Rangefinding Binoculars

[Aero]

I find myself needing to upgrade my old rangefinder and could use a better set of binoculars as well. It would be nice to combine the two. I spend a lot of time using my old Bushnell 1000 yard RF as a binocular even though the optics are horrible

I'm looking at the current offerings that sell for around $1000, namely Vortex, Nikon and Bushnell. Would appreciate any real world experience with these units, especially how far and how well they will give good range readings on non-reflective targets.

-Thanks

Eron

 

[sawcarver]

I've got a pair of Bushnell 10x42 1 mile fusions. I use them all the time probably at least once a week all year long and during deer season almost daily. They are very quick to range, the work well in the rain and in the snow.

I've ranged a big reflective target like a grain bin at 2350 yards. On non reflective, I've ranged deer at 1000 yards without support, and 1200 if I'm resting on something solid. Deer at 6-700 yards it ranges just as fast and easy as a deer at 100 yards.

The glass in them is decent, like on par with Steiner predator extremes. They work well in low light, there's been times it's getting dark and hard to see through them so I grab the steiners or vortex from my kids and I can't see any better through them either.

I have not used the Nikons or the vortex. I have used Leicas and the glass is awesomely clear and they range quick in good conditions. However they do not work well in snow or rain, at least the two sets I've tried. I would want to know if the vortexs range through snow and rain before spending the money

 

[wedgy]

While the rangefinder is very good I have to disagree with the previous statement about the glass in low light. The lenses have a dark tint to then so you can see the display but it kills the low light performance. It is like wearing sunglasses in the evening. I have had 3 pairs, one of the original 1600(?) and 2 pairs of the Mile model and while the Miles do not suffer as bad as the 1st generation they still are a no go in low light. The glass is pretty decent during the day. I would go with a pair of used Leicas.
See if you can compare then at Bass Pro, even in the daylight you will notice the tint.
The Leica HD-B had the ballistic calculator built in, the ones without it are cheaper.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-Geov...938285?hash=item2849eca8ad:g:QO8AAOSwdJ9aN6M8

For reference I use 10x42 HD-B's and EL12x50's

 

[Delfuego]

Hey Eron! I have tested out the Nikons, though not thoroughly. I was at the store and took them outside to test them. I ran them off-hand and them off a tripod with bag underneath. The longest range I could get was 1200y. If most of your ranging is within 1000y I think the Vortex or Nikon will work. I would go for the Vortex because of warranty. If either of these could do 2k yards I would own them.

If you are in need of more range finding the Bushnell are a good range finder, but poor glass. That said, mine have been durable and reliable. They are old and have been dropped from height, used in a ton of field matches. I have passed them down to a buddy and he is still using them.

If you need good glass and a powerful range finder get the Leica. There is also some deal to be had on the older models. These only range 1200+/- but the glass is great. The newest models range to 2200y. Be warned that Leica warranty kinda blows and know of some horror stories for a $3k rangefinder.

I have recently been running the Rudolph Optics Bino/LRF. A buddy turned me on to them and they are pretty good in all categories. Range to 1800y (depending on target and conditions). Decent glass (better than my Bushnell) and good price under $1000. So far so good. I tested mine against the Leica and Terrapin. The Leica gave the longest range, the Rudolph the shortest and the Vectronics Terrapin split the difference. Mine have been pretty durable so far.

Hit me up if you need more info. Peter (in CO)

 

[seymour fish]

Hey Eron! I have tested out the Nikons, though not thoroughly. I was at the store and took them outside to test them. I ran them off-hand and them off a tripod with bag underneath. The longest range I could get was 1200y. If most of your ranging is within 1000y I think the Vortex or Nikon will work. I would go for the Vortex because of warranty. If either of these could do 2k yards I would own them.

If you are in need of more range finding the Bushnell are a good range finder, but poor glass. That said, mine have been durable and reliable. They are old and have been dropped from height, used in a ton of field matches. I have passed them down to a buddy and he is still using them.

If you need good glass and a powerful range finder get the Leica. There is also some deal to be had on the older models. These only range 1200+/- but the glass is great. The newest models range to 2200y. Be warned that Leica warranty kinda blows and know of some horror stories for a $3k rangefinder.

I have recently been running the Rudolph Optics Bino/LRF. A buddy turned me on to them and they are pretty good in all categories. Range to 1800y (depending on target and conditions). Decent glass (better than my Bushnell) and good price under $1000. So far so good. I tested mine against the Leica and Terrapin. The Leica gave the longest range, the Rudolph the shortest and the Vectronics Terrapin split the difference. Mine have been pretty durable so far.

Hit me up if you need more info. Peter (in CO)

You got a bum terrapin !

 

[Aero]

Thanks for the replies. Any more out there?

 

[Delfuego]

You got a bum terrapin !

I think you misunderstood. I used the Terrapin to validate the ranges of the other 2.

 

[seymour fish]

I think you misunderstood. I used the Terrapin to validate the ranges of the other 2.

Delfuego, did misunderstand. NH/NF

 

[powderbrake]

I use the Lieca 10 X 42 Geovid binoculars for prairie dog hunting. They work much better than my old Lieca Rangefinder. They will not range a prairie dog at 1200 yards, but I probably could not hit it there anyway.

