Vortex has been busy during COVID, updating their Razor series during the pandemic. Starting with the High Power Variable Optics and now moving over to the Low Power Variable Optics. Say hello to the latest update of the Razor HD Gen III 1-10×24; updated with 10x magnification.
SPECIFICATIONS
The new Gen III Razor HD is powered by a single CR2032 battery for reticule illumination and provides both a sun shade and a throw lever. An upgrade to the old Gen II function is the increased magnification from 6 times to 10 times magnification. Retaining an objective lens diameter of 24 mm with an eye relief of 3.6 inches, the variance in eye relief gets narrower as the magnification increases.
The LPVO has a field of view similar to the older generation, from 22 degrees FOV at 1 times magnification to a narrow 2.23 degrees FOV at 10x magnification (11 feet across at 100 yards). The housing is the same colour as the older generation with a burnt bronze colour all around.
Weighing in at 21.5 oz without the battery or the choice of mount, the Gen III weighs the same as the Gen II. Coming in at 10.1 inches, the new Gen III also retains the same length and profile as the older Gen II.
RETICULE DESIGN
The new Vortex optic uses the Enhanced Battle Reticule (EBR-9) with hash marked ranging for either MRAD or MOA based on common .223 bullet drop coefficients.
When fully magnified to 10x, the etchings on the reticule can be best seen. These include windage corrections and a few other features etched into the glass. The main feature of this reticule is the fact it is in a first focal plane optic. The illuminated centre reticule is a culmination of a middle dot with a partial circle to help blow out the reticule at lower magnification.
When using the reticule at lower magnifications or 1x, the etchings are mostly invisible with only the furthest windage and elevation lines present. These lines are designed to lead the eye towards the centre of the reticule and are especially present when the illuminated segment is not turned on.
If you are using anything other than a .223/5.56 configured rifle with a near standard length barrel, the etched configuration of the reticule may not be of use to you. It is however possible to learn the BDC etchings for other configurations. It is worth noting that if you do not intend to use the optic at 6x or more, you will not get a nicely blown-out BDC compared to how it would be fully magnified. This is a limitation of high magnification first focal plane optics as the etchings are only as large as the magnification you set it at.
When being used for general target shooting at distances over 50 metres, the Vortex provides adequate magnification up to distances of 300 metres and a bit more if you have the eye for it. At longer distances, we noticed that the reticule was a little cluttered with the circle. This was especially an issue with the reticule illuminated however we don’t see those ranges being part of the purpose of this optic.
RETICULE BRIGHTNESS
All shooting optics with some form of illumination on the reticule must be capable of being daylight bright at least at its highest brightness setting. Fortunately, Vortex is not one to neglect this requirement. On a very sunny day, the highest brightness setting of the optic provides enough light to bloom the reticule and provide a lovely dot to aim with.
The good news is that the brightness previously found from the previous Gen II is much improved and somewhat better in the Gen III.
FOV/GLASS QUALITY
A lot of literature is available on the glass quality and the changes made to ensure the field of view is as true to form as possible. It is very important that what is seen through the optic is as closely represented as what is seen from the naked eye. This includes how much light passes through the optic.
The tube is 34mm which provides better internal adjustment, strength and light through the lenses. Made of aircraft-grade aluminium, the chassis is light and strong which is a must have for competition optics. Adding to the quality of the glass and chassis, the chambers are fog proof with Argon gas purging and a highly durable low-glare matte surface finish to camouflage the shooter’s tactical position.
The Vortex Razor HD Gen III has a scratch-resistant coating to protect the exterior lenses from environmental matter such as dust, oil and dirt. As expected, the Vortex optic has a rugged construction to withstand recoil, impact and most regular accidental damage during transit and operation.
At 1x, the optic is very clear, has very little chromatic aberration and does not bleach any of the light colours coming through the lenses. To a certain extent, it is as true to zero magnification as an LPVO could be, considering the light is passing through multiple lens assemblies.
The further the magnification, the less amount of light is passed through to provide a clear image. The amount of light lost does not seem to be that severe until extending passed 6x magnification which can prove to be an issue in low-lit environments.
One thing we found surprising, based on user experience, the Gen II seems to have clearer glass quality over the Gen III at 1x and 6x magnification. The main qualities that dictate this have been the chromatic effect on the edges of the glass and how much the colour accuracy is maintained through the optic. It seems some compromise has been made to gain the 10x magnification for the Razor Gen III.
EYE RELIEF
The 1x magnification on the optic is quite generous with at least 3 inches of range (dependent on the user’s eyesight), which allows for flexibility when using the optic at speed.
It is worth noting that as with all LPVOs, the eye relief narrows. Bringing the magnification up to 6x, only narrows the eye relief a little bit. Being at just under 2 inches, this is practical and does not limit the user as much. It is most severe at 10x magnification, where eye relief is relative to the use of a Trijicon ACOG 4×32 at less than an inch in some cases.
The best middle ground for magnification regarding eye relief has been between 4x and 6x magnification depending on the user, as the eye relief is more manageable and less severe. We believe that more training and practice will allow for the use of 10x magnification to be more usable.
ADJUSTMENT TURRETS
The adjustment turrets on an LPVO have two main functions; applying zero for accurate trajectory and on-the-fly adjustments for windage and elevation after the fact. The Vortex Razor HD Gen III has some of the most accurate adjustment turrets available on an LPVO with 0.25 MOA clicks for adjustment. The clicks on these turrets have very positive and stiff feedback and do not feel mushy like other optics.
