Old school rangefinders

[IdahoCTD]

Some of us have been around long enough to remember using these but there are probably very few now days. I have two of the Zeiss version. I use to pack this beast wrapped in foam (without the case) on my pack frame back into places to get a range map. Typically a blown up picture or a drawing with landmarks ranged. Everyone that is new to long range shooting should thank the inventors of laser rangefinders. At 1500+ a pop and 25+ pounds packing one wasn't for the faint of heart. This one is good to 10,000 meters.

 

[MachV]

Not a Zeiss but I remember useing the old Wild in the early days of my long range quest. This one was well used for $250 if I remember right?

Handy it was not but the 11x glass is very hard to beat! Wish i would have had it along today as the Geovids and 1600 where not working well in the snow and bright sun.
Gonna take the Wild out next rock busting chance I get. If I can see it it'll rage it!

 

[liltank]

So how do those things function? Can you get a picture of the reticule inside? I've always been curious about those things since I have seen them.

 

[IdahoCTD]

You have two images. One is upside down and the other is right side up. Typically I would range a tree or something with a pretty defined edge. You line up the edge or the top of the tree in the two images and read the range. On a animal you line up one side of it's body, or the whole animal, in the two images. The range on mine is outside the view finder and is in meters. The nice thing about them is if you can see it you can range it and the optics are top notch.

The reason I still have mine is because they dropped to about 250.00 not long after lasers came on the scene. It wasn't worth selling for that little.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I believe the mechanics are the same as a split image transit or an old (and collectible Argus C3 range finder camera (bet Len remembers those....).

I think I still have mine packed away somewhere, hope I took the batteries out.... I still have a Voitlander 2 1/4 portrait camera too....

Great 35mm emulsion cameras back in the day.....

 

[Eddie1958]

I believe it used triangulation. That is why it is so wide. If my memory serves me correct it has to be I believe a yard wide to be accurate.

 

[jerrschmitt]

For long range prairie dog shooting, nothing beats an optical range finder. Mine is a Wild 8000 yard model.

Last year we added lengths of pipe to the tripod legs so we could sit,

Still got a crink in my neck from looking all week so we modified a shooting bench for this year.

This is the view you get

Jut turn the dial until thee images line up and read the range. Had to change my drop cards to meters but JBM will do that for you.

The Wild has a 12 power lens and has no problem ranging prairie dogs at 1200 yards in a grassy field.

 

[Browninglover1]

I've wanted to buy one of these for a while. Do you guys just find them on ebay? Or is there an old surplus store that has some for sale?

 

[liltank]

I've wanted to buy one of these for a while. Do you guys just find them on ebay? Or is there an old surplus store that has some for sale?

+1, how do you find these things. I would like to have a reliable back up for the laser when field hunting.

 

[jerrschmitt]

I've wanted to buy one of these for a while. Do you guys just find them on ebay? Or is there an old surplus store that has some for sale?

I found mine here.

Welcome to Samco Global Arms, Inc.

Much better price than anywhere else but you take your chance on what you get. These have been in storage for many years and will need to be cleaned up.

 

[Browninglover1]

I found mine here.

Welcome to Samco Global Arms, Inc.

Much better price than anywhere else but you take your chance on what you get. These have been in storage for many years and will need to be cleaned up.

Do you risk getting one that doesn't work? Or do you just run the risk of having one that requires a lot of elbow grease to get it to work?

 

[jerrschmitt]

Do you risk getting one that doesn't work? Or do you just run the risk of having one that requires a lot of elbow grease to get it to work?

What I meant was that there are many variations and models and you don't know which one you will get. All of them are very useable. The problem I had with mine was that the leather sling had green crud on it and spare lens container was corroded. It cleaned up very nicely and only took a few hours. All of these units were inspected prior to going in storage and I haven't heard of anyone getting a bad one.

 

[Browninglover1]

What I meant was that there are many variations and models and you don't know which one you will get. All of them are very useable. The problem I had with mine was that the leather sling had green crud on it and spare lens container was corroded. It cleaned up very nicely and only took a few hours. All of these units were inspected prior to going in storage and I haven't heard of anyone getting a bad one.

Thanks! I might just have to talk the wife into letting me spend some money

 

[jimmym40a2]

Here is mine and how it works
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXRtj4Hripo]Close up look of how a 1942 Barr and Stroud rangefinder works - YouTube[/ame]