rangefinders- who has the best mid grade?

H

hawkhunts

Guest
I have been kicking around the thought of going all in on a leica 1600-b, and would if there weren't so many other items that I need prior to this fall's season. My priorities are a spotting scope and a new pack, so my rangefinder fund is getting squeezed just a bit.
Most of my hunting is now confined to whitetail bowhunting in Michigan, but i do make it back west every year to hunt mulies, antelope, and prairie whitetails. So i'm having a liitle trouble rationalizing spending 700-800 bucks on an items that may ultimately be used 2-3 times per season.
What are the best rangefinders available when you drop down from the Leica. How do the vortex, leupold, nikon, and others in the 300-500 range perform? Are they capable of ranging game to practical distances (500 yards or less)? Do they work equally well in the whitetail woods bowhunting from a high treestand? Or would the smart money be on finding an older Leica for the western rifle hunting, and a cheaper unit to bowhunt with (and truthfully, i have got by for years scouting, measuring, and marking trees).
 
I use a Bushnell G-Force 1300 ARC (~$280 from Amazon), and I primarily hunt western game with a whitetail hunt thrown in once a year. I can get accurate ranges on trees and rocks consistently between 600 and 800 yards. I can range game between 300 and 500 yards depending on the setting. It has rifle modes that allow you to custom tailor it to your particular round (including muzzleloaders, which is nice) and an archery mode. Both modes compensate for angle, which is helpful for western hunting and treestand hunting. I would make sure that whatever you end up getting claims to range at least 200 (400 would be better) yards further than what you are actually wanting to range because they never range as far as they claim to. Save the money and put it into your spotter or pack purchase. The Bushnell will do anything you need to out to about 800 yards. I have had two Nikons previously, and I definitely prefer the Bushnell because it ranges more reliably and farther than the Nikon.

Good Luck.
 
Yep- that leica has definitely been added to the list. I am actually done to two options. Leica 1000 and vortex. Vortex strictly on warranty (plus i can get it via gander mountain with points) and the leica 1000.
The 1600 still hasn't been crossed of the list, I have to buy a new spotter as well. My old swarovski spotter (ATS 80) is too big to pack, and has found a permanent home in Wyoming with my Uncle. Right now I have found a spectacular deal on a brand new zeiss dialyt (less than 1k brand new) that is making the decison making process really challenging. For it's normal price of $1400 bucks i wouldn't consider it against a swarovski. But since i can almost get the Zeiss Dialyt and a leica 1600, and save almost 1k over the swarovski by the time i put a 25x50 eyepiece on it, and a cover I may be able to settle with the Dialyt.
I really need some feedback on the newer vortex ranger 1000. It sounds like the earlier versions were pretty subpar, but it sounds like they may have fixed those issues. I really like the fact the vortex has a mounting screw for my tripod, and it small size. But the warranty is really what has my interest.
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-12-14 AT 10:15PM (MST)[p]Other than the way the display button works the vortex and leupold 1000i tbr are pretty much the same. The Leica is cosine only on the angle comp out to 600. I'm not positive and haven't checked mine but I believe the leupy adds some ballistics to the tbr when in rifle Basic mode. Archery mode is cosine only to 125.
Mind of depends how you'll use it. I shoot in a turret tape and dial yardage for rifle so I don't need ballistics. The 1000r is where I'm headed from the leupold.
 

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