Sorry this took so long guys...been busy lately. I did have a chance to test the LRB 7X50's a bit in Montana last month. Overall, I wasn't overly impressed with its performance but I think they'll get the job done for me (for awhile anyway).
Before I left I found the time to "go hunting in Yuppyville" one more time and found I could range houses out to 1200-1300 yds depending upon their color and if they had a wall that was close to perpendicular to me. It easily ranged the Whidbey Island Ferry out to 1350+ every time, while moving (it's really big and white).
To Montana:
It would range large rocks (sandstone color...because they were sandstone
) much like it would houses. If the rock had a large enough flat area perpendicular to me 1300+ was no problem. If it was smaller and/or rounder 1000 or so was pretty much the limit.
On whitetail deer the limit seemed to be about 800 to 950 depending on how the deer was standing. Deer standing broadside could be ranged farther than deer facing toward or away from me. That's provided they were standing in short grass.
In waist high alfalfa, it was more difficult. With only their heads and top halves of their backs showing, up to 600 was no problem. But beyond that it was difficult. They had to be standing perfectly broadside to get them out to 700 or so. Good thing there's no tall grass during hunting season.
I had to be really steady as well. I didn't use a tripod for any of my tests (I'm sure that would have helped a bunch) since I won't be hunting with one most of the time. I was using rests, though, getting as steady as I possibly could.
All of the above was in bright sunlight.
Now for the wierd part--low light conditions. It should do better, right? It didn't. In fact, it did worse. Quite a bit worse as it started to get really dark. Isn't that the opposite of how it is supposed to be with laser rangefinders? I thought it was from what I've read but this is my first rangefinder. Could something be wrong with my unit?
Something else I noticed--keep a couple of spare batteries handy. I find when I'm glassing I keep pounding on that button to range EVERYTHING in sight...just because it's so much fun.
There is a noticable drop off in performance even before you get the low battery indicator. If you can't range something that you could before, change the battery.
So, would I reccommend it? For about 99.9% of hunters out there (not long range hunters) most definately. It really showed me how impossible it is to accurately estimate range. A deer is 300 yds away. It looks like there's one 50 yds beyond it. That's not a long range shot, right? Wrong, it's really 490, you just don't know it. It's also small enough to be carried and doubles as a fairly decent set of binoculars that can be used for glassing for game at the same time...reducing how many things you have to carry.
Still a yes for those up to people with similar hunting styles/expectations as me. What does that mean?
A "walk around" hunter with neither the skill nor equipment to shoot at game animals over 600-700 yds. Somebody that probably won't have a rest more steady than a bi-pod or other "field rest." But somebody that has practiced a bunch and can reach out much farther than the average hunter and really needs to know if the critter is 475 away or 625. If you're going to shoot, you need to know exactly. For that, the LRB 7X50 should get the job done well. Of course I haven't tested the thing "when it counts" yet. We'll see how it does over Thanksgiving.
For somebody shooting from a benchrest or similiar set-up intending to shoot beyond 800 yds, no. You won't be able to count on the LRB 7X50 every time. You need the Russian laser, the Wild, etc.
Hope that helps.
[ 09-21-2002: Message edited by: Jon A ]
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