This article covers the rangefinders the top precision rifle shooters in the country carry in long-range competitions. This is the first year I’ve asked about rangefinders, so it was exciting to see which brands these experts trust to give them an accurate target distances. The data is based on a recent survey I conducted of the top-ranked shooters across the country in both the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) and National Rifle League (NRL). (Learn more about the PRS & NRL). This is a very unique data set, because it includes a wide sample size (170+ shooters) who also represent the ...
Read More »Leica Geovid HD-B Review
This review on the Leica Geovid HD-B 10×42 rangefinder binoculars is based on a 3 month long field test. It reflects the thoughts of 3 different precision rifle shooters as they used the product to observe and range targets from 25 to 2,000 yards hundreds of times. The full field test consisted of 8 different rangefinders, so we have a very wide view of what to expect in a good pair of rangefinder binoculars. This post is compiled from our notes of what we specifically liked or didn’t like about the Leica Geovid HD-B compared to the rest of the ...
Read More »Rangefinder Binoculars Reviews & Field Tests: Overall Results Summary
Welcome to the largest and most comprehensive field test & review of laser rangefinder binoculars ever conducted. I tested virtually every pair available in a variety of real-world scenarios, to see which had the best performance in the field in terms of both optical clarity and ranging capabilities. This post is the executive summary of the results. I’ve already written other posts in this series of articles, which include exhaustive details about the ranging tests and results, as well as the optical tests and results. But, I’ll try to hit the highlights here. These results are based on over 10,000 ...
Read More »Rangefinder Binoculars Reviews & Field Tests: Ranging Performance Results
Not long ago, I helped build a 2,000 yard range for long-range, precision rifles. That range seems like the ideal facilities for a field test. It doesn’t get more real-world than this. Remember this isn’t a laboratory test … it is a field test. Although I was meticulous to ensure each model was tested in the same exact way and under the same exact circumstances, the targets and ranging scenarios varied just like they would in the field. By that, I mean the target shape, exact size, and surroundings were not identical at every range … just like they would ...
Read More »Rangefinder Binoculars Reviews & Field Tests: The Optical Performance Results
This is one of a series of posts about the results of field tests on rangefinding binoculars. Here are the models included in the test: Leica Geovid HD-B 10×42 (View Full Review) Leica Geovid HD Classic 10×42 Zeiss Victory RF 10×45 (View Full Review) Bushnell Fusion 1 Mile 10×42 (View Full Review) Bushnell Fusion 1600 10×42 Vectronix Vector 23 (View Full Review) Vectronix Terrapin (View Full Review) Leupold RX-1000i I hear so many people claim there is no way to objectively test optical clarity, because everyone’s eyes are different, so you just have to look through each pair for yourself. ...
Read More »Rangefinder Binoculars Reviews & Field Tests: The Models & Specs
Welcome to the largest and most comprehensive field test & review of laser rangefinder binoculars ever conducted. I tested almost every pair available in a variety of real-world scenarios, to see which had the best performance in the field in terms of both optical clarity and ranging capabilities. The results are based on over 10,000 data points collected from the field over 3 months of testing. I shoot in long-range rifle competitions, and some have known distance targets and some are unknown distance. For example, in the Steel Safari competitors have to locate, range, and engage 6 targets within 5 ...
Read More »How Do Rangefinders Work?
By understanding how rangefinders work, you’ll be able to employ them more skillfully in the field. This article should equip you with the fundamental principles. Laser rangefinders (LRF) all work using the same basic concept. The rangefinder emits laser beams at the push of a button. Those beams bounce off distant objects and the rangefinder’s high-speed clock measures the total time it took from when the beams left the unit until they returned. Since we know how fast the beam was traveling (speed of light) the unit can simply use that time measurement to calculate the distance it traveled, and ...
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