South Texas Success: Hunting with the "Razor" Series from Vortex Optics
I’ve been using Vortex Optics in the field and on the range for well over two decades. I've owned numerous riflescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes and rangefinders and I've recommended them to new hunters and gifted some to friends and family over the years. A handful of months ago, I got in touch with Joe Hamilton, CEO of Vortex Optics, to invite him to join me for an interview on my show, the Son of a Blitch Podcast, to discuss the history of Vortex Optics, the Vortex C.A.R.E. Movement, the VIP Warranty that has set them apart from competitors, and what inspires Joe and the team to create incredible products and experiences for their customers. I highly suggest you check out his socials and tune into the Create A Rare Experience Podcast! Once that interview has been recorded, I'll return to share the link on this article, website and socials.
In the meantime, I wanted to share some of my recent experiences from this past season, using some of their latest and greatest optics and equipment. The gear included:
In the meantime, I wanted to share some of my recent experiences from this past season, using some of their latest and greatest optics and equipment. The gear included:
Vortex Razor HD Gen III 6-36x56 FFP Riflescope
Vortex Razor HD Gen III 4-24x44 FFP Riflescope
Vortex Razor UHD Binoculars 10x50
Vortex Razor HD Angled Spotting Scope 27-60x85
Vortex Razor HD 4000 Laser Rangefinder
Vortex Switchback Carbon Tripod
Vortex Pro Rifle Clamp Tripod Mount
Vortex Razor HD Gen III 4-24x44 FFP Riflescope
Vortex Razor UHD Binoculars 10x50
Vortex Razor HD Angled Spotting Scope 27-60x85
Vortex Razor HD 4000 Laser Rangefinder
Vortex Switchback Carbon Tripod
Vortex Pro Rifle Clamp Tripod Mount
Every year, I get some of my closest friends together and we converge down in South Texas for a 4-5 day hunt, on a ranch that has been in my family for five generations. I brought the Vortex gear listed above, for all of us to use on the range, and to hunt with.
I decided to mount the Vortex Razor HD Gen III 6-36x56 FFP scope on my Seekins Precision Hit Pro M3, chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, and the Vortex Razor HD Gen III 4-24x44 FFP found a home on the Seekins Precision Havak PH3, chambered in 7PRC. I use the MRAD (MIL) versions, of which an MOA version is also available. For those unfamiliar with the lineup, the Razor series represents Vortex’s top tier optics, featuring professional-grade HD glass designed for exceptional clarity and light transmission. It is a flagship model for long distance shooting, and perfect for hunting as well! They both feature a 34mm tube and a locking illumination dial that has 11 intensity settings, with an in between off click between settings.
I used the Seekins Precision Extra High Rings for the M3 and the Highs for the PH3. I set the scopes for my best eye relief and used my scope mounting kit to get both scopes set up and ready to hit the range. Both rifles feature toolless adjustable cheek risers, and the Hit Pro, an adjustable length of pull, so if I needed to make a micro adjustment, I could do it while setting my one hundred yard zero.
I decided to mount the Vortex Razor HD Gen III 6-36x56 FFP scope on my Seekins Precision Hit Pro M3, chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, and the Vortex Razor HD Gen III 4-24x44 FFP found a home on the Seekins Precision Havak PH3, chambered in 7PRC. I use the MRAD (MIL) versions, of which an MOA version is also available. For those unfamiliar with the lineup, the Razor series represents Vortex’s top tier optics, featuring professional-grade HD glass designed for exceptional clarity and light transmission. It is a flagship model for long distance shooting, and perfect for hunting as well! They both feature a 34mm tube and a locking illumination dial that has 11 intensity settings, with an in between off click between settings.
I used the Seekins Precision Extra High Rings for the M3 and the Highs for the PH3. I set the scopes for my best eye relief and used my scope mounting kit to get both scopes set up and ready to hit the range. Both rifles feature toolless adjustable cheek risers, and the Hit Pro, an adjustable length of pull, so if I needed to make a micro adjustment, I could do it while setting my one hundred yard zero.
