What RangeFinder

[dansig]

I have the zeiss rangefinder, awesome accuracy and a superb quality lens.

 

[model 12 toby]

i've almost settled on the zeiss. I'll be honest the bushnell I have nearly does the job it's just a little shy of satisfactory. need something that has less problems out to 1000 or so when it's sunny.

 

[BigDMT]

Go with one of the Leica "Compact Range Finders". It's the most compact unit on the market. I just got the Leica 1600 CRF and it's the same exact size as the old Leica 1200 CRF, just way more powerful and even better optics yet. It's so compact that you can easily fit it right into a shirt pocket with room to spare. Amazing how such a powerful rangefinder can be so compact. After owning Leica Compact RF's, everything else seems so massive in comparison.

Plus gives you outside temperature, angle of inclination and barometric pressure for shooting long range.

One time I was ranging pine trees on mountain sides at over 1200 yards in mid day bright sunshine! Maybe could have ranged farther but didn't have a further shot at anything. Wouldn't be surprised if it did go farther in sunshine. In low light I'm sure it will range well over 1600 yards but haven't tried it yet. I picked up pine trees in low light at over 1300 yards with the old Leica "1200" CRF, so I expect the same limit exceeding performance from the 1600 when I get the chance to test it in low light with distant targets.

 

[model 12 toby]

how much is the 1600. those weather features would cost couple hundred more. that has to be subtracted.

 

[fredhorace77]

This might sound elementary but one other thing i was wondering has anyone ever had any problems with leaving the batteries in the unit all the time. Id hate to have a battery go bad and leak. Does everyone normaly pull the batteries out after the hunt?

 

[gambleone]

I just realized that I never took mine out.
Thanks for the reminder, & that's a darn
good question.

 

[BigDMT]

how much is the 1600. those weather features would cost couple hundred more. that has to be subtracted.

I got the Leica 1600 from a buddy who has a sporting good store so I got a really good deal. Mine is the standard "NON-"B" model. The standard Leica 1600 will run you about $650-$700 new online. The Leica 1600"B" will run you about $800.

Forgot to mention that both the "standard" and "B" model Leica 1600's give you hold over in inches or centimeters according to the atmospheric data it has gathered and the ballistic drop program you select in the settings.

The ONLY difference between the 1600 and 1600"B" is that the B model will do the math and give you the "true range" when ranging at an incline. The standard 1600 does not give you that corrected range. It just gives you the range and the angle of incline and you have to do the math yourself.

I've never owned a rangefinder that gave me a corrected range for incline and I have been very successful at harvesting animals. So I figured I'd save a few bucks and get the standard 1600.

 

[johara1]

iI have a Swarovski 8 x 30 and very clear and very accurate, and it works well in snow and rain. I never had an issue with it at all,i don't know or have ever heard of any thing wrong till read it on this thread. I had it on a tripod an never an issue.........jim

 

[holstil]

Same here with the Swaro. Very pleasing to look through. I find myself just glassing not using the range finder. I was hoping to here what type problem was encountered. I put mine on a tri pod to see for myself. I could not make any problem occur. ???


Jim

 

[model 12 toby]

It's funny my first rangefinder I spent 200 on and the second 400. and they both seemed expensive. now I'm considering spending 800 on the net one and it doesn't seem that bad. i purchased my first rifle 3 years ago for 400 dollars. last year I spent 584 dollars on a barrel and it didn't seem like that much. lol. Lot of this stuff it's the last you buy unless you upgrade it. I'll have the rifle when I'm old and it'll still shoot the same unless I shoot it a bunch. supposed to last 3000 rounds. by the end I'll probably just shoot it to practice a bit and hunt with.

 

[icekra]

I have Zeiss 10x45 RF and like it

 

[birdog]

I just got back from Colorado and was very satisfied with the
Vectronex. I ranged trees around ranch homes at 2200 and 2600 yards
in bright sunshine. I had my old Leica 1200 with me. I tried it on
some dogs and put it back in the truck and used the vectronex the
rest of the trip.

When the vectronex was new I tried it just after sunset on a distant
hilltop. It gave me consistent readings of 3900 yards just before dark.

 

[Doosky]

I had the leica CRT 1200 ( before I loaned it out, and it was lost.) I bought it when I was in afghanistan for a lightweight scanning/ ranging tool, and it was an amazing price of gear. I have not used many others, but this was by far the best I have used. I would recommend the 1600 because it ranges in yards and meters, and more range. But I have not used one personally.

 

[model 12 toby]

you a sniper?

 

[BigDMT]

you a sniper?

The US Marine snipers use a binocular-rangefinder called the "AN/GVS-5" with a 200-9,900 meter capability.

They also use a rangefinder called the Vector. Also has a ranging capability of 10 kilometers.

Max ranging is only possible when they are mounted on a tripod. They both have about a 4 kilometer ranging capability when handheld.

The military sniper rangefinding equipment greatly surpasses the abilities of rangfinders you will find in the hands of every day sportsmen. So it is unlikely that a sniper would have the need for a rangefinder in the civilian market.

 

[model 12 toby]

I've read about those but I'm not sure they issue them to every single sniper in the military. you read Ultimate Sniper by a guy with the last name of Plaster? way he talks every single sniper isn't issued with them. ;D

wonder what that guy was doing with range finder in Afghanistan. Probably hunting camels. lol.

 

[BigDMT]

I've read about those but I'm not sure they issue them to every single sniper in the military. you read Ultimate Sniper by a guy with the last name of Plaster? way he talks every single sniper isn't issued with them. ;D

wonder what that guy was doing with range finder in Afghanistan. Probably hunting camels. lol.

LOL! or goats

My cousin was a US Marine Scout Sniper in Afghanistan and Iraq. I don't think they carry the high power rangefinders around with them as a basic piece of inventory in their battle gear. But when they need them for recon, making hits, or calling in air strikes, they have em. I suppose I could see the advantage of keeping a personal rangefinder with you in the event of an ambush during a normal patrol where you were receiving fire from snipers or heavy machine gunners. It would allow you to engage them easier with any weapon in hand if the fire was coming from longer unknown ranges.

When not on missions, Scout Snipers are basically just infantry men. My cousin has told me as many stories of kills with a M249 SAW (Manufactured by FN and fires a 5.56X45mm NATO round) as with a M40 sniper rifle (A customized Remington Model 700 chambered in 7.62X51mm NATO).

 

[model 12 toby]

Also another book to look into is precision shooting at 1000 yards. it has a chapter on sniping.

 

[zcrackshot]

I researched a lot before buying my leica 1600. All I can say is handle before purchasing. My friends both own a swaro and a Zeiss, both are great pieces but were not for me. I used my leica for over 16 months and was very pleased with it during every use. I ranged hillsides where animals were in broad daylight at 2200 yards on many occasions. I recently sold it to my brother and have picked up the BR2 model by G-7. I had the chance to play with this peice during an early deer hunt in Wyoming and while shooting rifle golf at Spirit Ridge and I was sold. It doesn't handle as nicely as my old leica but it is so accurate in formulating a real time shooting solution that I'll deal with the size. In the few weeks that I test ran it I used it with my 6.5-284, 308, 243 AI, and 300 Tejas. It performed flawlessly on every shot. So buy what feels right or suits your needs within your taste or at least within the limits of what you can deal with.

 

[model 12 toby]

OMG you bought that thing? I'd love to have that. I just can't bring myself to pay that much. maybe some day.