Budget Rangefinder?
- Thread starter J300UM
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I have played around with both a little and have a Nikon Buckmaster as well as a leica CRF 1200. I love the CRF's clarity. One of the bigger drawbacks with either the Nikon or the Bushnell is the light gathering ability. Both suck. Both have reasonably good ranging ability (not far behind the Leica). Of the Bushnell and the Nikon, I favor the nikon because I have more experience with them and their customer service has been great.
I kinda wish I'd have waited another year to get the Swarovski over the leica.
I kinda wish I'd have waited another year to get the Swarovski over the leica.
I have used the nikon 1200 for 3 years. It just will not get the job done on non-reflective targets here in the southwest. I would say after 400yds it gets iffy on a non-reflective target. I tried the leica and it has twice the range of the nikon 1200. I recently purchased the zeiss and it has a little more range than the leica. Save another $150 and get the leica or zeiss. It will save you money in the long run.
Tyler Kemp
Well-Known Member
I have a Bushnell 1500 and on non-reflective targets it isn't so great. You can get 500-600 yards on animals, 800-900 yards on pine trees. But on reflective targets, HOLY COW, it's great! I've gotten it to 1700+ yards on road signs, it will hit 1000 on houses and cars very easily. If you're just gonna use it for shooting and not hunting, as long as you can range a car or metal gong, it works pretty good for the money.
Thanks for the replies. Are there any other rangefinders out there with similar or greater ranging ability in the same price range. I'm gonna try to squeeze out the extra for the Leica but the extra 150-200 is gonna be needed elsewhere unfortunately.
Franklin
Well-Known Member
I had the nikon 1200 until it quit ranging after only 2 years. I sent it back and they said they would fix it for free until the next day I got an email saying it would cost 275.00,(poor customer service in my mind) so I told them just to send it back. I just bought the elite 1500 and this is alot nicer unit than the nikon. It will hit trees everytime out to 1300yrds in the sunniest conditions and it also tells you the angle, so you don't need an aci. It may not be a leica or a zeiss, but I'd rather have the 250.00-400.00 sitting in my pocket.
silvertip-co
Well-Known Member
I treated myself to a new Bushnell Elite 1500 on Friday for my birthday. Hope it works better than my Cabela's 1200 did or it's going back or going to eBay. So far looks OK. Bushnell is currently getting huge US mil contracts for their Chinese made stuff (junque?) to be sent to our men in Afghanistan so I hope that means it's gonna do what I need. Good luck on finding a suitable one also.
I have a Leica RLF 1200 and love it... but I may give it to my kids and buy the Leica CRF 1200. The CRF is smaller, waterproof, faster and is smaller and handier than anything else on the market. It will fit in my shirt pocket... you would need a pouch like a kangaroo to do that with the Zeiss or Swaro because they are so big! NJS
royinidaho
Well-Known Member
My input is that the size of the lazer beam is key.
You want to range what you want to range. Not something ahead or behind the target.
If you have a target deeper that the edge of the trees and your "laxer Sight" fits in the space between the trees you want to be able to range into the depth of the target. We're talking LR shooting not under 5 or 600 yds.
I know that the Leica 1200 LRF and most probably the CRF, I suppose they are the same except for configuration, will range within the area of the sighting square.
A lot of the others will range pretty much the closest object within the size of their much larger sighting area.
I've messed quite extensively with the Bushnell 1500 and couldn't determine where the point was within the large sighting ring that was providing the actual reading. Some of know what that really means on a 1400 yd shot on a slope..
You want to range what you want to range. Not something ahead or behind the target.
If you have a target deeper that the edge of the trees and your "laxer Sight" fits in the space between the trees you want to be able to range into the depth of the target. We're talking LR shooting not under 5 or 600 yds.
I know that the Leica 1200 LRF and most probably the CRF, I suppose they are the same except for configuration, will range within the area of the sighting square.
A lot of the others will range pretty much the closest object within the size of their much larger sighting area.
I've messed quite extensively with the Bushnell 1500 and couldn't determine where the point was within the large sighting ring that was providing the actual reading. Some of know what that really means on a 1400 yd shot on a slope..