Seekins Precision PH3 w/ Vortex Razor Gen III 4-24x44 (front) and Seekins Precision Hit Pro M3 w/ Vortex Razor Gen III 6-36x56 (back)
I went with my friend to the local range to get everything set up and dialed in. This was my first time to set up the Switchback and the Razor Angled Spotting Scope (27-60x85), as well. I’ve looked through a lot of spotting scopes over the years, and the clarity and precision behind this optic was certainly one of the best spotting scopes I’ve personally looked through, and likely the best, ever.
Because this was my first time to use a scope with the Vortex L-Tec+ Zero System, I made sure to read the riflescope manuals and watch the Vortex L-Tec+ video (scroll down to the "Vortex Optics Videos" section) before I hit the range. Any time you get something in your hands that is unfamiliar or has new tech, it can be a bit of a learning curve. Well, that was not really the case, here. Once I read up on it and watched the video, it was easy to grasp how and why it was built this way. It's another example of the Vortex team leading the way with an innovative approach.
The L-Tec+ Zero System works differently than what you may be used to. You do not adjust the top turret to set your zero, rather you use Inner (on top) turret to do so. The scope comes with a turret tool, which is used to loosen a single set screw, then you can dial in your adjustments to zero. The way this is constructed also allows you to land between your typical .1 mils adjustments, so you can micro adjust to .05MILs. Of course, if you are using the MOA scope, you would have the ability to move 1/8MOA as your micro adjustment on what would normally be a 1/4 Moa adjustment. THAT, my friends, is unique and expands their precision capabilities, which is a huge bonus to the PRS and Long Distance Shooting crowd, and hunters, too!
There is a preset Zero stop which is .5 mils (5 "clicks) down from your "0" mark. Although you can adjust it to stop exactly on the "0" marking, I left it as is. The reason is that I will likely be doing some reloading for both rifles in the near future and wanted to have a little bit of travel left, if I ever tried to find a better recipe than the Hornady ammo I'm using. Although, with sub 0.5MOA groups, it might be best to keep it as is! I know it probably comes as a shock, but Vortex really does a better job than me explaining their L-Tec+ Zero System, so do yourself a favor and scope the video (see what I did there?) below, to get more familiar.
I got both rifles dialed in at a 100 yard zero, with rounds touching each other. Groups for both rifles were sub 0.5 MOA, using Hornady Precision Hunter 175gr ELD-X ammo for the 7PRC, and Hornady Match 140gr ELD Match ammo for the 6.5 Creedmoor. I've had great success with using Hornady factory ammo, and when using their components (bullets, brass, tools) to reloading my own ammo.
I must add that there are two things that come with the scopes that I was very impressed with: the Defender Flip Caps and the Throw Lever. I have purchased many scopes that just have a rubber removable scope cover, which I tend to dislike. You need it to protect the lens, but they are not optimal. Now, I've bought scopes that have flip up scope covers, and most of the time, I've had to order replacements within the year, or I just remove them and buy aftermarket flip up covers, which is not cheap, for a good set. With the purchase of a high-end scope, Vortex treats you right - they include what is now my favorite scope covers, ever, with the Defenders. And while you might not think something like a throw lever would be a big deal, it was to me. I really like using a throw lever on my scopes and often have purchased aftermarket ones for my them. I forgot that one came with these scopes and was delighted to find them upon opening the box! They are high quality and easy to install!
On the way to the ranch for the hunt, my buddy Matthew Mitchell and I stopped at Luling's City Market BBQ, which is a favorite for this particular crew. Hours later, we rolled through the gate. The first thing we do, after we unpack, is to visit the range to make sure our rifles are still zeroed in at 100 yards. As many people know, your location, weather, humidity, distance and wind can affect where your shots will hit your targets downrange. I require all my hunters when guiding to "check their zero" before we go on any hunts. There was a very slight variation in the impacts, so with a very quick (and easy) set of adjustments, both rifles were landing in the center bullseye at 100 yards, again.
From there, we moved on to the 200 and 300 yard targets and recorded what we would need to dial or hold over for bullseye. We always record that data in the notes apps on our phones, and we write them down on a little flip book (that stays with the rifle or backpack) each time we hit the ranch. With all our rifles dialed in, we were feeling confident and ready to hit the woods.
