You don’t see Vortex competing against another Vortex product. It’s rare but when it happens, it happens with a blast.
Today we got two AR red dot sight comparisons for you guys. Two sights made by the mighty Vortex. An outdoor sports optics giant that has been around the community for decades now and is providing great sight, scopes, binoculars, etc. for an affordable price.
Vortex Sparc Vs Spitfire also started due to the pricing similarities between the two. While Sparc came way ahead of Spitfire, still it’s considered one of the best red dot sights under $300.
Let’s find out which one provides the most value for you currently.
Vortex Sparc/ Spitfire – Outlooks
Vortex Sparc/ Spitfire – Specs
| Specs | Vortex Sparc | Vortex Spitfire |
|---|---|---|
| Magnification | 1X | 1X |
| Weight | 7.5 Oz | 11.2 Oz |
| Waterproof | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | AAA | AAA |
| Adjustments | Windage, Elevation, Brightness | Windage, Elevation, Brightness |
Vortex Sparc VS Spitfire – Differences
- Vortex Sparc is much lighter.
- Spitfire has a bigger objective lens.
- Spitfire is also bigger.
- Spitfire adjusts 120 MOA per click compared to 90 MOA in Sparc.
- Spitfire has a dual-colored reticle compared to bright red in Sparc.
Quality
Sparc: Lenses used here are fully multi-coated. Its high-quality lens is made by Vortex from special kinds of HD glass. They are equivalent to ED glasses. This is why the low light performance of this sight has been so good so far.
Quality-wise, you shouldn’t face any issues. Vortex makes sure their sight goes through double QC to prevent any unwanted accidents. The lens of this sight is also scratch-resistant. Overall, it’s a great sight and provides a bang for the buck value.
Spitfire: As you can guess from the previous part, Sparc also uses the same glasses with multi-coating. Making them quite strong and durable. While you can still scratch them with extra sharp objects, they won’t get scratched from unwanted accidents.
QC issues are rare in this unit as well. If you are unlucky and face some issues, I am sure Vortex will be more than willing to help you.
Durability
Sparc: It is made out of aluminum and has an O-ring sealing to prevent water or moisture from going inside. Inside of the sight construction is also nitrogen purged. Nitrogen purging makes the sight fogproof and helps the prism and lenses capture better light. More light = clear image.
Vortex never fails when it comes to making a good body for a sight or a pair of lenses. In both cases, Vortex tends to give its best for its reputation and good faith in customers. Rest assured, there have been no corner cuts when it comes to the build quality of this sight.
Spitfire: Spitfire is also made out of the same quality aluminum Vortex uses throughout their sights. It’s durable and quite easy to anodized. Anodized finish sights from Vortex for some reason look better than other brand sights.
The lenses used here are made by Vortex themselves. They have coated this to be bright and clear. It gathers a lot of light during the daytime and helps you locate the bullseye better with the glass-etched reticle.
Performance
Sparc: As you can guess by the nature of this sight, it’s an excellent performer. Don’t let the cute look and size fool you. It’s a beast through and through. Even when you take it to the extreme by adding a 3-4x magnifier, it will perform like nothing changed. Scary accuracy at any short to medium range.
You do need to tune the windage and elevation a bit. But they are quite easy to do so. Knobs on this sight are quite tactile as well. They click into place nicely and stay on your placed marker.
Spitfire: Vortex also has another sight named Sparc 2. That came after the original Sparc. Both Vortex Sparc 2 vs Spitfire or Sparc vs Spitfire, end in kind of a stalemate. At the end of the day, both of these sights serve the same purpose. Click bullseyes non-stop.
Both of these sights here do that job amazingly. Quite better than most other sights you can buy in this similar price range. This is what separates Vortex from other brands. They deliver what they promise.
Size
Sparc: It’s a small sight. The total length of this sight is only 2.9 inches. It’s just an inch bigger than the red dot sights you see for pistols or rifles. For being a red to-sight for AR, this sight does pack an insane value behind it. The reasoning is simple, you could easily add a magnifier in front of the objective lens and essentially turn this into a medium-range riflescope.
That’s possible.
Spitfire: While it’s not as big as a dragon, it’s quite bigger than Sparc or Sparc 2. The total length of the Spitfire is 3.9 inches. that’s a whole inch bigger than Sparc. Before you ask, yes, the size matters. You need to place it a bit forward if you want to pair this up with a magnifier. That can tinker around the weight balance a bit.
Trust me, you don’t want your gun to be front-heavy. You will end up missing way too many shots than you should.
If you take this, stick to using this without a magnifier.
Weight
Sparc: As expected, Sparc is the lighter sight between the two. After all, it’s also a smaller sight. Sparc AR did come before Spitfire. That doesn’t mean Sparc is behind in specifications by any means. The weight balance on this sight is nice. Despite using a bigger AAA battery, Vortex managed to make this sight just perfect shape and weight.
Spitfire: While it won’t spit fire like a dragon, it does weigh like one. I know no dragon would weigh just 11oz. But to compare this with other red dot sights in the market, 11oz is a tough nut to crack. It’s borderline in the overweight category.
One thing Vortex did nail with Spitfire is the weight distribution. Just like Sparc, Spitfire also uses a single AAA battery to fire up the illumination. But that battery doesn’t sway the balance point to the back. That’s a good thing. You don’t want your gun to slouch on you.
Vortex Sparc/ Spitfire – Videos
Vortex Sparc VS Spitfire – Summary
No matter what you pair up against the Sparc series, Sparc will always give a tough fight. Sparc didn’t lose its spark just quite yet.
I know it came out in 2019 and that may bother people a lot. But you can see how well it fought against a sight that came out last year. That’s right. I know Spitfire is also quite old, but compared to Sparc 2, Vortex Sparc is still a fighter.
Between the two, I would go for Sparc. It’s new and it packs the same punch in a much smaller package. Something you will come to appreciate as time goes on.
Hi, I’m Brent Hansford. A writer turned hunter & now sharing my love for the sport through writing. As I practically breathe weapons, I firmly believe I’m capable of providing you with new knowledge about firearms and hunting. My mission is to help more people get better at hunting & master the weapons. Let me help with unleashing the beast within you!
