Need help on rangefinder selection

[rugerdiggs]

Ok I am in the market for a good rangefinder and haven't used that many so I am not sure what the best bang for the buck is. Got my eyes on a Leica 1600B but have looked at Nikon monarc 1200, zeiss victory, and leupold 1000. My uses will be for shooting reflective targets to 1200 yds and hunting out to 800+yds. Please give your thoughts and experiences good and bad. Also open to other brands, Thanks James

 

[Layton]

This has been beat to death but if you can swing it get a Terrapin. If not, then of the ones you listed Leica.

L

 

[rugerdiggs]

Thanks, that Terrapin does look awesome but out of my cash range

 

[Armored Transport]

Check out the Bushnell. I use the 12x Fusion bino's and am very satisfied. Ranged a cow on the 3rd try at 1600. Their top of the line range finder will do this as well. Cost effective ......

 

[pepper 2111]

+1 for bushnell. good value for the price. elite 1600 are, or used 1500 arc

 

[roggom]

Scratch the Nikon and Leupold, they make decent to nice scopes but lack in the LRF sector. The Zeiss and Leica both have nice glass, fast and accurate. The Leica is a bit more compact. I had the CRF 1000 and it ranged hard out to 1080 and soft short of 800Y. Was enough for hunting, but out in the prairie I wanted to reach out further with the range and walk them into firing range. I now have the Zeiss and it ranges out to 1380 on hard and a bit under 1100 on game. The Zeiss is a bit bigger than the Leica, but not larger than a compact set of binos.

As for the Bushy, I have not used one in the field, I only looked at it at the store and was not impressed with all the led crap in the field of view. The Leica and Zeiss have an aiming point and then the range....simple. If any other members can attest to actual field hunting use, thats cool. I can only comment on the Leica and Zeiss, both good to go.

Terrapin, sure it can range 4000m or whatever, but I need to harvest game not call in an air strike, lol.

 

[BobD]

Check out the Bushnell. I use the 12x Fusion bino's and am very satisfied. Ranged a cow on the 3rd try at 1600. Their top of the line range finder will do this as well. Cost effective ......

^^^^
I have the 12x50 as well and think they're great. Now that the One Mile versions are out they show up for even less. People have said the One Mile models are quite a bit nicer, glass, display etc... If you can swing their price I've heard they're absolutely worth it

 

[jkonzal]

I have a Leica 1600 and it is awesome. I cannot get it to read over 1999, but have had great luck with it out to that distance.

 

[ctso030]

i have the leica 1600 they work great, just got back from an elk huntand thinking about a pair of the leica range finding bionaculars. I may be selling my 1600 if I do. they are a year old and not used much

 

[fnberzerker]

Ok I am in the market for a good rangefinder and haven't used that many so I am not sure what the best bang for the buck is. Got my eyes on a Leica 1600B but have looked at Nikon monarc 1200, zeiss victory, and leupold 1000. My uses will be for shooting reflective targets to 1200 yds and hunting out to 800+yds. Please give your thoughts and experiences good and bad. Also open to other brands, Thanks James

+1 on the Leica. My 1600b has ranged to 1800+ yds. It is super clear and fast as others have said. If you can't afford the Terrapin, go for the Leica.

 

[generalzip]

I have the swarovski. From everything I've read the glass is better and range is better with the swaro. Only thing better is the terrapin.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ring]

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2013/...iews-field-tests-ranging-performance-results/

for the cash.. the bushys///

 

[Bobo3020]

The zeiss victory is awesome for the money!

 

[kmose73]

I love my lieca. Can range antelope at 750 yards, probably farther if I had a steady rest. Trees and houses past 1700 yrds.

 

[Genhawk]

Just got a Lecia 1600b for "Christmas" to myself... Man that thing is amazing! Super clear, super fast and no problem hitting cows at 1400 yards! Wish I would have had one years ago!

 

[Ultraman550]

Just got a Lecia 1600b for "Christmas" to myself... Man that thing is amazing! Super clear, super fast and no problem hitting cows at 1400 yards! Wish I would have had one years ago!

Crows? That small of a target? I was just going to ask if it will range a 100% IPSC target so thanks for answering my unasked question.

PS: are you sure you were hitting the crows and not something bigger behind?

 

[Coloradocop]

Ok I am in the market for a good rangefinder and haven't used that many so I am not sure what the best bang for the buck is. Got my eyes on a Leica 1600B but have looked at Nikon monarc 1200, zeiss victory, and leupold 1000. My uses will be for shooting reflective targets to 1200 yds and hunting out to 800+yds. Please give your thoughts and experiences good and bad. Also open to other brands, Thanks James

I didn't read the other replies, since this topic has certainly been beat to death with very opinionated responses in the past.