I decided to take the Seekins Precision Hit Pro M3 (6.5 Creedmoor) with the Gen III Razor 6-36x56 out for the beginning of our hunting trip. We were primarily hunting white-tailed deer and hogs, but we have experienced an abundance in coyotes, so they were also fair game. This set up was ideal for all three animals. Since I had only had experience with shooting this set up out to 300 yards, I was only going to stay within that range for deer. Plugging in my data to the Hornady 4DOF ballistic app calculator gave me some very useful data that would be likely spot on, but hogs or coyotes would probably be off limits outside the 400 yard range, I decided. My first few sits resulted in seeing a lot of nice deer, but I had a fairly full freezer at home, since this hunting trip fell on the last few days of the general hunting season. I was thinking I would likely only take one deer for myself this trip. I wasn't feeling any pressure to pull the trigger, which resulted in me doing a little more walking around looking for arrowheads and artifacts (probably my favorite thing to "hunt") and taking pictures of bird, deer, javelina, badgers, one very active ground squirrel, and some of the most incredible sunrises and sunsets
One morning, towards the end of our hunt, I climbed into the Northeastern Blind, located on the, you guessed it, the NE portion of our property. I also went to school at Northeastern University, in Boston, so it kind of named itself when we moved the stand over to that area of the ranch. As the sun was just peaking up on the horizon, deer started to come into the field that I was overlooking. As the sun rose, it was directly in my eyes when looking out towards the deer. While it was challenging, I was able to determine that one buck seemed to be mature. At this ranch, we often wait until the bucks are 5.5 years old to shoot them. This buck looked all of 5.5 yrs old, even though it had already gone through the rut, where it had surely lost some considerable weight.
After thinking it over a bit, I decided to take the buck. I usually keep my scope zoomed out, so I can easily see the target animal, and then zoom in from there. I reached up and used the throw lever to zoom in, adjusted my focus, and I was ready. I took a deep breath, slowly squeezed the trigger, and the rifle erupted. I immediately chambered a new round. Within seconds, the buck went down, in an area where I could still see him. Even though there were no signs of movement, I kept my rifle trained on him, just in case he tried to get up. He did not. After everyone was done hunting, we came back to the house and took a few photos, before skinning and butchering our deer.
The L-Tec+ Zero System works differently than what you may be used to. You do not adjust the top turret to set your zero, rather you use Inner (on top) turret to do so. The scope comes with a turret tool, which is used to loosen a single set screw, then you can dial in your adjustments to zero. The way this is constructed also allows you to land between your typical .1 mils adjustments, so you can micro adjust to .05MILs. Of course, if you are using the MOA scope, you would have the ability to move 1/8MOA as your micro adjustment on what would normally be a 1/4 Moa adjustment. THAT, my friends, is unique and expands their precision capabilities, which is a huge bonus to the PRS and Long Distance Shooting crowd, and hunters, too!
There is a preset Zero stop which is .5 mils (5 "clicks) down from your "0" mark. Although you can adjust it to stop exactly on the "0" marking, I left it as is. The reason is that I will likely be doing some reloading for both rifles in the near future and wanted to have a little bit of travel left, if I ever tried to find a better recipe than the Hornady ammo I'm using. Although, with sub 0.5MOA groups, it might be best to keep it as is! I know it probably comes as a shock, but Vortex really does a better job than me explaining their L-Tec+ Zero System, so do yourself a favor and scope the video (see what I did there?) below, to get more familiar.
I got both rifles dialed in at a 100 yard zero, with rounds touching each other. Groups for both rifles were sub 0.5 MOA, using Hornady Precision Hunter 175gr ELD-X ammo for the 7PRC, and Hornady Match 140gr ELD Match ammo for the 6.5 Creedmoor. I've had great success with using Hornady factory ammo, and when using their components (bullets, brass, tools) to reloading my own ammo.
