Buying Insurance with ..........in Timber ACCURATE RANGE!!

[T3-OleMan]

Well, after doing my home work, I'm "Good To Go" if I have the CORRECT RANGE!!!
OOPS! No way my old Nikon Lazer 800 will do this!!!!! I ain't spending $999.99 for the Swarovski Laser Guide 8x30(the BEST!). It will be the (Cabela's) $799.99 Leica CRF 1600 or the $599.99 Zeiss Victory 8x26 T* PRF. So, I got to spend $600 on the Zeiss or $800 on Leica. Don't care about 1,200 to 1,600yd barns, trees etc.etc. Just < 800yds ELK in timber!

Requirements: (No bells & whistles – only desired-LOS [Line of Sight] accurate distance)
-Across the valley, or in the valley, up or down the Mt.!
-Will range 9 out of 10 time,s !
-at 300 yds to 800 yds.!
-ELK in Dark Timber with occausional 10yd to > 15yd openings! (NOT level ground!)
-First 5 mins.,.....bright Noon,....and till…..last 5 mins. of Legal shooting time!!
-User friendly if possible......scan for other targets W/O a lot of eye strain.-pain on occasion!

What I hope is that the Zeiss 8x26 is a Newer mini Swarovski Laser Guide 8x30(the BEST!)for $600.

Divergence #s (ie. BEAM SIZE)
Swarovski Laser Guide 8x30.............................2.5H x 2.5W millirads

Zeiss Victory 8x26 T* PRF ...............................2.0H X 4.0W. Millirads

Leica CRF 1600 ..............................................0.5H * 2.5W millirads

Here are comments on the CRF 1600 or little Brother CRF 1200 that consern me:

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f22/what-best-range-finder-27247/index2.html

1-25-2008....ref 1200 or 1600????

Leicas are fine and dandy until the fog rolls in. Even light foggy mist and they wont work.

9-6-2009

I have had all 3 one time side by side but, haven't enough data to give you any solid advice. BUT, I own a Leica 1200 CRF and a Swaro laser guide 8x30. I had them side by side a couple days ago ranging speed goats in mid day light, flat ground. Rangefinders were on a solid bench on a rest. Goats were 1031 yards away. The only way I could know, was the Lieca hit them several times. Swaro would not touch them. But the Swaro would range the road bank at 1250 yards behind them. Like mentioned before, watch that beam devergence!! It cost me a trophy deer last year. I think they both have merit, but on flat ground I like the Leica 1200 CRF. If you are ranging trees, rock walls, or into hillsides, the Swaro will range farther. If you are ranging game on flat ground, DON'T over look the Lieca 1200 CRF.

Jeff

I could jump to a conclusion that IF:
A) The Swarovski 8x30 & Zeiss 8x26 are the same basic Technologys, they then MAY have common PROS & CONS, & SO I purchase the $600 Zeiss if they trump the 1600 in MY APPLICATION?
B) Leica CRF 1600 is a TOTAL Different Technoligy and trumps A) then I get the 1600 for $800 and don't look back?

What say YOU with the first hand knowledge on either or all of the THREE in my application!

 

[Broz]

T3, Like we talked on the phone for your application I would go Leica. The smaller beam would be what I would want for snaking through the trees and to 800 yards you will be good to go in any light conditions.

Good talkin with ya! Good luck on that hunt!

Jeff

 

[T3-OleMan]

Thanks again Jeff. I'll keep ya posted.

 

[T3-OleMan]

Got my INSURANCE>>>>Leica CRF 1600 - Review...........
After what I read with so many being crap right out of the box, and one shooter on his 3rd one I was not going to order one, life is too short.
Drove 114 miles to CLT,NC to BassPS this morning to pick up my Leica CRF 1600. They had the one I put on hold at 9am today and the Display unit.
11:30 am Blue bird day and 88 deg we took mine outside to test and it hit a 975 on first pop, Got a winner.......not quite!!!! It never went over 1000- 25 tries at 6 or 7 bldgs and trucks at 1200-1500 or1695 yds to known Bldgs.
We got the Demo out (that never even had the battery put in it in the 30 days they have had these 2) and bingo it hit 1695yds on first pop in BRIGHT SUN! Ding, Ding, Ding We have a WINNER!!!!!!! We shot both side by side for 15 or so test and finally the other one went over 1200 a couple of times, but, the Demo was hitting 1200-1500 and the 1695 on almost every pop!!! Most were close to 90 deg angle to me. Love it when a plan comes together.

It may not crank up tomorrow but at 11:45 hours today I owned the DEMO model and It could have probably gone 2500 yds I think if it had been heavy overcast and a tripod?????? Thank you LORD! I am 70 and ain't got time to jack around with wasting a month of stress and agony with returns........gun)

And thanks again Jeff!

 

[Broz]

You are more than welcome !

Glad you got it all worked out..... Elk be afraid... be very very afread...

