Vortex Razor HD 5-20x50 -- Zero stop (slipping) problem

[drew4392]

Curious if anybody has heard of this problem.

I zero'd my scope, per the instructions: Remove turret cap, turn clockwise until turret stops, loosen lock screws, zero scope, tighten lock screws to set new zero, reinstall turret cap and align with "0", and tighten.

Unexpectedly, the zero stop starts slipping, and when I try to go back to zero after adjusting turrets for a far shot, it goes PAST "0" and stops at 24... or 23 3/4, etc.

Thinking that was odd and maybe the lock screws underneath the turret cap were loose, I did the entire process over and ensured the lock screws were torqued sufficiently.

And it slipped again. Weird.

I'm going to call Vortex tomorrow, but curious if anyone has experienced or heard of this before.

Thanks!
Andrew

[Echidin]

What does "ensured the lock screws were torqued sufficiently" mean? What does Vortex recommend torquing the lock screws to? Could it be possible you over tightened them?

The only Vortex zero stop I'm familiar with is the shims that need to be placed on the the viper pst. I would have thought you would zero the scope first then remove the turret, loosen the lock screws, turn clutch clockwise until stop, tighten locking screws, replace turret cap at zero, done. If the way you described it above is how Vortex recommends doing it then that's likely not the issue. Good news is that VIP warranty has you covered.

[JMP]

Most zero stops give a some extra adjustment down from your zero setting. This amount is usually 0.5 Mil. You can play with the settings a bit if you want it to truly stop at zero. I don't know the mechanics of the Vortex one, but it should return to the exact position, not "maybe 24 or 23.75". This is why I tend to favor the European makers. The turrets tend to be crisp and precise. It's the way a good erector system is designed that provides clean and precise clicks without slippage. Some of the middle market scopes are still a little sloppy and mushy. Play around with it, and you'll figure out how the system works.

[drew4392]

Thanks guys. Echidin, yep, I think the lock screws weren't tight enough. I absolutely thought they were... my bad for saying they were sufficiently torqued. Vortex is calling for 20 ft. lbs.

These turrets are pretty solid. No reason they shouldn't hold well. Hoping this fixes it.

[drew4392]

Fixed. There was a brass mechanism that needed to be reset underneath the inner turret cap. Anyway... in the rare event this happens to someone else who stumbles upon this thread... PM and I'll explain.

[Scotty]

Vortex is calling for 20 ft. lbs.

That's probably 20 inch lbs on the lock screws.

I have had mine loosen up. I try not to hit the zero stop too hard to prevent this.

[ExtremeX]

What does "ensured the lock screws were torqued sufficiently" mean? What does Vortex recommend torquing the lock screws to? Could it be possible you over tightened them?

The only Vortex zero stop I'm familiar with is the shims that need to be placed on the the viper pst. I would have thought you would zero the scope first then remove the turret, loosen the lock screws, turn clutch clockwise until stop, tighten locking screws, replace turret cap at zero, done. If the way you described it above is how Vortex recommends doing it then that's likely not the issue. Good news is that VIP warranty has you covered.

I am familiar with both.... The Razor Zero Stop is completely different from the ones found on the PST.

There is a secondary turret under the turret cap on the Razor...

You actually want to set the zero top position first, then disengage the zero stop lock, zero the scope using the secondary turret which doesn't actually click, so you can stop anywhere between an adjustment. Then slip the scale and attached the turret cap.

[ExtremeX]

Most zero stops give a some extra adjustment down from your zero setting. This amount is usually 0.5 Mil. You can play with the settings a bit if you want it to truly stop at zero. I don't know the mechanics of the Vortex one, but it should return to the exact position, not "maybe 24 or 23.75". This is why I tend to favor the European makers. The turrets tend to be crisp and precise. It's the way a good erector system is designed that provides clean and precise clicks without slippage. Some of the middle market scopes are still a little sloppy and mushy. Play around with it, and you'll figure out how the system works.

The stop position is user defined, you can stop at zero, or choose your own. I set my turrets to go .5 mil past zero like you said.

If setup correctly it is crisp and precise , there is no slop, its a hard stop when you hit the stop.

If you don't tighten the stop screw or turret caps properly, you can experience the same issue the OP had.

[Echidin]

I am familiar with both.... The Razor Zero Stop is completely different from the ones found on the PST.

There is a secondary turret under the turret cap on the Razor...

You actually want to set the zero top position first, then disengage the zero stop lock, zero the scope using the secondary turret which doesn't actually click, so you can stop anywhere between an adjustment. Then slip the scale and attached the turret cap.

Ah, I see. I was thinking the zero stop on the Razor might be similar to the nightforce zero stop and procedure, but that appears not to be the case. Thanks for the clarification.

[upSLIDEdown]

Really wish you had posted the solution here... lol I PMed you yesterday, but haven't gotten a response yet... Hoping you'll see the PM or this soon. I'm really trying not to just remove the 5 screws from the inner turret and see what's underneath before talking to someone that knows how to fix the issue. lol

EDIT:

Nevermind. I called Vortex. They walked me through it with no issues. I'll post pictures and an explanation in a minute for anyone else like me that runs across this thread so they can actually find the answer.

[upSLIDEdown]

After removing the outer cap, the inner cap has 3 set screws around the outside, and two small phillips head screws on top. Loosen the 3 allen screws around the sides, and remove the two phillips head screws on top, taking care not to lose the o-ring that's on each of them when you take them out.


Now the inner cap will just lift off, leaving you with some brass underneath. This is what it looks like. There's an inner post, and an outer ring around it.



If you lift up on the outer ring, it will pull up as shown below. Once you pull it up, you can turn it counter-clockwise a few clicks and push it back down. It will be kinda gritty feeling when you turn it. This should reset the zero stop mechanism. You should be able to replace the inner cap, tighten everything back down, and feel the zero stop. You can also grab the outer brass ring and turn it, ONCE YOU'VE PUSHED IT BACK DOWN, and you should be able to feel it there as well, if you want to make sure it's good before you put the cap back on. Replace the caps, and all should be well. You'll probably have to re-zero the gun again, obviously, but that should get the zero stop mechanism working again. It did for me. Hope this helps someone out there.