I must add that there are two things that come with the scopes that I was very impressed with: the Defender Flip Caps and the Throw Lever. I have purchased many scopes that just have a rubber removable scope cover, which I tend to dislike. You need it to protect the lens, but they are not optimal. Now, I've bought scopes that have flip up scope covers, and most of the time, I've had to order replacements within the year, or I just remove them and buy aftermarket flip up covers, which is not cheap, for a good set. With the purchase of a high-end scope, Vortex treats you right - they include what is now my favorite scope covers, ever, with the Defenders. And while you might not think something like a throw lever would be a big deal, it was to me. I really like using a throw lever on my scopes and often have purchased aftermarket ones for my them. I forgot that one came with these scopes and was delighted to find them upon opening the box! They are high quality and easy to install!
On the way to the ranch for the hunt, my buddy Matthew Mitchell and I stopped at Luling's City Market BBQ, which is a favorite for this particular crew. Hours later, we rolled through the gate. The first thing we do, after we unpack, is to visit the range to make sure our rifles are still zeroed in at 100 yards. As many people know, your location, weather, humidity, distance and wind can affect where your shots will hit your targets downrange. I require all my hunters when guiding to "check their zero" before we go on any hunts. There was a very slight variation in the impacts, so with a very quick (and easy) set of adjustments, both rifles were landing in the center bullseye at 100 yards, again.
From there, we moved on to the 200 and 300 yard targets and recorded what we would need to dial or hold over for bullseye. We always record that data in the notes apps on our phones, and we write them down on a little flip book (that stays with the rifle or backpack) each time we hit the ranch. With all our rifles dialed in, we were feeling confident and ready to hit the woods.
I decided to take the Seekins Precision Hit Pro M3 (6.5 Creedmoor) with the Gen III Razor 6-36x56 out for the beginning of our hunting trip. We were primarily hunting white-tailed deer and hogs, but we have experienced an abundance in coyotes, so they were also fair game. This set up was ideal for all three animals. Since I had only had experience with shooting this set up out to 300 yards, I was only going to stay within that range for deer. Plugging in my data to the Hornady 4DOF ballistic app calculator gave me some very useful data that would be likely spot on, but hogs or coyotes would probably be off limits outside the 400 yard range, I decided. My first few sits resulted in seeing a lot of nice deer, but I had a fairly full freezer at home, since this hunting trip fell on the last few days of the general hunting season. I was thinking I would likely only take one deer for myself this trip. I wasn't feeling any pressure to pull the trigger, which resulted in me doing a little more walking around looking for arrowheads and artifacts (probably my favorite thing to "hunt") and taking pictures of bird, deer, javelina, badgers, one very active ground squirrel, and some of the most incredible sunrises and sunsets
One morning, towards the end of our hunt, I climbed into the Northeastern Blind, located on the, you guessed it, the NE portion of our property. I also went to school at Northeastern University, in Boston, so it kind of named itself when we moved the stand over to that area of the ranch. As the sun was just peaking up on the horizon, deer started to come into the field that I was overlooking. As the sun rose, it was directly in my eyes when looking out towards the deer. While it was challenging, I was able to determine that one buck seemed to be mature. At this ranch, we often wait until the bucks are 5.5 years old to shoot them. This buck looked all of 5.5 yrs old, even though it had already gone through the rut, where it had surely lost some considerable weight.
After thinking it over a bit, I decided to take the buck. I usually keep my scope zoomed out, so I can easily see the target animal, and then zoom in from there. I reached up and used the throw lever to zoom in, adjusted my focus, and I was ready. I took a deep breath, slowly squeezed the trigger, and the rifle erupted. I immediately chambered a new round. Within seconds, the buck went down, in an area where I could still see him. Even though there were no signs of movement, I kept my rifle trained on him, just in case he tried to get up. He did not. After everyone was done hunting, we came back to the house and took a few photos, before skinning and butchering our deer.
