What's a good rangefinder?

[Patriot]

The only superior features on the CRF are size, weight, 8% larger exit pupil (this is very minimal) and single shot accuracy when handheld, compared to the 1200 model on single shot. Since the CRF is more ergonomically designed as compared to the square style, the lasing button only requires half the depression force resulting in less shaking when handheld.

Compared to the CRF he 1200 Scan is slightly larger, (the size of a sandwich) a few oz heavier, and has one more extra external lense to keep clean. (3 instead of 2) The 1200 Scan is less accurate on a single laser shot although that's not really an issue since both models scan. The 1200 Scans 9V battery lasts quite a bit longer than the CRF's CR2, especially when used with a lithium.

Quite honestly, the 1200 Scan is a better value. Unless you need your rangfinder it fit into a small, breast pocket there isn't much of a point to spending the extra money on the CRF.

Note: The Leicas will sometimes range further than 1200 yards. I've ranged a house at night time at 1342 yards. Depending on conditions you may occasionally see performance exceed specification. Leica does not overate their specs like some companies. They under promise and over deliver. I like that!

 

[LuxLuthor]

OK, good feedback, thanks!

 

[Patriot]

John, having had an oportunity to briefly use all of the models that you linked, this one is the best value:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0027403711049a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=range+finder&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=range+finder&noImage=0

It's hits 800 yards easily without repeated lasing. The body of the 800 is more robust and has a more solid feel. It's designed to be used with one or two hands and it a great general purpose rangefinder. My friend Rob, has had one of these for about 3 years and I've used it often.

The Scout is designed for people who need something very compact at the expense of outright performance and flexibility. It's marketed to bowhunters specifically, who usually range at a 100 yards and under. It's maximum range of 700 yards is a stretch and that's if you're aiming at a house. In bright daylight on a medium sized animal your looking at 200-350 yards real world performance. Often you end up just lasing the largest thing near the animal (like a tree) to get range, because it's much easier than trying to get a reflection off the animal itself.

The Legend has good performance and the big plus...it's waterproof unlike the other models. My problem with this model is that now you're within $125 bucks of the Mercedes-Benz quality Leica 1200 Scan, which smokes the Legend in every measured catagory, plus the catagories that are harder to measure with numbers such as optical quality. I can't overstate this enough, the LCD based veiwfinders are not even in the same league optically. It would be like the difference between a tool box battered lexan mag lense compared to a brand new 1.90mm UCL. The Lecias are also extremely rugged, have a nicer feel and the benefit of Leica Warranty service should you ever need it.

You just have to consider what your uses are going to be vs. your budget.

 

[LuxLuthor]

Here's a handy free utility that incorporates into your browser to give nice short URL's that don't mess up the display:

http://tinyurl.com/ynoap9

 

[CLHC]

Leica is certainly up there for their RangeFinders. There's also Leupold's line to check out, if one wishes to.

http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=4715

Enjoy!

 

[Rayne]

Would the Bushnell Yardage Pro Legend be considered a good but if it were cheaper? I just saw model# 20-0003W (the black one) at Costco today for $249.99 and it comes with a case and a CR2 battery. The item number at Costco is 128186. I was thinking about getting a rangefinder one of these days for air rifle shooting and trying to teach myself to become good at estimating distance. Is it a good rangefinder and is it a good deal? Thanks.

 

[Lunal_Tic]

I was actually thinking about a range finder too but mainly as a way of telling the target distance when doing a flashlight shoot out. I take it that the Leica will work better for this since it uses a real optic?

-LT

 

[jtice]

Patriot36,

Thanks for the comments, that helped.
I am also thinking the Yardard Pro 800 is the best for me,
This wont see too much hardcore use, and I dont need it super small.
For the amount of use it will get, I think the price on that one is just right.

Thanks
~John

 

[Patriot]

Would the Bushnell Yardage Pro Legend be considered a good but if it were cheaper? I just saw model# 20-0003W (the black one) at Costco today for $249.99 and it comes with a case and a CR2 battery. The item number at Costco is 128186. I was thinking about getting a rangefinder one of these days for air rifle shooting and trying to teach myself to become good at estimating distance. Is it a good rangefinder and is it a good deal? Thanks.

Rayne, that's a great price for a small waterproof rangefinder that works well on a wide variety of targets well past 800 yards. That's the best price on the unit that I've ever seen.

***John*** Rayne found the the Pro Legend at Costo for a $249. He included the item# above. That's hard to beat for the money. It's water/moisture proof too!!

 

[Patriot]

I was actually thinking about a range finder too but mainly as a way of telling the target distance when doing a flashlight shoot out. I take it that the Leica will work better for this since it uses a real optic?

-LT

It's not so much that the Leica will "work better" it's just that it might be more enjoyable to use depending on what you're using it for. If you just need to know that a tree is 177 yards away, a bushnell, nikon or leupold is going to do just as well of a job as the leica. If you want to see what kind of bird is sitting on the 3rd branch up and then examine it's colors, the leica or swarovski are best. At night time when doing a flashlight shootout you have the option to just illuminate your target with a flashlight or spotlight in order to then range it. It will be easier with a true optic rangefinder and in that sense you could say that it would "work better" One of the missing stats in most range finders is that they rarely talk about field of view. Most inexpesive rangefinders can give the user a bit of a "toilet paper tube" effect, where you have to hunt for your target while looking through it. The true optic range finders have a huge field of veiw (measured by degrees or feet/yards viewable at 1000 yards/meters) with a clear image from edge to edge. This makes it easier to center your target in a background with lots of clutter or when there isn't a lot of light to distinguish one tree from the next.

When there is less available light as in dawn, dusk, or dimly lit night, the leica have a huge advantage because of the 15% - 35% greater light transmission through the optic. At night time the leica and swarovski can be used with just the light of a full moon because you can actually see objects through the range finder. With other rangefinders you put them up to your eye only to see a black void, and that's fine if you primarily use it during the daytime.

In low light, one of the characteristics of a (view through the crystal)rangefinder is that they can only display range information with black display. In order to see the image after the range is displayed the unit must backlight the LCD display with a red wash of LED light. When this happens it reds out your view of what ever you were just aiming or looking at and you can't take another look or range reading until the default 3-5 second illumination time of the LED turns off. A frustrating scenario with low light backlighting could be; you're aiming at a small moving animal, you miss it with your first laze and accidentally, but knowingly hit it object behind it. The screen goes red to display the range to the target that you didn't intend to hit. Now the animal is getting away while your view is washed out for several seconds. As soon as the red LED shuts off then you're able to see through the viewfinder and can try again and hopefully the animal is still there.

The leica and swarovski don't have this problem. It doesn't need to use backlighting because the display characters (the aiming reticle and range info) are displayed in red. The red characters also auto-adjust for ambient light. During the daytime they become bright enough to see against almost any background. At nighttime or low light the display auto-dims itself so that it doesn't destroy the night vision of your eye.

 

[Lunal_Tic]

Patriot36,

Thanks for the detailed explanation. Off to do some research. Costco over here doesn't have that range finder so I'll have to check around.

-LT

 

[LuxLuthor]

Looks like a year later the Leica 1200 is still the one to get.

 

[Patriot]

Looks like a year later the Leica 1200 is still the one to get.

Still waiting to hear if it's all you expected and more... :naughty: