Range Finder

[Broz]

I bought the Zeiss PRF and I am a little concerned about the divergence, but so far just playing with it in my back "yard" it doesn't seem prohibitive. I am able to range a house down the hill @ 1250 and there is the edge of another hill in the foreground, I have experimented to see what it takes to have it read that instead, you have to be wobbly or really on the edge, and the edge of the hill is 750.

The beam is quite a bit smaller at 750 than at 1250 so you can get over the hill. Plus the house windows are way more reflective. An animal in sage brush is a whole different stroy. The good news is you are practising and this will help.

Jeff

 

[gjk5]

The beam is quite a bit smaller at 750 than at 1250 so you can get over the hill. Plus the house windows are way more reflective. An animal in sage brush is a whole different stroy. The good news is you are practising and this will help.

Jeff

Yep, I am heading up to the cabin next weekend and will play with it in the scrub oak and down lower on the junipers to get a feel for it. We are thick with muleys right now (and a good number of bears) so I'm sure I can range some animals.

No matter what I am sure it will beat that *** ARC 1000!

 

[Greg Duerr]

Jeff

Yes, and when you do that it usually takes a lot of the steam out of most RF................they all look impressive until you start ranging game animals and thats pretty much why we buy them.

G

 

[Jordan Smith]

Is it true that the fusion 1600 doesnt work well in cold weather ?

As you can see, I live in Canada. This last season I had the Fusion up north, moose hunting. I used the RF in - 30*C weather, and while the display had some delay in showing changes, the RF portion performed flawlessly to beyond 1800 yards on numerous occasions.

 

[Jordan Smith]

I almost bit on a Fusion as I've used and us some other Bushnell range finders, but I've found that the beam deliverance is absolute key, the Bushnell range finders have a 2x4 mil beam which is great for getting a range but what are you ranging? If you have a deer in sage brush at a 1000 yards half your 72in deep beam may be on game may be on sage brush or air, I've had and used a couple Bushnell rangefinders and love them for bow hunting or regular hunting but for long range hunting for me it's proven to be a shot in the dark at best as to weather your getting a good range.

Last year the Bushnell cost me a cold bore hit on a bull because it was ranging of a lower part of the hill and I shot way low, I didn't have my Leica which would have tapped him with ease so I had to wait for him to get near a tree which was big enough to get a solid range on, with the right range the next shot drilled him right at the water line at 865 yards!!

My Fusion has resulted in several cold bore hits beyond 1000, on targets as small as 12" diameter rocks. The most comforting thing for me, is that measurements are very repeatable, indicating that the beam is hitting the same target each time.

 

[Broz]

My Fusion has resulted in several cold bore hits beyond 1000, on targets as small as 12" diameter rocks. The most comforting thing for me, is that measurements are very repeatable, indicating that the beam is hitting the same target each time.

Jordan, I don't doubt your success one bit. But terrain often dictates what RF will work a large percentage of the time. What BnG and I are refering to would be like placing that rock in some flatter terrain with sage brush around it, like we often shoot antelope, deer and elk. That is where the bigger beams fail. Or like my Kansas deer hunt where the Swaro would grab corn stalks and would not give me two conseutive reading on a huge WT Buck in a flat cornfield. A hillside with a deer, elk or rock is easy until that time when there is a small tree 50 yards slightly in front of, or to the side of the game. I am not saying the Bushnell is not working for you or is not a value for $500. What we are saying is, if you hunt with a large beam long enough it will bite you just like it has BnG and I both.

JMO from my own experiences

Jeff

Jeff

 

[Jordan Smith]

I totally concur.

I was simply pointing out that a guy can have good success at long range with the Bushnell, despite the 2x4 mrad beam divergence. Is it the best range finder out there? No. If I had several thousand to spend on a RF, I'd be on the phone right now to get a Vectronix on the way. But is the Bushnell as good as the better consumer-grade RF's on the market? I believe so. I hope we don't throw the baby out with the wash, just because the beam is a little bigger than we'd like The target and bush modes, offering the ability to display the range to the closest or farthest target acquired within the beam, are helpful if we're worried about a depth of perception error. A lateral error (ranging a tree 10 feet to the right of the deer) is unavoidable, unfortunately.

Having said that, my particular unit performs well beyond what the specifications published by Bushnell say it should. I don't know if all of them work this well, but mine sure does.

 

[Greg Duerr]

So the Bushnell 1600 will give you and accurate reading out to 600 yds on Deer or Elk??? Even in sage brush??

Right now a 800 yd shot is out of my league Im working on getting up to a 600 yard.

G

 

[Broz]

Having said that, my particular unit performs well beyond what the specifications published by Bushnell say it should. I don't know if all of them work this well, but mine sure does.

Jordan I agree, I still cringe at the thought of what I spent to get a Vectronix. But if I had to do it again I would in a heartbeat. But as you stated there are still models that will fill the bill to 1000 and some beyond for under $1000 or even $750. It is just important that we discuss these thing so new buyers know what to look for. It could save a few 3 legged deer.

As for you getting a good one, I can tell you after testing 4 or 5 Swaro's and about that many Leicas some always work better than others. It seems Leica has this fixed with their 1600 now as all reports seem to be good these days. As for the Leica CRF1200 every one I have ever tested including the one I keep for back up works very well to 1000 plus and has recorded its longest distance of 1485 on a tree. Also it is important than when someone states something about their "Leica 1200" , that we define it is the newer design CRF1200 and not the older flat 1200 rangemaster that was not nearly up to the speed of the newer CRF's.

Jeff

 

[Greg Duerr]

Jeff

So what Im hearing is that it a good bet to just buy the Leica 1600 and not get to conserned about saving an extra $200 At least from your experiance and others like you you know what your getting and what it will do.

G

 

[Broz]

Greg, I have no first hand experience with the Bushnell. I try to only post what I know has worked for me. So you will have to read the other guys posts that have used them and decide. My opinion of the Bushnell come from two things, what I have learned in thefield about beam divergence the hard way like BnG. And the one Bushnell warranty experience I had years ago with a brand new faulty pair of Bino's. But we won't go into that. What I can tell you is this. If it were me I would buy a CRF1600 for $750 or wait to find a CRF1200 used for $425ish. Or put an add in the sale optic section "wanted to buy" I know what either of these will do in the field, as I have used them both extensively. I know they will do what you are requesting.

Jeff

 

[barnesuser28]

i have the leica crf1200 and it is awesome. it will give very consistant readings. the farthest i have ranged with it is 1323 on a white rock

 

[Greg Duerr]

Thanks Jeff

 

[Jordan Smith]

So the Bushnell 1600 will give you and accurate reading out to 600 yds on Deer or Elk??? Even in sage brush??

Right now a 800 yd shot is out of my league Im working on getting up to a 600 yard.

G

Without question.

As I said, I've owned and used the Leica 1200 and the Bushnell Fusion, and I've compared them side by side, as well as the Zeiss PRF, and the readings that I get out of each unit out to about 1200 yards are almost always within a yard or two of each other. The Zeiss will get a reading beyond 1200 yards a bit more reliably than will the Leica, and the Bushnell kills them both.

I've had no trouble ranging deer out to 1300 yards, and cattle out to around 1800. Deer and elk to 600 is a gimme.