Latest and Greatest Tools and Optics?

[Ledd Slinger]

Wanted to start this thread to see what kind of new items related to the shooting/hunting world are out there from the last year or two that you would recommend?

I’ll start with a few...

1) Leica Geovid 3200.com 10x42 LRF binoculars.
All the latest and greatest bells an whistles like Bluetooth connectivity and custom ballistics calculator. I picked a set of these up last year before the fall hunting season and they are amazing. Ergonomics are the best I have felt. And glass Is the best I have seen in a binocular at any level so far. Absolutely stunning resolution and color fidelity.



2) Frankford Arsenal universal seating die.
While some might initially see this as another useless universal gimmick, I quickly saw a niche it could fill in my reloading tools. I am finding it very useful for seating bullets in cartridges that I don’t yet have reamers or dies for. I used to tap bullets in with a bushing and mallet, but being able to seat bullets properly with this die allows me to get accurate OD neck diameters, OAL cartridge diameters, CBTO lengths, and freebore required for the bullets I’m using prior to ever ordering a reamer. Takes the guesswork out of things in the early stages of new cartridge design. It is built very well and easy to use. I don’t know that I would use it as Frankford designed to be a universal seating die because I like every one of my cartridges to have their own die sets, but for new cartridge design I have found this to be a very useful tool.



3) Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Hand Priming Tool
I’ve had a few hand primers over the years including LEE and RCBS but the new FA hand priming tool is a step above. It comes with all the shell holders you need for every type of case head and a nice hard case with padding to keep everything organized. The primer tray flips primers over better than any other tray I have used. Swapping shell holders or primer rams is really fast and easy. The unit is smooth, provides really good leverage and is built like a tank.
The .001” click depth adjustment works very good as well. The only improvement I would like is to have indications on the dial so you can return to depths accurately when swapping back and forth between cartridges or adjust depths appropriately for new lots of primers. Other than that the FA hand priming tool is a great affordable option to top of the line tools like the one from 21st Century.

Frankford Arsenal Hand Priming Tool With Depth Adjustment « Daily Bulletin

Our friend Jim See of Elite Accuracy LLC recently tested the depth-adjustable hand priming tool from Frankford Arsenal. This product, called the Platinum Series Perfect Seat Hand Primer has some unique features.

bulletin.accurateshooter.com

4) Meopta OptikaLR 10x42/8x50 LRF Binos
These are brand new. The rangefinder has a really good range, incline compensation, and multi targeting priority modes. No ballistics calculator but with top of the line Meopta Flouride HD glass and very powerful ranging capabilities backed by a lifetime warranty in the $1500 price range, I think it will be a really good option for people who don’t want to spring $2700-$3500 for the big name European LRF binos.

 

[std7mag]

While the latest & greatest gee williker toys are fun to look at, i'm not buying. At least the optics.
When Revic came out a few years ago with their scope that did everything, i had to look at them. Was/is neat in it's intent. But even if i could afford it ($3,200), there was no way i was about to mount one to my rifle.
Waaay too heavy! The scope weighed more than my current scope, rangefinder, cellphone. The buttons for functions too small, and it just wasn't intuitive to me.
Add in the fact that when i'm hunting, it usually ends up being 20°F or lower, and frozen batteries become a real issue.

Perhaps if i won Powerball or Megamillions, i'd look at some of these toys. Untill then, i'll stick with the tool i have that work, and i can afford.

Thank You for sharing some cool things though!

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Yeah you gotta be able to weed out what is reasonable and what’s a waste of money. I’m not a big gadget guy, but good optics can be my Achilles heel at times and I always like affordable quality tools. Never thought I’d like LRF binoculars and avoided them like the plague for many years. I finally tried a set in the field while hunting this last fall and was instantly hooked. So much better than two separate pieces of equipment.

 

[std7mag]

How much do they weigh?
I bought a pair of Vortex Raptor 8X32.
Not the epitomy of optics, i know, but they suffice. Best of all they are light!
Matters alot when going miles away from the truck.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

T

How much do they weigh?
I bought a pair of Vortex Raptor 8X32.
Not the epitomy of optics, i know, but they suffice. Best of all they are light!
Matters alot when going miles away from the truck.

The Leica isn’t light, but the ergonomics are so good they feel almost weightless in the hand when holding them up to your face. As far as carrying weight, yeah sure they are heavier, but it’s well worth it for the top tier level of glass and amazing LRF capabilities it provides. And really my carrying weight probably has been reduced because I don’t have to carry a separate rangefinder along with my binos.

I hike miles and miles through the Rocky Mountain high country and eastern plains of Montana so I know all about the importance of weight savings on gear. I use Kuiu clothing and backpacks with carbon fiber frames, my rifle has a carbon fiber barrel with titanium muzzle brake and carbon fiber stock, etc... However, optics cannot be compromised based on saving weight in my opinion. My Leica binos provide me with the best view I have ever seen in a binocular. No sense putting in all that work to go in the high country if you don’t have glass that lets you see to the best of your ability.

