Swiss Wild Rangefinder mount

[jerrschmitt]

My WW2 Swiss range finder came with a little tripod that would be just fine if the prairie dogs were shooting back. In my advanced years, I can't get down on my belly like I used to so I modified the short tripod by cutting some 1/2 inch pipe and extending the legs.

That worked pretty well except it was a bit cramped and after 4 days of shooting I had a pain in my neck and it was hard to swing from one target to the next.

A few years ago my buddy and I made up some shooting benches and we had enough pipe to make five benches. Didn't need that many but we made then anyway. I modified one to hold the rangefinder and put a table on it for the coffee cup.

Now it swings 360 degrees and I can sit in comfort. More extra junk to take along.

 

[alf]

Now that there's pretty cool.

Always wanted a Wild, but now with the Leica 1600, it's not as practical any more

 

[flatlander]

Is there any demand for the Wild? I've got one that I need to sell for the widow of a shooting friend. Thought about keeping it myself, just because it's so retro/cool, but have a Swarovski LG. Can't see myself needing the Wild to range something miles away, which is about the only advantage it has over the Swaro.

 

[jerrschmitt]

Is there any demand for the Wild? I've got one that I need to sell for the widow of a shooting friend. Thought about keeping it myself, just because it's so retro/cool, but have a Swarovski LG. Can't see myself needing the Wild to range something miles away, which is about the only advantage it has over the Swaro.

SAMCO is selling them for $295.00 and those are complete with all the dodads except the large tripod.
http://www.samcoglobal.com/acc-range.html

They show up on ebay all the time and seem to go so I guess someone wants them.

For prairie dog shooting they can't be beat.

 

[alf]

Do they range in meters or yards, or were they available in either?

Looks like the link says meters on theirs.

 

[jerrschmitt]

They range in meters. The US models range in yards, I re did all my dope sheets to meters.

 

[alf]

Is a mile+ realistic in good conditions?

 

[jerrschmitt]

Is a mile+ realistic in good conditions?

For the shooter or the range finder? I ranged some speed goats at over 4000 meters. Don't remember the exact range.

 

[LRPV]

Would you explain how these things work? I have seen them a couple times but never asked any questions as to how they function.
Jason

 

[Nodak7mm]

Flatlander,

There is a demand.. I sold mine last yr for more than I paid for it (financed a Swaro Lazer). But I had gotten mine from Deutsche Optics in 2001, they were the first to import and offer them and those first ones were in mint to new condition, complete with large tripod and all accessories. If one uses a pickup and sits in one spot all day to shoot varmints, they cannot be beat.. But I found it rather cumbersome during deer hunting... Lol...

LRPV: Coincidince style optics (I think thats the term), like looking thru an old 35 SLR camera, looking thru the viewfinder you have two opposing images, one on top of the other, line em up and then read the range indicator. Takes some practice, but I never had a prob ranging telephone poles/trees out past a mile.... They optics in the viewfinder are dang good too, cant remember if it was 6x or 10x tho.. In ways I regret selling mine as it was a kool piece of equipment. But it was kinda like having a Porsche 911 in the ND Winters......


Rod

 

[CatShooter]

Is a mile+ realistic in good conditions?

I shoot a 50 BMG and a mile+ is very reasonable and usable... my longest was 2,200 meters against life sized cardboard tanks at a shoot on a military base.

When shooting over flat prairie, lasers are very prone to giving false reading that can be off by 50% or more. But a good optical rangefinder can range a single PD out of a bunch of grass clumps and prairie trash at 1,200+ meters.

I also bought mine from Deutsche Optics when they first came in, it was in the mid 90's - paid a lot, but it is a work of art - beautifully finished solid oak legs on the big tripod, bronze geared head and metal fittings... I could use it as a living room decoration.

 

[jerrschmitt]

Would you explain how these things work? I have seen them a couple times but never asked any questions as to how they function.
Jason

This is what you see. Turn the dial and line things up then read the range.

 

[LRPV]

I'll be darned. Seems like this would be the thing to have where we shoot prairie dogs since it so flat and none of us have a laser rangefinder that will read anything out there. Pretty neat, thanks for the explanation.
Jason

 

[jerrschmitt]

I'll be darned. Seems like this would be the thing to have where we shoot prairie dogs since it so flat and none of us have a laser rangefinder that will read anything out there. Pretty neat, thanks for the explanation.
Jason

It is the absolute best rangefinder for prairie dog shooting. I have never seen anything else that would range a prairie dog in the grass at 900 yards where just his head and shoulder is showing.

 

[vmthtr]

I used a Wilde rangefinder to range my 1130 yard PD. Then we took the ATV and the laser rangefinder and did the leepfrog thing back to the Van. Came out 3 yards different between the two. Laser would not get all the way back in one shot.

Mike

 

[flatlander]

Well, I'm probably going about this the wrong way, but I went ahead and ordered one of the M41s from Samco today. Project will be to try to build a copy of the original tripod mount, but with longer legs for the M41 I currently have, which was purchased from Deutsche Optik w/o any of the accessories. I sure as heck don't need two of them, so hopefully, I'll find time this winter to make what I need to offer the original for sale.

 

[vmthtr]

We made an adapter and use a survey tripod for ours. You can kinda see it in the backround.

 

[bozo699]

Now I want one
Wayne.