Range Finder questions

[Slipshot]

I am in the market for a new range finder. What is the best one for ranging out to 500 yds? Would like one with zip and scan features.
You guys seem to be in the know so any help is appreciated.

[Kenster-Boy]

Well I have heard excellent reviews on the Leica rangefinders. I don't have any of them but will be getting one before the end of the summer. I have a bushnell and they are junk for the long stuff. They are way over rated for the distances they say they will go. I have a 600 yard model and can't get a reading on ANYTHING over about 400.

If all you needed was one for 500 yards then a Leica 800 would be perfect. It would also be useful if you decided to stretch the distances even furthur.

[bucknutz]

i parted with a bushnell 800 for a leica 900. well worth it!
although for only 500 yds the bushnell will give you a treeline reading,it takes a garage door size semireflective object to read that far,it will be ok if the ground taper is angled toward you.a white barn to read 750yds.the leica is much better.keep an eye out for someone upgrading.i got mine from a guy that won one in a drawing the night before who had a leica 1200,for $340.00 nib it pays to go to groundhog shoots [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Slipshot]

[ QUOTE ]
,it takes a garage door size semireflective object to read that far,it will be ok if the ground taper is angled toward you.a white barn to read 750yds.

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Not many of the above were I hunt and if there was a deer wouldn't walk out of the brush anywere near them [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
I was wondering about Bushnell and how good they were. Guess that answers that question.
I looked through a Nikon 440 and a Swarovski yesterday on a bright sunny day. The swarovski has a illuminated red circle thats hard to see on a bright day but the optics were FANTASTIC. Of course the price was sky high. The Nikon worked well and the optics were very good but was looking for a bit more range. Both units were within 1 yard of each other on everything we ranged.
The one thing I have noticed about most range finders is the 400 to 500 have 8X and the 600 to 1200 have 6X or 7X optics. Looks to me like it should be reversed. I am sure they have there reasons for doing it that way.

The Leica work well in rain or foggy conditions? I understood that was were the zip feature came into play.

Thanks guys

[royinidaho]

I have a Leica 1200,buddy has Nikon 800. Leica is head and shoulders above the Nikon. Would recommend the Leica 1200 for your purposes. Great optics, I would say 100% readings out to 500. My experiene is that the effecive distance of an LRF is about 75% of published range. The more money the higher the percentage.

Have heard good things about the Bushnell 1500 though.

Don't know what zip is but rain and fog degrades every LRF I've used.

FWIW

[bucknutz]

the bushnell 1500 just had an excellent review on this forum reciently for nearly the same $$$ as the leica 900.the smaller bushnells are just a toy! but are definately better than not having one,and im sure i'll grow out of this 900 someday too lablover is here with a bushnell 1500 so i'll know more about it when we put it to the test tomorrow on groundhogs. that looks like the hot one now...read the post

[goodgrouper]

4 words:
Leicas just work best!
[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]