Optical rangefinder source?

L

Linefinder

New member
Does anybody know of a source for a decent quality small optical rangefinder suitable for out to ~600-700 yards?

I've owned 3 different lasers, and field-tested a whole lot more, and for serious pdog work, they get pretty spotty around the 350-400 yard mark.

I've got a Swedish Military mortar crew optical rangefinder that's spot on out to 1700 yards, but it's about 3 feet long and cumbersome.

I'm trying to find a handheld optical unit, but so far, all I've found is geared toward close-range/archery stuff.

Thanks

Mike
 
I was trying to find a Barr & Stroud when I ran across the Swedish unit. I love the precision and reliability of the unit, but it can be a pain to set up and move in the dogtowns. If all my shooting was at 600+, I'd use it all the time. As it is, I have a "gap" between the reliable range of my laser, and that at which setting up the "big one" becomes worth the effort.

Mike
 
Get a Leica CRF 1200 and don't look back. Fits in your shirt pocket, very accurate and easy to use. It is one of the best optical purchases I have ever made.
 
Quote:
Get a Leica CRF 1200 and don't look back. Fits in your shirt pocket, very accurate and easy to use. It is one of the best optical purchases I have ever made.



Yeah what he said, I have a LEICA also and have had it for 6 or 7 years with no complaints.
 
Thanks. The Leica is the rangefinder generally most often recommended, so I tried one.

Like I said....I'm trying to locate an optical rangefinder.

Mike
 
I just got a Bushnell Elite 1500 without the slope mode for just over $300 though Amazon.com. I'm still in the process of checking it out. So far I have ranged antelope at 350 to 580 yards and a few jackrabbits at 380 yards. I have read buildings to 1440 yards. Some small objects get hard in scan mode if there is brush, or you can't hold it steady enough. Switching to Brush mode will sort out the farthest target and in Bullseye mode it will give you the closest target in the scaned area. I didn't get the slope model since it has not been very well reviewed by most who have tested them. The Bushnell has a bit more eye relief for eyeglasses and a slightly larger exit pupil. I like the slightly larger bushnell with my big hands. The Leica is way smaller and lighter but harder to hold steady for me. The Bushnell's RainGuard and water-proof housing (it floats if dropped overboard) makes it better in nasty weather.

The Leica's I have used don't have anything but the scan mode, and are also tricky on small targets across flat areas. The lazer beam spot diameter is smaller in the Leica so it gets by very well without the other modes. The Leica has a brighter LED display and the battery last twice as long in the newest model. The Leica optics are better but I didn't notice it that much. If my eyes were 20 years younger maybe I would notice it.

Overall I would say the Leica is a better rangefinder, but the street price of $600 is a bit steep for me. If I made a living at guiding or wanted the best for big-time hunting, the Leica CRF 1200 is it. Both models are easy to use and good enough for most situations.

Since I'm a poor retired smuck, I think the Bushnell Elite 1500 does all I need for half the money.

I have not seen any optical rangefinders that are portable and handy enough for what I do.
 
Guys....Linefinder is looking for an Optical Rangefinder, not a laser unit, there is a difference.

Where did you get the Swedish unit you have? if I may ask?
 
The lasers are great for ranging large targets especially ones like vehicles or buildings. They fail to range small targets like PDs or ground squirrels. The optical ones can do this within +-5 yards at 1000. Unfortunately the optical ones are big and bulky and require setup.

Jack
 
CheaperThanDirt had about 2 dozen or so a couple years back, for around $350. A shooting partner of mine stumbled across the ad, let me know about it, and we both bought one. Shortly thereafter, I posted a review of it here, and CatShooter wound up buying one. Word got around, and within a couple weeks, there were none left.

I'm on my third laser, the current model being a Bushnell Pinseeker 1500. Though it designed for golf, it works against pdogs better than any other I've tried, and I've tried quite a few.

The manager of one of the local big box sporting goods stores here let me take over a half-dozen different models on a dog shoot to try before purchasing. The contenders included Bushnell, Leica, Nikon, Leupold, and Swarvoski.

