Rifle Scopes Vortex Razor HD Gen 2 4.5-27

[TangoSierra916]

Hello everyone,

Looking for feedback here or actual shooter experience. Searched the site but only found one thread that spoke to a parallax issue. (sorry if I missed any, saw one thread where "zero was lost" but OP never came back to say what happened).

This is not a trolling post, I'm genuinely interested to see if the actual scope has broken or had issues on anyone. I know Frank gave a great review on them years back and they are regarded as one of the best value buys currently. Seems like Vortex gets a lot of flack for "issues" and warranty usage but haven't heard many true accounts of a razor failure. I know every brand has had issues at some point so this is not to say brand x is better or “buy once cry once” type of thing, only interested in razor feedback. I've not sent enough rounds down range to encounter an issue with one just curious if anyone else has.

I trust the users on here and have spoken to many users on here about their experience and most seem to be very positive and mention no issues, thank you for those conversations, just curious if any true issues have been experienced. I know there are also Vortex people on here so this is no way intended to be a Bash/Glory post just looking for true encountered feedback. Thank you!

Mod/Admin - if this post isn't allowed, please delete.

 

[bschneiderheinze]

Are you asking about an actual issue

 

[TangoSierra916]

Are you asking about an actual issue

I’m asking to see if razor users have experienced actual issues.

 

[bschneiderheinze]

Razors very rarely get sent back that’s why so many use them for competition there tanks.

 

[Vargmat]

Had one which I used for just over a year with absolutely no issue. Sold it to a guy I meet at competitions regularly, it has been another 2 years now and its still running. Good as new, with no issues. For what it is worth...

If I were to buy a scope today, it would probably be another Razor G2. They are awesome, not perfect, but then again, what is?

 

[Rekkr870]

Razors are the only scopes that I have NOT sent back..

 

[TangoSierra916]

Had one which I used for just over a year with absolutely no issue. Sold it to a guy I meet at competitions regularly, it has been another 2 years now and its still running. Good as new, with no issues. For what it is worth...

If I were to buy a scope today, it would probably be another Razor G2. They are awesome, not perfect, but then again, what is?

Thanks for the response I’ve heard a lot of the similar feedback, thanks.

 

[Rob01]

There are no ongoing or recurring issues with the Razor IIs. They are a solid optic. Have people had issues? Sure. They are man made and anything man made will break occasionally but if it did you would most likely get the scope back within a few days repaired or replaced. That's DAYS. Not weeks or months.

As for flack about warrenty issues with Vortex, you have to understand Vortex makes scopes from $199-2500. Most any issue you hear will be with a lesser expensive scope and not a Razor II.

I have been running them on my match rifles since they came out and never an issue with the Razor II. With the price drop, features and 7C reticle they are about the best buy out there now.

 

[TangoSierra916]

There are no ongoing or recurring issues with the Razor IIs. They are a solid optic. Have people had issues? Sure. They are man made and anything man made will break occasionally but if it did you would most likely get the scope back within a few days repaired or replaced. That's DAYS. Not weeks or months.

As for flack about warrenty issues with Vortex, you have to understand Vortex makes scopes from $199-2500. Most any issue you hear will be with a lesser expensive scope and not a Razor II.

I have been running them on my match rifles since they came out and never an issue with the Razor II. With the price drop, features and 7C reticle they are about the best buy out there now.

Thanks for the reply, what you said makes sense. I added the comment for that reason to account for all product lines but only really interested in the razor. Thanks for the help and responses.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

Don't fall into the trap of judging the Razor (or any other "alpha" scope) on basis of a few reviews screeching "[Brand/model] is garbage because mine broke." My analogy has been to consider the Toyota Camry or Honda Civic, the kitchen toasters of the automotive industry. They outsell pretty much everything on the market year in and year out and they run about forever.

Does that mean they never break? No.

The people who denigrate Razors as unreliable are the ones who would have an electrical glitch in their Camry and declare the brand as junk. The better prepared might actually go into the Toyota service facility and, seeing a bunch of Camrys or Corollas or whatever up on lifts, proclaim to the world that Toyota is junk because they SAW all these cars up on lifts, never mind the forty-leven gazillion of them quietly providing boring transportation to their owners for years on end.

My son and I have five Vortex optics between us, and only one was problematic - I bought a used Strike Eagle from our LGS for my son, it had a problem not obvious in the store, and Vortex sent me a new one the next day - and two others have been used and sold. I shoot 2-3 times a week with my Razors and Viper PSTs and compete at least once a month; the optics are not safe queens and they Just Work.

