In reading Frank's review, comparing features vs. price, pm'ing Sam at Vortex with elementary questions (and him responding extremely fast with answers that went over and above), and reviewing the warranty (more about that later), I decided to buy the Vortex Razor HD for my 6.5x47L. I will be using this set-up for the Sniper's Hide Cup in March, among other things. For comparison, I currently have a Schmidt and Bender 4-16, and have had the opportunity to handle a Premier and an IOR SH edition. I am no expert, no sniper, and my life will never depend on this scope. I simply wanted a scope that works as advertised and is as rugged as possible.
I received the Razor from Scott at Liberty Optics (in 2 days, I might add. Scott is really great to work with), and promptly mounted the optic and went to the range to zero. The instructions provided with scope were crystal clear, and I had no problems getting zeroed and setting the zero stop. I was surprised with how clear the scope looked to me, and the reticle makes a lot of sense to a novice shooter like myself. The Zero Stop was very positive, and I was very happy with my purchase.
After my last range trip, I knew that my loads were a bit hotter than I liked, so I decided to re-work my load. I knew that I would have to re-zero, but I wasn't able to get to the range until two weeks after initial set-up. In the interim, I spent time dry-firing, working on mag changes, and working on getting comfortable with "dope" adjustments. As I was dialing in different "dope" I noticed that the I felt the elevation knob "bind" a few times, and it took some effort to get it to return to the zero stop. In addition, I would sometimes overshoot my zero stop setting.
I took the rifle to the range yesterday afternoon after work, and set about re-zeroing. I took the turret cap off, loosened the three lock screws, re-zeroed, set the lock screws, tested the zero stop before I set the elevation knob back on. The zero stop did not work. I decided to loosen the lock screws and re-tighten, and once again they did not work. I then tightened lock screws as much as I was comfortable with, and it seemed to do the trick.
From there, I put the elevation knob back on, tightened the screws, shot another drill, and decided to re-test the turret and zero stop. Once again, it "bound" up and I overshot my zero stop setting. I packed up my gear, assumed that I screwed something up, and sent a PM to Sam at Vortex with the details. I assumed that I would get a response after SHOT Show and we would take it from there.
To my surprise, I had this answer back from Sam in about an hour and a half:
"Josh,
No, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm really sorry for your trouble.
We just recently found out that the factory installed a part wrong on a few of the scopes that went out to customers. We've since corrected the assembly process to make sure it doesn't happen again, but unfortunately we had already sent some out before we found out about it.
It's really a simple fix, but must be done here at our repair facility. Again, I'm really sorry about the trouble, but rest assured we will take care of it for you ASAP.
Please give us a call at your earliest convenience 1-800-426-0048. If you ask for Corey in customer service he will take care of you. Likely we'll just send you a new scope so that your down time is a short as possible.
Let me know if you need anything else.
-Sam"
I called Corey in Customer Service this morning, and it was almost as if he was anticipating my phone call. He apologized, explained again what the problem was and how it was to be fixed. To my surprise, rather than having me send the scope back for repair, they are simply replacing it with a new unit. No questions asked, no paperwork to fill out, no headaches, and no drama. As a matter of fact, the replacement is being shipped out to me today. THAT is customer service.
I cannot put into words just how pleased I am with Vortex. The scope is a fantastic piece of equipment, but we all know that mistakes happen. It's how a those mistakes are addressed, are fixed, and how the customer is treated that make the difference. The approachability of this company is something that I have rarely seen, and the genuine willingness to help is second to no one.
To those on the fence: buy the Razor and don't look back. It's truly a great product, backed up by some of the finest people in the business.
Best,
Josh
I received the Razor from Scott at Liberty Optics (in 2 days, I might add. Scott is really great to work with), and promptly mounted the optic and went to the range to zero. The instructions provided with scope were crystal clear, and I had no problems getting zeroed and setting the zero stop. I was surprised with how clear the scope looked to me, and the reticle makes a lot of sense to a novice shooter like myself. The Zero Stop was very positive, and I was very happy with my purchase.
After my last range trip, I knew that my loads were a bit hotter than I liked, so I decided to re-work my load. I knew that I would have to re-zero, but I wasn't able to get to the range until two weeks after initial set-up. In the interim, I spent time dry-firing, working on mag changes, and working on getting comfortable with "dope" adjustments. As I was dialing in different "dope" I noticed that the I felt the elevation knob "bind" a few times, and it took some effort to get it to return to the zero stop. In addition, I would sometimes overshoot my zero stop setting.
I took the rifle to the range yesterday afternoon after work, and set about re-zeroing. I took the turret cap off, loosened the three lock screws, re-zeroed, set the lock screws, tested the zero stop before I set the elevation knob back on. The zero stop did not work. I decided to loosen the lock screws and re-tighten, and once again they did not work. I then tightened lock screws as much as I was comfortable with, and it seemed to do the trick.
From there, I put the elevation knob back on, tightened the screws, shot another drill, and decided to re-test the turret and zero stop. Once again, it "bound" up and I overshot my zero stop setting. I packed up my gear, assumed that I screwed something up, and sent a PM to Sam at Vortex with the details. I assumed that I would get a response after SHOT Show and we would take it from there.
To my surprise, I had this answer back from Sam in about an hour and a half:
"Josh,
No, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm really sorry for your trouble.
We just recently found out that the factory installed a part wrong on a few of the scopes that went out to customers. We've since corrected the assembly process to make sure it doesn't happen again, but unfortunately we had already sent some out before we found out about it.
It's really a simple fix, but must be done here at our repair facility. Again, I'm really sorry about the trouble, but rest assured we will take care of it for you ASAP.
Please give us a call at your earliest convenience 1-800-426-0048. If you ask for Corey in customer service he will take care of you. Likely we'll just send you a new scope so that your down time is a short as possible.
Let me know if you need anything else.
-Sam"
I called Corey in Customer Service this morning, and it was almost as if he was anticipating my phone call. He apologized, explained again what the problem was and how it was to be fixed. To my surprise, rather than having me send the scope back for repair, they are simply replacing it with a new unit. No questions asked, no paperwork to fill out, no headaches, and no drama. As a matter of fact, the replacement is being shipped out to me today. THAT is customer service.
I cannot put into words just how pleased I am with Vortex. The scope is a fantastic piece of equipment, but we all know that mistakes happen. It's how a those mistakes are addressed, are fixed, and how the customer is treated that make the difference. The approachability of this company is something that I have rarely seen, and the genuine willingness to help is second to no one.
To those on the fence: buy the Razor and don't look back. It's truly a great product, backed up by some of the finest people in the business.
Best,
Josh
