Introduction
When I first saw the Vortex Razor HD Gen III 1-10, it was in that sexy marketing video you probably saw too. If I remember right, it was mounted on a precision carbine, kind of like a DMR rifle. Thus was born a quest for a perfect little DMR rifle wearing the 1-10 LPVO for a sight. This scope has moved down a chair as the new AMG 1-10 LPVO has recently been released. I’ll get to that one as soon as I can, but for today lets take a look at the Gen 3 version.
The Vortex Razor HD Gen III 1-10
Part of the allure for me of the Vortex Razor HD Gen III 1-10 is that its not just a low power variable optic (LPVO). With a maximum power of 10X, this scope can be used for reasonably distant engagements. Shooting even out to a kilometer can be done well with 10X. So having a medium carbine rifle that can engage targets at fifty-yards and as far as a thousand sounds enticing.
The Razor’s 34mm tube gives it a great deal of internal movement as well, making corrective travel of the erector pretty broad. The turrets are capped, but are easily adjusted should you wish to dial corrections for distant shots.
Illumination on the reticle is solely on the circle around the center. This translates to a bright red dot when the scope is at 1X, as much of the reticle detail is to fine to see at that power. But when the scope is zoomed into 10X, there is a great deal of reticle detail. This allows you to use holdover and wind corrections should you wish.
Aside from the scope itself, the Razor comes with a sunshade, battery, tools and manuals. All in a very nice package. Also, this scope came with Vortex’s Switchview throw lever.
Specifications
| Magnification | 1-10x |
|---|---|
| Objective Lens Diameter | 24 mm |
| Focal Plane | First Focal Plane |
| Reticle | EBR-9 BDC (MOA) |
| Eye Relief | 3.6″ |
| Field of View | 116.0′ – 11.7′ @100 yds |
| Turret Style | Capped |
| Tube Size | 34mm |
| Adjustment Graduation | 1/4 MOA |
| Travel Per Rotation | 25 MOA |
| Max Elevation Adjustment | 120 MOA |
| Max Windage Adjustment | 120 MOA |
| Parallax Setting | 150 yds. |
| Length | 10.1″ |
| Weight | 21.5 oz |
Mounting The Razor
I used a Zro Delta cantilever 34mm mount to install the Razor HD on top of my Desert Tech WLVRN. This allowed perfect eye relief and use of the picatinny sight rail on the receiver. Setting the throw-lever to the right spot was helpful to avoid it colliding with anything on the rifle.
After torquing everything down, opened up the rifle so I could do a little boresight job on it. This was quick and dirty as I knew I could easily correct it at the range.
On the Range
I’ve shot quite a bit with my WLVRN, so once I got the Razor zeroed it was a simple matter of seeing how everything else matched up. I zeroed the scope at 100-hundred yards on 10X, before shooting a couple groups to confirm.
A couple of my first immediate notations were how clean the image was through this scope. The optical clarity is fantastic, adding some definition to everything I looked at. The Switchview throw-lever was incredibly handy, dare I say a must have. I wish I had it on the 1-6 Razor I recently reviewed. I spent quite a bit of time changing magnification between different targets.
We also did a little bit of long-range shooting out in the desert, I say long-range but it was only with 5.56 55-grain ammo so really I wasn’t shooting much past four or five-hundred yards. It was certainly enough that I needed to make corrections and for that the Razor’s turrets were incredibly handy. I did notice though how much I would have preferred adjustable parallax.
Switching Host Rifles
The Razor HD might be a little much scope for a 22, but I don’t care. I figured it would give additional opportunity and perspective to shoot with the scope. So I mounted it to a Desert Tech Trek 22 rifle, a bullpup clone of the Ruger 10/22 outfitted with an Anechoic Anechox 22 suppressor.
The rimfire routine gave much opportunity to use the scope at closer distances obviously. The sharp imagery of the Razor HD made picking apart targets quite fun, and the detail of the reticle came in handy for holding corrections at distances you normally wouldn’t.
I found that with the illumination on at 1X the scope was essentially like a red dot. With only the center circle illuminated at 1X the rest of the reticle is practically invisible. But when you zoom into the higher magnification all those details of the EBR-9 reticle become sharp and handy.
Optical Performance
I already mentioned the optics on this scope are great. Even as the daylight wain, I was surprised how good the picture was through this scope. The larger lenses and 34mm tube surely have something to do with good light transmission. This came as no surprise really, as Vortex Razors are well known for their quality glass and robust durability. People far harder on them than I and they are still kicking.
Usability
There is very little to mark against this scope when it comes to useability. In fact there is only one thing I would change, and that is adjustable parallax. Maybe I’m the only one who likes engaging far targets with LPVO’s, but it feels like a crime for this scope to not have adjustable parallax. I felt like I could easily engage targets at some pretty significant distances, I even did. But I really like the ability to refine the focus and parallax at those distances.
Other than that, the controls on the Gen III Razor HD are fantastic. The perfect amount of resistance on the control surfaces and the throw lever was the icing on the cake. I like the locking illumination control, preventing unwanted shifting of the knob. And the turrets are of course both classy and compact.
Value
The MSRP for this scope is not for the faint of heart, coming in at $4000.00. Luckily Vortex’s exorbitant prices are greatly tempered by retailers. It can be had at places like Optics Planet for $2190 which is much more reasonable. Which is within a hundred bucks of other great options like the Eotech Vudu 1-10. Obviously how much you want to pay depends on you and your budget, but you often get what you pay for in the optics market.
Closing Thoughts
As I expected, the Vortex Optics Razor HD Gen III is a 1-10 that I could run indefinitely. It has outstanding clarity and definition, a great history of robust service, and service from a company that cares for its customers. Little things like an included sunshade are also very nice. All in all the features on this scope make for an excellent weapon sight for anyone looking to to be accurate from close to medium ranges. It would be a great scope for an accurized carbine, or what all the kids call a DMR or RECCE rifle. It fits right into my collection of excellent LPVO options, maybe it will fit into yours?
