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Which Rangefinder for up to 1000 yards

IN50

I am looking for a rangefinder to work out to a 1000 yards. I will be ranging targets that I set up most of the time. I would like it to be less than $500. I considering the Leupold RX-1200i, Vortex Optics Ranger 1000, Nikon Monarch Laser 1200. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
 
Tried the leupold, wasn't happy at all. Wasn't much more than a 500 yarder. Bought the Leica 1600 and couldn't be happier. Just ranged a cow the other day at 1652
 
Not sure if Nikon still makes the 1200 model range finder but I love mine. Inexpensive and I range groundhogs on hillsides at 800+ yards. 7x magnification makes ranging small objects easier. I've ranged mailboxes in my rural area down the road at over 800 yards. Large trees at over 1075 yards as well. Best I've owned for under 350.00. I've had it for over 10 years and it's still accurate.
 
I have the Leupold RX1200i and the Leica 1600B. In my estimation, the Leica is better. I have ranged over 1300 yds. with it but you better have a good target to get anything over 1000.
 
hogpatrol said:
I have the Leupold RX1200i and the Leica 1600B. In my estimation, the Leica is better. I have ranged over 1300 yds. with it but you better have a good target to get anything over 1000.
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I have thever Leica 1600 as well, but would be almost impossible to find for under $500. After I played with the Sig Kilo 2000, I honestly thought the Sig was a superior device. It ranges faster and farther. Same compact size as my Leica and the Sig offers an additional targeting mode to shoot through rain and fog. The Leica does not have that option and it drives me crazy. The Leica is completely useless in rain, snow, or fog.

I bought my brother in law a Leupold RX1200i for his birthday because I was really impressed with the performance for the price. It's not as good as my Leica, but Leupold has come a long way since their first try at RFs, and for half the price, it really is a lot of RF for the money. Though I wouldn't count on it for consistent 1000 yd rangefinding in normal daylight. Just doesn't have the power.

I also owned the Nikon Monarch 1200 for a handful of years prior to buying my Leica 1600. Nikon is a good RF for the money as well, but dark LCD readout is useless in really low light and back light for readout blinds the view. It's size is pretty bulky for a 1200 yd RF. In normal daylight 800-900 yards was the absolute best I could do on hillsides and that was in scan mode with only occasional readings making it back to me. Low light, I could pick up 1300 yards.

Don't waste your time even reviewing or trying the Vortex RF, it's a pile of junk. Slow, will never read 1K, optics are sub par, and people have a lot of electronic failures.

Even with adding my Leica 1600 to the OP's list, if I started all over and did not own a RF, I would undoubtedly choose the Sig Sauer Kilo 2000. It's is by far the best deal for the money and offers the best performance, even better than the Leica 1600 in my opinion.

The Sig Kilo 2000 also offers one of the best warranty as far as RFs go. No questions asked lifetime (no receipt or registration and fully transferable) on the the optics and 3 years on the electronics. Most everyone else only offers 1 year on the electronics of their RF's. The Vortex is the only RF with a better warranty as it is no questions asked lifetime on everything, but the Vortex quality and performance doesn't even compare to the Leica, Leupold, or Sig Sauer
 
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Hey Ledd, I'm pretty much useless in snow, rain and fog too, :p though I would like to see how that Sig works in those conditions. How far can you get an animal with that weather? Just curious.
 
hogpatrol said:
Hey Ledd, I'm pretty much useless in snow, rain and fog too, :p though I would like to see how that Sig works in those conditions. How far can you get an animal with that weather? Just curious.
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With the Leica, I can't get passed about 40 or 50 yards in rain or snow. Doesn't even have to coming down very hard either. I played with the Sig a bunch outside of cabelas to compare it with my Leica, but it was a nice day. The Sig was way faster and would range farther and optical clarity was only slightly less than the Leica. No problem with lightning fast readings over 1K in broad daylight with the Sig. Was really impressed, especially for the price.
Also read a bunch of reviews and watched some videos where guys were getting good ranges in bad weather. I'm planning on getting the Sig for my son and will see what it can do in stormy weather.

My Nikon Monarch 1200 had the same multi mode targeting. I had ranged deer on hillsides at 650 yards with the Nikon during a pretty good snowfall where my father in law couldn't read passed 30 yards with his Leica 1200. I'm sure the Sig will give good performance in bad weather. Even if I could range only 100 yards in rain and snow with the Sig, that would still be way better than my Leica can do. Of course from what I've read, the Sig is much more capable than that.
 
+1 on the Sig, got a great deal from SWFA 4th of July weekend (10% off site-wide). Should have another sale this weekend. The buzz on Snipershide is that Sig has a Kilo 2400 ready to release before Xmas.
 
CALIBRATOR said:
+1 on the Sig, got a great deal from SWFA 4th of July weekend (10% off site-wide). Should have another sale this weekend. The buzz on Snipershide is that Sig has a Kilo 2400 ready to release before Xmas.
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I did not know that... think I may wait. Do you know if the 2400 unit will still be the same compact size as the 2000? Thats one of my favorite features on both the Leica CRFs and Sig 2000. Very small, yet very powerful.
 
Size is supposed to be roughly the same, they ARE including a 1/4-20 tapped hole for tripod mounting this time. No one there has posted any pics yet, however, but claim to have seen and used it at trade events.

Regarding my Kilo2000, this is my 1st LRF. What surprised me was when I stepped out on my patio and ranged some things, I went back inside and re-ranged them behind dual pane thermoglass, I got the exact same readings. Another time, my partner was walking back the 300 yds from the target, and I kept the Kilo trained on him, it was cool how with each step he took the readout would quickly decrease in 1 yd intervals.
 
Sig Kilo 2000. I have have the latest G7, love it but wanted another smaller range finder, bought Sig and couldn't be happier. In the past I had a Leica 1600, excellent product too. You can buy the Sig kilo 2000 for 395.00 from Monmouth reloading right now. I'm not sure on the spelling but they are on the sponsor forum under the classifieds, best price I've seen. If they are out Ive seen them for 420.00 at Long Range Hunting classifieds in the optics section, the guy has sold a bunch of them and has a lot of happy customers.
 
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