Rifle Scopes Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

T

TEAMSENDIT

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
    • Sep 22, 2008
    2,947
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    whidbey island
    #1
    Well needless to say i have tried out my fair share of rangefinders. I have owned zeiss, leica, leupold and of course the swaroski. All of these have there good and bad points, but we will leave that for another discussion.

    Recently i bought a set of Bushnell rangefinding binos 10x42, i have only owned them for a week but i have ranged a ridiculous amount of stuff because i have taken them everywere i go.

    So here is my brief opinion as to why i love them so much. The binos have pretty descent glass, it has a slight blue tint to it but pretty good clarity. More importantly the rangefinder capability is fantastic, i have repeatedly ranged things out to 1830yds with them. This is coming from a set of rangefinding binoculars that only cost $759 (thanks liberty optics). I feel it is much easier to spot and range targets with binos then a monocular, the field of view alone really helps.

    Saturday i had a chance to test out a buddies new bushnell elite 1500 monocular rangefinder and it was just as good, repeatedly ranging objects out to 1700-1800yds. This is coming from a $450 rangefinder.

    The bottom line is they may not have leica or swarovski quality glass in them, but you are also paying half as much. Most importantly they range really well which is truly there purpose.

    Here is a link to a great place to buy them at what i have found to be the best price from a reliable dealer who ships quickly and is great to work with.

    Call Scott at liberty optics

    http://www.libertyoptics.com/index1.html
     
    #2
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    Dang, saving money and still getting reliable gear is always a good thing.

    I have to admit: I'm totally ignorant on the subject of laser range finders. (my first one is a humble Leupold 750 TBR being shipped to me as we speak). But I thought that many folks gripe with Bushnell was the diameter of the laser, such that at long range the beam divergence was really considerable.

    However, sounds like yours is Rock N' Roll even out to some long ranges.

    Nice find.
     
    #4
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    yes, think they really have stepped up with this product. hope it is a sign of more to come from them
     
    #5
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    Does anybody have the data/numbers on their beam divergence?

    (Useful to figure how selective the ranging would be at longer ranges.)
     
    #7
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    ya i too would be interested in seeing figures for beam divergence. what size/type objects were being lased at the larger distances ?
     
    #8
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    Well, here are some numbers - though I've no idea how trustworthy they are (data from the 'Net, y'know
    wink.gif
    ):

    Long Range Hunting, Sep 2010 suggests it's 2x4 mrad, while Swarovski has 2mrad circle.

    Comparison with Leica 10x42 geovid BRF - 2.5x0.5 mrad on Leica.

    Hopefully Bushnell will get back to me tomorrow with the actual numbers.
     
    #9
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    TSI,
    Spot on with the quality of these Bushnell Bino LRF's!! Hunter121 has a set and sold me on them. We have ranged easily 1793yds!! Very impressive for the price.

    Or there was that day in Ellensburg when the Leica's and Swaro's couldn't burn through the snow even to 400y, but I'll be g-damn if those damn Bushnell's of Hunter's didn't give us ranges out to 750yd!! I am not trying to take anything from any of the other manufacturers but Bushnell has stepped up bigger than shit as of lately!!

    Yep I said it.....I have jumped on the bandwagon. All my glass is Bushnell now, scopes and spotters.

    I am gonna have to give Scott at Liberty a call and get a set of these. I kind of don't like the size of the bino's though, I might just get the 1500 elite mono.
     
    #13
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    ah ok. cool!

    I wish I had the money to buy one of these, but I have other things to get. like a reloading kit and blue printing.

    something to look forward to in the future maybe


    Christmas gift? 6 more months!!! lol
     
    #14
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Team-Send-It!!!</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Well needless to say i have tried out my fair share of rangefinders. I have owned zeiss, leica, leupold and of course the swaroski. All of these have there good and bad points, but we will leave that for another discussion.

    Recently i bought a set of Bushnell rangefinding binos 10x42, i have only owned them for a week but i have ranged a ridiculous amount of stuff because i have taken them everywere i go.

    So here is my brief opinion as to why i love them so much. The binos have pretty descent glass, it has a slight blue tint to it but pretty good clarity. More importantly the rangefinder capability is fantastic, i have repeatedly ranged things out to 1830yds with them. This is coming from a set of rangefinding binoculars that only cost $759 (thanks liberty optics). I feel it is much easier to spot and range targets with binos then a monocular, the field of view alone really helps.

    Saturday i had a chance to test out a buddies new bushnell elite 1500 monocular rangefinder and it was just as good, repeatedly ranging objects out to 1700-1800yds. This is coming from a $450 rangefinder.

    The bottom line is they may not have leica or swarovski quality glass in them, but you are also paying half as much. Most importantly they range really well which is truly there purpose.

    Here is a link to a great place to buy them at what i have found to be the best price from a reliable dealer who ships quickly and is great to work with.

    Call Scott at liberty optics

    http://www.libertyoptics.com/index1.html </div></div>Nice review, I have a friend in Houston who just bought the Bushnell as well and he love it also. It maybe time to sell the Leica.
     
    #16
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    I used a pair of the ARC's doing a DDM site survey in the AP and was not impressed at all. The glass was decent quality and the rangefinder worked well but the readout was so dim that it made it very hard to read your range. I was using this in the afternoon so there was ALOT of ambient light.

