with holosights)
- Tube effect if mount too close to the rear
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