Jeff

 

[Pdvdh]

Thanks for posting the information on the comparison of the performance of the two Leica CRF 1600s. I just received and tested one last weekend, and mine isn't measuring up. So it will have to be sent back. Here's the link to the Thread I posted. Mine performed similar to the poorer of the two units that you tested out at the store. By the way - Broz helped me out also. He must be a pretty decent guy...

http://www.longrangehunting.com/for...er-guide-vs-leica-crf-1600-rangemaster-73650/

 

[T3-OleMan]

Thanks for posting the information on the comparison of the performance of the two Leica CRF 1600s. I just received and tested one last weekend, and mine isn't measuring up. So it will have to be sent back. Here's the link to the Thread I posted. Mine performed similar to the poorer of the two units that you tested out at the store. By the way - Broz helped me out also. He must be a pretty decent guy...

http://www.longrangehunting.com/for...er-guide-vs-leica-crf-1600-rangemaster-73650/

Paul, thanks for that post, I used it in my original research. A BIG 10-4 on "He must be a pretty decent guy... "

ADDITIONAL useless Information from yesterday! Ole Timers kicked in and I forgot to mention that I checked the serial numbers on these two units and they were not sequentially numbered (not even close). Guess I got the one made on a Wednesday.


To quote a famous person.......

..... Elk be afraid... be very very afread...

Jeff

….pressure is now on.......Pray I can do my part.

 

[T3-OleMan]

UPDATE:
Don't know how they issue serial #s but I called the BassPro guy just now to get the ss# off the one I did not want and it is a higher # by 2,687!!!!!

Might mean that they produced 2,687 more CRF 1600s after mine, but not for sure. They may assign ss# on chips or CRF frames that get a chip (including the CRF1000s) or something even more unlikely. Whatever, hope this helps someone!

lightbulbTold him he might want to send it back to look out for his customers and the good news is he already had approval to test it one more time and if it was not as good as the one I got they will send it back now.

 

[T3-OleMan]

Semi - final UPDATE:

Second usage, took it to our local airport with a google map print out with about 8 or 10 known distances marked and shot the ones I could see from parking spot to see if this puppy was LYING!

Google Earth.(Yds.big fat dot)..............Leica CRF 1600 (Yds)

444 Aircraft tail...................................................445


502 Bldg............................................................504


619 Bldg............................................................622


1092 Bldg........................................................1088


1204 Bldg........................................................1207


1210 Bldg........................................................1212


1539 Bldg........................................................1522


2573 Church and steeple at bad angle................ - 0 -

Could not see any Bldgs. at 1600, 1700, 1800 etc to shoot, just the church at a bad angle!

I am sure mine is RIGHT – ON and DADGUMITTTTTT I ain't got any EXCUSES NOW!!!

The FINAL UPDATE will be a crying towel or HERE HE IS!!!!!
Film @ Eleven....lol

 

[T3-OleMan]

UPDATE: Had a scare this week REF. MY supper good "Leica CRF 1600"!

1.) Purchased it in Jun 2011 BPS, they had it for 30 days.
2.) We put the 2019 Duracell in it, that was in the box. Just used for 30 min. 2 times.
3.) Tue. took it back to the airport to reverify the distances in the above post and IT WOULD NOT GO OVER 400 YDS!!!!!!!!

YIKES!!!

4.) Battery had been in the unit since about 10 to 14 June, I was going to remove it but never did-go figure-off and on should really be OFF or ON - duh.
5.) Went to Wally World and got a 2020 pack of 2 Eneryizers, poped a fresh one in and went up on the MT. and first click it shot a grocery store 1,296 yds away. Tried it over and over and every click it nailed it. Duracells have been my favorite battery but, maybe not any more. Either that was a defective battery or the 1600 requires a battery to be at or near 95 % power for it to bounce the beam out to 400+ yds. This would explain alot about what we have learned in the last few months!

*****This is a coincidence but that same thing happened to me yesterday:
When I was using my new CO private land chip in my Garmin 530 (with original battery pack) as I marked property lines on my google earth pics before printing, It just would not show the pvt land map any more. Plugged the 530 into the charger and the screen said 94% charged. Don't know if that means that, in my unit, I am out of business on the PVT land chip when power goes below 95%, but one would think that is true. At 100%, unplugged it and BINGO, back to PVT LAND marking.

This could be the reason so many "Leica CRF 1600" units have failed to perform as advertised???????? Could it be that our high dollar toys require 95+% charge before they work properly???? Just a thought, from "OUTSIDE THE BOX".
Have a nice day.

 

[Pdvdh]

Thanks for this update and additional information. My first unit was under performing with a fresh battery that was still in the plastic wrapping immediately prior to my installing it into the CRF 1600. But I'll keep your experience in mind if my 1600 happens to crap out on me. So far so good.

Long ago I once had a problem with Duracell batteries in a camera. The camera Manufacturer told me to use an EverReady battery, and the camera functioned just fine. But this was 15-20 years ago. Not a recent experience.