good range finder

[PrimeTime]

Hello fellas,
I want a good laser range finder that will range up to 1,000 yards. I currently have the Yardage Pro 1,000 and it will only range to about 700 and not even that under some conditions. Is there a better unit around for a reasonable cost?

 

[p dog shooter]

I have a pro 1000 I have ranged reflective targets out t0 1500 yds. I have trouble on bright sunny days because of back ground light. Game does not reflect so they a hard at longer ranges. I seem to get good ranges useing trees ect. If you could find a Mil. laser but the comm. ones have all kinds of restrictions on the power they put out.

 

[Ken Howell]

Just posted this on the "Reviews" forum, below.
______________________

What I need to know about anybody's laser rangefinder is how accurate you've found them to be. Lacking a surveyor's chain or a surveyor's rope (which I use — would prefer a chain), check the spacing between utility poles so you can "lase" on known distances — from one pole to four, five, six or however many poles down the line you can "lase" on, within the maximum range of the range-finder. Have a partner hold up a big card at each target pole, and "lase" on that.

All other reports about snow, lanyards, battery compartments, and scratched lenses are totally irrelevant TO ME without any sharp report on how ACCURATE the darn thing is — at 567 yards, does it READ 567 yards? If not, how far off is it?

Also, if it's off, can you calibrate it? I have a Barr & Stroud (250-20,000 yards) and a Wild (300-20,000 meters) optical range-finders. Last night, I "zeroed" the B&S — set it at infinity, using Venus as my index. (I assume that most would agree that for all practical intents and purposes, we can assume that Venus is at "infinity!")

On instruments that show readouts to the last digit or decimal place, accuracy to that last significant figure is often a false assumption. Don't let the readout fool you. Check it.
______________

Should've added my field alternative to the utility poles for establishing known distances.

Driving down the highway, I count the reflector posts in a mile. This count gives me the spacing between posts, therefore the distance from one post to any other post in sight (assuming that all the in-between posts are in sight and easily counted).

A KNOWN distance is critical to checking any kind of range-finder for accuracy.

I'm amazed at how few users ever think to check accuracy over known distances. Frequent checks are wise. At least one basic check is imperative. I don't like being lied to or given inaccurate information, by man or by instrument.

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Hello

It has been my experiance that, "There are NO commercial laser rangefinders that will repeat day in day out in all types of weather condition." The ones I have owned are worthless to our type of shooting.

The only true laser units are US or Russian Military lasers and they will do the job and are very accurate in all conditions.
The Russian LRU-1 is the most powerful of all and this is the unit I own along with several of my friends.

Checking the known distance to the target at the Williasport 1000 yard club the unit repeats EVERY time in sun, shade or rain 1022 yards after the conversion is made from meters. The 1022 yards is the surveyed yardage. I also have known distances in the mountain area of North Central Pa that I check the accuracy of this laser and it has NEVER read a false reading yet.
The Russian laser will range to 12 miles and have a plus or minus of 5 meters. That my friends is a powerful laser unit.
From time to time I run across these units and have contacts in Europe.
I had 4 sets of these not long ago and now I'm down to just one ---Mine. When people hear about them, they want one because they know what they will do.
You can range an animal, rock, a tree or anything you can see in the 7X viewfinder.

The Russians are $3000.00 to $3500.00 when you can find them and worth every penny if your a "Serious" Longrange hunter.

I keep my Barr and Strouds in the closet now that I have the Russian Military laser.

Just some information concerning accurate military laser rangefinders.

Darryl Cassel

 

[MikeW]

Darryl,
Do have any experience with this range finder? X20 Range finder

Thx.

 

[Len Backus]

Mike

This looks to be a variation of one that I own. This is the third brand name I have seen associated with it. It costs upwards of $1,500 and works quite well. I forgot what my brand name is, XLR or Impulse 2k, I think.
http://www.lamsa.com/xlr.html
http://www.lasertech.com/productline/impulsemat.html

I have owned mine several years. I have tested it on dark trees out as far as I can see on my land: 1,400 yards or so. I also ranged out to 1,400 yards in bright sunshine over snow out in Montana last November. During that hunt it wouldn't range past 300 in snowfall but I have since learned how the "set a gate" to punch through falling snow. Now snow does not affect its range at least out to the 1,000 yards or so that I tested it to last winter.

I ended up throwing away the cheap scope included with the purchase and bought a better one for $90 to use with the rangefinder. All in all, not as good as Darryl's military unit at ultra-long range but very good out to 1,400 and probably out to its rated range of 2k. I highly recommend it.

If you need to know its ranging ability beyond my currently tested range of 1,400 yards let me know and I can find a way to test out further.

 

[MikeW]

Yeah I've seen it advertised as an XLR.
What I'd be interested in knowing is,will
it range a PD or a rockchuck at a 1000 yrds in dirt or grass on a sunny day.

I have a Nikon 800 right now and it's about
worthless for this purpose. A friend has
a Stroud that I can borrow but haven't
used the thing yet.

 

[5-shot]

A question for those with some practical experience with available range finders. Will any one of them work on a ground-hog or a 7 inch by 11 inch target in a alfalfa field at ranges of say 250 to 400 yards. I have a Tasco which has troble with a barn at over 250 yards (it could be defective).

Thanks for any info.
Bill C.

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Mike

I have a friend that bought one and has had nothing but grief with it.

He does not speak well about it. I see Len has had success with his. I think Len is one of the few I have heard that has had success.
I received a call from the company back a year or two ago. They wanted me to test the unit and send in the report of what I found.
I told them I would and that I would test it in the sunlight, shade, misty rain, slight snow and different temperatures and write truthfully about my findings.
THEY NEVER SENT ME ONE FOR TESTING.

The Military (much more powerful) units are what I use because of the extended range they will work at in ANY weather and sunlight changes during the day or week.

To answer the other poster about the field ranging at 250 to 350 yds on chucks or whatever---The answer is yes, the Military laser units will do it all day long accuratly.

They are worth the $3000.00 to $3500.00 spent on them when you can find one.

Later
DC

 

[MikeW]

Darryl,
Where do you find them or look for them?
Is there a specific model?
Thx.