Review of Leupold RX4

[grit]

GG,

Thanks for the review. It is fantastic to recieve info from a reliable, experienced source. I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of these units. I have yet to try an rx4, but was dissapointed with the rest of the line.

The question remains,for me, which rangefinder? I have looked through the bushnells, and leicas. I would like the inclinometer. The bushnell offered the ARC feature, and seemed to have nice optics. I didn't like the rifle mode. You had to choose a ballistic group, then the unit displayed line of sight yardage, incline, and bullet drop based on a "ballistic group". It obviously calculates horizontal distance, just doesn't display it.

I would like to see the rifle mode function exactly as the bow mode, only further. Unless you could input your own ballistic info for your various rifles/loads/etc. I also thought you could use this rangefinder by doing some drop comparison work (or perhaps a cosign chart), and including inches of drop on your drop cards (which I currently don't).

I would be greatly interested in a review of the bushnell 1500 with arc, or any other rangefinder with similar features. Is anyone using this bushnell? Burris? Is there another with the features the leupold is supposed to have, that works??

I am trying to avoid carrying a pda.

 

[lerch]

I am still waiting for our rep to get us a set of the RX4's to play around with.

I still recommend the swaro's as the all out best rangefinder for long range shooting. nothing i have seen can compare to them and me and Bill Bailey are selling them to guys on this forum right now for a price lower than you will find anywhere!!!!!!!!

steve

 

[xr650rRider]

I just received a new Leupold RX-4 from Cabela's on Tuesday. They had been on order for a couple of months. I'm a newby with rangefinders and this is the first set I've ever used. I thought the compass and thermometer would be a nice addition but after finding out you have to disable other features to use them, I wouldn't have wasted my money. After nearly going blind cycling through the mode menu, I finally got them set for >150 yards, 1st target mode on, TBR mode on and ballistic group B on. I calibrated the compass and was ready for ranging. I used them out the door of my shop at around 10:00 am. Bright sunny day and around 85 degrees. I could range horses pretty easily out to 240 yards. There is a big oak tree in an opening and I could range it at 591 yards. There is a treeline on the other side of the opening at around 1000 yards and I never could range them. This is a tree line that is 1/2 mile long with 30-40 ft. trees. Were building a shooting range and have telephone poles in the ground at 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 yards. I could range the 200 and 300 yard post pretty easily. I was having trouble getting a reading at 400 yards on the poles but finally did when using a tripod. It seems you have to hold the button for at least 3 seconds to get a reading at that range. Seems if you release the button and move off the target it won't get a reading. I next tried the 500 yard post and never could get a reading. I got a friend to drive down the range and turn his pickup broadside at the 600 yard target. I never did get a reading at 600 yards. He moved the pickup to 500 yards and I got one reading at 516 yards while he was driving to the target. Once there I never got another reading. I went back through the menu and turned first target off. Still no reading. I turned rain mode on, still no reading. It was around 90+ degrees at this time but I would have thought that a supposed 1500 yard rangefinder could range an extended cab, full size GMC pickup sitting broadside at 500 yards. The range is mowed and flat so it wasn't like there were other objects in the way. The other thing I didn't like was with >150 yard setting turned on, I couldn't get it to read when ranging the 100 yard posts. I had to go into the menu and turn it off. Not very handy having to toggle it off and on depending what your ranging.
Completely disappointed is my review. I'm boxing them up today and sending them back to Cabela's. I own 14 Leupold scopes so I'm also a Leupold kind of guy. I'm ordering the Swarovski's after I make sure they credit my card for the Leupold's. It they were advertised as 500 yard rangefinders and only cost $200.00 I wouldn't have been suprised at their lack of performance.

 

[xr650rRider]

I'm about to order a set of Swarovski's. Whats the price and how do I go about ordering from you.

******** Edit ***********
Never mind. Found the post in Buy, Sell and already have them ordered. Thanks BJ.

 

[goodgrouper]

Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again, Leupold customer service is second to none. I have yet to find any company in any field with their finger on the pulse of it's customers like Leupold.

Within hours of my first post on this thread, I was contacted by Leupold and they have been in almost constant contact with me or 7mmrhb on this rangefinder for the last week or so.