 

[Kittitas George]

My shooting partner had the Leica 10 X 42 w/LRF, wonderful, but I'm color blind and couldn't see the numbers. The Leica LRF I bought I can see the numbers and have the advantage of knowing the vertical angle. I bought the binoculars that's hard to pronounce. If you ever use quality glass, there is no going back. Spend a day looking for prairie dogs or gophers, you'll see. I'm a retired surveyor, I'm use to looking thru good glass, it really does make a difference.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

A handful of years back I owned Meopta Meostar HD binoculars and they punch way above their weight class. Noticeably better than the two sets of Vortex Razor HD binos I had before that. So I have no doubt in my mind that these new Optika LR binos will provide an amazing view as well. Everything made by Meopta competes at a much higher price point than what you pay for them.

Will the Meopta Optika LR compete with my Leica Geovid 3200.com? Certainly not in the sense of overall ranging capability, integrated custom ballistics calculations, and perhaps ergonomics, but the Meopta 2600 yard rangefinder is far more than what most anyone will ever actually need and I wouldn’t be surprised if the glass quality isn’t nipping on the heels of the Leica.
At half the price of my Leica, I may pick up a set just to see how they perform. If the optic performs well, I will pass them on to my son. If not, I’ll simply return them.

 

[Bamban]

I have an older set of Leica bino LRF, Geovid 8x42 that I bought 15 years ago or so, could not remember now, but it was when they came out. It served me well for years glassing and ranging the edges of the senderos for deer and coyotes. Those rascals are pretty smart, they stick their heads and seem to watch both sides before they trot across. Shooting prone off a bipod I pick them off as they step out.

Still love the Geovid after all these years.

 

[rickiesrevenge]

How long is the warranty on the leica rangefinding bino's? My fear as always been a leaky battery or something going wrong with the laser and it not being covered. Then you still have really nice bino's but they're significantly heavier than the same bino without the LRF.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

How long is the warranty on the leica rangefinding bino's? My fear as always been a leaky battery or something going wrong with the laser and it not being covered. Then you still have really nice bino's but they're significantly heavier than the same bino without the LRF.

Warranty sucks on the electronics and that was a big doubt in my mind as well. But the Leica warranty service has always seemed to be much better than what they claim in the owners manuals. I had a set of Leica Ultravid BR 10x42 back in the day and they developed what looked like a tiny little air bubble under the one front objective lens. Didn’t effect the view but it wasn’t normal. Sent them in and they basically rebuilt the entire binoculars for free. Went above and beyond by completely dissecting and replacing any worn parts they could find. They looked brand new when I got them back.

But still being worried on the warranty of such an expensive optic like the 3200.com, I called Leica before purchasing them. They told me that the electronics warranty was only one year but to rest assured that if anything happened after that, they would take care of me. From the past experience with the BRs, I believe them.

 

[Bamban]

How long is the warranty on the leica rangefinding bino's? My fear as always been a leaky battery or something going wrong with the laser and it not being covered. Then you still have really nice bino's but they're significantly heavier than the same bino without the LRF.

Never had to send mine for service. I had it out in frigid weather as well as in 100 + degree weather. It never missed a beat. Just like any battery powered unit, I remove the batteries it between usage, except for the cell phone, I suppose.

For durability, I never had bino chest holster for mine. When out hunting, it stays on the passenger seat of the truck. A few times it hit the floorboard, but never had any problem with it.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Looks like frankford has finally came up with a way to end up with runout and not have it caused by the sizer die

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Looks like frankford has finally came up with a way to end up with runout and not have it caused by the sizer die

Yeah the universal seater die isn’t anything like the custom precision dies we have made. Testing in the video below shows it results in up to +/-.002” runout (.004” total). Not actually that bad with all things considered and works great for my purposes of seating bullets in cases during the early stages of cartridge design and/or ordering custom Reamers before I have a die set on hand.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Never had to send mine for service. I had it out in frigid weather as well as in 100 + degree weather. It never missed a beat. Just like any battery powered unit, I remove the batteries it between usage, except for the cell phone, I suppose.

For durability, I never had bino chest holster for mine. When out hunting, it stays on the passenger seat of the truck. A few times it hit the floorboard, but never had any problem with it.

Yeah I always remove my batteries from my stand alone handheld LRFs, illuminated scopes, and especially the expensive Geovids when not in use for long periods. Leica provides a nice little tool to open the battery compartment that in my bino harness.

My father in law left a battery in his old Leica 1200 CRF years ago and it leaked out really bad. Screwed up everything. So I learned that lesson early on thru his mistake.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Another thing I will add is that the Leica 3200.com is a large optic. If you prefer to use a fully enclosed bino harness case like I do, it will not fit in most manufacturers medium or large sizes. Will want an XL or something designed for large 12x50 binos.

I had the flagship non-RF Leica Noctivid 10x42 binoculars prior to the 3200.com Geovids and had to buy a larger harness case. I actually prefer the larger size of the 3200.com because it has a wider open dual hinge design that fits my hands much better than the significantly smaller Noctivid. But the size of the Geovid is just something to be aware of if using a harness with a case.

Below is the case I found works really well with the Geovid 3200.com. Just make sure it’s the “zippered” case and not the magnetic closure style.

BINO Z

The Bino Z Case gives you a zipped opening, plus fully padded internal pockets, a built-in lens cleaner, and a drop-down, one-liter hydration sleeve.

www.badlandsgear.com