PMCI - March 2021

hold overs and increasingly see the targets more clearly. This
becomes even more evident when switching from 55 grain
ammunition at 1 – 300 yards over to 68 grain ammunition
when pushing from 400 to 600 yards. Knowing how each round
performs at specific distances empowers the shooter surgically
drive rounds onto target using the graduated reticle.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As with many great products, you get what you pay for and
the retail on the Razor Gen III 1-10x24 mm certainly sets the
bar high at US$2899 (found on www.opticsplanet.com currently
for US$1999) with another US$189 for a quality one-piece 34
mm mount. For most shooters like me, this quickly turns from
a discussion about a simple purchase to that of making an
investment in your training and your gear.
Question? Will spending over US$2000 in new glass and
mount make you a better shooter?
Hard Answer: The fact is NO, it will not. What it WILL DO is
give good shooters a great tool to be able to perform better with
proper training with its easy-to-use features and superior clarity
near and far. The first focal plane offers a consistent hold over
and scale in which to work with quickly and efficiently, while
the clear center red dot allows for fast acquisition with time is
measured in the span of a knee jerk reaction.
Over the past year, the Razor Gen III has not only proven
itself to be worthy of what the Razor models have come to
represent but, in many ways, I feel it has even managed to raise
the bar. The clarity, ease of use and performance have been
second to none while seamlessly increasing the range in which
it allows for operation. Despite some nay-sayers who are quick
to say this may be overkill for the AR15 platform, I will remind
them this is not just for the 5.56 caliber but the wide range of
variants within the platform from .300 BLK, 6.8 SPC and the
longer range 6.5 Grendel. For many variants of the AR10, I also
highly recommend this optic due to its robust construction and
10 x range.
I believe the Gen III 1-10x24 optic would be a great choice for
small unit teams, especially Law Enforcement patrol officers.
As a former SWAT sniper, let me say this, there is a far
greater need for well-trained patrol officers with LPVO equipped
AR-15 platform rifles than there are specialized marksman units
with thousands of dollars’ worth of custom-built sniper rifles
and large, 25x power optics. This is NOT to say there isn’t a need
for Law Enforcement snipers, but IF a small department budget
had to choose between outfitting and training one sniper unit
officer and rifle or a half dozen veteran patrol officers with LPVO
equipped AR rifles, I would advise the latter.
Think about the process in which a SWAT sniper becomes
involved in most situations. An incident is developing or currently
happening to which someone calls 911 for help. Depending on
the call, a patrol officer arrives on scene to assess the scene.
These officers are almost always the first to end up engaging
a situation. Due to many having limited resources of a pistol,
maybe a shotgun in the trunk or a simple red dot equipped AR
/ M4. Due to having limited visibility, basic rifle training and
lack of variable visibility, they find themselves ill equipped to
handle the situation and must call for SWAT and their sniper
unit. Time has been lost and situations may have gotten worse
during the interim. The trained patrol officer marksman easily
become a first response force multiplier vital to a special
purpose unit such as SWAT to either eliminate the threat prior
to their arrival or simply be able to give greater details on the
sitrep. If departments could not stretch the budget for the Gen
III Razor, I would absolutely advise them to highly consider the
Vortex Viper PST 1-6x24 option instead.
Overall, I firmly believe the day and age of the 10x Low
Power Variable Optic is here to stay. Just as its predecessor did
in 2015, the Razor Gen III 1-10x24 by Vortex Optics sets the
current LPVO standard in the industry. I highly recommend this
optic to professions and civilians alike who genuinely appreciate
quality glass, robust construction, and innovative design. This
optic is built like a tank and offers shooters a hard use optic that
can depend on with failure is simply not an option. To
learn more about the Gen III Razor and other Vortex
products from red dots to spotting scopes, visit www.
vortexoptics.com to select your next optic.
As always, Train Hard and Continue the Fight!
OPTICS: VORTEX
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