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Leica Rangemaster CRF 3500.COM

Very interested in this thread for any reviews!
 
Did they hit the street before SHOT ?

Or have they hit the street since and if so, it's probably what 3 people

You are pre-mature on so many levels. take the old one, add a few yards and there is your answer

IMG_3683j.jpg
 
The man himself... Hi Lowlight, yeah a bit early most likely but there must be some out there already.
This is what triggered my attention "The Class 3R laser enables reliable, repeatable measurements up to an unmatched distance of 3,500 yards – even in difficult weather conditions on all types of targets". Crappy weather for LRF and non-reflective targets is an improvement. What's your take on that?
 
So far it seems ranging trees in heavy overcast conditions is about 2,000 yards free hand. Comparing it against my original terrapin it’s within a yard out to 2,000 yards, but the terrapin gets a range more frequently and furthest range on tree was 2,730 vs 2065 for the Leica.
small shrubs I was picking up out to about 1800 yards

the Bluetooth connection is definitely quicker than the 2800.com that I had played with for a few weeks.
 
Is it able to give ballistic corrections in mrad when paired with a kestrel? Most of the sites I've read only mention MOA.
 
The ballistics calcs of the Leica are a joke, only meaningful for short to medium ranges.
 
Ok, had an opportunity to do a side by side today with the Sig 2400 abs and the Leica 3500.com.

Two of us tested both free hand and stabilized. Our impressions were the same.

1. The leica was significantly faster to return the distance. It was immediate.

2. After 1000, the leica ran away with ranging. I could easily range a 24" plate at a mile and 30" at 2000. The Sig struggled at those distances. I would eventually get a reading on the mile but it took going into scan mode to get it to return. Even then, it was sporadic. If you ranged a truck with the sig at those distances, no problem.

3. Back at my house, I could range a 3258 with the Leica to a large rock face. Didn't try the sig. This was kinda 'so what' for me since I just need it for targets.

The link with the kestrel worked great, it just has a pretty limited range. I had to keep it within 6 ft or so or it would drop the connection.

For me, nice upgrade.
 

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So far it seems ranging trees in heavy overcast conditions is about 2,000 yards free hand. Comparing it against my original terrapin it’s within a yard out to 2,000 yards, but the terrapin gets a range more frequently and furthest range on tree was 2,730 vs 2065 for the Leica.
small shrubs I was picking up out to about 1800 yards

the Bluetooth connection is definitely quicker than the 2800.com that I had played with for a few weeks.
 
Well these are good reviews. Thanks!
Did you see any of the issues the other thread had?(connection to kestrel sleeping, not waking up, etc)
 
Well these are good reviews. Thanks!
Did you see any of the issues the other thread had?(connection to kestrel sleeping, not waking up, etc)
After 5 minutes the leica shits down and you lose the connection. I go back into kestrel Bluetooth setting and then turn Leica back on and it reconnects every time within 8 seconds
 
I returned mine. Two biggest reasons

Connection drops off like stated above...Approx 50% of the time I couldn't get the firing solution to appear in the HUD because the connection dropped out.

It's tolerance for cold weather was bad,would shut off and become act as of it had an electrical short when the temps dropped to 27F .
 
Did you contact Leica about the Bluetooth issues? Maybe they’re releasing a firmware update?
 
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Those that have used the 2800.com and 3500.com do you notice any difference in Bluetooth connectivity?
 
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Ok, had an opportunity to do a side by side today with the Sig 2400 abs and the Leica 3500.com.

Two of us tested both free hand and stabilized. Our impressions were the same.

1. The leica was significantly faster to return the distance. It was immediate.

2. After 1000, the leica ran away with ranging. I could easily range a 24" plate at a mile and 30" at 2000. The Sig struggled at those distances. I would eventually get a reading on the mile but it took going into scan mode to get it to return. Even then, it was sporadic. If you ranged a truck with the sig at those distances, no problem.

3. Back at my house, I could range a 3258 with the Leica to a large rock face. Didn't try the sig. This was kinda 'so what' for me since I just need it for targets.

The link with the kestrel worked great, it just has a pretty limited range. I had to keep it within 6 ft or so or it would drop the connection.

For me, nice upgrade.

I assume the glass in the Leica is far superior to the Sig?
 
Not trying to HiJack thread but does Leica have lrf bino's w/bluetooth? Heard some rumors about such coming, hopefully with target reticle.
 
Those that have used the 2800.com and 3500.com do you notice any different in Bluetooth connectivity?
So far my 3500 has not dropped the connection until the rangefinder turns off from inactivity for 5 minutes. The 2800 dropped the connection while ranging a few different times and why I sent it back
 
I returned mine. Two biggest reasons

Connection drops off like stated above...Approx 50% of the time I couldn't get the firing solution to appear in the HUD because the connection dropped out.

It's tolerance for cold weather was bad,would shut off and become act as of it had an electrical short when the temps dropped to 27F .
Was yours dropping in the middle of using it or was your rangefinder shutoff from inactivity?
 
Was yours dropping in the middle of using it or was your rangefinder shutoff from inactivity?
both, 100% of the times it shut down to inactivity it dropped it, would take anywhere from 1-5 minutes to reconnect. about 50% of the times it dropped when it went in active it wouldn't reconnect at all until turning on and off kestrel and reconnecting through kestrel.

Approximately 50% of the time it would just drop out in the middle of ranging. Would range one target, be ok, lase something else and nothing would show up. Go to check the kestrel and it's disconnected.

It would freak out when switching between gun profiles . If I was on a MOA based solution then swapped over to my MIL based, it would not show the solution in the HUD , but it would update on the kestrel?

