Vortex Fury HD 5000 AB
There are a few items every rifle hunter needs when hunting out West; a good pair of boots, a pair of binos, and a rangefinder are at the top of that list. Many people are going with a bino/rangefinder combo these days because of the obvious benefits. Having a single unit is one less thing to lose, one less piece of equipment to be proficient with, and usually saves a few ounces in overall weight.
Vortex and Applied Ballistics
Vortex just revamped their Fury HD 5000 to include the ever-popular Applied Ballistics software. For those not familiar, Applied Ballistics is regarded as the best ballistics software on the market by many LR shooters and hunters. Most precision rifle competitive shooters use this program as their go-to. The guys over at AB have put serious work in research and analytics in ballistics. More info.
Having this ballistic software at the touch of your fingertips while ranging an animal or target is invaluable when seconds count. On the competitive stage, you need to find the target with binoculars, range the target, find your DOPE, build your position, and put the gun to work. Being able to combine your first three steps saves you crucial time.
Great For Shooting Matches
During a recent NRL Hunter Series match, I found that out first hand. The competitors that had this advantage did not time out on as many stages as those without a combo device. For myself, being a new competitor, I would have timed out on quite a few more stages without the Vortex Fury 5000 AB.
Windage Correction
Besides having a ballistic solver literally at your fingertips, the other beneficial feature is the ability to tell the Fury HD 5000 AB binos which way the wind is blowing and input wind values with a touch of a button. This will give you a wind solution right on the display. The result is the binos giving your data on bullet drop and wind drift! In addition, once you enter wind direction and speed, they will save the direction until you change it again.
Impressive Max Range
I have been able to get the rangefinder out past 3,000 yards on big reflective targets, and it hits animal-sized targets out to 1500 yards or so during the mid-day sun. The rangefinder and ballistic software portion of these binos are my favorite feature.
Included Bino Harness
They do come with a carry case loosely based on an FHF harness. I found this harness fairly useless unless you put some work into it. The hardware seems too big for the straps, and they will not hold tension. You can always double over the straps and find a way to keep them from slipping. I did not put any work into it as I was pretty disappointed with the harness overall. I had an old FHF harness I threw them in and solved my problem. If I were you, I would do the same.
Optical Quality
If you expect the optical clarity to be that of high-end glass, you will be disappointed. For a western hunter, I would rate this glass as “usable.” If you have ever looked through a pair of Vortex Viper HD, that is the quality you will be getting optically speaking. The glass is very similar, with the exception of a different coating due to the rangefinder in the right barrel.
Edge-to-edge clarity leaves a lot to be desired if you know what you are looking for. Even an untrained eye can tell the difference between these and a pair of alpha binos during the mid-day sun. To some, it’s not a dealbreaker; however, a big buck hunter will not find satisfaction optically speaking. Low-light quality is where you will lose the most performance with the Fury and where alpha glass shines. If your main focus is not on finding the biggest buck on the mountain, these might suit you just fine.
For additional perspective, check out Matt Cashell’s review here.
Conclusion
I have recommended the Vortex Fury HD 5000 AB to several new hunters looking to get into a pair of binoculars with built-in rangefinder. They are a slick little unit and a good starter pair to get someone going. They have also been making a big splash in the NRL world, especially in the NRL Hunter series, and for a good reason. They are fast and give you good data saving you valuable time. In my opinion, Vortex set a good bar in this market, and I am excited to see what competition will enter into this niche of a binocular.
Comment on this review or ask Travis and Matt questions here.
Also check out this Rokslide member review posted in our forums.
The rest or our optics reviews are available here.
