Help Me Pick Rangefinding Binos (2025)

[Chukwithak]

@Secant I went through this hole escaped about 6 months ago.

I started off with the Vortex Fury's and while I liked that I could have 3 profile's loaded I felt that there was a lot missing for ballistics and glass for the cost of an RF Bino. I didnt feel that I really upgraded from my Viper's. I returned them and turned to the Leica Geovid Pro's.

The Leica's were amazing glass compared to the Vortex but there were a couple things that really bothered me.

• A good way to mount for a tripod
• Size and weight
• 1 profile loading
• Couldn't find a way to adjust the laser
• Additional free for AB Elite. (comes with the lower AB software)
• Button sequence was kind of a pain. Never did figure out how to re-zero the wind once I increased it.

Needless to say, sol these and moved on the Sig Kilo Gen 2's. Now I'm no glass snob, but I can generally tell good glass from bad glass and I couldn't tell a difference between the Leica's and the Gen 2's. I was able to see dragon flies at 100-150 yards with the Sig's, that was good enough for me. I haven't noticed the tint at all except one night when glassing in idaho at dusk. The sun was 90degrees to might right and the last few moments of light I felt like I was getting a tint. That being said it could have been me adjusting with my glasses, or something funky. 19 days in the field and I only experienced it once. Other than the I have been very happy with the glass and lack of tint.
The size is much smaller and as for the ballistics software is comes with AB elite on board. If you want to run a Kestrel it's a matter of swapping the setting from on board to external in the settings. Super easy. As for the onboard, my buddy is not technologically savy bought the Gen 2's after using mine and dropped a bull at 740 yards his first time using them in the field.

Some of the things I noticed, that i really like about the Gen 2's.

• Can adjust your laser
• 30 something profiles can be loaded
  • When you range, it also names the profile you ranged with.
• Multiple duplex's
• Ease of navigation
• Size and clarity
• Manual up and down arrows for wind adjustment
• Possibility for Calypso wind meter
• I'm probably forgetting some stuff.

Now the only reason I came across this thread is I have been interested in the Revic. I'm a long distance hunter first, and would like to get into NRL eventually. I've been listening to the LRP podcasts and a lot of what they say just makes sense to me. I'm new to AB as I've been using Hornady 4dof and I need to figure some stuff out about creating my own CDM. I like what REVIC does with their engine and app, but that's me. From my research I did 6 months ago the order is...

1. REVIC
2. Sig Gen 2
3. Leica
4. Vortex

I cant really vouch for the REVIC's but I would have to agree with the rest.

Oh! and to answer a question you asked earlier, the Gen 2's do not need your phone for a calculator. It's on board the glass and VERY fast.

 

[carbonbased]

@Secant I went through this hole escaped about 6 months ago.

I started off with the Vortex Fury's and while I liked that I could have 3 profile's loaded I felt that there was a lot missing for ballistics and glass for the cost of an RF Bino. I didnt feel that I really upgraded from my Viper's. I returned them and turned to the Leica Geovid Pro's.

The Leica's were amazing glass compared to the Vortex but there were a couple things that really bothered me.

• A good way to mount for a tripod
• Size and weight
• 1 profile loading
• Couldn't find a way to adjust the laser
• Additional free for AB Elite. (comes with the lower AB software)
• Button sequence was kind of a pain. Never did figure out how to re-zero the wind once I increased it.

Needless to say, sol these and moved on the Sig Kilo Gen 2's. Now I'm no glass snob, but I can generally tell good glass from bad glass and I couldn't tell a difference between the Leica's and the Gen 2's. I was able to see dragon flies at 100-150 yards with the Sig's, that was good enough for me. I haven't noticed the tint at all except one night when glassing in idaho at dusk. The sun was 90degrees to might right and the last few moments of light I felt like I was getting a tint. That being said it could have been me adjusting with my glasses, or something funky. 19 days in the field and I only experienced it once. Other than the I have been very happy with the glass and lack of tint.
The size is much smaller and as for the ballistics software is comes with AB elite on board. If you want to run a Kestrel it's a matter of swapping the setting from on board to external in the settings. Super easy. As for the onboard, my buddy is not technologically savy bought the Gen 2's after using mine and dropped a bull at 740 yards his first time using them in the field.

