Once considered an unreliable add-on for a pistol, red dots have become a standard accessory for shooters. While the first red dots may have been less than spectacular, those days have changed. One of the companies making that change is Vortex. Well-known in the optics world, Vortex has now added to its defender lineup with the new Defender-ST Micro Red Dot.

The Vortex Defender-ST

The new Defender-ST is a solid choice for a lightweight, slender profile, do-it-all red dot. This new red dot fits perfectly on handguns, shotguns, and even as an off-set optic on a carbine. The optic is rugged and uses the Vortex Shock Shield polymer insert to protect it against hard and daily abuse.

The Defender-ST has a very nice large, hard-coated aspherical lens sitting in the sight window. This makes target acquisition and downrange awareness much easier. The lens is also distortion free which gives us a full, clear image and the ability to see true colors. This is a big deal in that many optics on the market begin to display distortion as you get closer to the edges of the optic window.

Protecting that lens is a durable 7075 aluminum housing for added strength and corrosion resistance. Vortex has given serious shooters a tip of the hat with the inclusion of their Fast-Rack textured front face on the housing. This allows shooters the ability to rack their gun on surfaces using the optic body. Correspondingly, the texture helps it to grab the surface and make manipulation easier.

The optic is motion-activated and has a dot with adjustable brightness. As a result, it delivers superior target acquisition, adaptability in all lighting conditions, and faster follow-up shots.

A feature I really like is the auto shut-off. If the gun stays immobile for 10 minutes, the auto shutoff kicks in to save battery life.

Operating the Defender-ST

The buttons are large and easy to access and adjust, with ten different brightness settings to choose from. Another nice feature that is well thought out is the battery compartment. It’s set on the top of the optic body, making battery changes easy with no need to remove the optic.

The compartment houses a 2032 battery, which will last 25,000 hours of run time. As a reference, that is over 1,000 days of constant use before the battery would need to be changed.

The optic uses the popular Delta Point Pro footprint, which is for versatile mounting on pistols, ARs, and shotguns. Dot-wise, Vortex has 3 or 6 MOA red dot reticles available on the Defender-ST.

In the box, along with the optic, is a Glock MOS adapter plate, Picatinny mount, and rubber cover. In addition, a lens cloth, battery, and custom tool for mounting and adjustments also come with the package.

One special thing that Vortex has done is to include a variety of screws. They send five different sets of screws to help you mount the optic to the most popular guns on the market. Lastly, the optic has the Vortex lifetime warranty.

Running the Optic

I was fortunate to get some time on the new Defender ST during an event at Vortex headquarters late last year.  The optic is everything they claim.

While the actual size of the optic is relatively small, I found it to have what I consider a big picture. What I mean by that is the window seemed bigger than it was. This can be attributed to the clarity of the glass as well as the size of the optic housing.

The dot was also one of the clearest I have ever seen, and I had no zero shift even after long and heavy use. In addition, the brightness adjustments were easy. The “shake awake” feature worked very quickly, and I had no lag or waiting on the dot to come back to life.

Vortex: A Respected Leader in the Optics World

There are hundreds of red dots on the market now, and each claims to be the best. When swimming through all of that and trying to decide which one to get, I suggest you go with a known company.

Vortex is a known and respected leader in the optics world, and anything the company makes should be taken seriously. The new Defender-ST is just an extension of that legacy and an optic that would serve your needs well.

For more information, please visit VortexOptics.com.

Vortex Defender-ST Specs