Tesoro,
There are a few options out there for you and, or course, it depends on how much you want to spend and what you are doing with it. That is, if you are shooting on the range, you have plenty of time, so some solutions work fine. If you are hunting, you may need to get a solution pretty quickly and may want something that is smaller in size. And then there is 'how far are you shooting?'. Under good conditions, most decent RF's will range farther than you can shoot, but I believe in having more power for a couple of reasons 1) When conditions are not good or your target is not ideal, the more powerful the RF is, the more likely you are to get a return, as you mention in your post. 2) The other thing I use mine for is to get an idea of distance of waypoints etc...but that obviously is not important for many people.
You have a Leica, so I'll start there....the 2700 is a strong RF. Glass is outstanding, the best in class, so much so that I use mine as an observation device before I pull my binos out. Overall it's an excellent unit in those regards. It is quite small, like some others, so convenient to carry with you. From a purely ranging perspective, it is outstanding. Apparently, Leica RF tech will be the basis for the new Vectronix, so foundationally, it's pretty solid. From a solver perspective, it is weaker. Unlike the previous gen Leicas, it accepts your exact curve through a card, but only one per card. I have been testing one for a while against a Kestrel Elite, and the solutions it gives are actually very accurate out to its maximum solution distance of 1k yards. Within .15 MOA, usuallly within .05 MOA. Thats pretty good especially considering I am using custom curves for the Kestrel for my load, and the Leica still uses G1 for BC's. But here is the caveat...they are only that close when coriolis and ballistic jump are not a factor. Leica's software really needs an update to include for these, and when they are a factor, then you start to be off by larger amounts, depending on shooting and wind direction. The other thing to note is that the Leica will only give you a ballistic solution to 1k yards. After that, you need to use a Kestrel or something else for your numbers, which makes sense when you consider that their ballistic engine needs an update.
So for me, I find the Leica ballistic solution just fine for shots out to 800 yards or so. From a hunting perspective, I can range and shoot, no problem. After that, I am taking my numbers off the Kestrel so that Coriolis and ballistic jump can be factored in, and the temp problem can be resolved...more on that below.
Other options....Sig 2400....Has the AB software setup already. The wind solution is not so great, but works wonderfully for some people, so it depends how you like to account for wind. It can be picked up for around 1200 if you look really carefully for a used one. Other than wind, simple solution...point, click read dial. bang. It's weakness is in wind and in temperature, and the glass is weaker than Leica's, but some people don't use it that way, and it really is packed with features.
However, all of these RF's that measure temp will heat up. As you stretch the distance, 3 or 5 degrees in temperature difference starts to add up in your solution. It does not matter closer in, but if you are trying to shoot long, it matters. All of these devices will start to heat up once being exposed to the sun and to your body heat and on the RF's, there is nothing you can do about that, not really. The Kestrel, you can. They instruct you to swing the kestrel to clear the sensor and then turn updates off so that you capture a pure temp reading for your solution and hold it without drift. Again, this is only important for long range shots, but if that is important to you, it's something to consider. More and more, I am liking an RF/Kestrel combo solution as I really think the Kestrel is best at what it does.
And then there is the more simple RF's....they give you range and you use the solver of your choice. There is a review on the new Nikon 4000 in GA this morning. Apparently, it ranges super well, even in full sun, high dust conditions. Take that reading and toss it in your solver, and you have a solution. Sig 2200's can be had for not much money as well. And Nikon has another one that is stabilized, which, if it works like their lenses for their cameras do, should be pretty awesome as getting still really increases your ranging distance. I have not played with the Nikon's, so can't say how they will work, but they are quite cheap, as is the Sig. You could pair that with a Kestrel and be well set, but if you are hunting and you need a short range solution in a hurry, you'd probably want to run a card or something for quick access to shorter range data, then use the Kestrel for when you have longer shots and more time.
Probably the best solution, at least on paper so far, is the upcoming Vectronix, but its pricey and still vaporware. Theoretically, Leica or better ranging, but talks to the Kestrel for an automatic solution. RF does what it does well, Kestrel does what it does well. Only thing I wish is that it would feed back into the RF so you would not even have to look at the Kestrel. Only downside for me on this is the form factor, I want something pocket sized.
For me, the Leica is what I use for shots at medium range. Just range it, take the solution and go. For my personal hunting distances, it provides a fast answer without having to memorize anything (my memory needs upgrading badly) or drop cards, and at medium distances, the solution tracks right on with the Kestrel.
When I am at the range or shots are long enough to have time and where small things start really adding up, I have the Kestrel.
I think you could do the same with almost any RF out there with the addition of some solution that works for you at shorter distances.
One last thing to compare if you want to range really long....look at the beam divergence numbers. There is a difference both in terms of size and shape, and this will effect your ranging performance.
HTH!
