My Field Test of The G7-BR2 Rangefinder

[Greyfox]

My opinion the small beams don't need it. MY Vectronix will sneak through brush, rain, snow and what ever. It has precise cross hairs for pin point aim and flat gets it done with ot switching modes.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff

 

[bigbuck]

Great write up. I am just took delivery of my Vectronix Terrapin and very happy with that. A buddy has a PLRF10 and we get very the same distances side by side. The only difference is processor speed which the PLRF10 definitely has a faster processor but certainly no need to spend the extra money on the PLRF10.

I also have the Leica 1600 and have been happy with that but pushing the limit on rocks at 1600+ yards has been difficult at times to get the Leica to give me accurate readings.

If was shooting a rifle that was only a 1000 to 1600 yard rifle i would have never purchased Terrapin. However, I have 3 rifles capable of being lethal*** past 2,000 yards, and determined that I should have a range finder that can give you accurate readings for the stated purpose.

*** Lethal in my definition as follows; Rocks, Rock Chucks, Coyotes, Crows and Al Qaeda - anything you don't have to go check for a blood trail and then have to track, gut and pack. I would feel extremely bad making an incorrect wind call on an Big Game animal and not being able to recover. "Leave no Elk behind" is my motto!

I really liked this reply "Leathal in my definition as follows; The latter !

 

[338Tejas]

Great evaluation Jeff! I have the G7 which I have used along side of my Geovids which in most cases gives me a back up reading since I'm almost always using my binoculars in concert for my 1000 yard max shooting distance when hunting. Readings are almost always the same with the exception of the tougher ranging situations that you describe. In those cases I look for a distance match between the two readings to confirm that my range is accurate. So far the ballistics calculator in the G7 gives identical readings to my program, including corrections for angled shots which is a great feature of the G7. I will soon be extending my range with a 338 I'm working on, and considering the Vectronix. The nice thing about the G7 is that the programable near and far ranging enables the unit to ignore close range interferences like brush or small branches that I sometimes encounter while deer hunting that my Geovids can't handle. Does the Vectronix have this kind of capability?

Per the Vectronix Terrapin User Manual:

MULTIPLE OBJECT MEASUREMENT:
Up to three separate distances in the line of sight can be obtained with a single
measurement.

 

[Broz]

Per the Vectronix Terrapin User Manual:

MULTIPLE OBJECT MEASUREMENT:
Up to three separate distances in the line of sight can be obtained with a single
measurement.

Good point! I wasn't sure the Terrapin had this option. In fact I forgot my PLRF10 does it. I have never used it. I just use it in standard mode and it always hits what the crosshairs are on.

Jeff

 

[captacademy]

Thanks Jeff for testing the RF's. I have both Swaro's, the 8x30 and new RF Bino's, but wish I would have held out for the PLRF05's. That being said, I am saving up some money to get the PLRF05's. I had thought about the G-7, but would like to shoot beyond 1200 yards with my 338 LM.

Again. thanks for posting your test results!

 

[Eaglet]

Broz,

I will agree with Len and everyone else, you did a great job!

I enjoyed reading it and do appreciate you sharing all that work.

Thanks!

 

[captacademy]

Who currently has the best price on the PLRF-05?

 

[HAMMERHAND]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcXprhRbN0Y]Spot laser beam - YouTube[/ame]

This video on youtube shows beam divergence measured with night vision on targets between several different manufacturers. It would be great to try the G7 rangefinder alongside the rest of those. It shows clearly why swaro and zeiss would lose against the leica and vectronix, and how close the beam divergence is between the vectronix and leica's.

 

[captacademy]

I thought the Zeiss RFB and PLRF10 were the closest. Does anyone know the distance of this test, I must have missed it.

 

[COBrad]

Very interesting. I too would like to see how the G7 compares. Last time I was out I ranged a small rock outcrop at 1380 with my G7, and put a shot on target. So far I am still very happy with the unit. Only problem I am having now is I am beginning to exceed the 1400 yard ballistic solution capability of the unit and will have to go with a small computer for software next year. Fortunately the G7 will give me ranges out to 2K, so I won't have to replace it... yet.

 

[Broz]

Very interesting. I too would like to see how the G7 compares. Only problem I am having now is I am beginning to exceed the 1400 yard ballistic solution capability of the unit and will have to go with a small computer for software next year. Fortunately the G7 will give me ranges out to 2K, so I won't have to replace it... yet.

Brad, To give you an idea the G7 would be even larger than the Swaro and more like the Zeiss mono RF.

I am glad to hear yor unit is working so well for you. Thats cool!! I am curious as to how many times you have ranged to 2000 yards with it and in what lighting conditions? The one I tested did range a large flat rock face at 0ver 2000 one evening right before dark for me, but durring mid day light it was struggling to get me to 1600. Also if I remember correctly Shawn reported the same results as I with longer distances. Comparing to the PLRF10 the farther out you went past 1000 the farther the reading of the G7 were off. In my opnion this is due to the increased beam size the farther you go out. Just something to watch for.

Jeff

 

[COBrad]

Thanks for your input Broz. I once read that one should figure on about 66% of a rangefinders advertised capability as a good working distance. That would suggest the G7 should have a realistic using range of 1320 yds. That fits my experience with it pretty well. Once I get out past that it begins to be more difficult to get readings. When I was trying to range a marmot at around 1400 on a featureless grassy hillside, I had to go to a pile of rocks first, then was able to get a read when I mounted the unit on a tripod. Trying to range those 1600 yard targets is very dependent on lighting and, I am guessing, target reflectivity.
I am going to try G7's little hand computer next year. If the capability of the 7 rem mag and 180 gr Berger VLD proves to be much more than 1400 yards I'll have to add a Vectronix unit, but I'll still keep the G7 for big game hunting because it has been very accurate and fast for me.

 

[Broz]

Yep that what I found too. Thanks!

Jeff

 

[Greyfox]

I just came back from a week of hunting whitetails and antelope in the foothills of the Bighorns in Wyoming. It was a great opportunity to put the unit through a very practical hunting test with just about every condition I usually encounter and test all the capabilities along side of my Leica Geovids which I have found to perform quite similiar to other Leica models I have used in the past. I programmed the unit for my 6.5x284 pet load and had with me my traditional equipment for back up. Temperatures ranged from 30-85 degrees, bright sunlight to snow, all angles, and varied elevations. Most importantly numerous real life problems of interfering brush, hills, other animals close to the target animal etc. I ranged over 200 animals between 200 and a little over 1300 yards, what I found to be the practical limit using the computer program. I didn't do any testing at longer ranges. I did go through a new battery and probably most of a second. Finally did some rock testing out to 1000 yards to check my rifle's impact compared to my traditional equipment. I was very pleased with the unit. The computing capability was superb and worked as claimed with my single turret. For easy ranging without obstacles, reads were always within a couple of yards of the Leicas. The G7 was worth it's weight in gold for the interferences. I think the single most important feature of the G7 is near/far ranging capability. It took some practice, but once mastered I was able to get ranges in the tight sage, trees, barbed wire fences, brush, even at very long ranges that the Liecas could not read. I shot a 15" goat in the sage at 460 yards that would have been a no go with my Leicas, same for a whitetail buck in the trees off a +30 degree bluff at 475 and picked a single whitetail doe in a heard at 690 for and angled lung shot. I think the near/far off sets beam divergence differences for practical hunting solutions. This was probably the best investment I have made yet for my style of long range hunting.