Some of the things I noticed, that i really like about the Gen 2's.

• Can adjust your laser
• 30 something profiles can be loaded
  • When you range, it also names the profile you ranged with.
• Multiple duplex's
• Ease of navigation
• Size and clarity
• Manual up and down arrows for wind adjustment
• Possibility for Calypso wind meter
• I'm probably forgetting some stuff.

Now the only reason I came across this thread is I have been interested in the Revic. I'm a long distance hunter first, and would like to get into NRL eventually. I've been listening to the LRP podcasts and a lot of what they say just makes sense to me. I'm new to AB as I've been using Hornady 4dof and I need to figure some stuff out about creating my own CDM. I like what REVIC does with their engine and app, but that's me. From my research I did 6 months ago the order is...

1. REVIC
2. Sig Gen 2
3. Leica
4. Vortex

I cant really vouch for the REVIC's but I would have to agree with the rest.

Oh! and to answer a question you asked earlier, the Gen 2's do not need your phone for a calculator. It's on board the glass and VERY fast.

Cool! Nice reviews. Very helpful hands-on perspective.

I don’t think the Revic has a very long warranty. Maybe 3 years.

The more I think about it, since I already own a LRF bino (Fury Gen II, non-AB), saving cash now for a smaller (future) Vortex diving board-mounted WMLRF makes more sense for my use.

The current Impact 4000 is such a tall boy I don’t think I could get my rifle with it attached into soft case! I wish it was half the height. More svelte options are absurdly expensive.

The fellow above also seems to use a really tall diving board.

The way I currently shoot varmints is with a my son spotting on a 15x LRF bino. He calls out where the pdog is and how far. I find it in my scope and shoot.

Where a WMLRF would then shine is for quick subsequent shots of targets closer or further away that I see in the scope after the first shot.

I use my Furys to scan and range while not on the gun as it’s more comfortable.

I know that’s not @Secant ’s use, but just talking out loud.

I don’t really need ballistics or wind holds as I use a dope card on the scope and a wind rose taped to my rotating table. Would be nice, though…

Sorry for the internal monologue lol

 

[SD3Gunner]

what about the use of a handheld RF like the vortex razor?

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

what about the use of a handheld RF like the vortex razor?

Sig makes one with similar abilities to the Kilo 10K Gen 2 called the Kilo 8K.

 

[Chukwithak]

Sig makes one with similar abilities to the Kilo 10K Gen 2 called the Kilo 8K.

Doc, can you compare the 10k Gen 2 to the Revic at all? I can’t find any comparisons.

 

[Secant]

what about the use of a handheld RF like the vortex razor?

Going fully down the rabbit hole, I've considered NL Pures + handheld RF. But after switching to bino RF years and years ago, I couldn't go back. Especially for hunting, the workflow is so much more streamlined & efficient for me.

The Leica's were amazing glass compared to the Vortex but there were a couple things that really bothered me.

• A good way to mount for a tripod
• Size and weight
• 1 profile loading
• Couldn't find a way to adjust the laser
• Additional free for AB Elite. (comes with the lower AB software)
• Button sequence was kind of a pain. Never did figure out how to re-zero the wind once I increased it.

I appreciate your thoughts.

• A good way to mount for a tripod I've been using the RRS cinch since it was originally released, and it works great with my HD-Bs. No issues in/out of bino harness. No slippage or any issues at all.
• Size and weight: I've used them so long that I don't mind the size/weight, but would gladly take smaller/lighter that perform as well or better.
• 1 profile loading: Agreed, the single profile loading is retarded.
• Couldn't find a way to adjust the laser: I'm lucky that my Leica's laser is very close to centered, but I agree that in today's market we should be able to calibrate the reticle to the laser (this is a hit to most BLRF, except Sigs).
• Additional free for AB Elite. (comes with the lower AB software): I'm fine with paying extra for full AB. I get the gripe, but I'll pay to play. Does this solve the 1 profile issue?
• Button sequence was kind of a pain. Never did figure out how to re-zero the wind once I increased it. The D-pad on the vectors sounds interesting and sounds like it solves this issue.

