PMCI March 2021 | Page 11

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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