The turrets do not have a tactical adjustment feature and are capped (expected of an LPVO). Vortex has allowed for zero indexing by loosening the hex screws on both turrets, to move the positions of the etched numerals when the optic is zeroed to trajectory. This is a function that definitely puts the Gen III at a top tier level for function at longer ranges.
ILLUMINATION CONTROL
The illumination control on the optic has not changed in design or function. It’s a tried and tested design which compliments the usability of the optic. Located on the left side of the main housing, the lockable dial allows the user to increment through the various brightness settings in the same fashion as the adjustment turrets. The locking mechanism on the dial is a nifty feature that does have some practicality to avoid accidental movement or snagging.
The battery housing is also contained within the dial, which is accessible using a flat head screw bit or similar tool. The CR2032 sits nicely within the chamber and is sealed with an o-ring on the cap of the housing.
At any magnification, it is easy to determine the relative centre point with the illuminated reticule, however, it can somewhat feel either too washed out on lower brightness settings or blown out on higher brightness settings. This could be because of weather conditions during the time of review, as later testing did not prove to be as severe. We believe this is due to the illumination not being on a single dot, but on the circle as well. This makes it difficult at lower magnification to have a cleanly outlined illuminated dot.
We did not have much opportunity to test the illumination in indoor settings however when testing the brightness settings, we noticed a good increment of brightness from low to high which will complement low light environments.
MAGNIFICATION CONTROL
Previous criticism of the Gen II, was the stiffness of the magnification dial on the neck of the optic. This was an issue that lead to a known modification being done by users who were unhappy with how stiff the adjustment was at the time. Vortex has been listening and has loosened the controls on the Gen III. Operating more smoothly without overdoing it, this new optic is now easier to throw from the lowest magnification up to the highest with the average grip.
The dial now provides magnification from 1x to 10x. The positioning is different to the Gen II however the distance in the rotation is not as severe, considering there is an extra 4x of magnification adjustment on the dial. This makes it easier to switch from one extreme to the other, using a one-hand twist. Just be prepared when you have to make that 180-degree turn from 1x magnification to 10x magnification.
ZOOM LEVER
A nice addition that is normally purchased separately, is the zoom lever supplied with the Gen III. Depending on the requirements of the user, the zoom lever can be fitted to the magnification dial to ease the manipulation of the control. The throw lever is very streamlined and holds on using retention with a foldable handle at the end.
During the review, we had little issue with the throw lever as it fulfilled the purpose, however, after further testing, our throw lever handle had broken off. This may have been a one-off however it is possible that the pin holding the extended handle was a weak point during stressed use at a competition.
NOTE: We’ve noticed a discrepancy between the zoom lever provided on our model compared to other models seen online and in-store. It is entirely possible that the folding function has been replaced with a sturdier non-folding zoom lever in future models.
FUNCTION
The most popular use for the Vortex Razor HD Gen III is for use in competition shooting. This requires the ability to shoot at both close range and long range targets within a constrained time frame. This is most easily done in a practical shooting setting where targets are set at varying distances, and the competitor needs to apply accuracy and speed in both shooting and movement.
At close ranges, the optic fairs well, with a good field of view and a comparable sight picture to none magnified red dots. This is especially so with a brightly illuminated reticule as the etchings can be completely ignored at that range. The application of the Gen III is very fast at close ranges with a lot of praise going towards how light it is compared to other LPVOs.
The EBR reticule on the Vortex provides a good balance between information and practical sight picture without clogging the view of the target. The elevation BDC holds can take a .223 rifle all the way to 600 yards with the windage providing up to 20 miles per hour adjustments.
It is worth noting that the first focal plane configuration, benefits the user most at long range. This allows for the user to use any magnification they feel most comfortable with as opposed to having to use the maximum magnification, dictated when using a second focal plane optic.
The Vortex Razor HD Gen III is a great mid to long-range optic with a promising premise for bridging the gap between low-power and high-power optics. It is however unfortunate that the 10x magnification reduces the eye relief of the optic dramatically. This means that the use at 10x requires a more practised positioning of the eye behind the optic, and does not allow for more flexible shooting positions.
CONCLUSION
The Vortex Razor HD Gen III is a very formidable tool to have in one’s arsenal, especially for an experienced competition shooter. The optic is function-rich and provides all the fundamental qualities needed to achieve close-range and long-range target acquisition.
This is not a beginner-friendly optic as it provides features which are more reminiscent of the higher price band offered for LPVOs. If you are new to shooting or only require basic close and long-range capabilities, we would recommend going for a cheaper optic with comparable features albeit lower quality in either glass clarity or function.
Vortex has definitely upgraded the Gen II with the new Gen III, however, we’re unsure if it’s worth the extra magnification as most of the features and qualities are similar and have relatively little change. It is possible that the extra magnification would be ideal for hunting, however, we have neither the experience nor tested the application to provide a consensus on that matter. The first focal plane reticule is definitely a bonus for more functional use of the bullet drop coefficients with a .223 rifle.
The Vortex Razor HD Gen III is a great addition to the premium line of Low Power Variable Optics. If you want high quality and have the money to splash, you could not go wrong with the Gen III.