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

@Chukwithak As someone who tests a crap ton of binos all the time for different reasons... I use this: https://a.co/d/b1omRl4 and it works with nearly everything.

Doc, can you compare the 10k Gen 2 to the Revic at all? I can’t find any comparisons.

I do not have a pair of the Revic's to compare.

 

[Chukwithak]

Additional free for AB Elite. (comes with the lower AB software): I'm fine with paying extra for full AB. I get the gripe, but I'll pay to play. Does this solve the 1 profile issue?

From what I was able to gather in reading, no it does not solve that issue. But, I chose to switch over to the Sig Gen 2’s before buying elite and testing my self.

I bought and used in the field the Weiser Precision Sparrow. Similar to the RRS clamp but lower profile and weight. It held up surprisingly very well for its size. I will be sticking with it and sent the RRS clamp back.

 

[Gingerbeard-man]

Revics are $1000 off right now

 

[gr8fuldoug]

The Revic Acura BLR10b Binocular Laser Rangefinder 10x42 with Ballistics on sale at $1,695.00 is the way to go for sure

 

[Secant]

The Revic sale has me leaning a little bit in that direction currently.

I was able to get a small amount of time behind the Vectors on a recent hunt. Based on my limited time, I think they are pretty good. However, I don't like the etched reticle for glassing, and my eyes would wander to the ranging "L" which would make me notice some of the edge distortion. The focus wheel lash is pretty lame for a bino at this price point. The laser seemed good, and readout is lightyears ahead of my current HD-Bs. Lighting conditions were good, so it was hard to really say, but I think the Vector glass was good.

I'm still waffling a bit, but I'll probably end up ordering the Revics. Maybe

 

[Kalthoff]

The optical systems are designed differently between the top brands, each with their idiosyncrasies (eg. Abe König, Schmit-Pechan and Perger-Porro prisms) . Therefore do strive to get to try the binoculars for a little while before you buy.

For a couple years I have used a pair of Zeiss Victory RF for hunting.

They are surprisingly sleek and compact, Zeiss have succeeded in integrating the rangefinder into the binoculars without adding noticeable bulk.

The rangefinder exceeds my hunting needs. It can reliably range birds on the water at 500 meter when I am standing on the shore. In farmland it will reliably range deer sized animals at 500 meter and haybales at 1000 meter.

 

[Simonsza1]

Paramount tactical on YouTube just did a very good imo review on the vector X and gen 2 sigs head to head. Very unbiased and informative. Just came out yesterday.

 

[nickw]

The Revic sale has me leaning a little bit in that direction currently.

I was able to get a small amount of time behind the Vectors on a recent hunt. Based on my limited time, I think they are pretty good. However, I don't like the etched reticle for glassing, and my eyes would wander to the ranging "L" which would make me notice some of the edge distortion. The focus wheel lash is pretty lame for a bino at this price point. The laser seemed good, and readout is lightyears ahead of my current HD-Bs. Lighting conditions were good, so it was hard to really say, but I think the Vector glass was good.

I'm still waffling a bit, but I'll probably end up ordering the Revics. Maybe

I pulled the trigger on the Revic deal. Highly recommend camera land ny @gr8fuldoug.

I like them a lot. Laser / solution is lightning fast. Was hitting a water tower @ 2338 that was partially blocked by a tree at 350y. It was pretty easy to hit the tower vs the tree off hand. I like the glass resolution as I’ll be using them for Elk western hunting and steel. I’m happy so far. I have to get them out on the range and true to my Kestrel which I currently use for solutions. I had a Revic BR4 which was nice, but I didn’t like having to glass with binos / spotter and then range / solution with BR4. All in one unit with Kestrel backup is faster and requires me to carry less equipment. Hope this helps. Nick-

 

[carbonbased]

Did you get anything, @Secant?

 

[Secant]

Did you get anything, @Secant?

Short answer, no.

I’ve liked the Vectors in the range/match conditions that I’ve used them, but I don’t really like them for hunting/glassing.

My geovids are good for hunting, but not good for matches.

More recently, I’m thinking I might just need a couple sets.

 

[Glassaholic]

Short answer, no.

