TEN TIMES CLOSER

The Vortex Razor HD Gen III 1-10x Stretches Past Its Competitors

- Rob Curtis 

If you've got some cash burning a hole in your pocket, you're probably fighting the urge to ditch the red-dot on your AR in favor of a low-power, variable optic. There are plenty to choose from, but the hottest new release of 2020 is the Vortex Razor HD Gen III 1-10x24 FFP. That alone isn't enough to tempt guys to shell out $2K, though. It's got to have good glass, not weigh a ton, hold zero after rough handling, have plenty of adjustment, and have a well-thought-out reticle. Fortunately, the Gen HI checks all those boxes.

Vortex's head of product development Rob 'Vlorell tells us the Gen III was designed to perform out to 600 yards, but we racked up reliable hits at 750, and IT undoubtedly could push it further.

Morel! says some compromises had to be made in order for the Gen III to be lightweight, capable, and affordable. They didn't scrimp on glass, nor feel, and the rotation of the erector tube is silky smooth for a fast throw from lx to 10x. The 34mm tube gives 37 mils of total elevation travel, after zeroing for 55-grain ball at 100 that left 20.8 mils to play with. That's enough elevation for 1,100 yards.

10x is a place where an argument can be made for a parallax adjustment, but Vortex chose a fixed parallax design to keep weight, complexity, and cost down. The same goes for locking turrets; you can live without them since the EBR-9 reticle gives you 10 mils of elevation with a Christmas tree for precise holds.

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