Looking for a new LVPO for police patrol use. Durability, FOV, illumination (or a reticle that doesn’t need it), and glass clarity are priorities over weight, focal plane, and power range. I much prefer capped turrets and this would mostly be used for MPBR shooting out to say 300 at the max, so mil/BDC might be nice but are not necessarily critical.
Is the Razor HD gen II still king of the hill in this class of optic? Is there anything cheaper that’s truly a “bet my life on” proposition? The Steiner P4Xi looks nice but I’ve got my doubts about long-term durability. I’ve also looked at several of the Trijicon Accupoint/power options and while the durability is probably there, all seem to be compromises in various ways.
Yup. Max the budget out on the new -E model to save four ounces or buy a used regular version for around $900 and spend the rest on a mount like Geissele or Scalarworks.
Either enroll with EuroOptic or Experticity/Promotive with your credentials and get the Razor HD II E 1-6. It stands alone until you start to get up into the $1700’s. It’s the best value for that price point by far.
Nightforce NXS with FC-3G reticle. Generous eye box and eye-catching reticle that doesn’t need illumination (and batteries) to work. I’ve seen video that compares the NXS’s eyebox very favorably to the Khales 1-6, though I can’t verify this personally. The zero stop feature is nice but not necessary and the BDC works with a variety of loads. Nightforce durability is a given and the optic only weighs 17 ounces.
It will be hard to top the Vortex Razor HD Gen II, your budget allows for a lot of performance. The new E model it noticeable lighter. I have the older heavier version and I still love it.
That’s my video. The NXS 1-4 is much more forgiving of head position than any 1-6 I’ve used. That said…
I hated the glass quality. Chromatic Abberation was horrific. Fish-bowl effect was bad, especially on 4x past 100 yards. I could not dial diopter to give unity on 1x and a crisp image at 100 yards on 4x both. I could however shoot 1 moa groups with it, and it always dialed true when I changed the elevation and windage, and the form-factor was nice. That said, I’m currently using a Strike Eagle, and it’s a much better optic, optically. Ouch. I’m buying an ATACR 1-8, currently. Why? Because if I don’t like it, it’s easier to sell and buy a Razor “E” than it is to sell a Razor “E” and buy an ATACR. Personally, I think I’ll love the ATACR and keep it forever, though.
My other complaint about the NXS 1-4 was how large the scope body “ring” was on 1x. It divorced the reticle from the rest of the world, for me, much more than any of the other LPVO’s I’ve used.
Thanks, gentlemen. I suspected the Razor was probably it but wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something else. I’d considered the Nightforce but have heard similar complaints about the glass on that particular model before.
Grant’s MIL/LE discount is better than Experticity. OP, make sure you register for it, best price I could ever find on a new Razor and its where I bought mine.
If they’ll give you a better deal on either of these G2Rs, I’d go with it. Reticle is personal, but you’re going to have to know your drops to your specific load regardless. I find MOA or MIL to be more consistent and easier when used with a ballistics app so I would go with that.
The E will save 4 ounces? They add up, and those ounces will be with you as long as you run that optic and the balance is very top heavy with a G2R. That said, I’d save the $ if it’s not used daily/often or carried for long periods.
Check with Grant on this site and if his pricing is close, support him.
[QUOTE=rockapede;2689780]Thanks, gentlemen. I suspected the Razor was probably it but wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something else. I’d considered the Nightforce but have heard similar complaints about the glass on that particular model before.[/QUOTE
I haven’t noticed these issues in my 1-4’s, personally, but glass can be a very subjective matter.
How visible are the Razor’s reticles without illumination and what is the battery life? These are important points for me in selecting a patrol optic as I want it to be ready at any time, at a moments notice. Battery life in LPVO’s is simply not long enough for comfort without a bold reticle. I’m also about to try an ATACR 1-8 as the reticle on 1x looks bold enough for use- along with all the other Nightforce goodies.
Echoing the others here, the Gen II razor fits perfectly into the “duty grade LPVO, highest value” category, for your mentioned price point.
Possibly used legacy steiner military LPVOs or old short dots but they will be more expensive, older tech, and have less features than the Gen II razor.
I’m very interested as well in the responses this thread will generate
What are the perimeters to be considered “duty grade”. ? From what I can see the Vortex PST II seems to be very similar to the razor with the exception of glass quality and/or place of manufacture. What would eliminate an optic like this from being “duty grade” ?
They’re new on the market, but the Primary Arms Platinum Series 1-8X ACSS Raptor FFP scopes (new M2 reticle) are getting solid reviews. The Platinum Series is reportedly far higher quality than their ‘standard’ line.
Anyone have significant experience with the Trijicon Accupower 1-8? I’ve used a handful of good LPVOs, but have not yet shot with this one…wondering where folks think it ranks. Specifically, I’m interested to hear how y’all would compare it to other FFP reticles, since I tend to divide LPVOs into FFP and SFP subcategories, depending on the intended use of course.
I’ve come to appreciate SFP BDC style reticles in the 1-4 and 1-6 range and have gravitated toward FFP mil reticles in the 1-8, especially with the latest from Nightforce. I guess it comes from my bolt gun background and wanting to be able to accurately mil targets for range estimation the further out I can see.
I don’t know about best value duty grade but I purchased 20 Leupold VX-R Firedot Circle model 111231 back in 2014. They are held in LT104 mounts. My goal at the time was to get one on each squad in the five Districts where I work. With transfers and such that never happened perfectly but I’ve had at least 15 in use since I bought them. We run mostly Eotechs (low bidder) so the Firedot Circle was a similar sight picture to what the officers were use to. The scopes are mostly in Patrol. Of course I use one in Training and one SWAT officer uses one. Officers that don’t have take home cars have to leave their rifles in the gun lockers at the station. Most of us don’t have take homes so the rifles take a beating in the District lockers getting banged into each other in the racks every shift. The only issue I’ve seen is one of the push button on/off switched died. Leupold replaced the switch in a week. I use my firedot when qualifying because it helps me pick up the sight picture when shooting on my support side in quals. Most guys in Patrol turn the dot on when deploying the rifle out of the car and shut it off when back in the rifle rack. I give out batteries about every 6 months. That seems to be about the norm. I’ve played with the Vortex while in a class at Quantico. It was definitely noticeably heavier than my Leupold. I think variable optics have gotten quite a bit more durable in the past 10 years. Nightforce and others make great optics but I would have never gotten something that expensive approved for Patrol Officer’s use on a patrol rifle. Good luck in your search. David