Vortex Razor Gen 3 6-36x56 Honest Review…Nightforce watch out!

Hey guys! Here's my latest review on a brand new scope from Vortex Optics, the Razor Gen 3 6-36x56. Hope you guys enjoy! Vortex is definitely putting the big boys like Nightforce, Leupold, Kahles and many more on notice. Please share any feedback in the comment section. Thanks!
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Instagram - @CovertNoob5
Thank you guys again for watching! I truly appreciate your time!

[@xMarkONeillx]

What I really like about the Gen3 is the Gen2's can be found as low as $1500 on the secondary market now :)

[@patricksmith0115]

I turned your review into a drinking game and drank every time you said “honestly” 😂

[@williamli7864]

So nice review, especially on final, detail and clear!!! That is the real reviews we need it! Cool! Expect your all scopes comparison episode!

[@CybrSlydr]

Batman has a superpower - it's called being rich. If you don't think being rich is a superpower, I don't know what to tell you.

[@AusXL1]

Stop it Robin

[@joenoah8454]

And your right tell him what he's won

[@tyler.c.j4939]

Patiently waiting for the follow up review! Have a Kahles DLR and am interested in your opinion between it and the other tier 1 options.

[@ohleocleafar]

Very nice review...looking forward for your mega comparinson review between all those scopes...have a Razor Gen II, Viper PST Gen II, IOR Breaker...looking for next two scopes...and both are on your list to compare...I like your straightforward way of putting your observations

[@a69ninja]

Great Review!!! Hope you post the results and your thoughts on the future scope ranking. Would love to get a good critique on their comparisons.

[@Vinnie40SW]

Very good points on the specific things like knob direction. It’s the little things that make all the difference.

[@ProjectArms4719]

Yeah, and now vortex might come out with a new gen 4 and charge us a leg and a arm 😒

[@stevewilson7819]

After watching your channel and others I decided my retirement gift to myself was a ZCO 4-20. Turned out to be a great choice. It put my Schmidt & Bender in 2d place. Your review on the new Razor Gen 3 is frank and honest. Not filled with the usual Weasel Words our PC society spews. So thanks for your work. And being honest. PS: Just because the vocal minority wants to require us to engage them in L.A.R.P.’ing doesn’t mean we have to. That’s directed at all the LARP’ers in Ca.

[@Covertnoob5]

Thanks for watching!

[@robertsnyder5149]

I have two Gen one vortex scopes and love them.

[@Rexwagon1]

Looking forward to your next review video.

[@Covertnoob5]

Thanks for watching!

[@jefflayton5889]

Rich is a superpower.

[@austincrowe5194]

I hope you know that the revolution indicator actually pops out further on the 3rd rotation and even further on the 4th rotation. So it is designed to just come out a little after the first rotation.

[@commonsense5709]

That is great to know. Thank you.

[@2whl4re]

>>>Batman is a poser. Great review. I looked at this scope side by side with a Kahles and Nightforce. The glass was a huge surprise, easily the equal of the other two. But those turrets left me shaking my head. It's nice to know there's a 'fix' available, I'd like to see a modified Gen3.

[@marklloyd4153]

Great review. Thanks . Adding a painted line is kinda splitting hairs . I’m still drooling over the Falcor ROC 👍.

[@bpintogsxr1000]

Just got one. It’s pretty good for sure.

[@KevinWood44]

Have you used or tested the Athlon Cronus? I own that scope and I feel like the turrets are harder to turn than other scopes but I love how they feel. I would describe them as "sharp and crisp" as opposed to some scope that are "light (or soft) and crisp"

[@phillipmullner5335]

Love the vids mate, here in Australia the Gen 3 razor is around $5k. This is around the same price as a 5-25 schmidt with the grid reticle. A zco 5-27 is $6k. How does it compare with this pricing in mind?

[@Covertnoob5]

Thanks brother! Even with that pricing only the ZCO and TT are truly better but I can’t honestly say it’s worth that type of price difference. I’d go R3. I also like the R3 better than the Schmidt especially for the same money.

[@daviddegeorge1665]

I wish you reviewed a gen3 with new turrets .. I think you would of been even happier with it

[@anotherday056]

Very good review.

[@joemeier3644]

How are the Razors reticle line thickness compared to the ZCO... Thicker, thinner, or about the same???

[@GoJunkFree90004]

🤣🤣🤣love the comments on the brand haters! Great review!

[@Carriesaglock]

Europtic has a special run going on of these scopes in black. Yes black. On sale too, $2,499. Just ordered one can’t wait.