I’ve liked the Vectors in the range/match conditions that I’ve used them, but I don’t really like them for hunting/glassing.

My geovids are good for hunting, but not good for matches.

More recently, I’m thinking I might just need a couple sets.

Care to elaborate on why you don't like the Vectors for hunting/glassing?

 

[MikeMiller]

I have been using the Vortex with AB for two years. They do everything I need and more.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Quality optics as well as advanced electronics look at the Revic Acura BLR10b Binocular Laser Rangefinder 10x42 with Ballistics

 

[Secant]

Care to elaborate on why you don't like the Vectors for hunting/glassing?

I find the reticle and ranging L to be distracting. The ranging L causes me to notice more edge distortion that I don’t think I’d notice as much without. Focus knob of the sample I used has a bit of lash. The d pad isn’t as positive as I’d like.

The vectors are good. I might still get a set maybe, but they aren’t what I hoped they would be.

Quality optics as well as advanced electronics look at the Revic Acura BLR10b Binocular Laser Rangefinder 10x42 with Ballistics

Their recent $1,000 off sale almost got me, but I’m definitely not interested at $2700.

I have been using the Vortex with AB for two years. They do everything I need and more.

Most places are showing these as discontinued. I bet vortex is finally going to release a BLRF with razor glass…..and then replace AB with geoballistics

 

[Glassaholic]

I find the reticle and ranging L to be distracting. The ranging L causes me to notice more edge distortion that I don’t think I’d notice as much without. Focus knob of the sample I used has a bit of lash. The d pad isn’t as positive as I’d like.

Roger that, that's the feedback I was hoping for, appreciate it...

Their recent $1,000 off sale almost got me, but I’m definitely not interested at $2700.

$1000 off sale??? That usually means they're not selling as well as the mfr hoped.

Most places are showing these as discontinued. I bet vortex is finally going to release a BLRF with razor glass…..and then replace AB with geoballistics

Man, I've been asking for that basically since the Fury's came out, I am really hoping they do this!!!

 

[Secant]

$1000 off sale??? That usually means they're not selling as well as the mfr hoped.

Word is that Revic is coming out with a “Gen 2”. I heard upgrade in glass, but that’s a rumor as far as I know.

Man, I've been asking for that basically since the Fury's came out, I am really hoping they do this!!!

I hope they come out with a Razor BLRF, but I hope they stick with AB, AND keep a high quality laser unit.

 

[Glassaholic]

Word is that Revic is coming out with a “Gen 2”. I heard upgrade in glass, but that’s a rumor as far as I know.

Already? Weren't these just released like a year ago, maybe two now at most?

I hope they come out with a Razor BLRF, but I hope they stick with AB, AND keep a high quality laser unit.

You know they won't, they are committed to GB because they bought them. Hopefully they improve their laser unit as well, would love to see that - improved glass, improved laser unit, intuitive menu...

I had my Razor UHD 8x32's out on the beach this morning, watching some kayaker's about 1500 yards out, image was stunning. Vortex's new glass formula is very impressive.

 

[3rdfocal]

I didn't see the Leica Geovid Pro AB+ mentioned. Not sure if you've considered them. Applied ballistics elite and some other cool tech. Seem to pair with kestrel and other devices quite well. Maybe the best glass of all except the swaro. If I understand the warranty correctly, it's basically 10 years no questions asked, then 30 years on the optical system.

There's not a ton of reviews out there, area 419 compared them in a video (alongside a product they sell which of course won their comparison).

I'd like to hear from people that have compared them side by side with the Vector x. For me it really comes down to those 2. My hangup on the Vector x is that I don't really want the reticle, my most important use will be hunting and for that good glass/clear picture is best.

Very good price on these on guidefitter if you have an account.

 

[3rdfocal]

https://leicacamerausa.com/leica-geovid-pro-10x42-ab.html

 

[Secant]

I didn't see the Leica Geovid Pro AB+ mentioned. Not sure if you've considered them. Applied ballistics elite and some other cool tech. Seem to pair with kestrel and other devices quite well. Maybe the best glass of all except the swaro. If I understand the warranty correctly, it's basically 10 years no questions asked, then 30 years on the optical system.