    I think they are probably decent for the money but the Leica Geovids are worth the money even though they are quite a bit more. I would like to compare them side by side though.

    Maybe the unit I was dealing with was an oddity, im not sure. But the lack of brightness in the LED readout made them almost worthless.
     
    #17
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 11B-B4</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I used a pair of the ARC's doing a DDM site survey in the AP and was not impressed at all. The glass was decent quality and the rangefinder worked well but the readout was so dim that it made it very hard to read your range. I was using this in the afternoon so there was ALOT of ambient light.

    I think they are probably decent for the money but the Leica Geovids are worth the money even though they are quite a bit more. I would like to compare them side by side though.

    Maybe the unit I was dealing with was an oddity, im not sure. But the lack of brightness in the LED readout made them almost worthless. </div></div>

    i don't fault you since you only borrowed them, but the brightness is adjustable in them, that way its not super bright in lowlight conditions.

    I don't think it is fair to compare them to the geovids considering they cost $1000+ more and still can't range as far, but obviously the glass is unbelievable with the leicas
     
    #19
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Master Stream</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You might find this article useful in making your Range finding selection choice.

    http://www.6mmbr.com/rangefinders.html </div></div>

    I for one did find it useful - but to a certain extent only because it's missing the most interesting Bushnell rangefinder - Fusion 1600 ACR 10x42 bino. And because he doesn't list beam divergence of Nikon and Bushnell. Also, he didn't say where his numbers for Swaro and Leica came from - sales brochures, engineers, collimator-measured?
     
    #21
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    Note: the bushnell elite 1500 is not nearly as good as the 1600 arc model either monocular or binocular.
    I am very impressed with the new bushnell 1600 lrf .
    bushnell is stepping up with their new products
     
    #22
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    I used the Bushnell Fusion Binocs at Rifles Only and was very impressed.

    I leaned against a post next to the bunkhouse and ranged the tallest palm tree that was way the hell out there. Instantly read 1694. I walked back 3 paces to the next post....Bam! 1697!

    I've owned Geovids before and they wouldn't have done that.
     
    #23
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    I picked up the 1600 ARC myself the other night and have been very impressed so far. It ranges targets past 1000 with ease. It was foggy and raining here the other day and I ranged my neighbors house which I know is 1450 yards away. You couldn't see much past that as it was too foggy and it still ranged it right at 1450. I also ranged some black angus cows out in the pasture out to 1200 pretty easily as well. I would recommend the 1600 series to anybody that asked me.
     
    #25
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    Interesting. From Bushnell's website

    Reflective Ranging Performance 1600 yds. 1600 yds.
    Tree Ranging Performance 1000 yds. 1000 yds.
    Deer Ranging Performance 500 yds. 500 yds.
    Rangefinder Accuracy +/- 1 yds. +/- 1 yds.
     
    #26
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    Didnt know brightness was adjustable. To be honest i dont think my buddy did either (owner of the ARC binos)

    Given that we were both morons (probably the case) and didnt know to turn up the brightness, I would say they were very good for the money.

    Now I really wish someone close had some so i could compare them with my Geovids.
     
    #27
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KJMOC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Interesting. From Bushnell's website

    Reflective Ranging Performance 1600 yds. 1600 yds.
    Tree Ranging Performance 1000 yds. 1000 yds.
    Deer Ranging Performance 500 yds. 500 yds.
    Rangefinder Accuracy +/- 1 yds. +/- 1 yds. </div></div>

    Does better than advertised. Here are a few pics that I just took after I ranged the target and was looking at the ground. The target was my truck parked at the house and I was out on the four wheeler looking back at the house. The farthest I could get it to bring back a number was 1859. 1858, 1859 but no 1860 so I guess that is the limit. I would assume that with smaller targets you might not get it to range that far but still pretty good in my book.
    img00170201105111858.jpg
    img00173201105111901.jpg



     
    #28
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    i have had a set of fusions since last october and i will tell you they are flat ass bad to the bone. i have ranged small scrub pines consistently at 1mile. i have ranged small dairy calves at 1450 in the pouring rain. i have yet to find something this thing will not range if it is inside of its capabilites.

    last fall i tried them side by side with a set of lieca geovids in 10X42 so everything was like for like. they both seemed to range evrything that was tried to within 1yd of each other but the fusion nearly always fed the reading back much faster. i also do not like how the targeting site goes away in the leicas. that drives me nuts.

    as for the glass it's as good as i need it to be and think it should be for the money. no issues whatsoever. i have tried to explain these fusions to people but they just wont believe ya till ya show them. then they are usually like....holy shit!

    as for beam divergance, i can say i have looked at the beam with nvgs on and i would say the size is somewhere around 2-3moa. nothing scientific on my part just looking out where i am ranging and guessing. hope this helps.
     
    #29
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    Very glad this thread is here. I have been reading about which LRF to get...I think I will go with the Bushnell Fusion 1600 12x50 ARC. Optics Planet has them for 919 with free shipping. Anybody know a better deal?
     
    #30
    Re: Bushnell Rangefinders are Awesome!!!

    Just got my fusion 1600 12x50! I agree with the bluish tint. But the clarity is amazing. I have never looked through any other glass so I have no reference. Now the task of learning how to use it.
     
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