But, for whatever it's worth, I have the Leica 1600B model (have had it for a year now), and I think it will do everything you're asking it to do. I can typically hit 1,200 yards on most natural objects without too many problems (trees, grass, rocks, elk, cows, horses). In the worst possible conditions I still seem to be able to pull 1,000 yards, and in more optimal conditions I've ranged trees and rocks to just shy of 2,000 yards on a number of occasions. I also like that this rangefinder will give you your shooting angle on the target you're ranging. I should mention that here in Colorado we deal with very intense bright sun on a regular basis, and that's one of the least optimal condition for ranging.

I'm sure the Terrapin is superior based on people's opinions around here, but it's a damn big price step to go from a Leica to a Terrapin. As for the other models you've mentioned, I've seen them struggle a bit at much closer ranges. My friend's Leupold was incapable of ranging a 12" steel target beyond 500 yards, which is a distance I've NEVER had problems with.

Another option to consider is the Bushnell Fusion rangefinding binocular. A friend had a set of these, and they worked pretty darn good as well.

Anyway, I'm satisfied with my Leica, and I think it's a pretty good value when it is stacked up against the competition. If I ever start shooting (regularly) at 1,500 yards or more, a Terrapin will probably be on my list, but the Leica handles my normal shooting really well right now.

 

[Coloradocop]

I have a Leica 1600 and it is awesome. I cannot get it to read over 1999, but have had great luck with it out to that distance.

Yeah, I think it must be programmed to stop at that distance. I've repeatedly pulled ranges in the 1990-1999 distance, but have never actually cleared 2,000 on the display.

 

[LocoGringo]

Crows? That small of a target? I was just going to ask if it will range a 100% IPSC target so thanks for answering my unasked question.

PS: are you sure you were hitting the crows and not something bigger behind?

Cows...not Crows.

 

[Genhawk]

Crows? That small of a target? I was just going to ask if it will range a 100% IPSC target so thanks for answering my unasked question.

PS: are you sure you were hitting the crows and not something bigger behind?

Maybe....

 

[matt2143]

I've had a Leica 1600B, Bushnell 1600 fusion binos and now have a Terrapin. I have also used a little bit of everything else out there. Performance wise, I miss my Fusions, they worked flawlessly and I would have bought the mile version if I hadn't have been able to pick up the Terrapin. The Leica was a disappointment. If I had to ditch the Terrapin and settle on a lower end unit I would get a Swarovski or Bushnell Mile binos. To those that say they have used their rangefinders in the worst conditions and still get 1k yards, I call BS! I've used my Terrapin at known distance areas where the unit would only read 36 or 37 yards for hours! I also have seen the same results at the same place and conditions with my Leica and Bushnells so I can honestly say I have been in conditions where I could mil and shoot a target but my LRF was worthless. Also when you shoot beyond 1k yards you start coming to a point in bullet drop where 2 yards can change things from a hit to a miss, this is where the Terrapin shines. I would get readings to 1700 yards on targets and got the we and fuzzies with other units until I bought the Terrain and realized I was getting other units kicking back ranges of other objects around or near what I was aiming for. Also a rule of thumb when buying LRFs that most people don't understand is that you should use the half rule, I.e. if my LRF says 1600 yards I know I can count on it giving accurate and consistent ranges to 800 yards all day long. Its just a fact. But honestly out of the box my Leica 1600 couldnt range a 100% IPSC at 1056 yards but it would range a barn at 1647, a lot of good it did me.

 

[Coloradocop]

If you were only getting to 36-37 yards on your rangefinder you must have been shooting in some heavy precipitation or fog, I'm guessing. If that's the case you really can't expect performance from any rangefinder. To clarify my last post, I don't think of those conditions as "worst conditions", but rather as conditions beyond the limitations of that type of tool. The only time I've had that kind of crappy performance out of my Leica was in those kinds of conditions, though it was heavy snow falling out here. Now, I will say that I've had sub-optimal performance by ranging fallen snow itself, but since I'm always shooting at something on/next to the snow, that hasn't really proven to be a problem. I think the reflective target thing throws some people off, too. I sometimes have trouble with glass buildings, or vehicle windows, etc. A lot of people think of these as good reflective targets, but I think these kinds of targets often interfere with the laser's return, or its interpretation by the unit (I'm not an engineer, so excuse my layman's speak here). In other words, I may not get a good range on the glass building at 1000 yards, but the small juniper bush next to it might give me a great return, as would a different hard surface on that same building, etc.

I agree with the half rule, but I've still had good luck out to 1,000 yards with my Leica. Has it absolutely ranged every target I've ever pointed it at at 1,000 yards? Probably not. But, it works pretty good and reliably at that distance on the kind of targets I shoot, and things I range. I'd label it a good 1,000 yard rangefinder, and be happy in knowing that it sometimes (often) works even further out.