range finder opinions/recommendations?

Dr. John

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Apr 11, 2002
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Pennsylvania
I am looking for a range finder for hunting/target. I was considering an optical rangefinder (swiss). the leicas are nice. I also like the bushnell rangefinder/binocular. looking for a good/reliable/accurate finder. what are your opinions. what are you using?
 
Dr John. I´m currently field testing a Leica Goevid BRF 10x42 binos/LRF combination for an article in shooting sports magazine. The unit is impressive. unbreakable and a **** good piece of kit. excellent optics. I've sold my LRF 800 and my bino's.i want to keep the Geovid.
Pete
 
Two of my friends just got there's and have nothing but praise for these units. At 1795.00 USD they better be happy!
 
Dr. John,

My Newcon LRB 7x50 SPD were crap. Hope the Swarovski Laser Guide (when it arrives) will be the cats whiskers. Have a look in equipment reviews.

David.
 
What did you not like about the LRB's? I have sold probably 30 sets with no complaints at $599 a pop. The multiple sets I have personally tested outranged the Leica LRF 1200 by an easy 400 yards virtually every time. You may have gotten a bad sample....
 
Don,

Please do not take offense but my experience with Newcons was not good, it was also brief.

This is a copy of what I put in equipment reviews some time back.

"I wanted a laser, the Newcons being binos seemed like a good idea and had the speed detector function. Much less spendy than Leica Geovids.

The box looked good and so did the carrying case. The unit to me left a lot to be desired, bulky, plastic and not good optics.

As a binocular very poor, as a laser eratic. One day it read a grey building over 1KM the next it struggled to do over 200m (I tried several new batteries)and weather conditions were similar. The speed detector worked but it had no scan mode. Also not waterproof. The third day it got sent back.

I may have just got a lemon but I saw nothing to suggest it was a quality optic.

The good news is that I bought it from binoculars direct, they will replace it with a Swarovski Laser Guide, when in stock (mid to end of April). Very good people to deal with".

I should add that I mailed Newcon about the scan function, if it should have one with the speed detector or not but got no reply. Also a couple of things I did not mention before, firstly the blue cast was very stong, secondly when I received it one of the lens`s was loose (the lock ring was not tight and cable was traped between the plastic case housing and rear metal plate. It sort of gave me the impression of being made in Poland.

As I said I may have just got a lemon but for the money,(more than a Leica LRF and same as a Swarovski I would have expected better/comparable quality).

David.
 
I am using a LEICA 900 scan and works fine up to around 800 yds. had a chance to directly compare with bushnell and there is a clear diference in favour of the leica..... although price is also diferent.
 
ds --- The optical quality of the Newcon LRB is pretty poor, but frankly I never did expect much from the Newcons as far as optics, since they are Russian glass and pretty cheesy to boot, but the laser rangefinder was and I believe still is the best you can get under $700. They have never failed me on any reasonably sized target out to 1200 yards.

It does look to me like you got a lemmon for sure. Newcon's QC is not the best. I had half a dozen LRM-1500s that were bad, so I quit stocking them. I have only had one bad LRB in the last several years. I have tested them side by side with the Leica LRF 1200 several times. A good Newcon will consistantly hit 1400+ on car sized surfaces and 1500 plus on light colored large objects, targets that the Leica couldn't get a reading on until I got to less than 1K.

I am hoping that the Swarovski will get close to 1400+. I am waiting on my first shipment from them. Do you have the Swarovski now? How is it performing for you? For $800, I hope it will at least hit 1200 every time like my Newcon does.
 
Don,

I don`t have the Swarovski yet. They should be with the suplier on the 20th of this month. Allowing for delays and postage etc I guess I should have them by mid May.

When I have tried them I will post something. The reviews I have read here have been very positive so I am hoping they will be good.

David.
 
I have owned several LRF's to include a Newcon and I agree it was crap the last straw was it started to lose its' zero and would range 7% or 8% long. I now have the Swaro 1500 and it is outstanding I've gotten readings several timees on a light colored rock in good conditions at 1600+ yards. I believe it is on a different planet compared to every thing else. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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