George Blitch, with a post mature South Texas 9pt buck
I took the Seekins Precision 7PRC with the 4-24x44 Gen III Razor out for last few hunts and managed to get a coyote, using the illuminated reticle - which came in very handy taking a shot during fading light. The illuminated reticle, set on one of the lowest settings, allowed me the ability to highlight where I was shooting, especially with a longer shot and smaller target area. I really appreciate the ability to choose from 11 different settings on that. On an earlier hunt in the season, I got another coyote, as well as a doe, with the 7PRC. Both of those rifles, topped with the Gen III Razor scopes, are some of the best set ups I've ever used, and will surely be utilized by myself, family, friends, and hunters that I guide for, throughout the years.
Speaking of friends, as I mentioned earlier, I had some other buddies come and join Matthew and I out at the ranch. Colin Williams, my partner with Map My Ranch & American Made Maps, took the Vortex Razor binoculars and rangefinder out on a few of his hunts. When he got back from his first morning hunt using them, I asked him what he thought. He replied, "it felt like cheating". Confused, I asked him to expand on that. He said when daybreak was approaching, he would look down in the shooting lanes and he didn't see anything with his naked eye. When he looked out with the binos, he said it was like turning on a light. He could see deer that he never would have seen on his own, or with the binos he had carried the day before.
I knew exactly what he meant. The Razor line is by far a superior quality of optics. If people could compare the Vortex Razor UHD line to other brands, side by side, you would be able to understand why "it feels like cheating". You see more in the low light hours and that can be the difference in being prepared when the legal shooting time hits, or just before it expires in the evening. In the best-case scenarios, you have a Razor riflescope, to work in tandem, to get the job done, during legal shooting light.
Colin also used the Vortex Razor HD 4000 Rangefinder to get comfortable with knowing distances from the stands he was sitting in it, and while walking around the property. At one point, years ago, we would put a piece of white survey tape in the trees every 100 yards from the deer blinds. Eventually, they would get brittle, erode and then we'd have to redo the process. We used an older model rangefinder and turns out, it was not very accurate. I knew the Razor rangefinder was extremely accurate, and I had the idea to bring it up to the stands and just write down some distances on the inside of the deer blind, so it would be there permanently. Colin would take some measurements of the end of a sendero (what we call our shooting lanes in South Texas), and I'd write it down for future use, as seen below:
Speaking of friends, as I mentioned earlier, I had some other buddies come and join Matthew and I out at the ranch. Colin Williams, my partner with Map My Ranch & American Made Maps, took the Vortex Razor binoculars and rangefinder out on a few of his hunts. When he got back from his first morning hunt using them, I asked him what he thought. He replied, "it felt like cheating". Confused, I asked him to expand on that. He said when daybreak was approaching, he would look down in the shooting lanes and he didn't see anything with his naked eye. When he looked out with the binos, he said it was like turning on a light. He could see deer that he never would have seen on his own, or with the binos he had carried the day before.
I knew exactly what he meant. The Razor line is by far a superior quality of optics. If people could compare the Vortex Razor UHD line to other brands, side by side, you would be able to understand why "it feels like cheating". You see more in the low light hours and that can be the difference in being prepared when the legal shooting time hits, or just before it expires in the evening. In the best-case scenarios, you have a Razor riflescope, to work in tandem, to get the job done, during legal shooting light.
Colin also used the Vortex Razor HD 4000 Rangefinder to get comfortable with knowing distances from the stands he was sitting in it, and while walking around the property. At one point, years ago, we would put a piece of white survey tape in the trees every 100 yards from the deer blinds. Eventually, they would get brittle, erode and then we'd have to redo the process. We used an older model rangefinder and turns out, it was not very accurate. I knew the Razor rangefinder was extremely accurate, and I had the idea to bring it up to the stands and just write down some distances on the inside of the deer blind, so it would be there permanently. Colin would take some measurements of the end of a sendero (what we call our shooting lanes in South Texas), and I'd write it down for future use, as seen below:
Putting the Vortex Razor HD 4000 Rangefinder to use, measuring out distances of our shooting lanes
Mike Irwin, another close friend and frequent visitor to the ranch, is an avid wildlife photographer. Since he makes the journey down from Massachusetts, I usually offer to provide a tripod for him, so it is one less piece of equipment to lug on the plane. I told him I had a surprise for him this year, and to not bring his tripod. As we were getting ready to go out for the evening hunt, I got the Vortex Switchback out for him, as he gathered his camera and bag. He took it to the stand and tested it out. Later that evening, around the campfire, I asked him what he thought of it and he remarked that he liked the balance of having a lightweight carbon fiber tripod that could easily handle his large camera and weight. He also said the adjustments were smooth and easy and he liked the idea that it could be used for multiple needs on these ranch trips. He continued using it for the entire trip and was thoroughly impressed.
