Vortex Diamondback 3-9x40 – Dead-Hold BDC (MOA) (DBK-01-BDC)

3-9x40 is the most-used hunting scope configuration in America, and this is Vortex's version of it: a 1-inch tube, capped turrets you set once and forget, the XD Optical System with fully multi-coated lenses, and the Dead-Hold BDC reticle to take the guesswork out of holdover. 14.5 ounces and 11.6 inches. Vortex SKU DBK-01-BDC, UPC 875874001138.

Dead-Hold BDC

Vortex designed the Dead-Hold BDC around a simple problem: at hunting distances your bullet drops, and doing the math in your head while an animal is standing there does not work. The reticle uses a customized dot design to eliminate holdover and windage guesswork at varying ranges. It's clean enough not to clutter the picture and useful enough to actually extend your effective range.

Built for a Hunting Rifle

• Capped turrets — zero it, cap it, and it stays there through brush, slings, and truck cases.
• Fixed 100-yard parallax — the right setting for a general-purpose hunting scope, with nothing to adjust in the field.
• 1-inch tube — fits the rings most hunters already own.
• Fast-focus eyepiece for quick reticle focus.
• 14.5 oz — light enough that it doesn't change how a mountain rifle carries.

Glass and Construction

The XD Optical System with fully multi-coated lenses delivers the resolution and light transmission that matter at the beginning and end of legal shooting light. The body is machined from a solid block of aircraft-grade aluminum with a low-glare matte black anodize, then argon purged and O-ring sealed — waterproof, fogproof, and shockproof.

Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Dead-Hold BDC reticle for?
Hunting at varying ranges. It uses a dot-based holdover system to eliminate guessing about drop and wind, without cluttering the sight picture.

Second focal plane — what does that mean for me?
The reticle stays the same visual size as you zoom. That keeps it clean and easy to see, but the BDC holdover marks are calibrated for one specific magnification — check the reticle manual for the correct setting.

Do I need to adjust parallax?
No. It's fixed at 100 yards, which is the right choice for a general hunting scope.

What rings do I need?
1-inch rings.