Rangefinder recommendation

lefthooker

Hi guys,
Back again looking for more info. I'm thinking about getting a laser rangefinder for ranging far out bunnies and corvids. I've two models in mind, Leupold RX600 and Bushnell Scout 1000. Has anyone experience with either of the above or can recommend another cheap and cheerful entry level rangefinder.

Thanks guys.

Tackleberrywho

lefthooker wrote: »

Hi guys,
Back again looking for more info. I'm thinking about getting a laser rangefinder for ranging far out bunnies and corvids. I've two models in mind, Leupold RX600 and Bushnell Scout 1000. Has anyone experience with either of the above or can recommend another cheap and cheerful entry level rangefinder.

Thanks guys.

I have an old Bushnell rangefinder that stopped working, several years ago, and as it was a sealed unit I could not get it fixed.

Buy either
Nikon or Leica

If you can't afford new buy S/H

ormondprop

I have no experience with any but read a tread on airgunbbs where a guy traded his leica for zeiss and found it way better, gave quicker readings in smaller targets, so was better when shooting long range varmints, if you have the money i say you wont go wrong with zeiss swarovski leica, but i dont know much about lesser priced brands

Tackleberrywho

I used one of these belonging to FISMA last Summer

http://en.leica-camera.com/sport_optics/sport_optics_news/crf_1600/

It was really clear, gave a very fast reading and was pocket sized.

I'd like to get one of these either
http://www.nikon.com/products/sportoptics/lineup/laser/1200/spec.htm

The leica being red illum is more advantageous for a deer stalker/foxer
Than Black LCD

ormondprop

http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread.php?494508-Rangefinder-comparison.-Zeiss-Leica-Elite-etc

lefthooker

Thanks lads.
I'd like a Leica alright but new isn't an option and S/H is too scarce. So I'm back to Leupold RX600 and maybe Nikon Riflehunter or Redfield Raider. All got high marks on laserrangefinderreview.com. And if I do buy should I get one with angle calculator or how useful is that function???

Tackleberrywho

lefthooker wrote: »

Thanks lads.
I'd like a Leica alright but new isn't an option and S/H is too scarce. So I'm back to Leupold RX600 and maybe Nikon Riflehunter or Redfield Raider. All got high marks on laserrangefinderreview.com. And if I do buy should I get one with angle calculator or how useful is that function???

If you are shooting 1000 yards on a mountain side maybe.

lefthooker

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

If you are shooting 1000 yards on a mountain side maybe.

1000yards, Thats exactly why i applied for the BMG:D:D:D
All i want to know is the distance to Bugs' Medulla oblongata

Tackleberrywho

lefthooker wrote: »

1000yards, Thats exactly why i applied for the BMG:D:D:D
All i want to know is the distance to Bugs' Medulla oblongata

Do you know an Alligator has an enlarged Medulla Oblongata?

I have no angle comp on my range finder and I never missed it.

ghostmantra

this months sporting rifle had a piece about 12 rangefinders priced from £135 to over £2000, would be worth a look at:)

FISMA

Thanks for the name clarification. I thought you were a sniper - long as in reach out and touch someone!

Anyhow, the LEICA is expensive, but worth it. They have great glass and their reaction time is spot on.

I got my 1200 from Kay_9 in a trade. The 1600 is great as well, however, probably too much.

It tells you pressure, temp, bullet drop, ... Nice to have, but a bit too much for my liking. I think the 1200 is perfect. But, they are expensive.

Check out the Redfields. Vintage Redfield scopes are still prized in the States. If you have an old one, you won't let it go.

Redfield is owned by Leupold so I bet they are close in quality.

OpticsPlanet has some great deals on glass.

Some day I will have to head out to a Cabela's superstore (far away) and test a bunch of rangefinders for the board.

Slan.

Goosie

I have that same Nikon that TBW highlighted for about 3 years now. Cant remember what it cost. Does whats required of it well, never gave me a prob. Not very good coming towars dusk due to the small 25mm eye piece. Just be aware that you need something fairly substantial like a tree or hedge to bounce it off to get an accurate reading. Bunnies corvids just wouldnt be big enough.

lefthooker

ghostmantra wrote: »

this months sporting rifle had a piece about 12 rangefinders priced from £135 to over £2000, would be worth a look at:)

Ya i saw that ghost, it was yer man Byron who got me thinking. Some really nice rangefinders in that piece but you'd wonder about the quality of some of the cheaper ones.

FISMA

Nikon makes some good stuff.

I purchased a prostaff scope in 4-12x40mm at a dirt cheap price and was surprised at the clarity of the optics.

Nothing bad to say about them.

Gerry.L

I havent read the rest of the replies so dont know if its being mentioned or not, but please dont buy something cheap. Seriously you dont want to make the same mistake I made and went cheap thinking I only want it for rabbits and stuff out to about 100 yards and dont need anything fancy.