[@jimmymack6938]

Yes

[@Roddy556]

I had seen a few Razor videos and a few ten of thousands of youtube videos but that was the title card EVER that had a red arrow pointing at something interesting

[@Covertnoob5]

Sometimes idiots need to made examples of. Appreciate the comment.

[@Roddy556]

​​@@Covertnoob5 Great review too. 15:48 that has always bugged me on the gen 2. Plus the line is about a quarter as thick as a human hair for no reason.

[@MattDonkin430]

Wonder if they made any updates for the turrets on the current production model. Really thinking about going R3 over ZCO840... I can get it literally 2k less, but I really like the Tremor3... wish there was a Tremor 3 R3 for a couple hundred more...

[@Covertnoob5]

They did. All new ones should come with upgraded turrets, but you can always send it in to get them adjusted. Last I checked it was like a week turn around. They also offer to remove the locking mechanism which is great. Love both the 840 and R3. Can’t go wrong either way.

[@coplandUSA]

How is the tracking of this scope?

[@5RWill]

When is this review coming? Also apparently vortex will delete the locking mechanism for you, so I'm going to get mine deleted. I almost put it up for sale for a 7-35 atacr just cause I didn't want locking turrets.

[@robertmahaffey2894]

Firstly - Batman is a superhero because he is superior to regular heros. You could argue the same for Tony Stark. Secondly - What's the usability of the reticle across the magnification range (too small to see at the low end, too fat at 36x, just right at typical PRS magnification)?

[@Covertnoob5]

I mean in a FFP scope the reticle is the same thickness throughout the mag range. That said I’d wager most any FFP PRS style scope I’ve seen at the low end looks like a duplex at best. It’s usable at 36x but you’ll run into mirage and other stuff that limits any scope before the reticle becomes a problem I would say.

[@GoJunkFree90004]

If only I had watched this review more carefully I wouldn't have zeroed a stage this weekend where I didn't zero my turret and was dialed a turn high. Will showed the turret full turn indicator that I failed to use!!😢😢😢

[@mspiredm3]

Where is the big scope review?!? 😢

[@jacksardo77]

Great honest review. I honestly love the scope, but hate the feel of the turrets. They kept slipping into the locking position when working the elevation turret when not wanted lol. I’ve sent it back for the turret upgrade and found that my gen 2 turrets are more solid. Other than that the scope is amazing and other than that minor problem I think it’s a keeper. Just ordered a tangent theta.

[@richardvila3]

Agree with your dislikes

[@nickm8940]

21 minutes. I don't know about you guys, but the group of guys I shoot with, I am absolutely not going to go ask one of those guys to spin their knob

[@JacksonMalcolm]

Depends if he's got his shark repellent.

[@comeonsense2022]

Can you please do a review for the Sightron SVIII 5-40x56?

[@commonsense5709]

This Vortex gen 3 is very tempting. Hopefully they come out with a gen 3.5 with improved turrets with a street price of $2500.

[@Covertnoob5]

The turrets can be improved by the factory and they can definitely be found below $2500 without much effort.

[@comeonsense2022]

Where's the cheapest place to buy it?

[@meoski420ja]

​@@Covertnoob5 where can I find one for that price?

[@significance8057]

@@meoski420ja if you’re still looking as of yesterday (haven’t checked today) liberty optics has them for $2,099 new. (The website will show 2999 till you add to cart though. I think it’s a map thing).

[@meoski420ja]

@@significance8057 thanks so much, I just hopped on there and that's what I'm seeing, too.

[@dirklabuschagne473]

Hi. I recently saw your vid with Ilya. You mentioned you are shooting the new ZCO 840. Which reticle do you use and why? I cant decide if I want a tree ret (mpct 3x) or clean ret (mpct 1). Please help if possible 🙏🏻😅

[@Covertnoob5]

MPCT3X because I like dots for my tree not lines

[@dirklabuschagne473]

@@Covertnoob5 thanks!👌🏻

[@RAYGUNN1978]

"They can break a rock" 😂😂😂

[@rudolphferdinand3634]

Batman has no superpower, he is NO superhero.

[@millbean13]

lol. You see a guy at the range with a gen 2, ask if you can spin his knob 😳😅

[@tylerorth2870]

Batman is no superhero!

[@huntershort7936]

Yes he is

[@romeofoxtrot363]

I’M BATMAN ! SEMPER FI !

[@johncastorina8310]

How does the Tract Toric compare to this? It's quite a bit cheaper, and I like your rating there at the end where you said the vortex gen 3 is about 95% of a tangent - can you do the same with Tract Toric vs the gen 3?

[@Covertnoob5]

The R3 is a true tier 1 scope. The tract is tier 2. So there’s a pretty big gap.