There's not a ton of reviews out there, area 419 compared them in a video (alongside a product they sell which of course won their comparison).

I'd like to hear from people that have compared them side by side with the Vector x. For me it really comes down to those 2. My hangup on the Vector x is that I don't really want the reticle, my most important use will be hunting and for that good glass/clear picture is best.

Very good price on these on guidefitter if you have an account.

Yep, I've looked at the Leica Pro AB+. Beam divergence is 1.8 x 0.8 mil. For comparison, 10x42 Vector X is 1.5 x 0.1 mil. My understanding is that they are both oriented horizontally, and the 0.7 mil height difference should matter when trying to range small targets at distance. The Vector's readout is better than Leica's in my opinion, but I agree that the etched reticle is not ideal for long periods of glassing.

 

[3rdfocal]

Yep, I've looked at the Leica Pro AB+. Beam divergence is 1.8 x 0.8 mil. For comparison, 10x42 Vector X is 1.5 x 0.1 mil. My understanding is that they are both oriented horizontally, and the 0.7 mil height difference should matter when trying to range small targets at distance. The Vector's readout is better than Leica's in my opinion, but I agree that the etched reticle is not ideal for long periods of glassing.

This is true. I have seen this be a bit challenging when ranging prairie dogs; Very little elevation can equate to quite a disparity in distance. For me, outside of that specific use, I haven't found it to matter much.

 

[carbonbased]

Here’s some more stuff I’ve discovered by reading various reviews on the Vectors:

Precision Rifle Gear - Looking for a do it all rangefinder/ballistics

Does it exist? Something similar to the vortex fury 5000 ab… I had a pair and wasn’t crazy about their app. I’d like as few pieces of gear if possible. Having the ability to range and get my dope quickly is lore important than magnified optics… so if a kestrel and range finder is best bet, so...

www.snipershide.com

First link in that post goes back to this thread lol, so obv don’t click on that.

 

[Patrick1956]

I have the Vector Xs. At first I didn’t care much for them, but after a couple of days of using them, I’m sold. I was going to trade them for some Geovid Pros, but after comparing them with my Geovid HDR 3000s I didn’t feel there was much difference in glass and the ranging and other capabilities of the Vector X’s far exceeded the Leicas.

 

[Secant]

Update of random thoughts:

I've had the 10x42 Geovids, 10x42 Fury 5000 AB, and 10x42 Vector X SMR, side by side for a bit. I've shot matches with the Geovids & Furys, and hunted many years with the Geovids. The friend that loaned me the Vectors has shot matches and hunted with the Vectors, and I've used the Vectors a little here and there hunting & at matches prior to this side by side.

On Board Electronics:
My geovids are older, so not very relevant, but the laser is sub-par (comparatively), and the time to display outputs is also longer. The autobrightness of the Leica is the best out of the group though. The Vector X's are the fastest to display, and I think their HUD layout is easily the best. All the info is right there in the HUD, and you (at least I) do not need to cycle through multiple screens to see the information I want to see. The Vortex are in between the Leica and Vectors, but closer to the Vectors. The ballistic outputs have been good for me for all three. As many have said before, the wait time of the Vortex feel like an eternity, but are much shorter than it feels.

Apps:
Again, my Leica's are older, so I'm still using the Leica ballistic tool from their website. It's comparatively clunky, but I've always had an easy time lining up a ballistic solution that matches AB in my kestrel. The Fury's and Vector's apps are both useable. I slightly prefer the vector x app. It's mildly annoying that I couldn't set-up my rifle profiles in the Fury app prior to pairing my Fury's. It's also annoying that I have an app for my kestrel (with AB), an app for Fury (with AB) or vector (with AB), and AB quantum. Why can't we just set-up a single profile to be used with all our widgets & gadgets that use AB....or am I retarded?

BT/Pairing:
I don't use it, so can't say how well/bad these work with apps, kestrel, etc. I'll mess with it more throughout the summer, but I prefer a workflow with fewer points of error (if possible).

Optics:
All are more than useable - the next statements are are relative/comparative statements. The primary reason I included these Leicas was to compare the optics in the vectors & vortex to the Leicas. Overall, I think the Leica's were the brightest, had the best resolution, and had the best colors & contrast. Leica's also appeared to have the largest FoV (which matches what the spec sheets would say) and were the easiest to get into. All had good depth of field, and I did not have to fiddle with the focus wheel too much.

