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Vortex Razor Tactical

Vortex Razor Tactical

Vortex scopes have gained a solid reputation in America and although I have tried for some time to test one here, it wasn’t until Riflecraft took up UK distributorship that I got my hands on a Razor HD. The spec shouts `tactical` out loud. The rapidly increasing popularity of First Focal Plane (FFP) reticules, matching turret adjustments with zero-stop and Miliradian adjustments is fighting for a spot in a market where perhaps extreme range shooting and distance estimation are desired?

Starting with the 50mm objective lens, a one-piece 35mm 6061-T6 aluminium tube extends rearwards incorporating a sleek spherical saddle, large elevation and windage turrets and compact, left side parallax drum. Hard-anodised, dull anthracite grey I liked the appearance, punctuated by black rubberised magnification adjuster and aluminium fast-focus eyepiece. At the 10 o’clock position on the eyepiece, an illumination dial contains the battery (included) and marked simply 1-11, helpfully turns out the light between each graduation for immediate personal preference. Included are a 75mm sunshade, offset bubble level, anti-reflection (kill flash) honeycomb-type lens cover and flip up lens caps front and rear. Riflecraft supplied a set of Vortex 35mm Weaver/Picatinny mounts that are made in a single piece before separation into front and rear sections.

AIM OFF OR CLICK OFF?

Of course the primary desirability of a FFP reticle is the ability to aim off or click off in fast fire and multiple target situations. The three part elevation turret is a little complex to set up first time but if you actually read the instructions (unlike me), has no surprises in store. It’s too long to fully explain here but you set the zero stop then disengage the `clicks` allowing a truly analogue (click free) setting of primary zero. Once retightened with the included Allen key, there is no excuse for a zero that is XXX mm from perfect!

The outer turret cover slides over the top to engage waterproof rubber seals and visually indicate settings. With 10 mRad per revolution, there is also the ability to setup the zero-stop with some negative travel available and when mounted on a 20 MOA rail, I was left with over 24 mRad of elevation which will get most calibres out well beyond their supersonic flight range. 36 mRad in total makes the scope ideal for extreme range shooters using 338’s, 40 or 50 Cal rifles. 0.1 mRad Clicks are nicely weighted although there is no rotation marker; the ascending turret reveals a vernier scalebelow it.

Windage is marked 5mRad both left and right of centre but again, a vernier scale is a warning so you don’t get `lost`. Parallax is controlled by the left side drum, marked from 40 Yards (why yards when everything about the scope is otherwise metric?) to infinity which seemed to agree honestly with its performance in use. Backlash was thankfully not present. All adjusters featured knurling that was grippy without feeling sharp and the whole scope had a very refined look about it without seeming to copy other designs. I liked the patented fibre optic centre markers in both elevation and zoom controls (also with tactile indicators) although it seems odd Vortex excluded it from the windage knob!

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EBR-2B RETICLE

The EBR-2B reticle is fairly busy. Being FFP it shrinks and grows with magnification setting but there are plenty of mil/half-mil markers to measure or aim off with and complex subtension diagrams are supplied. The centre of the cross is left open to avoid obscuring even the smallest or distant targets and being only a 4x erector tube (4x5=20), small to large wasn’t excessive. At low magnification with the large overall centre section of the reticle illuminated to 11, I had no problem with fast acquisition to aim and overall, I liked the combination but would personally live without the aim-off dots for use in the wind as I found them just a little over the top.

HD, APO, XR COATINGS WHAT?

All manufacturers like to add a plethora of acronyms to their trademarked optical designs but the true performance comes down to individual eyes and opinion. To me, 95% of the central area of the scope was very clear with excellent colour rendition but I could see a very slight yellowing out towards the circumference of the image even though clarity of image was maintained. The eye relief was perfect but careful head position was required to maintain full field of view in the exit pupil which I won’t call critical but certainly on the tighter side of the very best glassware.

If you read my articles on optics, you will notice a definite shift in my reticle preferences; I’m now a complete FFP convert for my style of shooting and this one ticked all the boxes with easy dial off corresponding exactly with the laser etched reticle. I found the illumination to be perfect in intensity and coverage with the immediate brightness control and switch on/off intervals to make its use intuitive.

MEATY BEAST!

The Razor is a meaty beast! It seems unusual not to have made it a 56mm front end as this would have broadened both field of view and exit pupil size but eye relief never drifted unacceptable with zoom setting and I came away from the test happy with the scope and impressed with the price. The lifetime warranty that is both transferrable and unquestioned is clearly testament to the Japanese maker’s confidence in the internal mechanics. The relentless rain in which my testing took place certainly inspired my confidence in the argon-purged tube and waterproof sealing but although a fistful to grip, the elevation turret was perhaps a little too large. I see this scope, and reticule in particular, to be one that suits multiple target and distance engagements rather than plain paper punching as something like a figure 11 at 600 yards seems a far more appropriate goal to it than a 1” orange dot or half MOA v-bull.

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  • Vortex Razor Tactical - image {image:count}

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  • Vortex Razor Tactical - image {image:count}

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  • Vortex Razor Tactical - image {image:count}

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  • Vortex Razor Tactical - image {image:count}

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  • Vortex Razor Tactical - image {image:count}

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  • Vortex Razor Tactical - image {image:count}

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  • Vortex Razor Tactical - image {image:count}

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  • Vortex Razor Tactical - image {image:count}

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  • Vortex Razor Tactical - image {image:count}

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gun
features

  • Model on test: Vortex Razor HD 5-20x50 EBR-2B mRad
  • Length: 401mm
  • Weight: 998g
  • Tube size: 35mm
  • Click value : 0.1 miliradian (10mm@100m), MOA version also available
  • Overall travel: 36 mil elevation, 36 mil windage
  • FOV: 22-5.76 feet @ 100 yards
  • Eye Relief: 100mm
  • Parallax: Side wheel
  • Illumination: Yes
  • Warranty: Lifetime
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