The glass is great, and spending many hours "glassing" the dogs, is a real test of the optical quality of the binocs. They are on ebay for about $1500 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-10x4...461538?hash=item4d69f9d162:g:ldcAAOSwZtlaNp~y

The newer Geovid HD-B have the built in ballistics program, but I do not believe they have an input for wind. I use a ballistics program on my iPhone and I have to input the wind anyway, so I don't feel the built in program in the newer binocs is worth the extra money.

 

[jepp2]

I have been using the Leupold RX 1000i rangefinder for several years now. 98% of my use is hunting PD's. I like to range my shots before I take them. After finding the dog I want with binoculars, having to find them again with the Leupold to range them, is not efficient.

So this summer I bought the Vortex Fury when they became available. Too late for PD's this year, but I did use them for my hunts in WY and SD. I find the quality of the binoculars (my first Vortex binoculars) to be very good. I have ranged non-reflective targets to 999 yards. I am really looking forward to using them in the PD fields. So much easier to range with the larger field of view.

The only drawback on the Fury is they are fairly heavy. When I have the brightness of the rangefinder set for daytime, in low light it is really bright. As I spend more time with them, I will learn better how to adjust. But most of my use will be in full daylight so it isn't a big factor.

 

[nakneker]

I just got off a Couses deer hunt where we were using a pair of Leica 10x Geovids. Loved them. I use a Sig Kilo 2200 but those Leicas were very easy to use and gave fast accurate readings. You can find them in the 1300 dollar range, I think Europtic has a demo pair right now for about that, essentially new. That’s over your budget I know but I thought it was worth mentioning. Leica will hold their value far better on the used market than the Vortex, Nikon or Bushnell IMO.

 

[Aero]

My main use is going to be PD's and maybe some LR steel plinking. After 18 or so years of paper target shooting, I've rediscovered how fun varmint shooting is. Helps when you've got access to good spots and on the same land there is potential for shooting way farther than anything I've got will reach.

I'm willing to give up some optical quality for ranging ability and while I doubt that ranging dogs past 1K will be needed, you just never know. I would guess that with most any of the units on the market, if they could range a PD at 800 then a 1-2 moa steel plate at 1600+ would be no problem? And is the 800 yard PD possible with the lower priced units?

 

[jepp2]

I'm willing to give up some optical quality for ranging ability and while I doubt that ranging dogs past 1K will be needed, you just never know. I would guess that with most any of the units on the market, if they could range a PD at 800 then a 1-2 moa steel plate at 1600+ would be no problem? And is the 800 yard PD possible with the lower priced units?

I don't know how much you have hunted PD's in the past, or what the terrain looks like where you will hunt them now. But where I hunt, the ground is pretty flat. The limitation with the Leupold RX 1000i wasn't the rangefinder, but getting it to reflect off the PD at distance. And I'm talking about 250 to 350 yards. If I have a large mound nearby, no problem. But when I am trying to range a dog feeding flat in grass at 250 on level ground, is a real challenge.

What I hear in your desired specifications, I'm not so sure you are going to find something that meets everything you want. So you might want to prioritize what is most important to you, and make sure your pick does that well. And if it doesn't do the rest quite as well, you still make the correct pick.

Looking through units at a store, isn't a very good worked very well for me in evaluating different optics. Just not the same as the world I will use them in. What I have done is to order all the units I'm interested in, from somebody like a Cabelas, and try them all out. Then I return everything except my pick. Their return policy is very good, and I send them back looking as good as when I got them.

 

[TRG]

I've been using a pair of Bushnell 10x42 1-mile Arcs for three or four years. They will reach a mile, non-reflective target, looking into the sun with the sun low on the horizon, but may require a couple of attempts. With the sun at an oblique the return is immediate and on the first attempt. They have never registered a return past 2000yds. They have a choice of regular, foreground or background return interpretation of the target. It works. There is also a ballistic calculator which is to primitive for my uses.

As far as their performance as binoculars goes they are pretty good. I have a pair of 10x50 poro-prism Swaros that were just serviced by Swaro and they compare favorably. The Swaros are better but the Bushys will allow extended glassing without fatigue and that is the metric I use.

The problem with lazing small objects, sub-MOA, is holding on the object. Consequently, most use a larger object in the near vicinity of the target as an alternative. The beam size effects this but also the the geometry of the beam can help the shooter. The rectangular shape of the 1-mile ARC can be used to the shooters advantage.

I have never used it but the recent reports on Bushnell's 100% warranty have been very positive. In addition the Bushnell 1-mile has been around for awhile and there are some great deals on used ones. They will accomplish what most shooters need and at a great ROI. By the way, mine are used at least three or four times a week.

 

[powderbrake]

The problem with trying to range a PD at long ranges, is that it is so small, you are really ranging the ground or mound that he is on. I like my Geovid binocs because they are 10 power, and that helps, but you generally have to range a mound or a nearby rock to get a reading.

As Jepp2 said, the ground is generally flat, and when you are a little high or low on your ranging, you can be off by 50 or 100 yards.