The Vortex were more muted/dull in color. That said, the Vortex were much more than useable. I purchased the Fury's on sale from a vendor with a liberal return policy, and I had the expectation that I'd look through them & send them back. OR I thought I would use the Fury's as my gamer set and buy a 'quality' set for hunting (i.e. Leica AB+). I was not expecting the vortex to be as good as they are and as close to the Leica's as they are, optically. The spec sheet would place the Vortex as having the narrowest field of view, but my perception (prior to looking up the spec), was that the Vortex was behind the Leica but slightly ahead of the Vectors in terms of FoV as well as ease at which you could get behind them.

The Vectors & Vortex were surprisingly close. And both were pretty close to the Leica's to be honest. You could definitely pick up differences, but it wasn't like going between a set of Diamondbacks and a set of NL Pures. At this point, it's not 100% clear to me which were 'better' overall optically between the Vortex & the Vectors, even though the Vectors were more than twice the price of the Furys. As said, the Fury's had a more muted color image & seemed slightly darker, but I also saw much more edge distortion in the Vectors. Both seemed slightly behind the Geovids in terms of resolution, brightness, color (Vortex worse than Vectors), etc. That is not to say the Vectors are bad. Not at all.

And obviously, there could be some aspect of sample variance playing a role here.

I don't think there is any groundbreaking takeaway here. Optically, the Leicas were the best, which I think everyone would have expected. Overall, I think the Vectors have the best tech, which I think everyone would have expected. I didn't have a set of the enhancers, but obviously that potential is in the pro column for the Vectors compared to the Leica and Vortex. I don't want to overplay the Vortex as they were not mind blowing, but I was not expecting them to perform as well as they did. Most reviews that I read would state that the Vortex were optically "useable" and leave it at that, or compare the Vortex to budget binos, which is not a fair assessment based on my experience with this sample. I think it would be a huge win if the range & ballistic solution were to be displayed initially in the Vortex instead of waiting to cycle through screens.

Looking ahead, I'm unsure if I will try to sell my geovids or not because they are still so good optically, and they are completely functional for the vast majority of hunting situations. I will continue to use these Furys for matches this year, and I will likely take them hunting this fall. I might grab a better set of 15x56 to pack for both matches and hunting, but we'll see.

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

Update of random thoughts:

Apps:
Again, my Leica's are older, so I'm still using the Leica ballistic tool from their website. It's comparatively clunky, but I've always had an easy time lining up a ballistic solution that matches AB in my kestrel. The Fury's and Vector's apps are both useable. I slightly prefer the vector x app. It's mildly annoying that I couldn't set-up my rifle profiles in the Fury app prior to pairing my Fury's. It's also annoying that I have an app for my kestrel (with AB), an app for Fury (with AB) or vector (with AB), and AB quantum. Why can't we just set-up a single profile to be used with all our widgets & gadgets that use AB....or am I retarded?

So you can use the Kestrel, Leica Geovids, and coming this summer the Vector X all from AB Quantum.

 

[Secant]

So you can use the Kestrel, Leica Geovids, and coming this summer the Vector X all from AB Quantum.

That’s awesome! Being able to manage a single profile is SO much better. I recognize the Fury 5000’s are all but discontinued, but any chance they can be rolled into ABQ?

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

That’s awesome! Being able to manage a single profile is SO much better. I recognize the Fury 5000’s are all but discontinued, but any chance they can be rolled into ABQ?

At this time, it doesn't look likely.

 

[carbonbased]

Update of random thoughts:

I've had the 10x42 Geovids, 10x42 Fury 5000 AB, and 10x42 Vector X SMR, side by side for a bit. I've shot matches with the Geovids & Furys, and hunted many years with the Geovids. The friend that loaned me the Vectors has shot matches and hunted with the Vectors, and I've used the Vectors a little here and there hunting & at matches prior to this side by side.

