Vortex Razor 20-60 or 16-48?

[kdumph]

Think I'm pretty well decided on going with the Vortex Razor but I'm torn between the 65mm and 85mm. Will be getting the straight model and it will be packed and used for backpack hunting. I'd also like something a spotter could use when shooting target or game at the 800-1500 yd marks.
Do you guys with the 60 power really get a bang for your buck and is it worth the extra weight to any of the backpack hunters?
What about you guys with 48 power, do you wish you would of gone for the 60 power and sucked up the extra weight and loss of space?
Thank you for any input!

 

[calib]

Tagging in, i am interested to hear what comes up with this topic. I just got the 11-33 and like it, but am wondering about the others.

 

[JoeS1044]

I have the 16-48 I use it for shooting long range and packing in the backwoods I am really glad I went with the 48 because it is quite a bit lighter and I can easily spot game/antlers a couple miles away then put hunts on them. The extra zoom is not worth the extra weight IMO

 

[kdumph]

Thank you for the response! Leaning towards the 48x now! Anyone else want to weigh in?

 

[pyroducksx3]

I carried two scopes a minox md 50 16-30 and a ziess 85 20-75. This last season made me a believer in the big glass. The minox was handy but I can't tell if elk are true spikes (only thing legal here) at over 800 yards. Also I had a mule deer 2x2 I got to within in 900 yards of him but still wasn't sure. I came back the next day with the big eye ziess and he was a 2x2 but it would have been nice to know for sure since it's a 3 point minimum. Later in the season I spotted another buck at around 2000 yards. Using the ziess my buddy and I initially thought he a 2x2. Since there wasn't anything else I just kept watching him and he caught the right angle and I thought I made out a crab claw. We were just going to pass him but now that I thought I made out a third point he was the only legal buck we had seen in 3days we cut the distance down to 900 yards and it was easy to make the third point. We ended up taking him at 916. Later in the season we got on a small herd of elk in some trees below us from 400-500 yards After looking them over I made out a 1x2. It was hard to get a good look at him, I saw the fork side easily but getting a look at the other side took almost 20 minutes before I was sure he was legal. We took him at 409 yards. With a lesser scope I don't think I would have had the confidence to take the elk. So in just this season the big eye made a big difference.
So it's really up to you and what your needs are. For me I want all the image I can get. You might not be shooting a spike elk at 800 plus yards or trying to resolve small points way out. Some people aren't looking for just barely legal animals

 

[gaps]

I have the 20-60 and love the extra zoom. I will gladly pack around a few more ounces to be able to know exactly what I am looking at. For me there is nothing worse than being on a hunt and saying to myself, I wish I could zoom in a little closer to see...

 

[LeddSlinger]

Of course the 20-60x85mm is going to draw in more light, but the 16-48x65mm has a much wider field of view on all identical powers when compared to its bigger brother.

Just depends on your needs. Smaller model is lighter and steadier and can be used on smaller lighter weight tripods. You have to have a good quality heavy duty tripod if you want to effectively use big glass with high zoom.

So if packing into high country on your back, you will save weight on both the optic and the tripod with the smaller model.

But if using horses, motorized vehicles or even walking on flatter ground, the larger model may be better for extra zoom and low light capability

 

[trebark]

Take the smaller one. 16-48 is more magnification than you will need in 99% of situations. My spotting scope is 22x and I can spot bullet splash at over a mile with it.

 

[pyroducksx3]

Take the smaller one. 16-48 is more magnification than you will need in 99% of situations. My spotting scope is 22x and I can spot bullet splash at over a mile with it.

Spotting bullet splash is easy and you're right if that's all he wants to do the 65 would be fine. But if identifying animals at range is of importance than that 48 power is almost useless ,at least to me. The 48 power scope may fit his needs well but everyone's needs are a little different to say 48 power will work 99% of the time may be true for you but not another, like myself for example. I understand also that not everyone is going to shoot at elk as far as me and have the same stupid spike only regulation, still I've never been sorry I had more magnification only sorry when I didn't have enough. If the vortex 65 was the same as the Swaro with 60x it would be so much more attractive. With that said if you want a 65mm scope get a Swaro.

 

[gaps]

still I've never been sorry I had more magnification only sorry when I didn't have enough.

This^^^^^^^!!!

 

[JoeS1044]

Spotting bullet splash is easy and you're right if that's all he wants to do the 65 would be fine. But if identifying animals at range is of importance than that 48 power is almost useless ,at least to me. The 48 power scope may fit his needs well but everyone's needs are a little different to say 48 power will work 99% of the time may be true for you but not another, like myself for example. I understand also that not everyone is going to shoot at elk as far as me and have the same stupid spike only regulation, still I've never been sorry I had more magnification only sorry when I didn't have enough. If the vortex 65 was the same as the Swaro with 60x it would be so much more attractive. With that said if you want a 65mm scope get a Swaro.

I have the 16-48 razor and the magnification is perfect I spot white tail bucks from a couple miles out and can easily decide which ones to put a hunt on and which ones not to go after

 

[pyroducksx3]

I know everyone only hunts big dear here... I hunt for big bucks during high hunt but regular season comes and I turn into a stone cold killer, if it's legal I shoot it bash me if you want to. This deer pictured I first spotted at somewhere around 2000+ yards. After 5 days of hunting it was the first legal buck I saw. I though he was a 2x2 initially and passed on moving on him at first. The spike elk here was at 409 yards but in heavy cover. The fork was easy to see but it was hard to be sure the other side was slick in that brush. Washington thrown the book at you, we are talking 5000$ fine and some steep charges if you are wrong. Maybe you could have made that crab claw at 2000 or that slick side in the brush with your 48 but I needed every bit of my 75x or those animals would have walked.
Now I'm not saying that this guy or everybody needs all this but some do. So the people saying 48x zoom is all you'll ever need, this just isn't so. You could say 48x is all I'll ever need. If I had a 48x scope my freezer is empty. Just putting my perspective on it. I think I've said my piece at this point so I'll let the pros have the floor.

 

[pyroducksx3]

Spike at 409, took me 15 minutes to make sure he was legal

 

[JoeS1044]

I know everyone only hunts big dear here... I hunt for big bucks during high hunt but regular season comes and I turn into a stone cold killer, if it's legal I shoot it bash me if you want to. This deer pictured I first spotted at somewhere around 2000+ yards. After 5 days of hunting it was the first legal buck I saw. I though he was a 2x2 initially and passed on moving on him at first. The spike elk here was at 409 yards but in heavy cover. The fork was easy to see but it was hard to be sure the other side was slick in that brush. Washington thrown the book at you, we are talking 5000$ fine and some steep charges if you are wrong. Maybe you could have made that crab claw at 2000 or that slick side in the brush with your 48 but I needed every bit of my 75x or those animals would have walked.
Now I'm not saying that this guy or everybody needs all this but some do. So the people saying 48x zoom is all you'll ever need, this just isn't so. You say 48x is all you'll ever need. If I had a 48x scope my freezer is empty. Just putting my perspective on it. I think I've said my piece at this point so I'll let the pros have the floor.

Yeah thats a down side of washington vs idaho we do not have restrictions on the size of the deer antlers. Thats my advantage of the 48x because I can just see one side and be like yep he is a 4 pt or look at how wide he is and not worry what points he might have. But I agree that it really depends on the person for what they need to get the job done