[@johncastorina8310]

@@Covertnoob5 thanks! I'm still learning :)

[@Covertnoob5]

@@johncastorina8310 no worries haha that’s what the channel is here for!

[@commonsense5709]

I owned a total variety of 3 Tract Toric scopes from the 4-20x50 and 4.5-30x56 and would rate them just above tier 2 levels. I also own a variety of other tier 2 and some tier 1 scopes but mostly consist of scopes in the $2000 price points and under. The Tract Toric 4.5-30x50 has slightly better image quality and turrets than my Athlon Cronus BTR and to my eyes is more comfortable to look through than my Nightforce NX8. For around $1000 and $1500 for the Tract Torics when purchased during their annual sale or when using law enforcement or military discount I really don't think anything short of paying at least double their price can even come close to equaling them. I think it's worth paying their retail prices for especially their 4.5-30x56 model. If you are in the market to buy a good tier 2 Trijicon Tenmile 4.5-30x56 (very close comparison to the Athlon Cronus BTR and Delta Stryker but with superior lifetime warranty) and don't mind a SFP reticle then the Trijicon Tenmile is hands down the best bang for the buck in Japanese optics at only $1049 from 2 well known online companies. They retail for around $2700-$2800 with a typical street price of $1700-$1800 in which all other places are currently selling these right now at.

[@ertatta]

@@commonsense5709 when do they have their annual sale? I’ve been interested for a while in the larger Tract model and have put aside about $1500 to graduate up from my Arken SH4.

[@BimmerDudeXi]

Batman is not a hero. Batman is the Dark Knight.

[@comeonsense2022]

Batman is a normal human vigilante with too much money. Like Iron Man.

[@cesarsaavedra3095]

Would you recomendable the G3 over the mk5 7x35

[@Covertnoob5]

Yes absolutely. Unless you need a light weight scope. If not the G3 is better in glass, parallax, etc.

[@cesarsaavedra3095]

@@Covertnoob5 man I’ve been back and forth on this. I know that vortex did a turret fix and assured me that all are now good to go. Everyone tells me that the glass is hard to beat at almost any price. 1st world problems man.

[@toomanynamestaken]

rotation direction indicators on the top would be redundant. Its the turret. Its marked on the tube under the outer turret which way to turn it... I dont see why that's difficult. You treat it exactly the same, lol. 1 click = .1 mrad under normal turret use when outside of "zero mode" I guess you could say. The free spinning function is a secondary feature of the turret therefore not important enough to notate differently.. since in the end you set it and forget it.

[@Covertnoob5]

Just one of those thing I found annoying. Also something a razor 2 user that I let borrow it found annoying. Not sure if you’ve zeroed one of these but you’ll understand what I mean if you do. And it’s redundant to have .1 MRAD on both sides of the tool slot lol

[@toomanynamestaken]

@@Covertnoob5 I agree, it could have only been marked on the top once. If a person has to look at that to be reminded when dialing then they're in over their head to begin with. But I will stand on my rock. Its literally the same as adjusting the outer turret if you're dialing elevation for a shot. You adjust in the same manner so I jusy don't see why an indication on the tube plus one on the top would be necessary

[@brookscumberland2581]

Probably a stupid question. Let me preface by saying I am military and get discounts from a few manufacturers. How does this compare to the NiteForce nx8? Or is there another NiteForce that can compare to it? Not really looking for a 6x scope. More so looking for a 4x.

[@Covertnoob5]

The only NF that compares to this is the 7-35 atacr. The NX8 line is a budget line that lacks tier 1 glass but tries to overcome that with other features or specs.

[@brookscumberland2581]

@@Covertnoob5 is there any other optic from NiteForce or vortex that you prefer over the other in a 4x?

[@Covertnoob5]

@@brookscumberland2581 depends, what will you be using it for?

[@commonsense5709]

@@Covertnoob5 The ATACR and NX8 use identical glass. The ATACR is more optimized.

[@Covertnoob5]

@@commonsense5709 unless you work for NF then it’s impossible to know whether or not the actual lenses are from the same place. And if you do work for NF then you’ll probably get fired for releasing proprietary info. If a customer service rep told it’s the same then they made you feel good so job well done to them. The NX8 line is a budget optic. Tier 2/3 glass quality wise and does not compare to the ATACR let alone the Vortex R3. The ATACR should be better optimized for the price difference but the lens coatings will also be vastly different and they are entirely different scopes to begin with from a design perspective so hardly anything about them would be the same.

[@whiteman3075]

What chassis is that on the cover photo of video?

[@Covertnoob5]

Falkor ROC

[@whiteman3075]

@@Covertnoob5 what you think?

