Vortex Razor HD Gen II 4.5-27x56

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Howdy, I've got a chance to upgrade from a PST to the Razor HD Gen II 4.5-27x56 for a great price and was wondering what some Gen II owners think of the scope now that it has been available for a little bit.

It seems like on top of it being an extremely durable and well made scope that the things that I dislike about the PST have all been corrected (poor zero stop, relatively small total elevation adjustment, illumination location). I feel like I would be stupid not to pick it up for the price.



.... Maybe I just want to hear a lot of good experiences to really push me over the edge and buy it...
 
it's outstanding. pretty much the best scope you can buy at the moment.

[resize=1000] vorticesharsh2.jpg [/resize]
 
Are those Vortex/Seekins rings on the second rifle taliv? If so, what height are they?

My 6.5 SLR is being finished up here in the next 2 weeks or so. If I get that Razor I was thinking of putting it in Seekins rings.

Anything that you dislike about the scope, taliv? And what reticle are you using?
 
yes, vortex/seekins, but i don't know what the height is :) i'll have to look it up

i don't care for the reticle. it's usable, just not the best. and it's really friggin heavy. glass is really good. (not quite as good as the S&B, but it's $1400 cheaper

still, if there were something better available...
 
The Razor is a great scope for the money the only down side is the weight.

The Steiner T5Xi is also a great scope for a good price. The 5-25x is $2k with great glass and a freaking awesome reticle.
 
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I'm finding the Steiner for just a little less than $3k. The Vortex also has 10 mils more internal elevation adjustment.

For the price (sub $2k) that I can get the Razor for, I'm not sure I will find anything reasonably comparable.
 
That is the Steiner military MX5i going for 3k. The T5Xi is the new scope made here in Colorado using German glass. Many retailers out there have the Steiner T5Xi series under 2k.
 
Meh, it certainly doesn't check off all the things I want in a long range scope. This coming from a long time gen1 razor user.
 
For my type of shooting, anything above 15x is useless. Mirage dictates most of this, but so does field of view. Anything above 15x is only used for a 100 yard zero.

Hitting a 1 or 2moa target at odd distances doesn't require 20 power. It only requires good dope, good glass, rock solid adjustments, .1 mil adjustments, and a ffp 1/2 mil reticle. Obviously you could do the same with moa adjustments, but you get the point.

Locking turrets are useless to me. Just give me a tiny windage knob to zero at 100 and cap it. Zero stops on the elevation are almost a must for me anymore.


I fully understand my uses for a mid-long range scope may be very different from yours. I practice, by shooting steel at odd ranges, so I can have a better hit percentage on hogs. First round hits are all that matter, and field of view is paramount when hunting a working cattle ranch.


A razor could have provided my wanted features at under 25 ounces. Who wants to hike several miles with a 3 pound scope. I gripe enough about my gen 1 razor being too heavy at 2.2 pounds.
 
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while i shoot mostly in the 12-15x range, i do like to dial it up to 27x for the small targets when i have the luxury of time. i am a fan of locking turrets though, as i've had mine move unintentionally

otherwise, i mostly agree, and am primarily concerned with 1st round hits. i'm a huge fan of capped windage knobs, so i'm excited about the new NF atacr FFP 5-25x coming out. the vortex does have very nice zero stops (i assume you know, but for the sake of others reading your post)

i think the vortex checks most of the boxes. i sure wish it weighed less too
 
I feel like Nightforce is trying to rein in the industry with the atacr 4-16. Everything needed to make consistent first round hits, without all the extra weight, bulk, and useless features.

ffp.
Mil adjustments. Capped windage. Low profile elevation with zero stop and zero lock. Plenty of elevation travel. Great glass.
12.6 inches long, 30 ounces. Wish it were 25 ounces.


Vortex should take notice.

Vortex offers Razor bino's and Spotting scopes. But when it comes time take a hunting shot, it's back to the Philippines and the viper line. Is it not about time to make a slimmed down long range mil adjusted Razor hunting scope?
 
allaroundhunter said:
the things that I dislike about the PST have all been corrected (poor zero stop, relatively small total elevation adjustment, illumination location)

I recently took possession of a Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50mm FFP with the EBR-2C reticle and have to agree that the zero stop is rudimentary to put it mildly. It won't be a problem for me since I'll have the rifle (.223 Rem) zeroed at 100 yards for 77gr SMK bullets and I have no intention of shooting anything heavier or any other bullet for that matter. However, I could see that it would be irritating for someone who shoots a number of different loads from the same rifle or who is constantly adjusting their zero. The elevation adjustment and illumination don't seem to be an issue.


taliv said:
i think the vortex checks most of the boxes. i sure wish it weighed less too

Damn! At 48.5oz that Razor HD Gen II is a beast! It's half a pound heavier than my Premier Reticles 5-25x56mm which is a beast at 40.5oz. I'd like to compare that Razor to my Premier. I'd like to compare the 3-18x50mm model to my Premier 3-15x50mm which is more than 10oz lighter. I paid $1,900 for my 3-15 and $2,200 for my 5-25. Quite a bit less than the Vortex Razor HD Gen II equivalent scopes.
 
I always ask myself a few simple questions when considering buying a new scope.

Will this increase my first round hit percentage?
Will this help acquire a target easier and faster?
Am I willing to hike with this scope on my rifle?
 
while i would like lighter weight as much as anybody, it helps to keep some perspective in your life. the Marines I know humped around m60s, multiple barrels and ammo, and the army snipers i know had to hump semi-auto barretts around in addition to their bolt guns, and way heavier rucks that i carry.

fwiw, i have hiked quite a ways with 17 lb rifles and it hasn't killed me yet. if i could lighten it, i would, but not if it comes at the expense of capability
 
Anyone use their 3-18x50 Gen 2 Razors? Seems that this power range would be more useful for me. Generally a couple hundred bucks cheaper than it's big brother, and you save a whole 2 ounces. ;)
 
taliv said:
i have hiked quite a ways with 17 lb rifles and it hasn't killed me yet. if i could lighten it, i would, but not if it comes at the expense of capability

My AI AWM (.338 LM) with Premier 5-25 scope is over 20lb. Add to that 50 rounds of ammunition, spare magazines, spotting scope, tripod, notebook, pen, handgun, handgun ammunition and a liter of water and I'm carrying about 50lb on a 45 minute hike (one way) to the 1,250 yard shooting position behind my house. The elevation change is only about 650 feet. I could switch out the Premier for my Nightforce 3.5-15x50mm F1 but that would only reduce the total weight by 10oz. I would probably be better off buying a different pair of boots, backpack, spotting scope or tripod if I were really trying to cut down the load.
 
I'm not too overly concerned with weight, it's not going on a gun that I will be stalking antelope with. I figure for a hair over $1500, I can't really go wrong with it. Especially with people saying that even at its $2500 street price it's one of the best things going.
 
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street price is closer to $2400 or so, but at $1500, if you don't want it, i will take it! (assuming it's not stolen... i don't know why anyone would sell it for $1500 when they could easily post a for sale ad and get over 2k for it, but hey... like my econ professor used to say, "if people were rational beings, they wouldn't buy pet rocks.")
 
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