I took the 4K to my local range this morning. I've shot countless matches there, so I know the ranges to the targets. Targets were a mix of 12"x24" coyotes, round gongs of differing sizes depending on the distances, and some IPSCs, though I don't know if they're 1/2, 3/4, etc. All of today's testing was done with the LRF mounted to my tripod for stability, since that would be exactly how I would use it in a match. I didn't use anything but the Normal Mode and the Scan feature because I wasn't going over 1200 yards, so ELR wasn't necessary, and I didn't have objects on top of each other, where the First or Last mode would shine.
The good: The most important thing for me, as I've said repeatedly, is ranging an object I intend to shoot. Yes, the 4K will range all those oversized or highly reflective targets that everyone uses to test their new LRF, but today I had no issues ranging an IPSC at 637, five coyotes from 392 to 648, and gongs from 623 to 1080. The best part was it ranged consistently! I would hit the target, aim away, and re-range about six or seven times per target just to test the repeatability and I was pleased to find all the ranges were consistent. All said and done, I wanna say I ranged about 20 different targets and some huge range fans. I had no problem getting repeatable results on anything.
The glass is surprisingly decent for a LRF. I had no problem finding my targets, even the ones that hadn't been painted in some time, so they were a mottled mix of old paint, grey steel, blackish bullet strikes, etc., that sometimes blend in with the terrain.
The Scan feature is always welcome. Sometimes you think you're on target, but you're going just over or under it. Hold the trigger down and sweep your target to see the range go from 711 to 552 back to 711.
Is that a threaded tripod socket?? Why, yes! Yes it is!! Something so simple to add, yet it often goes overlooked (I'm looking at you, Leica!!!!!!). My tripod has a RRS leveling base, so I just screwed on a dovetail plate that I have for my spotter and clamped it down! I could range targets when I was just holding the 4K, but I find my wobble zone was just a bit too much for accurate, repeatable results. As soon as I mounted it to the tripod, I was good to go!
The bad: This is more of a minor complaint, but I found my reticle didn't perfectly line up with the actual beam (in my experience, they rarely do). It's not something you'll notice when you first take it out of the box and range a house 1500 yards away or a street sign that's 600 yards away, but once you're trying to range a small target, you'll really notice it quickly! The reticle is a simple open center circle with "crosshair" extensions every 90º. I found my laser coincides with the upper half of my circle and a little left, like from 9 o’clock to 12 o’clock in my circle. There were times I had the target centered in the reticle, but I wasn't getting the ranges I knew I should have. When I brought the reticle down a bit, I was hitting consistently. It's not a huge issue for me because now that I know where my reticle and laser line up, I can aim consistently.
Lack of connectivity isn't a huge issue for me, but if you are one of those shooters who absolutely needs your LRF to talk to your Kestrel, your ballistic calculator, your phone, and whatever else, this isn't the LRF for you. It's perfectly viable as a standalone range finder, but you're going to have to take the extra time to input your ranges.
To sort of piggyback on the lack of connectivity, it offers no ballistic calculation. This isn't a rangefinder that you can add a single gun profile and see your drop and wind in the HUD. The 4K is purely a range finder, so don't expect to buy one and be able to get anything more than the distance to the target.
Overall, I'm happy with it! I bought mine for just over $400 and feel like I got my money’s worth . I had no problem ranging targets, no matter their size, from below 300 yards to almost 1100 yards. For all its positives, it does have a negative in its lack of connectivity, since a lot of people are wanting everything to communicate to other devices, but at its price point, I neither need, nor expect, communication with other devices. As a standalone LRF, it suits my needs just fine. If you need more, you should look elsewhere.