We used the Switchback for mounting the Razor spotting scope, the Pro Rifle Clamp, and our wildlife photography cameras
I used the same Switchback tripod with the Pro Rifle Clamp to take a few shots (and of course, forgot to take photos) downrange and it was a very solid and sturdy hold for my rifle. Center punched 300 yards easily, same as if I was on the bench. I also used the Switchback to hold the Spotting Scope, as seen in the photos, above. The controls of the tripod were so easy to adjust and manage for each use. The Switchback will surely be used in all these scenarios again, soon.
This past trip was such an incredible experience, overall. I spent quality time with some of my closest friends, and we filled coolers with some delicious wildgame meat. Filling up our freezers with meat to share with our family and friends starts with having the most reliable and repeatable equipment. I've come to rely on the best gear when I'm in the field. I want equipment that I can trust.
As I've mentioned before, I've been very familiar with Vortex Optics over my hunting and shooting career. While there is a product option at every price point within the Vortex line up, I would highly encourage you to look into the Razor line. The riflescopes, binos, spotting scope and rangefinder are clearly some of the best you'll ever use. Although I have never needed it on any of their optics or products, Vortex is known for their incredible customer service and their industry-leading Very Important Promise (VIP) Warranty - which states:
This past trip was such an incredible experience, overall. I spent quality time with some of my closest friends, and we filled coolers with some delicious wildgame meat. Filling up our freezers with meat to share with our family and friends starts with having the most reliable and repeatable equipment. I've come to rely on the best gear when I'm in the field. I want equipment that I can trust.
As I've mentioned before, I've been very familiar with Vortex Optics over my hunting and shooting career. While there is a product option at every price point within the Vortex line up, I would highly encourage you to look into the Razor line. The riflescopes, binos, spotting scope and rangefinder are clearly some of the best you'll ever use. Although I have never needed it on any of their optics or products, Vortex is known for their incredible customer service and their industry-leading Very Important Promise (VIP) Warranty - which states:
If your Vortex® product—whether a riflescope, red dot, rangefinder, apparel, or accessory—becomes damaged or defective, we'll repair or replace it at no charge to you. It doesn't matter how it happened, whose fault it was, or where you purchased it. If you have a problem, we promise to take care of you. Rest assured, if it wears the Vortex® name, it's covered.
Vortex Optics stands behind their work, and they also stand out in their field. I've worked with many companies over the years, and a handful really jump out as doing something above and beyond the norm. Vortex creates some of the best products in the market, backs up their work with an incredible warranty program, and wants to Create A Rare Experience for their customers. I feel privileged to befriend some of the amazing people behind the brand, and I know I'll be using their gear for decades to come. And you should, too! Learn more by watching the videos below, and visiting the following websites and social links:
VortexOptics.com
VortexCare.com
YouTube.com/@VortexOpticsUSA
YouTube.com/c/VortexNationPodcast
YouTube.com/@JoeHamiltonLive
Instagram.com/vortexoptics
Facebook.com/vortexoptics
VortexCare.com
YouTube.com/@VortexOpticsUSA
YouTube.com/c/VortexNationPodcast
YouTube.com/@JoeHamiltonLive
Instagram.com/vortexoptics
Facebook.com/vortexoptics
VORTEX OPTICS Photo Gallery
Vortex Optics Videos
I want to give a special thanks for everyone I've had the pleasure of working with over at Vortex Optics!
I appreciate all your guidance, suggestions, assistance and most of all, your friendship! Thank You!
~George Bowe Blitch
I appreciate all your guidance, suggestions, assistance and most of all, your friendship! Thank You!
~George Bowe Blitch