Spec-Ops Origins
Vortex’s new AMG scope is something we didn’t think was possible before we saw it in person. Offering a 1-10x magnification on a short optic with an illuminated reticle that still has great light transmission inside a mere 8.4-inch length is… insane.
There’s a really good reason for this. Vortex designed the AMG 1-10x24 from scratch over years to meet a demanding military tender. In the end, most of the manufacturers the company spoke to simply said it couldn’t be done.
In fact, as Vortex puts it, the “AMG 1-10x24 was conceived to meet a standard that didn’t exist, until now.”
That required Vortex to design a totally new optic, with more than a dozen varying optical lenses inside it. It also meant Vortex had to build the precision, climate-controlled facilities to make said optic in the U.S.
For an idea of what we mean by precision, Vortex is machining some of the parts for the AMG 1-10x24 to around 5 microns, which is smaller than the size of a human blood cell.
Features
The 8.4-inch length and 18.8-ounce weight of the AMG 1-10x24 FFP scope make it perfectly suited for short-barreled rifles and full-length guns alike. Even on small PDW-type guns, it still leaves space for night-vision, thermal, light, and range-finding accessories.
This is a first-focal-plane optic, which means the EBR-9 MRAD reticle is accurate at any magnification level. That illuminated EBR-9 MRAD reticle includes a 300-to-600-yard range finder, nine daylight brightness settings, two night-vision settings, and 0.1-MRAD adjustments.
Vortex packed the AMG with features. There’s an integrated throw lever with 120 degrees of movement and a low profile. The capped turrets are hand-adjustable, and the illumination turret can be locked to fix your brightness setting.
Shooters get a generous 3.3-inch eye relief with the locking fast-focus eyepiece diopter. Parallax is fixed at 250 yards, which keeps the optic well balanced for speed and precision without additional adjustment needs.
There are even dual-zero windage and elevation turrets, so you can pre-zero your rifle for different ammo loads or suppressed shooting. The turrets are toolless and easy to adjust in the field. We managed to zero this optic on our first trip in just a few shots, and it was nearly zeroed for 100 yards right out of the box.
While we can’t dig into exactly who requested the first AMG 1-10x24 optics, we can tell you they tortured the heck out of the AMG before officially adopting it. Vortex spent years developing the patented internals and structural design to meet true combat requirements.
Vortex ships the new AMG 1-10x24 in a nice box that includes a lens cloth, sun-shade attachment, CR2032 battery, flip caps, and a challenge coin sporting the optic’s serial number.
Specifications
Here’s a rundown of the basic specs for the AMG 1-10x24 FFP scope:
Weight: 18.8 ounces
Length: 8.4 inches
Tube Size: 34mm
Objective Lens Diameter: 24mm
Magnification: 1x to 10x
Eye Relief: 3.3 inches
Focal Plane: First-focal-plane (FFP) design
Field of View (100 Yards): 116 to 12 feet
Max Windage Adjustments: 30 MRAD
Max Elevation Adjustments: 30 MRAD
Turret Adjustments: 0.1 MRAD, dual-zero design
Parallax: Fixed at 250 yards
Lens Coating: Plasma Tech, XR Plus Coating, Apochromatic
Illumination: Yes
Brightness Settings: 9 daylight, 2 night vision
Battery Type: CR2032
Argon Gas Purged: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Shockproof: Yes
Fog Proof: Yes
Tube Material: Aircraft-grade aluminum
Reticle Type: EBR-9 MRAD
Made in USA: Yes, with U.S. and global parts
Accuracy Testing
I’ve been forced to do almost all my shooting with this new optic in crummy weather conditions, and that’s great. Whether it was in freezing rain, sleet, or snow, the optic performed without any accuracy issues or fogging.
I joined about a dozen other reviewers at a Vortex range event with the AMG 1-10x24 last month. We were all predictably hitting steel targets at 100, 200, 300, 500, and 600 yards within minutes of getting a brief demo of the new scope.
I found the brand-new AMG 1-10x24 FFP scope sent to me for testing to be equally accurate and easy to use.
I started my range day with a nasty freezing rain and wind, but I still got the optic zeroed at 100 yards with just a few shots. Amazingly, I mounted this scope at the range without even bore-sighting it. Yet, my first shot at 100 yards was nearly spot on. That just goes to show you how precisely Vortex is machining this new scope.
I tweaked my elevation a tad after the target above. Still, I’ll take groups like that any day of the week, given the fact that I could barely feel my hands when I went to zero this optic in the snow.
I ended my last range session shooting from a standing, unsupported position at 100 yards. I took three shots at three different 1/3-scale silhouette targets scattered around the range from a combat-shooting stance. It was nothing fancy, and I didn’t even bother to pace my shooting or my breathing.
All three shots were easy hits. What can I say? This optic is fantastic, and it would do well for any professional shooters looking to engage targets quickly in both close-range and long-range conditions.
Pros & Cons
Here’s my short list of the pros and cons of the Vortex AMG 1-10x24 riflescope.
Pros:
- 1-10x magnification
- Extremely compact
- Durable and accurate
- Good eye relief
- Lightweight design
- Great light transmission
- EBR-9 MRAD reticle is accurate and easy to use
- 9 daytime, 2 night-vision settings
- Takes standard CR2032 batteries
- Locking fast-focus diopter
- Dual-zero turrets
- Toolless adjustments
- Fog, water, and shockproof
- Integrated throw lever
Cons:
- High price tag set at $6,399.99
- Short tube has limited space for rings
-
Fixed parallax
Final Thoughts
I don’t generally get very jazzed about optics. They are wonderful tools that can make your shooting much more efficient and enjoyable.
But I don’t geek out over glass inside a metal tube – well, at least not very often.
This is one of the rare exceptions. The AMG 1-10x24 FFP is the optic I wish I had when I served in the Marine Corps, and it is the kind of optic I would want if I ever had to carry a rifle for my living again.
Vortex didn’t just hit it on the head with this scope; they reinvented what a do-all tactical optic should be. Quality comes at a cost, sure, but this AMG scope solves more problems than most of the optics in my gun safe combined.
