The new Vortex Razor HD 13-39x56mm, The Mini Razor

[Travis Bertrand]

A ton better. This scope outperforms it in every way.


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[Tahoe1305]

Concur. I really like mine. Only thing better IMO is swaro ATC. I haven’t looked thru new mini Kowa (guessing it will be better by a bit) but I preferred it to the old Kowa 55. I’m a minority here but will stand by it.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Concur. I really like mine. Only thing better IMO is swaro ATC. I haven’t looked thru new mini Kowa but I preferred it to the old Kowa 55. I’m a minority here but will stand by it.

I have an ATC, but have thought about picking up a mini razor for kids/ loaner spotter someday

 

[Tahoe1305]

I have an ATC, but have thought about picking up a mini razor for kids/ loaner spotter someday

Exactly why I have one.

It’s for the buddy/kid/etc that wants a closer look but not worth having another 65+ mm on board.

Not many hunts it will replace a full size spotter, but for weight and cost I can justify a solid backup/compliment.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Exactly why I have one.

It’s for the buddy/kid/etc that wants a closer look but not worth having another 65+ mm on board.

Not many hunts it will replace a full size spotter, but for weight and cost I can justify a solid backup/compliment.

You rocking a 65mm now or just the baby scopes?

 

[Tahoe1305]

You rocking a 65mm now or just the baby scopes?

So I snagged an older STM 65. It weighs 43oz if I recall. It’s my primary and can resolve a good amount more but only because it’s a solid 60x zoom (zoom is king always IMO).

I use the mini razor as described above. BUT.

I can’t get rid of my OG 16-48x65 razor. My model is just solid and hangs with the nicer glass better than it should. No it isn’t as good as swaro but for the $$ I can’t sell it.

 

[Hnthrdr]

So I snagged an older STM 65. It weighs 43oz if I recall. It’s my primary and can resolve a good amount more but only because it’s a solid 60x zoom (zoom is king always IMO).

I use the mini razor as described above. BUT.

I can’t get rid of my OG 16-48x65 razor. My model is just solid and hangs with the nicer glass better than it should. No it isn’t as good as swaro but for the $$ I can’t sell it.

Yeah I kind of regret selling my gen 1 since now I only have 85 gen 1 razor and an atc… 65 may be in the works sometime of a 77mm kowa but I fear they will get left at home a lot in favor of the atc….

 

[Tahoe1305]

Yeah I kind of regret selling my gen 1 since now I only have 85 gen 1 razor and an atc… 65 may be in the works sometime of a 77mm kowa but I fear they will get left at home a lot in favor of the atc….

Fwiw I compared a 85mm gen 1 to a 65. The 85mm I had wasn’t as strong. Using charts I could resolve the same element at distance and it frustrated me (was supposed to be 60x vs 48….but didn’t seem like it). I actually took it back and kept the 65mm. Again I think the one I have isn’t normal (maybe).

A good deal on a 77 is a great buy. But if you aren’t looking past a mile….may be tough to beat an ATC.

If I was shopping, I’d probably go mini razor and 77 and feel fairly well covered for ALL hunting I can imagine. (Plus a backup).

 

[bojangles808]

Pretty nice and easy to pack around. I'm not sure I'm a spotter guy but value/weight wise they are hard to beat

 

[deepandsteep]

Looked through the Vortex and Swaro mini spotters this week. The Swaro is better, but to be expected. It comes down to price/quality ratio. 3X plus for the swaro. But I gotta get one or the other. The weight difference between by swaro 80 is unreal. As a backpacker, gotta try it out.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Looked through the Vortex and Swaro mini spotters this week. The Swaro is better, but to be expected. It comes down to price/quality ratio. 3X plus for the swaro. But I gotta get one or the other. The weight difference between by swaro 80 is unreal. As a backpacker, gotta try it out.

The difference between the mini’s is less extreme than the 65’s obj imo…

 

[ForkyFantatic]

Thank you for the article. I am in the market for a new spotter, and like all western hunters, weight is a top factor, followed by price. For sub $1k, this seems like a no brainer. I will wait for any possible sales for Black Friday 2025 before I pull the trigger.

 

[Willie IV]

Thank you for the article. I am in the market for a new spotter, and like all western hunters, weight is a top factor, followed by price. For sub $1k, this seems like a no brainer. I will wait for any possible sales for Black Friday 2025 before I pull the trigger.

I second this. If you're a Scheel's Premier Card holder they have their 7 points promo plus $50 off a $500 purchase. This promo will probably make me pull the trigger tomorrow!

 

[nickyman22]

Just picked one up online to have as a backup/loaner, lightweight backpacking option, spotter to leave in the truck, or bring on travel hunts where I probably won't need a spotter but might want the option at some point. It won't replace my higher end options but seems like it has some solid use cases. Excited to try it out