My mentality, at the time, was "price is no object", since I had already been through 2 lasers in the $350-$400 price range. I expected the Leica and Swarvoski to smoke the competition, but they didn't. In fact, the $1200 Swarvoski was the most unreliable of the bunch. Maybe it was defective, but failure to ping a 250 yard pdog were not uncommon. The Bushnell Pinseeker, at ~$450, proved the most effective against pdogs on flat ground against non-reflective terrain features. Even so, much past 350 yards, and I get positive lock probably only 30 percent of the time.

I learned from the Swedish unit I have that optical rangefinders are where it's at for the terrain/conditions I shoot. They're just big and bulky.

Apparently, optical rangefinders are useful, but archaic, technology. And "archaic" doesn't sell nowadays... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Mike
 
I have the Swiss made Wild, which is very like the the Barr/Stroud unit. Have had it for close to 10 yrs and love it. Downside is yes its bulky, but spot on for PD's. Blows the lazers away after 4-500 yds, but it'll will never go fit in my deer blind either.

To answer your question, have you checked with Duetsch Optic? That is where I got my Wild from. They specialise in this type of surplus military optical stuff. Legend says that Barr/Stroud or Wild made one that was far smaller and lighter than the larger units. Google Duetsch Optic!

Rod
 
Quote:
Does anybody know of a source for a decent quality small optical rangefinder suitable for out to ~600-700 yards?

I've owned 3 different lasers, and field-tested a whole lot more, and for serious pdog work, they get pretty spotty around the 350-400 yard mark.

I've got a Swedish Military mortar crew optical rangefinder that's spot on out to 1700 yards, but it's about 3 feet long and cumbersome.

I'm trying to find a handheld optical unit, but so far, all I've found is geared toward close-range/archery stuff.

Thanks

Mike



There is none.

The guys that are recommending the Leica, have never used one on a dog town - they are (as you have found out) worthless past ~300yds.

I own three lasers, two Bushnells, a 400, and a 1,500, plus I own the best friggin' laser rangefinder ever made, a US military AN/GVS-5, that will range to 10,000 yds and give 100% accuracy under the worst conditions - it will crush a Leica like a soda can, and on a dog town, past ~300...
... it is no better.

On a dog town, you will get so many return "pings", the laser won't be able to tell you squat.

For dog towns, the big Optical units are the only way to go.

There was a company called "Ranger", that made small optical units, and their biggest one was called the "Ranging 1,000", and it was about 14" long. I bought one of those back in the late '70s for a trip to SoDak, and it was "OK"(???) to 250 yds.

I saw a small (2ft long) optical military unit from a European country on ebay last year that was intended for light mortar units, but I missed the bid (it was VERY HIGH).

So there's not much.

The Wild "80cm" is tops, the Swedish Periscope is next best, Barr & Stroud 1 meter unit is next best... and B&S made a 1/2 meter unit that might be what you want, it is 1/2 the size of the regular one... but they are as rare as chicken teeth.

For opticals, I currently have a Wild 80cm, and a Swedish Periscope.

I have never seen a 1/2 size Barr & Stroud in person, but I have seen pictures of them - I would expect to have to pay $3,000 to $5,000 for a clean working one, as they are prise units and highly sought by collectors.

There is nothing else... and there isn't likely to be any new designs coming along either /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I love the Wild 80cm unit the best of all of them, and if I had to pick one, that would be the one (even over the AN/GVS-5).
I love the solid oak legs and the navel bronze fittings for aiming and tracking.

I wound up not using the Swedish Periscope. I thought it would be smaller (cuz it was a 40cm), but it was almost as large as my Wild 80cm.


.
 
Quote:
Guys....Linefinder is looking for an Optical Rangefinder, not a laser unit, there is a difference.

Where did you get the Swedish unit you have? if I may ask?



OH! You got me there /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif, I didn't know there was a difference /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif, sorry. What is the difference in a nutshell? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Catshooter pretty much gave me an idea what the difference is. Now I know why I was having trouble ranging gophers in prairie country on a flat surface. Never to old to learn something new, especially here.
 
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Quote:
Quote:
Guys....Linefinder is looking for an Optical Rangefinder, not a laser unit, there is a difference.

Where did you get the Swedish unit you have? if I may ask?



OH! You got me there /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif, I didn't know there was a difference /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif, sorry. What is the difference in a nutshell? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif



Go here...

http://www.simpsonltd.com/product_info.php?products_id=3011

They are a work of Swiss art.

