I was probably about 12 years old or so. My Dad and I were getting ready to go on a deer hunt here in Arizona and were sitting in the parking lot of the rifle range until it opened. Not too long before that he bought me my first rifle. A 30-30 lever action. On top was a rifle scope I can’t even recall. That was ok though, because we were going hunting. I just had to get this thing sighted in. What I thought would be a quick process ended up not being quick at all and I even got “scoped” in the process. It was that damn scope. Hard to look through, hard to find the right eye relief, and wasn’t “easy on the eye.” Fast forward 20+ years and things are different. Much different. The new Vortex Razor LHT 4.5-22×50 is on another planet when compared to that first nameless scope. I had a chance to test this beast of a scope recently and have some thoughts. Let’s take a closer look at this new Razor LHT from Vortex.
The new Razor LHT 4.5-22×50 is the big brother in the already Vortex LHT(Light Hunter Tactical) lineup. These scopes were made to keep things lightweight, without giving up performance or quality. Each one of these bad boys is equipped with Razor HD glass, so the picture is crystal clear and won’t let you down in those last minutes of light. All of them also have an easily adjustable elevation/windage turrets and parallax for dialing in those long range shots. Along with that, you get the ultimate in versatility. One could use an LHT for anything from whitetails in a corn field to mule deer in the high country. Hunters have been more than pleased with these first models Vortex put out. So what’s different about this newest installment in the LHT line?
Right on the surface, the biggest difference this new addition to the LHT line brings is more magnification. While the first installments offered hunters a range between 3-15, this latest scope gives the user a range between 4.5-22. Having this ability will not only bring things much farther out a bit closer, it’ll allow one to make an even more precise shot at closer distances as well. All the while, it doesn’t give up the ability for a hunter to brush bust with the lower setting of 4.5, making a quick shot entirely possible. More magnification with even more versatility.
Another added bonus of the new LHT is it comes in FFP(First Focal Plane), unlike the previous models that came in SFP(Second Focal Plane). For those unfamiliar with this, the reticle on SFP scopes is fixed and doesn’t change size as one adjusts the magnification. A great system, but the rub is that the hashmarks on the reticle do not stand for the same distances at all magnifications. This is more important for those looking to make a hold over shot of course. For instance I know that on one of my SFP scopes, with a 200 yard zero and at 13x, the hashmarks will be roughly 300, 400, and 500 yards beneath the main crosshairs. Should I change the magnification power though, that will all change giving the versatility a cap. With a FFP scope the reticle changes size with the magnification. Meaning that no matter if you’re at 4.5x or 22x, those hashmarks will run true. And inside the new LHT that reticle is their XLR-2 illuminated reticle. One can choose between MOA and MRAD.
Another great feature of the LHT is one that carries over from the previous models, and that is the illumination it provides. There is a button on the left side of the scope for right handed shooters. Press that button and the center of your reticle will have a red dot. The brightness of this can be adjusted to the user’s preference. This can be a money feature in a clutch moment when a black reticle is hard to pick up in the scope. I could see this coming in handy for animals like bears specifically. Aiming at a black bear with a black reticle can be difficult. A feature like this takes that out of the equation completely.
For the past few months, I have had the privilege of carrying around the new Razor LHT. From Arizona to Idaho it’s done me well. I am largely a bowhunter, but diving into this scope was very seamless. Before using it, I had never dialed a scope for yardage. I’ve always used holdover scopes and used the hashmarks. After getting the rifle zeroed at 200 yards, which happened very fast, I got to stretch out the yardage and actually dial the scope. I will admit, I was very curious at how accurate these adjustments would be. To my pleasant surprise though, they were dead on the money. I was hitting steel on the first shot out to 500 yards. Something I had never done before. And with the RevStopTM Zero System in the turret, it gave an added confidence once setting the scope back to zero, as well as having the ability to adjust down past zero for potential closer shots. A unique feature adding to the versatility.
On top of shooting the scope, I also put this thing through the ringer on several rough backpack hunts and through all manner of weather. After getting dragged and bumped around in a variety of different climates and terrain, the scope was still money and sighted when I got home. Not only is that impressive, but again provided me with confidence that this scope can handle what I throw at it. For someone that backpack hunts a lot, that’s huge.
This scope has a ton of positives behind it and might just be the perfect rifle scope for someone like me who isn’t swimming in different rifles. It’s one scope to rule them all. If I’m really digging for any downsides though, there are two things that stick out to me. One is the price. The MSRP of this scope is $1,999.99, so it’s definitely going to be out of reach for a lot of folks. With that being said, you get what you pay for and this scope is no exception to that. The next thing is the XLR-2 reticle. There is quite a bit going on in there and some might think it’s distracting. Other than those two things, this scope is a bomber addition to a rifle.
At the end of the day I’ve gotta say, I’m pretty excited about this new addition to the LHT line being the Razor LHT 4.5-22×50. I think Vortex knocked it out of the park here. From the features to the versatility this scope offers, it’s a hunting powerhouse, in a lightweight package. And along with all of that, you obviously get the Vortex no guff warranty. Which instills yet again another level of confidence for hunters. As lightweight as this thing is, it’ll surely provide its fair share of heavy pack outs to come. To learn more about the new Razor LHT and other Vortex products, visit https://www.vortexoptics.com.
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