I have a Bushnell Fusion 1600 on loan from Bushnell; I write a lot about laser rangefinders. I must say, I am really impressed. Only criticism is the LED is hard to see when the UV count is 10. But boy, does that thing range far. 1600 yards is no problem even on very bright days.

Anyone else try one?

10X42 version I think?

A guy had them at the SRM and I used them during set-up day along with my Geovids to confirm target distances for the match.

They worked great! Compared to the high $$$$ Leicas, the glass was only fair, but a great value at 800$

I would rather have a killer rangefinder with an average binocular than a top drawer glass and an average rangefinder.

I do not have a binocular/rangefinder combo. I use a 10x42 Vortex Razor and a Leica CRF 1200 rangefinder. I have never found myself wishing for a better binocular, but I often find myself looking for a little more horsepower in the rangefinder.

When the CRF quits, my immediate purchase will be the Bushnell Fusion. Hunting with a Sharps means that I have to have a rangefinder that really works RIGHT NOW and will also reach way out there. Sometimes the Leica CRF 1200 leaves a little to be desired, even as good as it is.

The Fusion sounds like a perfect combination.

Hey AZ, I'm real glad you mentioned it. Can't remember where I first spotted it, maybe in some kind of ad or probably at a web site. It was interesting enough that I went to the Bushnell site to see the specs, and they looked very promising.

I've used 10x50 binoculars for so long, smaller ones seem a bit strange to me. But, it is nice to see you think of them so highly. I feel sure the total cost of Binoculars plus a Range Finder would be more and the two would surely weigh more than the 1600.

Do you steady them by holding onto your hat brim?

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
I have a Bushnell Fusion 1600 on loan from Bushnell; I write a lot about laser rangefinders. I must say, I am really impressed. Only criticism is the LED is hard to see when the UV count is 10. But boy, does that thing range far. 1600 yards is no problem even on very bright days.

Anyone else try one?

What was the target you ranged at 1600 yds and its size? Also, how would you rate it compared to the Leica 1600 and the Swaro?

338:

I was ranging big flat rocks, but it returned the range of just about anything. And that was in bright light. LRs work by pulsing lasers at a known frequency and then measuring the return of light signals at that frequency. On bright days, you have a lot of energy coming from the sun at the frequency of that laser.

I have an original Geovid (I was actually the first guy in the US to own one). The beauty of that rangefiner is that its beam divergence is quite narrow. Beam divergence is to a laser what choke is to a shotgun. The Geovid has an extremely narrow beam divergence (I think it is 1.5x.3 milliradians, but can't remember exactly). Most Bushnell rangefinders have used lasers with a 2x4 mrad divergence. That means at 1000 yards the laser covers 2 yards by 4 yards - a huge area. The Leica covers 1.5 yards by 30 centimeters. The Leica also has its narrow part oriented vertically, where the Bushnell ones always had them horizontally, which causes a lot of ground scatter if you are trying to range a target like a PD over flat ground. You might get a reading, but you can't be sure if it is to the PD.

I am not aware of any commercial rangefinder that is eyesafe that uses a laser other than a GaAs diode laser. They don't create a circular beam; instead they are oval. So if you are having trouble ranging to a target, try flipping the orientation of your LR 90 degrees.

You have probably heard all this before but the Swaro 8x30 range finder will out range any other current range finder I am awarev of in commercial items.
I have ranged 1847yds in late afternoon and regularly past 1000yds in mid day bright light.
I bought a pair of Leica binoc rangefinders and took them on one trip alongside the Swaros. The Leicas will not provide anywhere near the range performance and they lie in a drawer awaiting sale.
The Swaro is monocular obviously and that is why I tried the Leicas for their binocular vision.
Swaro have not released a bino because they have not been able to provide a unit which they arev happy with performance wise although they are still working towards a bino version.

I brought a bushnell 1600 about a month ago very pleased with it 1600 yards on trees.

It is nice to not have to carry two units. It was always a pain spoting game with your binos. Then trying to find it again with your range finder then again with the rifle scope.

Sure beats my old 1000s range finder. I can even shoot ranges threw doubl pane window class not as far but sveral hundred yards.

I think they range faster the the leica 1200s I have used 7 or 8 years ago. The biggest trouble is holding them steady enough at the longer ranges.

I found a lot of price range of them from about 750 on the net 899 at cabalas. My dealer freind sold them to me at cost 675.

Shop around one well do a lot better then the 1300.00 retail on them

quote:

Originally posted by APB:
You have probably heard all this before but the Swaro 8x30 range finder will out range any other current range finder I am awarev of in commercial items.
I have ranged 1847yds in late afternoon and regularly past 1000yds in mid day bright light.
I bought a pair of Leica binoc rangefinders and took them on one trip alongside the Swaros. The Leicas will not provide anywhere near the range performance and they lie in a drawer awaiting sale.
The Swaro is monocular obviously and that is why I tried the Leicas for their binocular vision.
Swaro have not released a bino because they have not been able to provide a unit which they arev happy with performance wise although they are still working towards a bino version.

The new Geovids don't come close to the old model. The original Geovid is awesome when it comes to measuring the deer and not the tree behind it.

Unfortunately, it is pretty heavy and no longer made.

As for the Bushnell, it will ALWAYS give ranges to 1500 yards, even in bright daylight. But there are other models out there that will go to 3000 yards, but I see that as rather pointless. Actually 1500 yards is pointless unless you want to know how much closer you have to get.

C'Mon - there must be quite a few 1500 yard "rock shooters" out there??
Especially in the open deserts of Arizona?
APB

APB:

My goal is to hit within 5 inches of where I aim with the first shot, and that is simply impossible to do at 1500 yards. in the time it takes for the bullet to fly that far, the wind has changed enough to make you miss.

Actually, it is fairly easy to do at ranges of 550 yards, even shooting sitting without a rest but just a shooting sling and any number of rifles (that shoot high BC bullets). However, adding 150 or 200 yards makes it much more difficult. Wind drift doubles from 500 to 700 yards. At the same time, group size is getting bigger.

At 1500 yards, even a 300gr SMK at 2900 fps drifts a foot - in a one mile per wind. No one has any business shooting at animals at that range. Rocks, maybe, but make them big ones.