Rangefinding Binoculars

[mxgsfmdpx]

Yeah exactly. I don’t need to wait for a computer to tell me that I need to dial 3.6 mils at 560 yards. Ballistics solvers are for 700+ yard shots.

That’s the whole point of RF binos with ballistics on board. It gives you the dope as you glass and range the animal in real time no matter the yardage. It takes the same amount of time for a 343 yard shot as it does a 566 yard shot or a 732 yard shot. The range doesn’t matter.

 

[alexnelon]

That’s the whole point of RF binos with ballistics on board. It gives you the dope as you glass and range the animal in real time no matter the yardage. It takes the same amount of time for a 343 yard shot as it does a 566 yard shot or a 732 yard shot. The range doesn’t matter.

If you don’t know your dope, then by all means use the computer.

I’m just saying I don’t need it inside 700/800 yards and it’s faster to just see the yardage and go, rather than waiting for the calculator to spit out numbers that I already have scorched into my brain.

 

[ChrisAU]

If you don’t know your dope, then by all means use the computer.

I’m just saying I don’t need it inside 700/800 yards and it’s faster to just see the yardage and go, rather than waiting for the calculator to spit out numbers that I already have scorched into my brain.

The point is you have to see a yardage and convert it in your head to your "known" dope. I don't even look at yardage, I see a correction, in the same amount of time you see a yardage. I'm skipping a step entirely.

 

[alexnelon]

…in the same amount of time you see a yardage.

This depends on price point though. If you’re using something like vortex fury’s for your ballistics calculations vs a GPO/GeovidR and quick drop, I’m moving to the rifle before you even get a reading back because they take forever to spit out a correction.

If you’re dropping $3k you can’t even find lrf binos that don’t have solvers in them anyway so it’s a moot point.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

This depends on price point though. If you’re using something like vortex fury’s for your ballistics calculations vs a GPO/GeovidR and quick drop, I’m moving to the rifle before you even get a reading back because they take forever to spit out a correction.

If you’re dropping $3k you can’t even find lrf binos that don’t have solvers in them anyway so it’s a moot point.

I’ve used memorization and quick drop for a loooong time. It’s a great system. Whether with a RF bino with no ballistics or a hand held range unit, you are ranging the target anyway. Getting the correction tried up to current DA instantly, right there in your face is a more effective tool.

In shooting with rank noobs to “pros”, I have yet to see a shooter who is “faster” and always “accurate” with first round hit rates, using memorized hard dope versus RF binos with onboard ballistics.

I personally fought it for a long time as I am a bit “old school” with memorization and hard dope cards. I made the switch in January and it’s been a game changer, especially considering I shoot an average of 5 days a week with around 8-10 “main” rifles being used.

 

[johnw3474]

For guys that have been using RF binos. do you consider the bino feature just as capable as what ever glass you would be using regardless? Are you giving up any glass for the RF ability?

 

[alexnelon]

I’ve used memorization and quick drop for a loooong time. It’s a great system. Whether with a RF bino with no ballistics or a hand held range unit, you are ranging the target anyway. Getting the correction tried up to current DA instantly, right there in your face is a more effective tool.

In shooting with rank noobs to “pros”, I have yet to see a shooter who is “faster” and always “accurate” with first round hit rates, using memorized hard dope versus RF binos with onboard ballistics.

I personally fought it for a long time as I am a bit “old school” with memorization and hard dope cards. I made the switch in January and it’s been a game changer, especially considering I shoot an average of 5 days a week with around 8-10 “main” rifles being used.

I’m not saying onboard ballistics are bad, I’m not even saying it’s not the best option, because it is.

I’m just saying inside 700 yards, you don’t need it for hunting.

No amount of temperature, pressure, or humidity will turn a kill shot into a miss on big game at 500 yards.

A difference of 10,000ft DA only moves your impact by less than 3 tenths, about the width of your hand, or less, at 500 yards. That’s still on the heart of an elk. Even calling wind you can be off by a full gun number in either direction and still hit both lungs.

