SEEKING EXPERIENCES with MID LEVEL RANGEFINDERS

alcesgigas

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Jun 26, 2011
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522
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Bettles Field, AK
Not bino-finders, but rangefinders that start at $1200-$1500 and generally rated for 1400 yards non-reflective/2500 yards or more reflective. Presently I'm looking at three: G7 BR2, Pulse 360, and Vectronix PLRF. This represents quite an expenditure for me so I must exhaust every avenue to learn as much as possible before laying out the green. Know I appreciate your responses.

My apologies: I inadvertently initiated this thread in the Optics For Sale. Maybe I'll find out how that happened someday...
 
Thanks. Presently I'm pretty enthusiastic about the G7 approach: BR2, G7 Nightforce, and their ballistic turret. I just don't want to close both eyes and mind to other possibilities--hence my search for those whom experienced the aforementioned--and perhaps others I'm unaware of.
 
Leica and Swaro make a fine product for those ranges. Why do you want to pay almost
double for a product that may or may not be any better?
 
After owning the Leica 1600 (x2), Swaro's (x2), Bushnells, Leica 1200, Leica Geovid HD's, and others I can honestly say that none of them are even close to being in the same class with the Vectronix. The G7 is a big ?. I would go with the far and away best and "Known". Vectronix.
 
I recently called Laser Technology about the TruPulse 360 and I was told it has the same laser diode that the G7 and even the Bushnell ARC 1600. The only difference was that the firm ware is different. Laser Technology also has a TruPulse 200 which has the same laser as the other mentioned. The 200 and 360 are configured to read to the foot as apposed to the yard. I my self are in the same position you are in trying to find a good range finder.
 
I want to follow this thread .

the only thing I have to offer is the G7 is more than just a range finder . it is your weather station , your I- pad , your program , and your range finder . kind of an all in one . it would be nice to only carry one item , if it does everything well . Jim
 
I hear ya on the all in one. I understand that you have to pay for R&D on a product, but you can get the same laser performance for less than half price TruPulse 200. I find myself on the same crossroads as others. Pay for the convenience of the all in one or try the 200.
 
Last night I took a better look at Laser Technology's Pulse offering (s) and came to the conclusion that the G7 BR2 starts life as a 360, has his tonsils and adenoids removed--along with a blue tooth--and receives a brain transplant in their stead. Take a look; you may word it differently, but hey, you know those leopards and their spots... Seems like I remember Aaron saying something about an affiliation with Laser Technologies in his video on this site.

Be that as it may I have no idea--yet--how much the Pulse 200, 360, or 360R and their variations cost. Looking further into Vectronix, past the PLRF 10 and 15, there's the Moskito (not to worry about the spelling--when you pay for them they still bite) and the Vector Binocular/rangefinder; the latter two have some variants also. The binos, in model 23, have an advertised range of 25,000 meters--the lesser model 21 merely reaches 18,000 meters. So my Red Ryder and I would be well accommodated with the latter, but really need the 23 when using the Benjamin--or Whamo... How many thousand dollars?

There's much considered dialogue focused on what some professionals might call recreational or entry-level rangefinders on this site by well-meaning informed people. However when it's all said and done we too often get what we pay for--if we're lucky--and in this case I'd just as soon pay a third to half again to get a rangefinder that delivers consistently and under all--wishfully--conditions before I cut loose on a 3/4 ton animal or half that that fights back with an instrument that costs $10K supported by $100K in investments for travel, lodging, R&D, insurance, divorce (s) & alimony (s), etc. I left out the booze and tobacco--must keep some form of normalcy in this compendium... Juxtaposed against all the prior expenditures--and let us not forget our time (once spent gone forever)--$1599 doesn't really seem like much. But then if you take in less than that a week or month it is...

