Vortex Sparc AR vs Sparc II comparison review. Both of them are Vortex's hottest selling red dot sights for AR15 under $200. Many people have been comparing these two head to head, and I'm giving you a quick comparison review to see which one works better.
For size preference, I personally like the SPARC AR better than the SPARC II because they're identical optics and the SPARC AR is smaller, and it has less bluish lens tint.
We gonna check out their specs and at the end of this, you will know which optic you like.
If you want higher-end optics please check out: Best Red Dot Sights for AR Style Carbines
Vortex Sparc AR vs Sparc II Comparison Chart
Invalid table id.NOTE: Vortex has discontinued the Sparc II and replaced it with the Vortex Crossfire.
Weight – Sparc II Is Lighter
The Sparc II is lighter, but it feels bulky compared to the Sparc AR. They average about 6.7 oz, and that's very light for mounting on a rifle or PCC. Both feel light in the hands.
Same Battery Life
Both optics have honestly horrible battery life compared with other red dot sights on the market. Only 5000 – 6000 hours is not a lot of hours.
This makes them great range optics, but definitely not have them on your home defense guns.
The Sparc II uses a CR2032, and the Sparc AR uses a AAA battery. Both optics have auto shut off feature to save battery, and press the button to reactive the reticle. Unfortunately, they are not motion-activated red dot sights.
Parallax Free Comparison
Fact: No optic on the planet is completely parallax free.
The red dot parallax on the Sparc AR is amazingly good with just little shift near the edge of the lens when aiming at an object at 25 yards. Vortex Sparc II also has a great parallax-free attribute.
To set themselves apart from each other, I think the Sparc AR is a better optic to look through compared to Sparc II, where there is NOT a lot of sight view obstruction.
The Sparc AR is mimicking the Aimpoint Micro and the Sparc II is doing that with Aimpoint Patrol.
Both Optics Night Vision Ready
Both sights have night vision capability. It's a good feature to have if there is a place for you to shoot in the dark, however, many people don't get to shoot in the dark.
Vortex Sparc AR Has Better Lens Quality
Image Referenced Tacticalfaq & Gunsamerica
The Sparc AR has a better glass overall with a lesser bluish tint than the Sparc II. The reason we hate glass tint is that it obscures the sight picture and dim the image.
Both of these optics have 10 brightness settings with night vision capable.
Out on a sunny day, both optics' red dot reticle is very easy to pick up.
More Mount Options
The Sparc II sits lower than the Sparc AR with the default optic mount, and it also comes with adapter plates for adjusting the mounting height. You get a low mount for 18mm and a high mount for 37mm.
If you don't like the mount accessory included in the package, you can certainly aftermarket optic mounts for the Sparc II and the Sparc AR.
Scalarworks's LEAP mount is compatible with the Vortex Sparc II and Crossfire since they're modeling the Aimpoint Micro style optics.
Midwest Industries makes QD mounts for the Sparc AR with phenomenal quality and finish, and it's also the only quality mount you can find for the Sparc AR red dot sight.
Practical Application
These two optics are perfect for rifles and pistol caliber carbines on the range.
40, 9mm, 45ACP, 308, 5.56mm
They have moderate durability, which is perfectly fine for range and casual use. For anything more serious, please go with an Aimpoint or something like that.
You can also mount these sights for airsoft force on force training.
Similar Type Optics
The Vortex Sparc AR is mimicking the Aimpoint Micro style red dot sights, and the Vortex Sparc II looks almost like an Aimpoint T2. For anything serious, the Aimpoint micro and the Trijicon MRO are similar types of red dot optics that you can trust.
Final Verdict – Vortex Sparc AR vs Sparc II
Using only 1 AAA battery to power the optic, and they're easy to buy in the store.
Both optics are from Vortex, so the unlimited lifetime warranties will fix anything you break or just completely replace as you request. At least it gives you peace of mind for buying a product.
Note: Vortex has discontinued the Sparc II production, and replaced it with the Vortex Crossfire