best budget rangefinder binos?

[diygunsmith]

who makes the best rangefinder binos in a budget friendly price of 1000 and under? will 8x40s be sufficient glassing long distances? 1000 yds and beyond?

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Take a look at the GPO 8x40 Rangeguide, on sale, reduced from $1,299.99 to only $649.99

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Take a look at the GPO 8x40 Rangeguide, on sale, reduced from $1,299.99 to only $649.99

You guys don’t have them onsale anymore.

If they’re still $650 I concur, good performance for the money, I can a pair last fall and felt they were solid. Not alpha glass but not alpha cost either.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

You guys don’t have them onsale anymore.

If they’re still $650 I concur, good performance for the money, I can a pair last fall and felt they were solid. Not alpha glass but not alpha cost either.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I have corrected this. Back to $649.99

 

[Matt5266]

I just picked up a like new pair of Revic blr10b 10x42 for $1,000 on marketplace. I dont think you can do better if you find a decent deal

 

[diygunsmith]

Take a look at the GPO 8x40 Rangeguide, on sale, reduced from $1,299.99 to only $649.99

how will 8x look at 1000 yds?

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

how will 8x look at 1000 yds?

What specifically do you mean? The image in the center is good and crisp, as good or better than many $650 non-range finding binoculars. Edge to edge isn’t as crisp as my swaro EL (non-range finding) but that’s a different tier. I didn’t ditch these Gpo for my ELs during the fall hunts if that says anything. I do carry and glass with SLC 15s also though on many hunts.

Lotta bang for the buck if you don’t need ballistics.

 

[diygunsmith]

What specifically do you mean? The image in the center is good and crisp, as good or better than many $650 non-range finding binoculars. Edge to edge isn’t as crisp as my swaro EL (non-range finding) but that’s a different tier. I didn’t ditch these Gpo for my ELs during the fall hunts if that says anything. I do carry and glass with SLC 15s also though on many hunts.

Lotta bang for the buck if you don’t need ballistics.

i mean will the 8x power have enough power to see a animal at 1000 yds

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

i mean will the 8x power have enough power to see a animal at 1000 yds

A whole animal, certainly. Seeing smaller and smaller parts of animals as you go up in magnification is easier but at the expense of field of view. Seeing as movement catches attention often having field of view is a good thing too. I previously carried 10x on my chest and 15x in pack (often but not always). This year I carried these 8x and 15x and I never swapped out for my 10s. So for my usage I didn't have an issue with 8x, whenever I want a closer view after locating something or if picking apart an area I use my 15s, same as when I carried my 10s.

At dusk/dawn or high movement times I want field of view, mid day picking things apart or looking way off I want my 15s. That said there have been times in my 15s gridding that I looked up with naked eyes and realize there is an animal out in plain sight outside my narrow field of view. So everything is a balance.

 

[hoooogan]

The GPO 8x40 glass is more than adequate for 1k. When I had my 8x40 GPO's I could repeatedly ranged a spot that was probably 2ft diameter at 1 mile. It was a white spec on a mountain side with the naked eye. YOU are going to be the limiting factor while you shake and try to range. I was also able to distinguish two headlights on a vehicle at ~4 miles away.

 

[LongWayAround]

I recently picked up a pair of the GPO 8x40. The edge to edge clarity isn't great, but the center is good.

The ranging reticle seems kind of large at distance and it's somewhat difficult to tell exactly where the ranging point is. I believe pods(?) may have previously posted it seems to be about the 6:00 position on the circle and that mirrors my experience. In full daylight I find the brightness to be somewhat lacking, it gets kind of washed out.

The binos themself are very compact, the peak is pretty pronounced but not uncomfortable.

The rangefinder laser seems very powerful. I was able to range a house at 3500yd and rock faces to about 4000yd. Steel targets and cattle have been ranged to about 800, but I have not tried farther.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

In full daylight I find the brightness to be somewhat lacking, it gets kind of washed out.

I have mine on auto and haven't had issue but you could increase brightness if having trouble in daylight


The rest of your post is a fair assessment. They aren't AWESOME but they are solid for the money.