Koosh Vortex Viper Shot Review

Performance stats

Figures are TeamNC's original bench measurements from 1999–2001 testing; see how we tested.

How it works

1. Load: Place a micro Spin Fire ring onto the blue launching spindle on the front of the Viper Shot's orange barrel.
2. Prime: Make sure the micro Spin Fire ring is placed on the launching spindle so that its "fat end" faces forward. (Some micro Spin Fire rings have arrows on their sides; make sure these arrows are facing forward.)
3. Fire: This blaster does not need to be primed.
4. Step: Pull back the Viper Shot's blue launching spindle and release.

TeamNC reviews (1999 era)

Review by Andy Grau

Trust me, I'm a big fan of the Koosh Vortex blasters. However, the Koosh Vortex Viper Shot is a very poor representation of this otherwise awesome product line.

In short, the Viper Shot doesn't work. The entire Vortex line works because of its unique Spin Fire ammo, a ring which travels incredible distances as it rotates and moves forward in the air. That's the problem with the Viper Shot - it's so underpowered, it cannot spin the micro Spin Fire rings the launcher fires. Thus, the launcher acts like a weak catapult, propelling its rings only a few feet. Sadly, the rings can actually be thrown by hand farther than the Viper Shot launches them. That's never a good thing.

I'm not sure how this product got past quality control, but in any case, stay away from this blaster.

Review by Matt Michal

When my sister first saw the viper shot she said "Hey, Matt, where is the trigger on this launcher?" I said, "There isn't one." Her response to that was "well, this thing must really suck!" I could not have said it better.

Although the Viper Shot is the smallest of all the Vortex products, the accuracy of the launcher is pitiful. It is almost impossible to hit a target. Furthermore, the lack of accuracy is amplified by the blaster's poor range. It cannot even fire 25 feet.

When the range and accuracy of this blaster are combined, they form a magnificent piece of junk.

Review by Andi Hlabse

"Ouch! BAD!" could suffice for this review, but I feel obliged to rant a little.

Compared to the other blasters in this series, the Vortex Viper Shot is totally pointless. Accuracy, distance, and power are very limited. The trigger is not automatic. You actually have to pull the entire firing mechanism back to fire the ring. This causes incredible difficulty with accuracy. It uses a smaller ring size than its cousins, which is an rare type of ammo. Even the Fast Fire and Spin Sight are more powerful and accurate than this piece of crap. The Viper Shot completely fails in comparison to its cousins and isn't even worth your time.

Pros & cons