If you like the Razor and are OK with its tank-like weight, buy with confidence.

 

[Ryridesmotox]

Remember,

When you go on forums, most of the things people post about are problems with something. Forums skew the outlook on things.

 

[Steel head]

More people go to forums to complain than say how happy they are with a product.

The razor’s have an excellent reputation for good reason.

 

[Vargmat]

Thanks for the response I’ve heard a lot of the similar feedback, thanks.

I use my rifles for competition and some hunting, so it was not babied around. The Razor G2 turrets and the way to zero them are still my favourite, and I have had or ran a lot of the top of the line stuff.

 

[lash]

This is not meant as a negative post, but since you asked:

One of our local shooters, who shoots PRS matches every chance he can and admittedly is very rough on his equipment, has sent 5 total Vortex scopes back for repair/replacement. That’s 2 Vipers, one AMG and 2 Razors. His service response was always very good and once they even overnighted him a new scope so that he would have it for the match next morning.

We have many others here that shoot Razors and I know of no others that have had issues with a Razor, at all. Also, know that we kid him all of the time that he is bad luck on equipment, as he experiences more failures of everything than is normal.

I don’t hesitate to recommend the Razor 2 to anyone who asks, especially now with the reduced prices for new. You can’t go wrong.

I think that there is some cross-over confusion from the fact that the 1st gen Vipers seemed to have more issues than normal when they first came out. At least that was the perception. Notice that one hardly hears about issues at all with the 2nd gen Vipers. That speaks volumes to me, that Vortex did their best to correct whatever design or manufacturing problems that they noticed, in order to make a better product.

 

[koshkin]

This is not meant as a negative post, but since you asked:

One of our local shooters, who shoots PRS matches every chance he can and admittedly is very rough on his equipment, has sent 5 total Vortex scopes back for repair/replacement. That’s 2 Vipers, one AMG and 2 Razors. His service response was always very good and once they even overnighted him a new scope so that he would have it for the match next morning.

We have many others here that shoot Razors and I know of no others that have had issues with a Razor, at all. Also, know that we kid him all of the time that he is bad luck on equipment, as he experiences more failures of everything than is normal.

I don’t hesitate to recommend the Razor 2 to anyone who asks, especially now with the reduced prices for new. You can’t go wrong.

I think that there is some cross-over confusion from the fact that the 1st gen Vipers seemed to have more issues than normal when they first came out. At least that was the perception. Notice that one hardly hears about issues at all with the 2nd gen Vipers. That speaks volumes to me, that Vortex did their best to correct whatever design or manufacturing problems that they noticed, in order to make a better product.

That is spot on. Razor has always been a rather reliable product. Gen 1 PSTs had issues, but even those were largely resolved. Gen 2 PSTs have been quite durable.

Lower end stuff has been commesurate with the price: Crossfire scopes are not great. Simple Diamondback scopes are actually qutie durable.

Vortex is probably almost double of the next highest brand in terms of sales volume (as I recall), so there are a LOT of Vortex scopes out there including a huge number of inexpensive scopes that need service a lot more than the Razors.

ILya

 

[TangoSierra916]

@lash and @koshkin - that seems to be consistent with what I’ve heard as well. I appreciate the responses. I agree the razor and even the pst gen 2 line are nice and with enough abuse anything may fail.

I’ve also found the cs at Vortex a pleasure to talk with even just about optics in general.

 

[Luvman]

I don’t have experience with the 4.5-27 but my 3-18 has been solid. I have some criticisms but no complaints. I just upgraded to a PM2 on my AT. I have a gas gun that needs glass and I keep going back and forth between keeping it and dealing with the weight or trading down to a PST gen 2.

 

[sava]

I pre-ordered my Gen II Razor 4.5-27 when they were originally advertised by Vortex several years ago. I've had it for a while now and have no complaints or issues. Tracking and zero stops have been 100% on several rifles in various calibers. A little heavy and bulky for hunting, but I've managed. It works great on a target rifle though. I'd recommend the optic.

 

[generalzip]

I recall a thread awhile back that I think got lost on the scout site where vortex changed the lens coatings. Does anyone recall? I think they went from a red reflection to a green reflection on the objective lens?

 

[TangoSierra916]

I recall a thread awhile back that I think got lost on the scout site where vortex changed the lens coatings. Does anyone recall? I think they went from a red reflection to a green reflection on the objective lens?

interesting, was that for greater coating durability and longevity do you know?

 

[generalzip]

No clue but I know there was a change. It was years ago though they did it. If you hold
It in the light at an angle and see green I **think*** that’s the newer coating. Red is the older one.