You don’t have to worry about long range ballistic calculations if you’re not shooting long range. I don’t understand why this is controversial.

 

[madcalfe]

For guys that have been using RF binos. do you consider the bino feature just as capable as what ever glass you would be using regardless? Are you giving up any glass for the RF ability?

This question is subjective. If you havent looked through high end binos then yes high end range finding binos like geovids will blow mid range binos outta the water for glass, but there not as good as looking through say a pair of nocovids

 

[Hill Difficulty]

For guys that have been using RF binos. do you consider the bino feature just as capable as what ever glass you would be using regardless? Are you giving up any glass for the RF ability?

Great question.

Depends a lot on price. Certainly more and better RF binos showing up in the $600 to $1,500 range + more RFB size variations. Easy yes if wanting do-all 8 or 10x carry binos since optic quality in RFB can be better at some price points.

My ownership experience is limited to Fury, GPO RG, and Geovid Pro x32.

Price points: There might be better sub-$1,000 non-RF glass than the Fury, which seems to be the starting point for a solid RFB. Not surprised if GPO RangeGuide is the best of any bino up to $1,000. Get up to $1,300+ and you're edging toward whatever you think you need from Leica/Swaro.

The Geovid Pro x32 caused me to keep only my 12x50 ELs and sell everything 10x and less magnification. Still use a Leica CRF plenty for archery and rifle use.

I don't geek out on this stuff so interested in what others might say, particularly at $1,000 and less where someone is making their first bigger spend jump toward quality.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I’m not saying onboard ballistics are bad, I’m not even saying it’s not the best option, because it is.

I’m just saying inside 700 yards, you don’t need it for hunting.

No amount of temperature, pressure, or humidity will turn a kill shot into a miss on big game at 500 yards.

A difference of 10,000ft DA only moves your impact by less than 3 tenths, about the width of your hand, or less, at 500 yards. That’s still on the heart of an elk. Even calling wind you can be off by a full gun number in either direction and still hit both lungs.

You don’t have to worry about long range ballistic calculations if you’re not shooting long range. I don’t understand why this is controversial.

I don’t think it’s controversial at all. Your first sentence sums it up perfectly.

It’s not “needed” at any distance at all, it’s just quicker and more accurate not matter the yardage is what I’m saying (in real world timed shooting scenarios).

 

[barrister]

For guys that have been using RF binos. do you consider the bino feature just as capable as what ever glass you would be using regardless? Are you giving up any glass for the RF ability?

I've had two versions of the Leica Geovid, with the Pros currently which are new to me. I think the glass is outstanding and I never feel like I'm compromising on the glass to have the integrated RF. I don't have extensive experience with other binos, but I have compared my Leicas directly with a guide's Swaros while in the field on a hunting trip. While not binos, I have owned Swaro and Leica spotting scopes. It's subjective to each person, but I don't see a compromise with the Leica Geovid glass.

 

[Howler65]

Great question.

Depends a lot on price. Certainly more and better RF binos showing up in the $600 to $1,500 range + more RFB size variations. Easy yes if wanting do-all 8 or 10x carry binos since optic quality in RFB can be better at some price points.

My ownership experience is limited to Fury, GPO RG, and Geovid Pro x32.

Price points: There might be better sub-$1,000 non-RF glass than the Fury, which seems to be the starting point for a solid RFB. Not surprised if GPO RangeGuide is the best of any bino up to $1,000. Get up to $1,300+ and you're edging toward whatever you think you need from Leica/Swaro.

The Geovid Pro x32 caused me to keep only my 12x50 ELs and sell everything 10x and less magnification. Still use a Leica CRF plenty for archery and rifle use.

I don't geek out on this stuff so interested in what others might say, particularly at $1,000 and less where someone is making their first bigger spend jump toward quality.

Are you using the 8 or 10 power 32's? What made you go with these over the 42 series? Weight? What kind of terrain are you glassing?

 

[ddowning]

For western backpack hunting style shooting, it's fantastic having the come up and base 5 or 10 MPH 90 degree wind correction with one click of a button right there in your face in real time. Saves a TON of time in the process on timed drills simulating some hunting shot scenarios.