Although we have failed to get this particular unit to range farther than 850 yards in any mode whilst talking on the phone to the head engineer of the unit, I must admit that they ARE concerned with what us long rangers have to say, and they want to correct any problems that we have.

They really do care what we think, and they peruse the net to see what is going on. That is very satisfying.

Kudos to Leupold, and let's try another unit and run it through the tests!

We'll keep you posted. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[7mmRHB]

Patrick Mundy and Laura Peter(fellow shooter and design team leader)of Leupold have been great to work with. Laura called and took us trough the settings to make sure the right modes were being used, and addressed our concerns. These are both good people who are working very hard to make a new product perform to the publics expectations.

I sent them a list of Likes and Dislikes which we talked back an forth on for days. Here is the list.

Pat I have completed my testing of the RX IV.
As with all new products there are going to be both good and bad things come to light as you well know. I'm disappointed to say that there are more negative things to say about your new range finder than good things.

Good things include;

Size and ergonomics( feels good in your hands)

OK optics—comparable to Leica

Thermometer( if you remember to keep your thumb away from the sensor)

TBR( True Ballistic Range) and degree of angle function

Compass

Rain mode

Nice carrying case.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Negative things include;

The Laser and or receiver are sub par.(a 1200 Leica will beat it easily)

The TBR is disabled at 800yds.

Change of modes to range past 800 yds ( the 150yd tab to range past 800yds is strange)

Change of modes to range under 150yds

The rotary menu is difficult and confusing.(there are going to be tons of complaints)

The power button is hard to push making it very difficult to hold still.(even on a tri-pod)

The SET button would only lock in the mode after several presses many times allowing
the power to shut down and making you start over.(very frustrating)
The MOA and Hold function are only valid at one elevation and weather condition.
In the west, a hunter could be hunting at 4500 ft to 11000 ft in the same day .


The time it takes to display the yardage after pushing the power button is too long
compared to the other brands
Will not range real world objects,(rocks, trees, brush,) consistently past 650yds.It ranged to 800yds only three times in hundreds of tries in perfect conditions w/tri-pod. The longest range achieved on a live animal(Horses and cattle)was just under 500 yds on a light colored horse.

Would not range a grassy 10* slope in full sunlight at 350 to 700+ yds while the Leica
would read instantly on grass or dirt well past 800yds. And on brush and rock's
on up the same slope, the Leica gave quick, consistent readings to 1185yds
hand held.
Longest range achieved was a polished aluminum trailer at 936yds that was perpendicular to my line of sight and a white house at 887yds. (I tried to range dozens of buildings beyond that with no luck

These tests were as unbiased as I could make them against two different 1200 Leicas. The Swarovskis will just kill the Leica for pure ranging ability, although it has some things that could be changed for the better also. (better carrying case- better aiming reticle)
The old 800 Leicas I've used in the past would top the RX IV as well, comparing ranging ability only.

I'll say this one more time, If the range finder won't give you the range, all the rest is meaningless. I would love to see Leupold give Swarovski and Leica some real competition but this RX IV will not even come close!!! Roland

We have been told they will get us another unit to see how it compares to the original. We'll let you know how it goes.---7mmRHB

 

[Skinny Shooter]

GG, thanks for the info. Aways back was trying to decide if I wanted the RX-IV and would return my new Elite 1500 to Cabela's to get it.
Decided to keep the Elite since the delivery dates kept getting pushed back. In fact, my local Cabela's still doesn't have an RX-IV.
After reading some of the posts in this thread am glad I did.

From another thread:
I did some quick testing outside of Cabela's in the middle of the day with an Elite 1500 and a Leica 1200 Scan.
The farthest I could range was 1049yds with both units. They both ranged the same objects with an approx 2 to 3 yard difference in readings. The Leica was a bit harder to hold steady with its push button. It's also not waterproof, but the Bushie is.

 

[JD338]

goodgrouper,

Thanks for the report on the Leupold RXIV. Very disappointing read, I have one on order that should be arriving in the next couple of weeks. This makes me want to put on the breaks! Most all of my shooting will be in the 600 yd and under area but still would like to have a 1500 yd range finder that reads 1500 yds (800 yds for deer/game)!

Please keep us updated with your findings and what the Leupold designers are going to do.
One question for Leupold, if there is indeed a design
flaw(s), will Leupold offer an exchange for the people who bought RXIV's?