View attachment 8687647

On Board Electronics:
My geovids are older, so not very relevant, but the laser is sub-par (comparatively), and the time to display outputs is also longer. The autobrightness of the Leica is the best out of the group though. The Vector X's are the fastest to display, and I think their HUD layout is easily the best. All the info is right there in the HUD, and you (at least I) do not need to cycle through multiple screens to see the information I want to see. The Vortex are in between the Leica and Vectors, but closer to the Vectors. The ballistic outputs have been good for me for all three. As many have said before, the wait time of the Vortex feel like an eternity, but are much shorter than it feels.

Apps:
Again, my Leica's are older, so I'm still using the Leica ballistic tool from their website. It's comparatively clunky, but I've always had an easy time lining up a ballistic solution that matches AB in my kestrel. The Fury's and Vector's apps are both useable. I slightly prefer the vector x app. It's mildly annoying that I couldn't set-up my rifle profiles in the Fury app prior to pairing my Fury's. It's also annoying that I have an app for my kestrel (with AB), an app for Fury (with AB) or vector (with AB), and AB quantum. Why can't we just set-up a single profile to be used with all our widgets & gadgets that use AB....or am I retarded?

BT/Pairing:
I don't use it, so can't say how well/bad these work with apps, kestrel, etc. I'll mess with it more throughout the summer, but I prefer a workflow with fewer points of error (if possible).

Optics:
All are more than useable - the next statements are are relative/comparative statements. The primary reason I included these Leicas was to compare the optics in the vectors & vortex to the Leicas. Overall, I think the Leica's were the brightest, had the best resolution, and had the best colors & contrast. Leica's also appeared to have the largest FoV (which matches what the spec sheets would say) and were the easiest to get into. All had good depth of field, and I did not have to fiddle with the focus wheel too much.

The Vortex were more muted/dull in color. That said, the Vortex were much more than useable. I purchased the Fury's on sale from a vendor with a liberal return policy, and I had the expectation that I'd look through them & send them back. OR I thought I would use the Fury's as my gamer set and buy a 'quality' set for hunting (i.e. Leica AB+). I was not expecting the vortex to be as good as they are and as close to the Leica's as they are, optically. The spec sheet would place the Vortex as having the narrowest field of view, but my perception (prior to looking up the spec), was that the Vortex was behind the Leica but slightly ahead of the Vectors in terms of FoV as well as ease at which you could get behind them.

The Vectors & Vortex were surprisingly close. And both were pretty close to the Leica's to be honest. You could definitely pick up differences, but it wasn't like going between a set of Diamondbacks and a set of NL Pures. At this point, it's not 100% clear to me which were 'better' overall optically between the Vortex & the Vectors, even though the Vectors were more than twice the price of the Furys. As said, the Fury's had a more muted color image & seemed slightly darker, but I also saw much more edge distortion in the Vectors. Both seemed slightly behind the Geovids in terms of resolution, brightness, color (Vortex worse than Vectors), etc. That is not to say the Vectors are bad. Not at all.

And obviously, there could be some aspect of sample variance playing a role here.

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I don't think there is any groundbreaking takeaway here. Optically, the Leicas were the best, which I think everyone would have expected. Overall, I think the Vectors have the best tech, which I think everyone would have expected. I didn't have a set of the enhancers, but obviously that potential is in the pro column for the Vectors compared to the Leica and Vortex. I don't want to overplay the Vortex as they were not mind blowing, but I was not expecting them to perform as well as they did. Most reviews that I read would state that the Vortex were optically "useable" and leave it at that, or compare the Vortex to budget binos, which is not a fair assessment based on my experience with this sample. I think it would be a huge win if the range & ballistic solution were to be displayed initially in the Vortex instead of waiting to cycle through screens.

Looking ahead, I'm unsure if I will try to sell my geovids or not because they are still so good optically, and they are completely functional for the vast majority of hunting situations. I will continue to use these Furys for matches this year, and I will likely take them hunting this fall. I might grab a better set of 15x56 to pack for both matches and hunting, but we'll see.

Hey! Thanks for the nice review, really appreciated. I own the non-AB Furys but haven’t looked through either the exact Leica model you own nor the Vectors. I don’t think there were any optical improvements between the AB & regular Furys. It’s nice to see how the Fury’s stack up from someone who, I think, approaches optics like I do (no cork sniffing).

