what a good range finder



USMCDI

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I've been using a pair of Leica Geovids HDB for a few years now and they're great but still use my little Leica LRF 1600 for bow hunting, both are excellent.
 

PrairieGhost

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I think I have had a half dozen Bushnell, three Leica, three Nikon and I still have a Swarovski and a Sig2200. For the most bang for your buck you can't beat the Sig 2200. My Swarovski reaches 1999 yards. Evidently it's not capable of printing more digits. The Sig I have shot to 3415 yards. Deer are no problem to 1600 yards. One thing you should do to check is try shooting distance through your windshield. Infrared will not penetrate glass and I'll tell you why I think that's important. For example the Bushnell and my Swarovski will do about 600 yards right through the vehicle windshield. This is important if your a coyote hunter and hunt on snow. Snow looks white because that's the color it reflects, but a rangefinder that shoots through my windshield is partially absorbed by snow. So I was shooting at this target at 1160 yards on a friends farm. My Swarovoski that shoots through glass told me I was 1100 yards away and I was shooting low. Every time I hunt with the Swarovski on snow if I am shooting beyond about 700 yards I will shoot low. So I ranged with the Sig and it said 1160 and I smacked the steel on the first shot. I guess that under 700 yards I am getting enough reflected light to get a good reading, but I don't know at long range if the infrared laser is partially absorbed or scattered, but whatever the reason the range is off.
 
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NDbowman

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I also love my sig. There might be better ones out there, but for the money it is a great value. Ranged a cottonwood tree the other day at 1450 yards just to show my buddy what it could do. He was impressed. I've ranged a neighbors house at a little under a mile away. Tried a metal creep feeder at around a mile but couldn't get that to pick up. Its amazing how far you can range just grassy hilltops. My old bushnel was supposed to do 1000 yards but the farthest I ever got out of it was 550. The bushnel wouldn't work in snow, frost, or fog. Sig does.
 

tman

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How do the sigs do on sunny snow covered days?
 

AR-15

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Will try the Sig 2200
 

PrairieGhost

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How do the sigs do on sunny snow covered days?
They are reduced, but still make 1200 if there is any terrain. If it's perfectly flat and snow white even the very most expensive will only do about 700 to 800 yards. Put a coyote out there and they will pick him out to 1000 yards even on flat ground and snow with bright sun.
 

SupressYourself

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You'll like the Sig. I had the initial Kilo 2000 and it sucked, at least compared to the advertised specs.
I sent it in and they sent me a 2200. It's the real deal.

One semi off-topic question I have is: does anyone know of a LRF that allows you to change the reticle color?
Compared to the other technology they pack in those things, it doesn't seem like it would be that hard to do...
The red reticle in the Sig is great for most things, but in the winter, black works much better against snow.
 


Tory

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Really informative. Thanks all. Going to buy for current season. Budget within 500$. Looking for a long lasting I can spend at least 5 seasons and train my son. Any updated information will be appreciated. TIA
 

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