When I was a young tyke, having a rangefinder in my hunting kit was something I only dreamed about. Fast forward 25 years, and now it’s a no-brainer to have a rangefinder. In fact, it’s a standard. Getting an accurate range, time and time again, is something I’d call crucial for filling hunting tags.
Along with that, knowing the ballistics of your rifle can be the difference between filling those tags and not. That’s where the Vortex Razor HD 4000 GB and GeoBallistic App come in. They’re like peas and carrots that taste great no matter how you cook them.
In short: The Razor HD 4000 GB from Vortex, along with the GeoBallistic App, really is an incredible team that will work with you, not against you. If you’re willing to bite the bullet on price, this is a no-brainer purchase for gun hunters. For archery, stick with the original Razor HD.
Vortex Razor HD 4000 GB Rangefinder and GeoBallistic App
Pros
- In-display ballistic solutions
- Store multiple rifle profiles
- The Vortex unlimited, unconditional, lifetime warranty
Cons
- Pricey
- Sometimes slow rangefinder-to-app connection
Overview
New for 2023 from Vortex Optics is the Razor HD 4000 GB Rangefinder. If you were a fan of the original Razor HD 4000, you’d love this. Think of it like the 2.0 version. Despite a few extra buttons up top, it looks and operates pretty identical to the original Razor HD 4000.
Inside the box, you’ll find a nice hardshell carrying case, a lanyard, lens cloth, utility clip, hex wrench, and directions. You’ll also be provided with one CR2 battery on the inside of the rangefinder.
The rangefinder offers 7x magnification and has a 25mm objective lens. It will range animals up to 2,200 yards, trees up to 2,500 yards, and reflective targets up to 4,000 yards. And all together, the unit weighs 10.1 ounces.
On the top of the rangefinder, you’ll see a rubberized Measure button and a Menu button with a few toggles located between them. And like all Vortex Optics, you get the company’s unlimited, unconditional, lifetime warranty.
GeoBallistics App
If you’re unfamiliar with the GeoBallistics App, let me give you the skinny. This is a library of ballistic data, all in the palm of your hand. You can save customized ballistic profiles per rifle and build detailed ballistic charts in increments of 5, 10, 25, 50, or 100 yards. Meters can also be selected.
Along with pairing to the Razor GB, it’ll also pair with a Kestral, WeatherFlow, or DRS System to capture wind data. On top of that, there is a Map mode that shows exactly where you are standing. We’ll get into that more later.
Features
There are quite a few features that carry over from the original Razor HD 4000. So, let’s take a look at the features that separate the two devices.
Pairs With GeoBallistics App and More
One of the biggest features of the Razor GB is its ability to pair via Bluetooth with the GeoBallistics App. Out of the two range modes (HCD and Ballistic), you need to be in Ballistics Mode to do so. This combo feeding data back and forth to one another is truly remarkable. Both elevation and wind solutions will show on the app, along with slope angle and shot direction after you’ve ranged a target.
With that, I mentioned earlier a Map Mode. When paired with the Razor GB, you can paint targets on the map with the rangefinder. This means that you’ll know exactly where that deer was standing when you ranged it. That is very nifty.
In-Display Wind/Drop Solutions
After you’ve successfully paired the rangefinder with the app, the drop and wind solutions shown on the app will actually show inside of the rangefinder as well. You don’t need to be connected to the app via Bluetooth for this to work, either. Once your profile is saved, that data is in the rangefinder. This is a big plus for hunting.
Environmental Sensors
Making a good shot isn’t just about distance. Because of that, the Razor GB has onboard environmental sensors. These measure wind, humidity, temperature, and barometric pressure. There is also an onboard compass, which comes in handy for our next feature.
2 Different Wind Modes
Vortex put two different wind modes inside this new rangefinder: a crosswind mode and a wind-bearing capture mode. With the crosswind, you’ll manually input wind direction and wind speed. Using this, the Razor assumes you have a direct left or right crosswind.
With wind-bearing capture mode, you’ll point the rangefinder directly into the wind. By hitting a button, the onboard compass knows exactly what direction said wind is coming from.
Now, no matter what direction you range after the fact, it will know the precise wind direction, and you can make your adjustments from there. You still need to input the wind speed with this.
My Experience With the Vortex Razor HD 4000 GB Rangefinder
I have used the original Razor HD 4000 for quite a few years now and have been very pleased with the performance. So, with that being said, my excitement to try this new GB version was rich, to say the least.
After going through some general setting adjustments like the time out, brightness, etc., I then paired the rangefinder with the GeoBallistics App. This was a fairly painless process, and in no time, I was inputting ballistic data for my rifle.
The first bit of field time I got with the Razor GB was sighting in a new rifle for spring bear season. After getting the gun zeroed, I was curious how accurate these calculations would be getting fed back to me.
Without skipping a beat, I moved from 200 yards to 300 yards, 400 yards, 500 yards, and then 600 yards — each time ringing a piece of steel a shade bigger than a Nalgene bottle. No joke here; I’ve never shot that well, that quick.
A few weeks later, I took the new Razor GB on a spring bear hunt. From my camp, I kept ranging targets farther than 600 yards to continue building my ballistic chart in the GeoBallistics app. The app logs all of that, and in no time, I had accurate ballistic solutions out to north of 700 yards.
The bear I shot was one I had to wait on quite a bit for a clear shot. As bears do, he kept moving around. Using the in-display data from my rangefinder, I was able to keep dialing my scope to the appropriate ranges as the bear moved around. It ended with a perfect shot at 500 yards.
What’s Wrong
Not Cheap
With a lot of excellent features and technology comes a price. The Razor HD 4000 GB is not cheap in the least. MSRP sits at $1,200, which leaves retail in the $800 range. Pun intended.
With that said, this is a great rangefinder, but not one I would consider great for everyone. If you’re not serious about your shooting, this might not be the one for you. This rangefinder wouldn’t make sense for a diehard archery hunter who doesn’t gun hunt. For that person, save the money and go with the original Razor HD. They simply wouldn’t need the features of the GB.
Slow App Connection
While using the rangefinder and app together, I noticed there is quite a slow connection process between the two sometimes. To get live range readings fed into the app, the two devices need to be connected via Bluetooth.
The problem is it can take a bit for them to connect. Some of the time, it connected fast for me, and other times it was slow. Luckily, you don’t need to worry about this for hunting because the rangefinder has those in-display data solutions.
Final Thoughts on the Vortex Razor HD 4000 GB Rangefinder
Sometimes, you only get one slight window of a shot opportunity on a hunt. And it may happen after 8-9 days of hard work. Having something like the Razor HD 4000 GB from Vortex Optics on your side is a huge win if you ask me.
It takes care of the math so you can focus on the task at hand, which is hunting and making a good shot. Of course, I’m speaking from personal experience on that one. After my bear hunt, you’re gonna have to pry this new Razor HD 4000 GB from my hands, because I’m not letting go.