Think about the time it takes from getting pack off and getting setup for the shot (potentially while the animal is moving). A high level and WELL practiced hunter can have landmarks identified for finding animal, pack off, position built, round chambered, safety on, scope dialed for elevation, and face on stock/thumb on safety ready to kill in around 20-30 seconds (most folks it's WAY longer). While not all shots are like this, as lots of times animals are found while glassing on a tripod and pack is already off etc, the process can actually take longer as folks dick around getting their gun ready.

How much has the animal moved in that process? Likely zero yards, but also likely, 100+ yards... A final confirmation range from RF binos with ballistics solver, without having to fully break the position and check a hard dope card or some app of some kind on a phone (or lock screen of a phone like we used to use), saves time and keeps you ready to shoot.

If budget is an issue, and you want good glass, the geovid r is the ticket. To deal with no on board ballistics, I wrap a piece of tape around my elevation turret and mark every 25 yards. Pretty easy to range and dial the yardage. If conditions change considerably, rip the tape off and make new marks. It takes a pretty large environmental change to have much effect at 600 yards and in. For wind I use the "bc method" or the "mph gun" method (they are the same method, but people call it different things.) After practicing for awhile, it worked so well I stopped writing down wind calls for prs matches. I haven't written a wind call on a dope card for over 5 years now, just the yardage and the elevation. For NRL Hunter I just write the target ranges and use the tape on the turret and the bc method for wind.

 

[86indy]

The Geovid Rs peak my interest. Im hoping it kills two birds with one stone since I want to upgrade from Diamond backs and my cheap vortex range finder before heading to Montana this year.


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[ddowning]

The point is you have to see a yardage and convert it in your head to your "known" dope. I don't even look at yardage, I see a correction, in the same amount of time you see a yardage. I'm skipping a step entirely.

How are you developing a wind call without knowing the yardage? I'm not calling you out. I'm truly interested. A percentage of elevation??

 

[ChrisAU]

How are you developing a wind call without knowing the yardage? I'm not calling you out. I'm truly interested. A percentage of elevation??

Good question. If wind is a concern then I’ve already preset it in my binos or I do glance at yardage to quickly calculate in my head the MPH value based on my gun. Both yardage and elevation are presented to me simultaneously in my Revics so I can grab my elevation correction and dial while getting on the gun and calculating my wind hold in my head which I’ll hold for in the reticle.

 

[TX_Diver]

Also interested in which RF binos compete optically with or even exceed the SLCs.

Used RF binos at an NRL Hunter match and they would be awesome for rifle hunting, but I feel like with most of them I’d be losing some optical quality until you get up into the $2500+ range?

 

[alexnelon]

Also interested in which RF binos compete optically with or even exceed the SLCs.

Used RF binos at an NRL Hunter match and they would be awesome for rifle hunting, but I feel like with most of them I’d be losing some optical quality until you get up into the $2500+ range?

In the lower price range ($1,000-$1200), you’re basically choosing onboard ballistics OR decent glass.

The Leica Geovid R and GPO are decent glass but no solver (I would say slightly better optically than Razor UHD but that’s an opinion), the vortex fury ab and sig kilo 6k have a decent solver, but both have glass equal to about a $250 pair of binos.

 

[TX_Diver]

In the lower price range ($1,000-$1200), you’re basically choosing onboard ballistics OR decent glass.

The Leica Geovid R and GPO are decent glass but no solver (I would say slightly better optically than Razor UHD but that’s an opinion), the vortex fury ab and sig kilo 6k have a decent solver, but both have glass equal to about a $250 pair of binos.

that matches what I’ve seen so far.

time to go back to the stock traders thread and fund some ELs I guess. Wish it was just that easy

 

[Hill Difficulty]

Are you using the 8 or 10 power 32's? What made you go with these over the 42 series? Weight? What kind of terrain are you glassing?

8x, less bulk + great used price, open Dakotas/MT/WY, some dk timber.