CompExpo booth / first look (~6 min) with Nick from Vortex on the Razor HD LHT 4.5-22×50 — Light Hunter Tactical extension of the LHT line. Feature walkthrough and on-the-floor impressions, not a multi-month range T&E with group data. MAP called out on camera (~$1,500); verify today’s street price and stock before you buy.
Hey Squat Squad — we’re continuing CompExpo coverage and Vortex just extended the Razor HD LHT line again. Nick walked me through the new 4.5-22×50 FFP, and for a lightweight hunter / NRL Hunter-style optic, this one is worth a close look.
Gear I use / Idea Lists: SlavGuns Amazon. Razor HD LHT links from the video: MRAD · MOA. Support the channel: join on YouTube.
What the LHT line is filling
Nick framed this as the next step in Vortex’s Razor LHT — Light Hunter Tactical family. Previously they had 3-15×42 and 3-15×50 options with a BDC reticle. This new glass is a 4.5-22×50 first focal plane with the XLR-2 reticle, and it tips the scale at about 21.7 ounces.
That weight matters if you’re hunting on foot or shooting NRL Hunter with a hard weight limit. Bench / open PRS guns can hide a heavier tube; a true lightweight hunter setup can’t. Nick said they already had shooters putting it through its paces at the NRL Hunt series Grand Slam that weekend.
Features that stood out on the booth floor
- 4.5-22x magnification, 50 mm objective, 30 mm main tube
- FFP XLR-2 reticle — MIL or MOA configurations available (per the video’s product links)
- Capped windage turret (low profile) + locking elevation with zero stop
- Parallax adjustment — also kept low-profile so you can set ~100 yards and leave it if you want a “set and forget” hunter setup
- Illuminated reticle — horizontal and vertical stadia lit (not just a center dot), controlled by a recessed button with brightness memory
- Sunshade in the box — no upcharge called out on camera
- ~6 mils per revolution on the elevation turret (per the booth chat)
Optical quality is the Razor pitch — Nick pointed back to the glass I’d already been looking through on the floor. Elevation feel: very tactile; on camera I pushed back a bit that it’s also audible enough, not silent. Locking doesn’t add slop — turrets stayed crisp when locked.
Where it’s made / who it’s for
We also touched the “where is it made” question that comes up every CompExpo. Nick’s answer was the usual Vortex lane: they try to have something for every budget — some lines are OEM’d overseas, and buyers who want to avoid that are entitled to that opinion. This segment is about the LHT’s role as a lightweight long-range hunter optic, not a full country-of-origin deep dive.
MAP on camera: about $1,500. Availability was “check your local dealer / favorite retailer” — a lot of dealers were expected to stock it quickly after the show. Again: this is a CompExpo first look from that era — confirm current MAP, street price, and stock today.
Honest takeaway
Biggest booth takeaway for me: locking turrets that still feel premium, a hunter-friendly capped windage / low-profile control layout, real FFP magnification for holdovers, and that sub-22 oz weight. If you’re building a mountain rifle or an NRL Hunter-legal setup and you’ve been eyeing Razor glass, the 4.5-22×50 LHT is the one to put on your shortlist.
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Keep squatting.
Would you run the Razor HD LHT 4.5-22 on a hunter or an NRL Hunter rifle?
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