No, I don't work for any company that sells rangefinders; in fact I don't work for anybody these days, but of all the rangefinders I've looked at only three are long-range hunter dedicated. Purpose built. No, it doesn't mean something else won't work, but it surely implies intent and in that it's forums like this with people like you that force those three to deliver the goods. And they have. However, they are limited by the constraints of reality; one just can't, after all, make a rangefinder out of a sow's ear, three orangutans and a chimp workforce, a steak knife and splitting maul for tools. The G7 BR2 steadily rates higher.

OK so you know I haven't had my breakfast yet and it's a couple hours yet before light--I should just go back to bed after this loquacious discourse. But before I go anywhere this is fun, functional, and informative; lets keep it going.
 
I have just sold a Bushnell Elite 1500, have played with a Swaro mono RF, and a Zeiss bino RF. My application is long range target shooting, at the moment, and may be later long range hunting. So for me, I want to be able to range reliably out to one mile or more and so be able to buy something that will last me for the foreseeable future.

To that end I acquired a Vectronix PRLF05, there is a discussion on snipershide where I posted my experiences. Basically it's a true military LRF and does amazing things with a Class 1 laser, ranging out well past it's spec'd 2400 meters, out to 4000 yards and beyond on large targets. What this means for LR hunting is to get certain ranging on low reflectivity and/or small game targets out to and well past 1000 yards. The sub $1000 RF's I am afraid will let you down in critical moments by failing to range in less than optimum conditions.

I can imagine that for hunting, one wants to carry one piece of optics that does both 10X bino and then as good ranging as possible. In such a case the Leica Geovid seems like a good solution, but I have not touched one. If you can stand to carry a separate bino, and a separate RF, the Vectronix PRLF05 for $2000 simply can't be touched period by anything in it's price range and beyond. Oh, and it gives you the slope corrected range automagically, which is another really nice feature. We'll see that this new entry in the field will kill the $1-2K price range competitors with its vastly superior performance.
 
Here's a pic I took today through my PLRF 05 that I bought from Alina at Potomic River Group for $1995.00. I also ranged a moving helicopter @ 1860 yrds and street lights well over 2000 yrds.

vovo6o.jpg
 
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Well BS23, this is good news and the proof is in the picture. So, in the mid-range category we have a new and legitimate contender in the PLRF05. I hadn't known Vectronix had one "smaller" than the 10 and 15 and being as how the 10 runs around $3700 the last I knew this $1995 variant is welcome indeed. I guess that puts us at four to choose from: your PLRF05, the 10, Pulse 200/360s, and the G7 BR2. This a learning experience for sure and I appreciate everyone's input.
 
Nice pic. What is the conciseness on soft targets with the PLRF 05 Dear and coyotes? It looks like it reaches out just a little father than the old Bushnell 1500 I had. How long did the order process take, did you just call up the Potomic River Group and tell them what you want? Thanks for all the good info in this thread, lets keep it going.
 
My apologies: for some reason I thought tso was the initial presenter of the PLRF05 so I neglected to address bs23 who is responsible for that revealing photo and valuable text. Thank you both.

I went to the Hide and perused (for the moment--greater scrutiny later) the thread suggested. Am I correct that the PLRF05 is the Terrapin?

Also--if I recall it's bs23--mentioned about smaller and specific targets beyond 1000 yards consistently: this is precisely what I must have. The target must be in a place where I can remove it securely, in the shortest amount of time, and therefore my first strike must be telling--lethal. I cannot have a moose wander off into the willows and water where sectioning up takes enough time to invite the local grizzlies to dinner. Especially alone. This is all aside from humane considerations already considered and met. I can't just not hunt.

Two other considerations that tend to complicate: The smaller and specific targets are, say, a bush, or rock, or tussock to be as precise as possible at these long ranges and where black bears proliferated once has now been taken over by grizzlies in many areas. This year was the first year--in the five years that I've camped in this same spot--where the usual black bear and lone cub left their sign all over the beach was completely absent. Instead there's been a small sow grizzly and her lone cub, and it appears to have been going on since breakup. After the shot it's one eye on the knife and the other on the scenery.
 
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