Thanks again for all your efforts.

Best Regards,

JD338

 

[Inukshuk]

Woah
Realy glad I was directed to this thread, since I was looking at the:
Bushnell Elite 1500 ARC Rangefinder
Leupold: RX-IV Rangefinder
Looks like the Bushnell is the way to go.
Just wondering if it's realy worth it for all those extras though, or just get a simple range finder.?? I've got other ranging capabilities "IOR scope with MP8, H.R.T. watch, Shooterready CD, Mildot Master".??

 

[Andy W]

K-I-S-S
The Leica and Swaro are leaps and bounds above the Leupold because they are brilliantly simple, by design and function. More options may be better in a Mercedes Benz, but not a rangefinder. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Flybuster]

GG, your review is very accurate. Why could'nt I have read this before I bought my rx4?

 

[bth]

I do hope you end up getting another unit and re-testing. I had a unit that I was disappointed with (as did a friend of mine) we tested side by side with bushnell units. The bushnell unit and the leupold were neck and neck out to 400 yards. Both gave the same numbers and were decently quick at getting the results on the screen. The leupold was admittedly slower.

So my buddy sent his in and asked that they check it out and make sure everything was ok. A couple weeks later he got a brand new unit. When he tested this unit all seemed perfect and he was very happy. So I wrote Leupold a letter explaining the full situation and they tested mine and found it to be deficient. Being that I wrote a proper letter and fully explained what I was seeing one of the technicians actually tested several units and shipped me the best performing of the lot.

The unit I now have works fantastically. I have zero complains. First thing I did was set it on a table and checked the zero of the inclinometer. Perfect. 0 is at zero. I checked it at 1 through 5 degrees and every five degrees to 45. error is less than 1% across the spectrum.

I then took the range finder out into the front yard and ranged the very tip of some trees that I could see over a house across the street. 521 yards! Read the same distance 5 or 6 times all read 521 yards except for one (it was 523 yards) Hell that could be just me getting through the leaves and reading the trunk instead of the leaves.

Next I range the store down the road. 212 yards. I turn and range the tree at the other end of the street 135 yards (no big deal).

So I walk down to a through street. I walked down the street and then ranged some traffic lights at the far end of the road. 1027 yards (ok now we're talking) but is that real? So I see a car half way between me and the lights. I read it at a bit over 500 yards. Then I keep tagging him and watch the car get further and further away until he stops at that light. I read 1004 yards to his back bumper. Funny thing is I read 1004 to his bumper 3 times. Then I read 1005 off his back window. I don't see how I could complain with performance like this.

I later took it out to my favorite shooting canyon and easily ranged known distance stumps accurately out to 975 yards. The unit is only rated to do 800 on trees. I also was able to range the 100 yard targets at my range accurately through the window of the range office. My first unit would only range the 25 yard targets through the window and failed to read the 50's.

I wonder if Leupold had a bad batch or bad first run and they've recently reved the boards cause the unit have now I wouldn't let anyone take from me! I know it was made in China but thats what it takes to keep costs down. People are already bitching enough about the price imagine if they had to pay the workers even more. It would be WAY too expensive.

As far as the operation of the unit I didn't find it too hard. I rarely have to dick with the >150 setting or first or last target. The only time I've had to do that is when I'm ranging through brush and I'm having a hard time with it wanting to range the bush at 20 yards instead of the stump at 300. (yes I even tested this and I was perfectly able to do this even with relatively heavy brush). I'm a computer engineer though and I rarely have problems with the operation of electronics. Granted a bit more intelligence could make the unit more "automatic" for many users but that would have upset users like me who appreciate being able to customize how the unit filters the data returned.

I think it would be nice if Leupold shipped the unit with two modes. a simple mode (which it would ship in) and then an advanced mode which takes a strange button combination to enter. That way people who complain about complex menus don't have to see the complex menus but people like me who appreciate the advanced signal filtering don't have to suffer in order to make the unit more "user friendly".

Just my two cents.

 

[dariuszczyszczon]

I just found this thread and realized that now im going for long range shooting the RX IV that i bought 2 yrs ago is not going past 700 yds any one have any suggestions since its out of warranty? Do the new ones still have problems? will leupold still cover it under warrenty? Or any other ideas