The one in the picture is a cream puff... most all of the units in the USA are beat up.

Mine is a cream puff - didn't pay $1,300 for it though /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif


.
 
Quote:
Quote:
Does anybody know of a source for a decent quality small optical rangefinder suitable for out to ~600-700 yards?

I've owned 3 different lasers, and field-tested a whole lot more, and for serious pdog work, they get pretty spotty around the 350-400 yard mark.

I've got a Swedish Military mortar crew optical rangefinder that's spot on out to 1700 yards, but it's about 3 feet long and cumbersome.

I'm trying to find a handheld optical unit, but so far, all I've found is geared toward close-range/archery stuff.

Thanks

Mike



There is none.

The guys that are recommending the Leica, have never used one on a dog town - they are (as you have found out) worthless past ~300yds.

I own three lasers, two Bushnells, a 400, and a 1,500, plus I own the best friggin' laser rangefinder ever made, a US military AN/GVS-5, that will range to 10,000 yds and give 100% accuracy under the worst conditions - it will crush a Leica like a soda can, and on a dog town, past ~300...
... it is no better.

On a dog town, you will get so many return "pings", the laser won't be able to tell you squat.

For dog towns, the big Optical units are the only way to go.

There was a company called "Ranger", that made small optical units, and their biggest one was called the "Ranging 1,000", and it was about 14" long. I bought one of those back in the late '70s for a trip to SoDak, and it was "OK"(???) to 250 yds.

I saw a small (2ft long) optical military unit from a European country on ebay last year that was intended for light mortar units, but I missed the bid (it was VERY HIGH).

So there's not much.

The Wild "80cm" is tops, the Swedish Periscope is next best, Barr & Stroud 1 meter unit is next best... and B&S made a 1/2 meter unit that might be what you want, it is 1/2 the size of the regular one... but they are as rare as chicken teeth.

For opticals, I currently have a Wild 80cm, and a Swedish Periscope.

I have never seen a 1/2 size Barr & Stroud in person, but I have seen pictures of them - I would expect to have to pay $3,000 to $5,000 for a clean working one, as they are prise units and highly sought by collectors.

There is nothing else... and there isn't likely to be any new designs coming along either /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I love the Wild 80cm unit the best of all of them, and if I had to pick one, that would be the one (even over the AN/GVS-5).
I love the solid oak legs and the navel bronze fittings for aiming and tracking.

I wound up not using the Swedish Periscope. I thought it would be smaller (cuz it was a 40cm), but it was almost as large as my Wild 80cm.


.



Never had near that much trouble with even the cheapest laser RF. But we have field markers, range back to the truck from the marker (every LRF I have ever used will do that very well) and have reference distances where ever we need them. After that the need for a LRF has diminished to nil. The plus or minus differences of 20-25 yds. has not seemed to make a big difference at the ranges we are shooting. Other than bragging rights we are just looking for either holdover or scope adjustments.
 
Quote:
"... But we have field markers, range back to the truck from the marker (every LRF I have ever used will do that very well) and have reference distances where ever we need them. After that the need for a LRF has diminished to nil. The plus or minus differences of 20-25 yds. has not seemed to make a big difference at the ranges we are shooting. Other than bragging rights we are just looking for either holdover or scope adjustments."



Laying out flags all over a town may be your style, but it doesn't address Linefinder's question...


.
 
Come spring he and I will meet up for a shoot. At that point he'll have to show me his optical RF. I 'll show him the pasture full of dogs with a couple of markers in it.
All without the negative blurbs....

He'll just have to drive another 80 miles or so.
 
In a dog town the trick is do not try to ping the dog with a laser, ping the mound. It will not put you dead on but will put you close.
 
Quote:
In a dog town the trick is do not try to ping the dog with a laser, ping the mound. It will not put you dead on but will put you close.



It doesn't work if you are shooting out there... everything gets flat past 500 yds.

At 500 yds, the typical consumer laser "beam" is over 40" wide, and you get returns from everything that it skims across, and lots of stuff behind it.


.
 
Thanks for the input, guys. It appears that what I'm looking for doesn't exist.

Oh, well.....firing "spotters" still works.

Looking forward to this spring, SKB!

Mike
 
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