I found it way to "buggy" and way to temperamental to justify spending over 1k. All the people I've talked to that has the 2800 says they have similar issues with it disconnecting when the rangefinder goes to sleep. If a company doesn't fix it within the timespan that the 2800 has been out, I'm not hopeful for a fix anytime soon for the 3500.
 
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both, 100% of the times it shut down to inactivity it dropped it, would take anywhere from 1-5 minutes to reconnect. about 50% of the times it dropped when it went in active it wouldn't reconnect at all until turning on and off kestrel and reconnecting through kestrel.

Approximately 50% of the time it would just drop out in the middle of ranging. Would range one target, be ok, lase something else and nothing would show up. Go to check the kestrel and it's disconnected.

It would freak out when switching between gun profiles . If I was on a MOA based solution then swapped over to my MIL based, it would not show the solution in the HUD , but it would update on the kestrel?

I found it way to "buggy" and way to temperamental to justify spending over 1k. All the people I've talked to that has the 2800 says they have similar issues with it disconnecting when the rangefinder goes to sleep. If a company doesn't fix it within the timespan that the 2800 has been out, I'm not hopeful for a fix anytime soon for the 3500.
Sounds like yours had a lot of issues. I have not had a single time where it dropped the connection unless I was inactive and the Leica turned off, which I would expect it to drop the blue tooth at that point. Every time I have been able to reconnect to the kestrel in about 8 seconds though. With the RF off and kestrel on I can activate the RF and go to the bluetooth page on kestrel to have it reconnect, it takes less than 30 seconds from RF being off to getting the correction in the HUD.
If I don't change the kestrel over to the bluetooth page it takes a lot longer to connect as it seems it doesn't know its not connected.
 
I had a similar experience to ghostmoney. Since I range all the targets and then just use the kestrel after that, wasn't an issue for my use case.

It would be great if it had a longer timeout. Haven't looked to see if there is a setting for that.
 
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I tested for 1 hour last night and never dropped the connection and let the rangefinder sit idle until it shut off multiple times and turned the rangefinder off and the kestrel off and as soon as I turned it on to range if I waited about 8 seconds and then ranged it would be connected back to the kestrel. If I just ranged right when it turned on I would just get a range, but if I ranged again I always got the correction in the HUD.

I did have it drop the connection and not reconnect once at the beginning when I was testing how far away I could get from the kestrel and have it still be connected (which is about 6'), but then I changed the connection on the kestrel to be locked and for an hour and not once did it not reconnect within 8 seconds.
 
6’ seems like a really short connection distance, doesn’t it? Most of the time you would have your kestrel on you or at your side but I know some guys could have it on a tripod, etc.
 
Yeah I found d it somewhat limiting. I wanted to be able to leave my kestrel on the ground while I stood to range but that made the connection iffy.
 
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6’ seems like a really short connection distance, doesn’t it? Most of the time you would have your kestrel on you or at your side but I know some guys could have it on a tripod, etc.
Yes it is a big let down for me as I wanted to be able to put the kestrel on a tripod away from me on a vane mount.
 
@ghostmoney,
Re the 3500.com + Kestrel 5700 Elite:

Can you range multiple targets by selecting on the Kestrel say “A” target, then ranging, then “B” target, then ranging, and so on, and when each time you range it will save the distance to that specific active target profile (in the Kestrel)?
 
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@ghostmoney,
Re the 3500.com + Kestrel 5700 Elite:

Can you range multiple targets by selecting on the Kestrel say “A” target, then ranging, then “B” target, then ranging, and so on, and when each time you range it will save the distance to that specific active target profile (in the Kestrel)?
Yes you can and it will
 
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Yes you can and it will

That’s great.

Have they updated the scan feature compared to the older models? I have a 2000-B and find scanning is painful when compared to a Sig Kilo or evening a Vortex, which has a true constant scan.
 
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That’s great.

Have they updated the scan feature compared to the older models? I have a 2000-B and find scanning is painful when compared to a Sig Kilo or evening a Vortex, which has a true constant scan.
Only experience I have is with a Kilo 2000, and it's scan feature is way better in my opinion. The 3500 was a click and hold for >5 or 10 seconds then it would start scanning. If you let go of the button by accident you would have to go back to the holding and waiting.

I ended up getting rid of it. Maybe some others that have more experience with it and other range finders can do a better comparison.
 
Ah yes I did read that ^
 
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Ah yes I did read that ^
?
I probably would have overlooked the connection issues. For me the thing that made me pack it up and send it off was the fact it was shutting down and struggling when the temps dropped. Hell, even at mid to low 20's (°F ) it was acting like it was "shorting out" . Cold soaked in single digits, it was unresponsive.
 
I probably would have overlooked the connection issues. For me the thing that made me pack it up and send it off was the fact it was shutting down and struggling when the temps dropped. Hell, even at mid to low 20's (°F ) it was acting like it was "shorting out" . Cold soaked in single digits, it was unresponsive.

Sucks for sure. Too bad Leica releases a new model what seems like every damn year. Next year it’ll be the 4300.com
 
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I didn't think the connection issues would bother me based on my usage....but it ended being pretty annoying. Ended up returning it and going to give the 3000bdx a try.
 
Wow you guys both returned it. Hmm. Thinking maybe I’m best sticking with my green 2000-B, which has no features. Might be he best way to go for now.
 
I didn't think the connection issues would bother me based on my usage....but it ended being pretty annoying. Ended up returning it and going to give the 3000bdx a try.
Can you describe your connection issues? I am still not having any issues with connection as long as I am not more than 6 feet away from kestrel, but even then it connects right back up.
 
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