My range finder is 4 year sold and in need of a refresh. What is current out there. I know a year go the Sig Kilo was hot. Any new range finders with a decent built in ballistic calculator? My application is mainly hunting so I don't use a Kestrel and would prefer not to look up a solution on my iPhone.
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The new Bushnell Nitro 1800 might be right up your alley. All glass optics, advertised as 800y non-reflective and 1800y reflective ranging, but I'm hearing real world is significantly better. Applied Ballistics Ultralite and bluetooth built in, the onboard AB engine can be upgraded to give data out to 1 mile, or if you pair it with a Kestrel it overrides the internal software and gives you data out to 5k yards off the Kestrel. Street price is expected to be $350, and it should be out in the next few weeks. I'm hoping to have my hands on one when they ship.
the kilo2400abs provides some of the environment sensing features of the features of the kestrel, and you do need the phone to enter profiles, gauge wind speed or manually change any of the environment data points, but technically you don't need the cellphone and can use the display on the rangefinder once your profile is loaded.
Sounds like a good value...I will check it out. I hear Leupold is going to incorporate a ballistics calculator in their 2800 series, but hunting season begins for me in September with pronghorn on the plains......need it before then
Kilo is awesome and I don't mind loading profiles up front. Just don't want to look at 2 things while trying to kill an animal. I want to laze an animal and get a shooting solution to dial. Sounds like the kilo can accomplish with a little enviro thrown in.
I'm in the same boat and looking right now. I've been waiting to hear real world experience with the Nitro 1800. I have 2 of there scopes and like them a lot. At that price point if they work well I'm going that route.
I'll be posting details and real world results with one as soon as I can get my hands on it. There's been a little bit of a delay in shipping (not sure what the hold up is), but I should have it in the next few weeks.
On longish shots and seconds count in constantly changing mountain conditions the Kilo 2400 ABS is top dog - if you measure the distance correctly with the rather large 1.3x1.3 not necessarily centered beam in a la large reticle. The scan feature helps at a .25 refresh rate but you better be sure you are hitting the intended critter and not the sage or mound in front or behind.
I really like the Leica 2800.com with the kestrel 5700 elite for LR recreational shooting but there is always the potential of BT issues with any of these paired devices. Nice small well centered beam, better glass and great results paired with the kestrel.
You can create a custom curve with the 2800.com and leave the Kestrel out of the equation with an adequate equation but with an 800 yard limitation.
My choice for hunting would be to combine the Sig with a Leica resulting in a 2800.com KILO ABS...perhaps someday they will produce it.
I really like the Leica 2800.com with the kestrel 5700 elite for LR recreational shooting but there is always the potential of BT issues with any of these paired devices. Nice small well centered beam, better glass and great results paired with the kestrel.
You can create a custom curve with the 2800.com and leave the Kestrel out of the equation with an adequate equation but with an 800 yard limitation.
My choice for hunting would be to combine the Sig with a Leica resulting in a 2800.com KILO ABS...perhaps someday they will produce it.
For hunting, having great binos paired with a great rangefinder would be ideal. However, I heard the chief range finder engineer at Leupold describe why that is so difficult. He says you take a $1,000 bino and a $500 range finder and you do not get a $1500 combo. You get a $3,000 unit with a 2 year warranty (instead of lifetime) that will be obsolete is 3-4 years and may not make it that long due to drops, bumps etc. No compromises. Best we can hope for is a range finder that will give us a quick reasonable solution after we put the binos down.
Agreed on separate units for hunting purposes.
I run Swaro EL12x50 as my primary bin in the Rockies. They are just too remarkable for the hunting I do to give up and go back to a Bin/RF combo.
Need to find the critter before I can range it. And if I range it I want the measurement to be correct. I would rather lose the opportunity to harvest an animal because it took more time to range than to shoot based upon incorrect data.
I wouldn’t find half the animals I locate by running the SIG 3000BDX or similar. Great for PRS, not so much for finding a hint of color @ 1 mile or more in the shady crags for what I pursue.
Therefore the compromise for me is the Swaro EL’s and the 2800.com. Glass - beam - reticle - correct solution = success for my style of hunting.
If you are shooting everything 500 yards and under Sig kilo ABS.
If you need to reach out to a bull like this with obstacles surrounding it @ 800 yards 2800.com or similar.
I run Swaro EL12x50 as my primary bin in the Rockies. They are just too remarkable for the hunting I do to give up and go back to a Bin/RF combo.
Need to find the critter before I can range it. And if I range it I want the measurement to be correct. I would rather lose the opportunity to harvest an animal because it took more time to range than to shoot based upon incorrect data.
I wouldn’t find half the animals I locate by running the SIG 3000BDX or similar. Great for PRS, not so much for finding a hint of color @ 1 mile or more in the shady crags for what I pursue.
Therefore the compromise for me is the Swaro EL’s and the 2800.com. Glass - beam - reticle - correct solution = success for my style of hunting.
If you are shooting everything 500 yards and under Sig kilo ABS.
If you need to reach out to a bull like this with obstacles surrounding it @ 800 yards 2800.com or similar.
I went through a few that I didn’t like before landing on the Gunwerks G7.
I’ve used it in classes almost daily for a minute now. Does up to 2400. Never leave home without it.
I’ve used it in classes almost daily for a minute now. Does up to 2400. Never leave home without it.
I'm new to range finders but did buy and use the current Leupold 2800. It seems to work O.K. and does have a ballistic calculator. The odd thing about it is the the calculator uses a 200 yd. zero.
Sounds like a good system
Just purchased some Swaro 12x56. I hunt Pronghorn on the flats and Audad in the mountains. Need to see them 1 mile plus and shoot 400yds and less
Correction 15x56
Leupold is supposed to be working on incorporating ABS into their 2800
Find a used 2400 ABS
They work very well and they don't need an f'ing Kestrel to do it.
They work very well and they don't need an f'ing Kestrel to do it.
First one I actually like: Nikon Black Range X 4K, works reliable for me here in the Rockies out to 1,500 yards. All the others I had tried went wobbly starting at the farthest at 800 yards for the Sig.
I'll third the Vortex 4K. I picked mine up a couple of months ago and for my needs, it's pretty damn impressive! If you need connectivity between a Kestrel, phone, whatever, then this isn't the LRF you want, but for a standalone rangefinder, it does everything I ask of it, and does it well.
Another one I'd consider is the Leupold 2800
Another one I'd consider is the Leupold 2800
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