range finders

[ann brezinski]

I am looking for one in the 250 to300 $ bracket.i can not afford the big time finders .
the one I have looked at is the bushnell ark 1000. for 250 $ on sell at walmart.
any thoughts on this.
gary b

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

I am looking for one in the 250 to300 $ bracket.i can not afford the big time finders .
the one I have looked at is the bushnell ark 1000. for 250 $ on sell at walmart.
any thoughts on this.
gary b

there is a classified ad on here where a guy is selling a leupold 1000 yard rangefinder for $270.00

That would be my first choice. i have had great luck with leupold and their warranty.

 

[C.O. Shooter]

Vortex makes a reasonably priced rangefinder!

http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/vortex.pl?page=vortexrrf-101

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Leupold® RX600i Rangefinder : Cabela's

I've got this one and it works just fine... my wife bought it for me last Christmas on sale for just a bit less than they are now. Never got to use it on my buck but it was good for my brother to know the range on his doe as she was out in a field.

leopold's non gold ring rangefinder warranty is one year, btw..

 

[el matador]

The Bushnells are ok for the price. I owned a 600 yard Scout model and was happy with it for ranging out to 400 yards. I have used a Leupold and found it to also be just ok. These units will range to about 2/3 of their rated distance. I sold my bushnell and bought the Vortex, now I couldn't be happier. It's rated to 1000 yards and will range cedar trees past 900. Reflective targets it goes beyond 1000. Its small and works extremely well. It also has angle compensation if you want to use that feature.

 

[406precision]

I would go with the vortex or shop the used market and pick up a leica 1200 scan should be able to find one in your price range. The leica's stand alone for performance in their price range. The vortex has a helluva warranty and gives you the option of a corrected distance based on angle of the shot.

 

[BrentM]

Have owned Nikon, Leupold, Bushnell, and now Leica. The Leica is lot more money but it kills the competition in the price range. I liked my leupolds ok but the Nikon was the better unit or those mentioned. I do like the Vortex as well. During store comparisons I leaned toward the vortex and nikon. Bushnells, if you get a good unit, they are good forever. I had 3. 1 was awesome, the other 2 not so much.

 

[Kurt]

I am a vortex pimp scope,binos, spotter but went with the bushy ellite 1600 and it has rocked so far but in your price range I would not hesitate to get the vortex. I have ranged side by side with a buddys swaro and we are with in one yard of each other out to 1600 just don't have the optics the swaro does. I was just about to get the vortex but pulled the trigger on the bushy from Scott at liberty optics and will buy from him again every chance I get.

 

[WildRose]

I am looking for one in the 250 to300 $ bracket.i can not afford the big time finders .
the one I have looked at is the bushnell ark 1000. for 250 $ on sell at walmart.
any thoughts on this.
gary b

Ann you will find that with most of the low or mid price range models the realistic range of the units is about half what is advertised.

What distances are you shooting? How much you need to spend is decided by that factor.

I have the Leupold RX1000 and it's a good unit for what it does but you won't consistently get good ranges on deer sized game beyond about 650yds in normal hunting conditions. I've never gotten it to give me a good reading on anything beyond 750yds.

Inside of 600yds it's pretty well right on and consistently reliable.

The main thing that limits my ability to shoot beyond 750yds consistently is a quality range finder that will work at that range and beyond so I'm going to upgrade.

I'll probably step up to the Bushnell Fusion Arc 1 mile I 12x50 if I can find one at a price I can swing.

The Vortex is probably close to the Leupold in performance but I would not look at anything priced lower than either of those.

You may want to take a look at the Bushnell Elite Arc 1600 as well. They are not the latest tech, but they are solid range finders and can be bought fairly reasonably now.

 

[BrentM]

Good points. I played with several the day I bought my Leica. None, except the Leica and swaro would range the trees and bushes around the house across the field from the store. However they did not have higher end bushnells. Worth A look.

 

[WildRose]

Good points. I played with several the day I bought my Leica. None, except the Leica and swaro would range the trees and bushes around the house across the field from the store. However they did not have higher end bushnells. Worth A look.

Off topic but Meridian is one of my favorite places in the whole country. Love the Chukar and Hun Hunting in that area and have some very good friends in and around Meridian.

 

[BrentM]

Small world is it not? Grew up here farming and just can't leave it. Well, maybe for more mountains and less people.

 

[WildRose]

Small world is it not? Grew up here farming and just can't leave it. Well, maybe for more mountains and less people.

I can certainly understand why. I very seriously considered a permanent move during and after my first trip there. I frequently wish I'd done so but we were having some awfully good bird years here and I was making too much money LOL.

 

[BrentM]

If you come back up here let me know. It would be great to meet you.