1-6x LPVO scopes

Vortex Venom 1-6x24 vs Swampfox Arrowhead 1-6x24

Last updated 2026-11-10 Researched from published specifications and owner reviews, not tested in person

Quick answer

Buy the Vortex Venom 1-6x24 at under $500 if you want XD optics, an illuminated BDC3 reticle and the Vortex VIP warranty. Buy the Swampfox Arrowhead 1-6x24 at under $500 if you want locking push/pull turrets, a green BDC reticle with 5.56 and .308 holdovers and 13 illumination levels. Both are 30mm SFP scopes in the same price tier.

Vortex Venom 1-6x24

Vortex

Vortex Venom 1-6x24 Second Focal Plane Riflescope

Under $500

A 1-6x24 SFP LPVO with an illuminated BDC3 reticle, XD optics and a throw lever, under the Vortex VIP warranty.

Best for: a mid-price LPVO upgrade

Check price on Amazon

Swampfox Arrowhead 1-6x24

Swampfox

Swampfox Arrowhead 1-6x24 SFP LPVO, Green BDC, 30mm

Under $500 Full specifications

A 1-6x24 SFP LPVO with a green BDC reticle, 30mm tube, locking turrets and 13 illumination levels.

Best for: shooting against green backgrounds

Check price on Amazon

Two 1-6x24 second focal plane LPVOs from different sides of the budget market. The Venom brings Vortex glass and warranty. The Arrowhead brings locking turrets, a green illuminated BDC reticle and 13 brightness levels. This pair is a derived buyer matchup within the 1-6x budget class rather than an autocomplete pair.

See the best 1-6x scopes and Vortex Viper vs Venom 1-6x24.

Run it for your own rifle first Scope Click Adjustment Calculator See what a turret click moves at your distance, in MOA or MIL. Open

How do the Venom and Arrowhead compare on specs?

Both are 1-6x24 SFP scopes on a 30mm tube with a throw lever. The Venom adds XD optics and the VIP warranty, and the Arrowhead adds locking turrets and a green BDC reticle.

Sourced figure

Vortex Venom 1-6x24 vs Swampfox Arrowhead 1-6x24, from published listing specifications
Feature	Vortex Venom 1-6x24	Swampfox Arrowhead 1-6x24
Magnification and objective	1-6x24	1-6x24
Focal plane	Second	Second
Tube	30mm one-piece aircraft aluminum	30mm
Reticle	Illuminated BDC3, ranging feature to 600 yards	Green illuminated BDC, 5.56 and .308 holdovers
Illumination	Illuminated reticle	13 red illumination levels, two super low light
Turrets	Textured tactile turrets	Push/pull locking turrets, zero resettable with a coin
Throw lever	Included	Included, bolts to the magnification ring
Glass and coatings	XD optical system, Armortek coating	Wide field of view design (see Swampfox)
Warranty	Vortex VIP, transferable	See Swampfox warranty
Budget	under $500	under $500

Specifications are from the Amazon listings and maker pages. Confirm current details on the listing before buying.

Which should you choose, the Venom or the Arrowhead?

Choose the Vortex Venom 1-6x24 if:

You value the Vortex VIP warranty and glass.
You want a BDC3 reticle with ranging.
You want a throw lever and fast-focus eyepiece.

Choose the Swampfox Arrowhead 1-6x24 if:

You want locking turrets that cannot be knocked.
You want holdovers calibrated for 5.56 and .308.
You want 13 brightness levels and a wide field of view.

Mount it once, zero it once, keep the record

The Scope Setup & Zero Planner

Setting up an optic like this? The Rifle & Optic At A Glance sheet is the one card that carries the model, the torque spec and the current zero, so nothing gets re-typed from memory.

9 fill-in worksheets, 25 print pages
2 filled-in examples to copy the format from
Companion Excel / Google Sheets tracker with a click-adjustment calculator
Online buyer guide with current prices, by use and budget tier

Replaces the sticky note with the ring torque figure on it that always goes missing, the zero you have re-done twice because nothing was written down, and the dope card copied from someone else's rifle.

Get the kit $29

30-day money-back guarantee. Use it all; if it doesn't help, every dollar back.

Look inside all 9 worksheets

Instant PDF download · Apple Pay / Google Pay · 30-day money-back guarantee

Sources

Vortex Optics and Swampfox published listings

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, the Vortex Venom or Swampfox Arrowhead?

They are in the same price tier. Venom brings the Vortex glass and warranty; Arrowhead brings locking turrets and a green BDC reticle. Pick the features you will use.

Are both second focal plane?

Yes. The reticle stays the same size at every magnification.

Is 1-6x enough for a carbine?

Yes for most uses out to about 300 yards. See the best 1-6x scopes for more.

Do both come with a throw lever?

Yes. Both list an included throw lever.

Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published manufacturer specifications, published optical and ballistic formulas, and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Figures described as a rule of thumb are shooter convention rather than sourced numbers, and they are labelled that way wherever they appear. Ballistic figures come from a point mass model using the ballistic coefficient the maker publishes, so treat them as a starting point and confirm them on paper at a measured distance. Confirm your firearm is unloaded with the action open before you mount, level, torque or bore sight anything. Verify a zero only on a supervised range or a safe, legal backstop, know what lies beyond your target, and follow the law where you hunt and shoot, including rules on land access and permitted cartridges.