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Lieca 1600

Alex Wheeler

Alex Wheeler

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I figured I'd get more end users in the varmint section than the optics section. Boss, if its not ok, go ahead and move it, thanks.

I need a good rangefinder. I am seriously considering the Lieca 1600B. I would like to be able to range to 1k consistently. Is there anything else in this general price range I should look at?
Alex
 
I have the Lieca 1600B and have no complaints so far. I also own one of the first pair of Bushnell range finding binoculars. While the Bushnell binoculars are nice the Lieca 1600B will range smaller targets at much further ranges. For a comparison I ranged a dove on a telephone wire at over 300 yards with the 1600B. The bushnell would need a bigger target to range something that small at that distance. The 1600B has ranged things out to 1900 yards but I am confident it will range out to 1000 yards consistently. My 1600B is a recent purchase so I have not had time to fully see everything it will do but am confident it will be better than anything out there for the price. I use mostly for prairie dogs so I am excited to really give them a workout next spring. :)
 
I have a 1600. I've ranged stumps and treets over 1800 with it. I think for the money its a great rangefinder. As far as reliably ranging to 1k it really depends on what your trying to range. A praire dog mound on a big flat in the middle of a bright sunny day? Maybe. Maybe not. The few times I used it doggin it worked that far.

Aaron
 
Get the Lieca's. I have their ranging binaculars and the are awesome. The glass is excellent too.
 
Love my Leica 1600. I've picked up trees on a mountain side at over 2k. 1k is nothing for this unit, even in sunlight. It will also range all the way down to 10 yards so it can be used for archery as well.

only downside to the Leica is that it will not read through fog or snow. The fog and snow don't even have to be that heavy to mess it up. My old Nikon Monarch 1200 did not have trouble in light snow and fog with it's Distant Target Priority technology. But the Nikon is twice the size, has lesser optic quality, and cannot see the range readout in dark. Minus the fog and snow interference, the Leica is probably the best unit out there. Really like how the Leica gives temperature and angle inclination readings. I personally don't use the ballistic trajectory calculator, but others may find it useful.
 
In the price range, no it is about a good as it gets. The zeiss is also a good unit. I own a Leica but, I have used a friends zeiss several times. I don't remember which has the smaller beam divergence. That is what will be important at 1000 yds. The next step up is a vectronix but a lot more money.
 
The Leica 1600 has the smallest beam divergence of any range finder under a $1000, Bushnell runs the largest beam divergence and will do well at giving you a reading but who knows what your getting a reading on. Vectronix Terrapin is the next step from the Leica.
 
bigngreen said:
The Leica 1600 has the smallest beam divergence of any range finder under a $1000, Bushnell runs the largest beam divergence and will do well at giving you a reading but who knows what your getting a reading on. Vectronix Terrapin is the next step from the Leica.
Click to expand...

Where did you find the beam divergence for the Bushnell. I have looked and haven't found it.

The Leica beam is L-A-R-G-E... roughly 8-10 feet (2.5 mils) at 1,000 yards, and that is at the 3db down beam points, so the actual size of the beam your are getting pings back from is probably twice+ that large.

They are probably OK on deer and elk, but on woodchucks and PDs, they are poor and sometimes, useless... and I prefer a high quality optical RF like the Wild.
 
CatShooter said:
Where did you find the beam divergence for the Bushnell. I have looked and haven't found it.

The Leica beam is L-A-R-G-E... roughly 8-10 feet (2.5 mils) at 1,000 yards, and that is at the 3db down beam points, so the actual size of the beam your are getting pings back from is probably twice+ that large.

They are probably OK on deer and elk, but on woodchucks and PDs, they are poor and sometimes, useless... and I prefer a high quality optical RF like the Wild.
Click to expand...

I spent several hours over a couple days trying to find someone at Bushnell who knew what beam divergence is, at the end it turned out to be 4 mil x 4 mil. Swaro is a 2 mil circle, Leica is a .5 mil x 2.5 mil which is what makes it the best in that price range till you get to the Vectronix which is a little smaller beam than the Leica on the Terrapin but it functions in a whole different class, the PLRF-10 runs a smaller beam yet and I don't think I've seen one not return a range under 2500 yards and seen it do very well out into the 3000 yards range.

I don't shoot rodents at long range but I do shoot elk as far as I can get a range, the Wild is useless for my needs!!
 
bigngreen said:
CatShooter said:
Where did you find the beam divergence for the Bushnell. I have looked and haven't found it.

The Leica beam is L-A-R-G-E... roughly 8-10 feet (2.5 mils) at 1,000 yards, and that is at the 3db down beam points, so the actual size of the beam your are getting pings back from is probably twice+ that large.

They are probably OK on deer and elk, but on woodchucks and PDs, they are poor and sometimes, useless... and I prefer a high quality optical RF like the Wild.
Click to expand...

I spent several hours over a couple days trying to find someone at Bushnell who knew what beam divergence is, at the end it turned out to be 4 mil x 4 mil. Swaro is a 2 mil circle, Leica is a .5 mil x 2.5 mil which is what makes it the best in that price range till you get to the Vectronix which is a little smaller beam than the Leica on the Terrapin but it functions in a whole different class, the PLRF-10 runs a smaller beam yet and I don't think I've seen one not return a range under 2500 yards and seen it do very well out into the 3000 yards range.

I don't shoot rodents at long range but I do shoot elk as far as I can get a range, the Wild is useless for my needs!!
Click to expand...

My three lasers are an original Bushnell 400 (first one out) and it still works fine - a Bushnell 1500?? (good for 700-800 meters on an average day), and my long range laser is a AN/GVS-5 with a beam size of under 1/2 mil. It is good for 10,000 meters under the worst conditions... it is "neat"!!
 
I don't think I'd call the Vectronix the "next step up" from a Leica.

They G7 is cheaper than the Terrapin by a few hundred bucks and has ballistic correction built in. I just purchased one and there is no comparison between the G7 and my Leica 1200. I've been playing with the G7 since Turkey day and I'm 100% impressed with it.

Not to take ANYTHING away from the Leicas because I have the 1200, my Dad has a 1600 and I've been fortunate enough to have a set of Geovids to try out as well. (older model).

The G7 will read further away, more consistently and faster.

Its a little more bulky than the Leica and the display can wash out a bit in bright light with snow on the ground. And on the other extreme in low light its hard to see the target when you wake up teh unit. Ranging is easy to see.

After owning, and testing a lot of high end RF's and RF Binos......The G7 is the way I'd go.
 
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