Anyone familur with this range finder?

Dave King

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May 3, 2001
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I believe this is the same rangefinder Len Backus uses. He has a few posts about the quality of his rangefinder. He's still using it so I'm thinking he's pleased with it's performance.
 
I have also had the opportunity to use that unit, it is more "powerfull" than the smaller Bushnell, Nikons, Leicas but still not entirely reliable in all sunlight conditions. We have obtained readings on mule deer in excess of 900 yards on a dull day, readings off rocks in the 15-1600 yard range, again on optimum days.

I find it a little heavy, bulky and too **** many buttons - other than that it is a very good unit. The one that I have used has a 3x-9x pistol scope on top, can be very difficult to keep aimed at far-off targets but this is a problem with all lasers unless they are rested or on a tripod. The NAIT makes a chiming sound when it acquires a reading which is a neat feature.

It will consistently outperform the smaller units tho (I am waiting for a really high performance laser to come out with only one button - doubt if it will ever happen).
 
My main concern is will it range Prairie dogs
and coyotes in the flat barren land of west Texas out to a 1000 yards reliably.

I have the Nikon now and it's fine if your
in mountainous type country where you can range a rock or the side of hill near the animal but in flat grass land it's usless
past 200 yards.

I'm in the market for a better range finder
and I can't afford the Russian model right now so it's this thing,a WILD or a Barr & Stroud.
 
I expect that any laser that meets government "eye-safe" regulations would not detect a reading off a prairie dog at 1000 yards. I am fairly confident that the NAIT would not achieve that objective, but it would do rocks etc. farther than smaller units.

I understand that since the power of the emission is restricted the manufacturers have tweeked the receiver portion to enhance range. I cannot comment on the Russian or U.S. military (Litton) units as I have never used them - there are guys on this board who have but I suspect that they are out using them right now.

Although you won't get readings off coyotes or p-dogs you can expect to get readings off large rocks or other reflective objects that would give you info - again that will vary significantly with the light as you get farther out.
 
Hello

Have been reading this post with interest.

The Russian will read a dog or anything else at ranges you would not believe. It would have to be on it's tripod to do so out at 1000 yards or beyond because I don't think anyone could hold any hand held unit on that small of a target at that range.

It will range in all weather conditions and repeat shot after shot.

The Non eye safe feature is not a concern to me or those who have used and own the Russian units. Being military, they will do the job. I would rather have one that will do the job rather then have one give me a false reading because a cloud came over or the sun came out or because the target was too small.

There is only ONE button on the Russian to get a reading at any range, unlike some.

The unit you are asking about, my friends own and they say the same thing that Ian has mentioned. They will not give a constant reading in changing weather conditions.I have tried theirs out at different times of the day and with and without cloud cover. You must range a larger oject at extended ranges as, Ian also mentioned.
That company was going to send me one for testing when they first started to advertise them. I told them I would be testing it in all weather conditions and in shade and sunlight changes out to the advertised ranges and would give a fair evaluation of the unit. THEY NEVER SENT ONE TO ME.

The only reliable long range laser unit (shot after shot) I have used is the Russian laser. It's not real big and can be hand held. The tripod is a plus for extreme longrange readings however.

I have been so impressed with the Russian unit that I had a few units imported to me.
I have sold some of these to LR shooters and have four to sell at this time. I think that's all that will be available for a while at least.

If anyone is interested in one of these NEW Russian units let me klnow. They are $2950.00. I have a friend who had two of them and just sold one for $3500.00.

Trust me---For shot after shot at ranges from 100 meters to more then you would want to shoot a bullet downrange (12 Miles), the Russian is unbeatable at this time.

Later
Darryl Cassel

[ 12-19-2001: Message edited by: Darryl Cassel ]
 
Mike W.

I have one of the US military lasers, and though it has lotsa range, it's not what I would take on a dog shoot... the beam skims across the ground (getting bigger as it goes), and you will never get the range of the dog you want, but you will get reflections from everything out to 10 miles in full sunshine
frown.gif


I have a Wild optical rangefinder, and it can pick out one doggie in a crowd of a thousand
smile.gif
, and it's the only range finder I would take on a dog shoot in flat country!

CatShooter.
 
Hello

It seems that my Russian Military will range a VERY small object at extended range. I ranged crows at 1000 yards without problems.

Have tested it on small rocks and bushes from 100 yards to 3000 yards without problems too. I had it set up on it's own tripod at the time and also used the remote switch where you don't touch the unit at all to fire it. It must have a very steady hold on the target to accuratly read a small object.
Hand holding them is not as accurate unless you have a larger object such as an elk to range. You just can't hand hold them steady enough.
Darryl Cassel


Later
Darryl Cassel
 
Darryl

On my Wisconsin hunting land, a deer with only its head and shoulders showing above 30 inch high marsh grass is a difficult rangefinder target.

When ranging a relatively small object (maybe in a brushy or tall grassy area) at a range of 1k or more with your Russian unit how do you know what you have really ranged?
 
Hello Len

I take more then one range in the vacinity of the target. A stump, a tree, a rock, the game, what ever I can see through the cross hair in the view finder.
As I mentioned, when it's up on the tripod and I have the remote hooked up. it is VERY steady and NO movement. The readings come back different even close to the target if the targets are 5 meters away from the game.

For instance, the elk may be ranged at 1400 meters. It will constantly range 1400 meters no matter how many times I range it. The small rock just in front of him will come back as 1395 meters, the stump behind him will come back as 1405 meters.
I have even taken a tree that leaned away from me. At the base and at the middle of the trunk is where I ranged. The base reading came back as a set yardage and half way up the lEANING (away from me) tree trunk was a 5 meter further reading.

This tells me I am ranging EACH target I am shooting with the rangefinder.

I just did this (last week) on my back porch here in Driftwood. I range different known yardages and target sizes in the mountain.

The Russian will range anything seperatly when on the tripod and the remote is hooked up. The second button on the remote is for another range on a moving target.

I must admit, I have not ranged a target in a sea of tall grass. If I have something sticking it's head up above 30" grass, I'm sure it will range it. I have ranged into and over thick, heavy oak brush at elk heads sticking up. The mountains are very steep where we are at and we are not rangeing something in a flat area.

The Russian is a fine, powerful unit.
Darryl Cassel

[ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: Darryl Cassel ]
 
The russian model is a military one isn't it. Has the US military made one with performance similar to the russian and if so are any available to the public.
I know the russian is a great unit but it seems that there must be others that have similar performance. I'm just wondering because I don't have the funds to get one at this time.
 
Mike W,
Do you have web sites for WILD or barr and stroud??
I'm saving my pennies for the Russian but with the new rifle project I know where they are already going....
 
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