I also own the prev gen (but same optics as Gen 2) Leica 15x LRF binos. Their LRF is workable out to 6-700 yds for pdog shooting, but definitely not a PRS bino…no ballistics, slowish ranging. Nice glass, though.

Also interesting to see how much smaller the Fury’s are…

 

[MikeMiller]

That’s awesome! Being able to manage a single profile is SO much better. I recognize the Fury 5000’s are all but discontinued, but any chance they can be rolled into ABQ?

The Fury’s will be back in a few more months but with GEO Ballistics instead. In practical use it gives same results as AB. Being that Vortex owns Geo Ballistics and won’t have to pay a license fee they should be less money than the AB model Fury. I say because no one knows what will happen with tariffs

 

[Secant]

The Fury’s will be back in a few more months but with GEO Ballistics instead. In practical use it gives same results as AB. Being that Vortex owns Geo Ballistics and won’t have to pay a license fee they should be less money than the AB model Fury. I say because no one knows what will happen with tariffs

My point being that I understand very limited # of the Fury ABs will be sold looking into the future, so I can appreciate why AB would not want to take the time to support that platform. Even though I would image there are more than a few on the market and I think many/most owners would appreciate the simplicity of managing fewer apps across the board.

Also, I have no insight, but have heard the anticipated BLRFs from Vortex will (hopefully) include Razor glass. I would expect that the new Geoballistic BLRF would/could cost more than the Fury 5000 if that's the case.

 

[MikeMiller]

My point being that I understand very limited # of the Fury ABs will be sold looking into the future, so I can appreciate why AB would not want to take the time to support that platform. Even though I would image there are more than a few on the market and I think many/most owners would appreciate the simplicity of managing fewer apps across the board.

Also, I have no insight, but have heard the anticipated BLRFs from Vortex will (hopefully) include Razor glass. I would expect that the new Geoballistic BLRF would/could cost more than the Fury 5000 if that's the case.

Well I have no dog in the fight between Vortex and AB. With AB no longer supporting Vortex products except this. When I received my Vortex products with AB in them they were legally licensed through AB. Now that Vortex has purchased Geo Ballistics AB has decided to not support the previously purchased AB licensed Vortex products. I believe AB should support every product they licensed period.

That screws the consumer who purchased the AB licensed products not Vortex. Vortex still supports their part of the product but AB won’t. AB was paid then decided not to support anything they licensed through Vortex

So guess what I won’t purchase another AB product. I will get something else. That’s not a big deal to AB but I am sure others feel the same as I do. Money put out with promise to keep up to date but AB decided to stop.

I have been using an Impact 4000 with Geo Ballistics in it. It works well enough that it consistently gives first round hits up to a mile with the 300WM and 6.5 Creedmoor I use it on

Plus Geo Ballistics will continue to update as new bullets come out

 

[Secant]

Well I have no dog in the fight between Vortex and AB. With AB no longer supporting Vortex products except this. When I received my Vortex products with AB in them they were legally licensed through AB. Now that Vortex has purchased Geo Ballistics AB has decided to not support the previously purchased AB licensed Vortex products. I believe AB should support every product they licensed period.

That screws the consumer who purchased the AB licensed products not Vortex. Vortex still supports their part of the product but AB won’t. AB was paid then decided not to support anything they licensed through Vortex

So guess what I won’t purchase another AB product. I will get something else. That’s not a big deal to AB but I am sure others feel the same as I do. Money put out with promise to keep up to date but AB decided to stop.

I have been using an Impact 4000 with Geo Ballistics in it. It works well enough that it consistently gives first round hits up to a mile with the 300WM and 6.5 Creedmoor I use it on

Plus Geo Ballistics will continue to update as new bullets come out

Maybe we are talking past each other here. Or maybe you know something I don’t.

My Fury’s update with new CDMs, same as my kestrel. sounds like Fury’s won’t be included in ABQ. Im not sure if all existing products with AB are or will be included in ABQ.

I haven’t heard anything from AB saying they won’t support Fury ABs. Not supporting Fury ABs and not including fury’s in ABQ are pretty different things. Maybe @DocUSMCRetired can clarify.