I bought a hawke lrf 1000 and its give me nothing but heartache. Apparantly there is a rain mode... what it should be called is light drizzle mode.. Its supposed to range out to 1000 yards. I got it hard to get a range on a house at 400 :mad: oh and apparantly it works through bryers and branches once they are closer than 150 meters... I wish someone would tell my one that.

I really wish I had of waited an saved up an extra one or two hundred and bought a good one from the start.

lefthooker

Starting to lean towards a Nikon Riflehunter. I can't spend top dollar on the likes of Zeiss or Leica but Nikon gets a good rating on review sites and is in the right kind of price range for me.

Tackleberrywho

lefthooker wrote: »

Starting to lean towards a Nikon Riflehunter. I can't spend top dollar on the likes of Zeiss or Leica but Nikon gets a good rating on review sites and is in the right kind of price range for me.

If you only shoot out to 400 0r 500 its plenty good.
I would have not got as many bunnies without mine, as anything over 200 yards bullet drop needs to be accurate

lefthooker

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

If you only shoot out to 400 0r 500 its plenty good.
I would have not got as many bunnies without mine, as anything over 200 yards bullet drop needs to be accurate

Think it'll b plenty good Tack. Intend to use it with a drop chart for the .17 and then dial in the clicks needed, should give me much longer reach.

lefthooker

Decided to go with the Nikon Riflehunter 550, bought 1 from the States and it arrived yesterday. Haven't had a chance to use it in the field yet but its 58yds to the farmyard:D. Once the silage is finished I'll have plenty of bare fields, and hopefully willing volunteers/victims to give it a real testing.

Tackleberrywho

My Nikon range finder after 10 years of "neglect" is starting to give me jib, it still ranged 620 yards of a barley field for me yesterday.

I have to say, 10 years for an electronic device to work is a long time, and I have it fired behind the drivers seat all the time.

The only thing I would change about mine is teh range, as occasionally I like to know is the field 600 700 800 900 or 1000 yards.
The longest field I have to date is 622 yards on my permissions.
The same field occasionally has a fox snooping around the bottom of it

shane32819

i have this bushnell and got it from cabelas also

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunting/Optics/Rangefinders%7C/pc/104791680/c/104752080/sc/104525280/Bushnell174-Elit174-1500-Laser-Rangefinder/720612.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fhunting-optics-rangefinders%2Fbushnell%2F_%2FN-1100062%2B1000002937%2FNe-1000002937%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104525280%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104791680%253Bcat104752080%26WTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNU&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104791680%3Bcat104752080%3Bcat104525280

the longest distance ive ranged is 1260ms. but it works great and never had a problem. few different settings for pinpoint and for ranging through bushes which is very handy! cant fault it. opted not to get the arc calculator and i dont regret it!

BELOWaverageIQ

Leica 1200 rangemaster.......end of story!

lefthooker

I got my Nikon from Waterfowlers Warehouse, they were the cheapest I could find. I bought it thru ebay. Even with postage and customs it was a lot cheaper than bringing it thru the UK.

lefthooker

BELOWaverageIQ wrote: »

Leica 1200 rangemaster.......end of story!

And as if by magic,
http://cgi.ebay.ie/LEICA-LRF-1200-RANGEMASTER-SCAN-MODEL-RANGEFINDER-/160595189549?pt=UK_SportingGoods_Hunting_ShootingSports_ET&hash=item2564381f2d#ht_500wt_950
postage to UK addresses only tho:mad:

Goosie

lefthooker wrote: »

And as if by magic,
http://cgi.ebay.ie/LEICA-LRF-1200-RANGEMASTER-SCAN-MODEL-RANGEFINDER-/160595189549?pt=UK_SportingGoods_Hunting_ShootingSports_ET&hash=item2564381f2d#ht_500wt_950
postage to UK addresses only tho:mad:

ah dont worry about that. You'll be more than happy with your Nikon and it will do for you what you require. Best of luck with it.

lefthooker

Tried out my Nikon last night. Set up 2 clays on the lower headland of 1 of the silage fields and paced out what i thought was 100yds to check my zero. Quick scan showed i was 102 so not far off. Bang and hole thru centre of clay 1. So walked out a bit further and ranged it, 221yds. Checked the drop chart i made up and dialed in 5.8MOA/23 clicks for 225yds. Lined up clay 2, BOOM and clay 2 was vaporised. Didn't bring the camera to show pics but I was very impressed with how this aided my shooting.

BELOWaverageIQ

Essential pieces of equipment,
develope a drop chart with it and it will transform your shooting.

lefthooker

BELOWaverageIQ wrote: »

Essential pieces of equipment,
develope a drop chart with it and it will transform your shooting.

+1. Copied the drop chart from Rimfire Central and added MOA and click calculations for extra handiness

poulo6.5

i saw a second hand lica 1200 for sale yesterday. how much do you think it is worth

BELOWaverageIQ

poulo6.5 wrote: »

i saw a second hand lica 1200 for sale yesterday. how much do you think it is worth

350