Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Spotting scope - Vortex

I know Vortex's lower end rifle scopes catch hell. But their Razor line seems to get used a bit at competitions and such. How's their spotting scope stack up?

Razor HD 27-60x85 Spotting Scope - specifically.

Intent is to use it primarily for shooting and spotting targets. Mostly High Power but if it worked for other disciplines and distances too - great.

Anything else I should look at in that range? How does it stack against a Kowa 82SV 82mm which seems to be popular at Creedmoor Sports for High Power shooters?

Optically. Given I'm not packing this thing up/down mountains after elk for a week straight - optics seems to be more important than weight.

I don't own one, but I've been going back and forth between this and the Swaro. It seems to me, in bright conditions Vortex is 95% of Swaro. Its the low light that the alpha glass begins to shine, but you won't be in those conditions much during competitive shooting. I had all but made up my mind to go with the Swaro until I signed up for some of the programs for discounts. At this point, I'm leaning toward the value of the Vortex.

Yeah - the Vortex at $1450 is tempting for me.

In that price range, I’d take the Tract over the Razor. (I currently own the Razor.)

What about the Tract has you looking there instead of the Razor?

Much better optical performance.

However, the reticle eyepiece does leave much to be desired against the Razors. If that’s a prime factor for you.

Can you quantify a difference in optical performance? Using them side by side, what were your observations about resolution between the two specifically?

I have used them for many years, along with Zeiss, Swaro, Leica, and a bunch of others. In blind tests where brands are not obvious the Razors are never selected as worst in the line-up. Swaro often is, but they are all pretty close. With my eyes it is hard to see fault on the Razors.

I have the referenced scope and would replace it if lost. I usually use the smaller (now reshaped for more power) 11-33x50 for range work and it is more than adequate for the modest ranges I use it for.

I have a razor 27-60x85, gen 1. I also have swarovski 25-50x65. Razor is very close, swaro is a touch more clear at long distance. I watched a buck at around 1000 yds, had both scopes out while my boy was getting closer to it and the swaro had a slight edge on it, to me. We Spotted more deer and another guy had a tract and my boy looked through it. He felt it was close to the vortex, but not heads and tails better. All comes down to what you like and spend. Never looked through a kowa to compare.

I agree with this completely !!!!!!

Also the OP mentioned the Kowa and they make a fantastic spotter, not a fan of the 82SV but a call to Doug and he could hook you up with the right one

Boat anchor, care to say why? Share any side-by-side comparison you've done.

Wrongside and I have spent some time doing side-by-side comparisons between the 20-60x85 G1 Razor and the 22-45x65 Toric. Both have variables as well as fixed MRAD eyepieces. The clarity and resolution is noticeably better on the Toric. The variable eyepiece on the Razors are okay, but the fixed MRAD eyepiece is significantly better, optically. Having said that, both the Toric fixed MRAD and the variable eyepiece are better optically than both EPs on the Razor, and the two Toric EPs are comparable in optical quality. The fixed MRAD EP body and reticle design on the Razor are far better than the MRAD EP design on the Toric.

Optically, the natural colour, resolution, and brightness are all better on the Toric, both in daylight and as light fades at twilight.

For maybe a bit more, I’d look at a used MeoptaS2 and Kowa 77.

ETA; the Athlon Ares was pretty impressive for the money. I did not spend a lot of time with it, but was pretty impressed the short time I did.

Agreed.

The only downside to the Tracts is their MRad eyepiece design.

Thanks for the tip on the Tract. I'll look at them. I saw that Vortex at the price and figured it was worth asking. MI hunting, we've little use for them and I've been really very happy with my Viper bins. Just want this scope for highpower and more range work.

I own two Vortex Razor Gen1 spotters

Neither have been perfect

One had the 1/4-20 insert split in half

Both have had the rubber sleeve that covers the focus knob need glued in place

But for under 800 they are great

How do you know which generation is which? I see a Razor HD that's green and grey for 1k and then a Razor HD that's all green for 1600 on Amazon.

Gen 1 has the focus knobs on top. Gen 2 has the inline focus collar.

You will be faced with crap resale value with vortex 5 years from now. They change models a lot and blow the old ones out cheap. Resale is greatly impacted. If you wanna spend 500 on a viper k but pushing 1500 for a razor makes now sense. By something alpha used instead.

I'm not concerned about resale.