Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics New Vortex Razor Spotters

I don't know if people have looked at the new Vortex Razor Spotters but they are really, really good. They have a focus ring like the Swaro ATS/STS HD Spotting scopes and have super resolution. A big step up from extremely good spotting scopes. Vortex has always had a super spotting scope for the money.

The big thing is that they are assembled in the United States. I hope Vortex continues to move in this direction. This is for the HD65 and HD80 Spotters.

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Looks like the Maven and new Razor are the same thing to me, or at least made in the same Japanese factory.

its too bad they didn't put in more eye relief in the new vortex spotters. I really like the form factor of the new ones.

Yup, I got one of the 27-60x85 new versions for this fall's moose hunt and really liked it... once I got used to the tight eye relief. It was not automatic and there was/is some concern they will not be as well-received because of it.

Brunton Icon also.

I've got one of the first gen Razor 16-48x65mm. I noticed the new version gained some weight. 48 oz to 56 oz.

Me too. Compare that to a 39 oz Swarovski. If you are packing it around all day, that's over a pound difference...

Not great stuff I'm hearing here about them...I was looking at one but may go back to plan A and get a Leupold HD

Buy last years Razor for $999 and under

I had one before and really disliked the focus knob placement on it

I need to edit this, after more research the Swaro is about 47 oz (39 w/o eye piece) which makes an 9 oz difference, not a pound. Still considerable

https://montana-wild.com/vortex22-48x65-review/

I think these guys are sponsored by Vortex and they feel that there was no improvement in the glass. If they had made some big improvement in the glass it would be a great spotter for the price.

IMO you are far better off going with the Meopta Meopro HD80 spotter. I had one and it was excellent. Way better than my old Razor 85m spotter.

Vortex was not trying to improve the glass in the new Razors... they stand pretty well on their own. They were looking to make ergo changes... and did.

I would have a very hard time accepting the Meopta being much if any better.

We had both a Razor Hd (old style), which I like, and my Meopta S2 out mule deer hunting today. The Meopta was noticeably better, and the only thing better that I've seen is the Swaro modular stuff @ $4000+. I would pick the Razor if my budget was $1000 though, even if it is made in China.

They're not even in the same league, the s2/euro blows the doors off the razor.

One of my elk clients had a razor that he was he'll bent on packing around. I got to use it side by side with my stx85 and an ATS 80. There wasn't one category where it was close. Using the ATS 80 hd and s2 side by side, they're too close to call.

I haven't shopped them lately but to my eyes, I preferred the Kowa Prominar (spelling?) with 88mm Objective Lenses to anything else I looked through. The $4000 Leica was right there too. For the money, the Vortex was impressive. A lot of people didn't like the ergos but you get used that stuff pretty quick.

I don't spend hours looking through spotting scopes like the Alaska guys do, I prefer bigger binoculars myself.

I made the switch in the past season from the Leupold GR 12-40x60 to the 65mm Razor and the difference is incredible

I picked up the long eye-relief 18X fixed eyepiece for my 65mm Razor. I love it.

Huge eye relief (31mm?) finally gives me a spotter that I don't need to constantly be taking glasses off and on to get a full FOV.

I'll just say it, the 85 mm Razor is garbage. It was almost worthless above 48 power. The Meopta blows it out of the water.

Maybe you were looking through a bad one or something. Mine is excellent.