[@richardmattix5322]

your first picture shows someone shooting off the top of a tractor and that is over a gas tank all though the risk is not great it still isn`t real bright to shoot a gun over a gas tank

[@DrMundoB]

Either shoot a match or don’t give advice about match props 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@Ruthless9187]

They all say honest review

[@Covertnoob5]

Because all my reviews are honest. I talk about all the likes and dislikes of each product. Many reviewers won’t ever talk about the bad things with certain products.

[@paytonwoodruff3621]

What’s military discount through vortex? 25%?

[@Covertnoob5]

More than that

[@ertatta]

50% off full msrp from what I understand, which puts this right at $2k. It’s at least a $700-$1k savings

[@paytonwoodruff3621]

@@ertatta sick thank you

[@ryanperrine8178]

It varies person to person. Some may see 40%, but I've spoken to someone recently that gets 60%. It's a huge savings lol.

[@Overit5000]

A flashy box with a bunch of bullshit means you pay for a flashy box and bullshit. S&B gets a plain box because your money went to a scope, not flashy bullshit. That’s why they don’t sell a bunch of nonsense either. Just the best scopes. Period.

[@Covertnoob5]

I don't disagree S&B makes a great scope. A bit dated design now, but still good. If you Wana talk bullshit how about the fact that S&B scopes come with butler creek caps lmfao. That's absolute trash. The gen 3 razor competes very favorable to S&B. In most cases, it's better than the PM2 5-25.

[@timetodopatriotstuff2315]

Vortex reminds me of the US Federal Government we're going to give you shitty puck purple color and we know you don't like it but we don't really care what you think, pretty much sums it up.

[@Covertnoob5]

They have a black one.

[@AntphanyL]

Whens the new video comin out?

[@Covertnoob5]

Won’t be for a few months since I own the other scopes in the review I want to take my time to really put them through the paces.

[@AntphanyL]

@@Covertnoob5 damnnn. Aight bbg. ❤️

[@DR-br5gb]

You sound like Chris Pratt

[@feetoorourke]

I got my zcomp on your recommendation. No ragrets about dropping a house payment on glass. Do you know if all the razors share glass? I was looking at the lht 4.5-20 for a lighter weight mountain magnum.

[@Covertnoob5]

Honestly the LHT glass is pretty good, but I don’t have any direct comparisons between the 2. I have a Leupold mk5 on my lighter weight rigs and like that scope a lot for that.

[@ertatta]

Probably a safe bet that this level of glass factors somewhat into the weight of the gen 3. At almost half the weight, it’s safe to assume that the LHT won’t have quite this level of IQ especially when you factor in price. But no one would argue that that particular scope is a remarkable value for a mountain hunting rig.

[@commonsense5709]

Very huge night and day difference between the image quality between the Razor 3 and LHTs.

[@jaboff-road1776]

Lefty, Lucy righty tighty 😅

[@tylerogilvie2274]

@29:00 hahahahah

[@MichaelBaester]

T&E units are probably cherry picked

[@Covertnoob5]

Haven’t seen a noticeable difference from the one I got vs ones I saw in the wild at matches.

[@MichaelBaester]

@@Covertnoob5 great review btw! Covered a lot of the small details that make the user experience all that more efficient. Hopefully, Vortex takes your suggestions to heart!

[@gunjunky187]

Nightforce dominates Vortex.

[@Covertnoob5]

Once upon a time maybe, but not these days. All their scopes are in need of a desperate refresh. They don’t have anything as good as the 6-36 R3. They can certainly do it, but NF always sits on a high horse and takes forever to listen to people.

[@gunjunky187]

Unless they upgraded the glass Atacr glass is way better than Razor glass.

[@Covertnoob5]

@@gunjunky187 they did. Razor 3 glass is night and day different. Truly tier 1 glass if you watch the review I covered that. It competes with and is closer to ZCO TT level glass than NF level. NF can’t compete with ZCO and TT.

[@gunjunky187]

Is TT you are referring to Tract Toric? I wanted to order one of those but I didn't want a gray scope. ZCo was definitely on my list but they're pricey. I went with the Atacr. I've actually watched some videos on Tract and I still think I made a better choice. As far as Vortex I didn't even look at them. Too many are made in China. If they are starting to up their game that's great I'm just very skeptical of them.

[@Covertnoob5]

@@gunjunky187 lol no TT is Tangent Theta. The Tract is great for the money. I reviewed one, but it’s Definitely a tier 2 scope. The only true tier 1 scopes are gonna be ZCO, Tangent Theta, S&B, Vortex Razor 3. All the cheaper vortex stuff is made in China, but the top end stuff is Japan.

[@davidhenderson1738]

He is not. He’s a poor kids soul stuck in a rich kids body.