Wild R/Finder: First Outing

[Nodak7mm]

Note, below is a post I put at end of previous thread. I got 2 emails on this unit, so I thought I'd repost to show ya'll who may be considering getting one. I'm telling ya, GET ONE before their gone.

Evening Folks,

Got a chance to play with my "Wild" thing today after work and I am IMPRESSED, this unit is Mint!!!!! I can tell you right now that there is no way this unit can be used to its full capabilities. I ranged stuff as far as 1300 yds and its a piece of cake. I wanted to sit on my deck overseeing a stubble field and wait for the deer to start moving and try it on critters, but kinda chilly to sit on deck enjoying some of millwakee's finest in 20 degree wx with the sun disapeering.. I will report on that when I do.. (range critters that is)

Overview: I bought the "B" grade as it was $399.00. The carrying case is has normal wear & tear considering its 30 years old and been in storage. Bear in mind this unit was designed for artillary use, made to take abuse and took some. The unit itself is in **** good shape, I'm happy.. Deustche Optik's service has been very good.

It has 2 tripods, a large wooden 3 ft (for kneeling/or sitting) and a shorter 1 ft'r (for prone use) that fits into the wooden one and providing a crude vertical adjustment. I consider the wood tripod to be very crude but it serves it's purpose. I intend to take the little that contains the mounting head and make an adapter plate that will allow me use of a conventional tripod.

Another modification I am going to do is to make my own custom case for the optical unit and tripods. The tripod is fastened to the case right now using leather straps, kind of cheesy but works..

Overall I am very happy and I had a blast while set up in my driveway "testing" and noting the neigbors do a double take as they drove by.

Any questions or advice, please just email & ask.

Rod (Nodak7mm)

 

[Dan Conzo]

Some of the Wilds came with a ball joint mount--that's thge berries. You can do it yourself if you look around.

 

[Ken Howell]

Your satisfaction is certainly understandable. I bought a Barr & Stroud from Deutsche Optik back when the Wild cost a LOT more. Then, when the Wilds were all that were left at Deutsche Optik, and the price for a Wild dropped even below the price of the B&S, I bought a Wild, too. Don't need both, of course, but can't bring myself to part with either one. (FWIW, a friend who used to live in Switzerland told me that the name "Wild" on Swiss optics products is pronounced "Villed," to rhyme with "filled.")

Both the Barr & Stroud and the Wild are more accurate if you zero 'em correctly and check their zero for every trip afield. There's an index mark for "infinity" on the zeroing wheel -- set it on "infinity" when you have the moon, Venus, or Polaris coincident in the scope, and your range-finder is accurately zeroed. I used the moon to zero my Wild as soon as it arrived. Polaris is what I use to orient my old Ainsworth (the original Brunton) "pocket transit" with true North.

Also, the original military manual for the Wild (did you get a copy with your Wild?) instructs the soldier to take SEVERAL range readings and average them, and NOT to assume that taking only one reading is accurate enough. Not a bad idea, especially at the longest shooting ranges where (a) range readings lose accuracy and (b) bullets arc downward more nearly vertically, making accurate range readings more critical.

 

[CatShooter]

NoDak...

I bought one of the Wild range finders when they first came in. It was like new, and came with a nice case, a "lathe board" for calibration, a short tripod, and a beautiful large tripod, with solid oak legs, brass fittings, and a "mils" wheel for asmuth measurements. I paid $1,000 for it, and it's one of my nicest shooting toys... I love it.

I have several Laser rangefinders, including a very big US military unit, good to 10,000yds (under badd conditions), but if I were going to SoDak or Montana for Prairie Dogs, I would take only the Wild.

CatShooter

 

[wmorris]

CatShooter
Tell us about the US Military unit in the post above. Such as Name,Price,And where they are available.......Thanks.....

 

[CatShooter]

Wayne... The military laser is a AN/GVS-5, and with a battery charger, was $4,500.

They are very hard to find. It will read to 10,000 meters under the worst conditions... black target under full noon sunlight (even light fog!!).

It's very nice, but not a cure-all for every situation.

CatShooter.

 

[MachV]

Just got my Wild range finder from Deutsche the other day.Looks real good for a $300 grade c.The only thing I found were a few light scratches on lens.If they work as good as everyone says it aught to make long range prairie dogs a little easier=CJ

[ 03-17-2002: Message edited by: Mach V ]

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Catshooter

I have the Russian LRU-1 laser Military units that are the most powerful of the Military lasers to date that we have found. They will rang to 12 Miles with a 5 meter plus or minus error.

Many of my hunting friends and I have them.
I have two to sell at $2950.00 each with 2 batteries, battery charger, adaptors and cables. Even a small tripod and azemeth setup plus a remote switch where you don't even touch the laser when it's fired. These are new units out of Russia. They will range in ANY weather condition without fail.

My Wild and Barr and Strouds sit in the closet now.

Darryl Cassel
814-546-2674

 

[CatShooter]

Darrel...

>"Catshooter, I have the Russian LRU-1 laser Military units that are the most powerful of the Military lasers to date that we have found. They will rang to 12 Miles with a 5 meter plus or minus error."<

A good friend has one of the Russian units, and it is quite nice... though it is not power that determines the range with these units... it is the time limit on the gates, and when they stop looking for the return signal, that is the limiting issue. Power has nothing to do with it.
The AN/GVS-5 will read a flat black target, at a 45 degree angle, in direct, noon sun light (worst case scenero)...
... and I have discovered (by chance) that it will also read targets to 4000 meters in medium fog (viz about 300 meters).

Any of these military Lasers are 3x more than you or I need.

>"My Wild and Barr and Strouds sit in the closet now."<

I'm not about to give up on my Wild... I have shot dogs over the flats in South Dakota, near Senic, and when ranging over "pool table" areas, at many small targets, the lasers fail badly...
... they get many (false) returns, as the beam skims just a foot or two over the ground, and in a crowded town the laser will have a tough time picking one dog... particularly if you are seeing the doggie through fences or other obsticles.

The Wild excels under these condidtions.

There is room enough for both... "He who dies with the most toys... WINS"

CatShooter.

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Catshooter

I hunt mostly in rolling hills, mountains, and steep areas which is ideal for the Laser.

The Russian will range in light snow and rain, in sunlight, in shade and the reading will be the same. I have ranged out to 12 Miles with it and the target came back time after time, The same.

I have not tried it on desert type terrain that is completely flat yet but, will certainly do it when I get the chance.

I know it will pick up a certain deer or elk in a head out to 5000 meters without any problems and will repeat time after time.

I always used the Barr and Stroud and Wild untill I got the Russian Laser. I do think theres room for BOTH types, most certainly.
I prefer the Russian laser though and have used both for many years. The portability is the lasers adavantage right off.

Darryl Cassel

 

[ewallace]

I just got in from my 3rd outing with my new Wild rangefinder. On the first 2 outings I got a crow at 395 meters and one at 450 meters. Thank you for your help finding one of the most useful tools for long range varmint hunting I have found. I have a Niteforce 8-32 scope and thought the range finder in that scope was nice but it doesn't even come close. I made a Metric Trajectory chart for my 40 X in 220 swift and went to my big field put a target out and started ranging and shooting the first stop I made was 340 meters shot 3 shots to get started I was right on so moved out further I ended up at 465meters. I adjusted the scope for the range and shot 3 shots. All were on the target. Lets go out to the end of the field and see if this will work agene. It was 690 meters I adjusted the scope and put three shots in the target doesn't get much easer than that there was no wind.
Eric