Best Hunting Rangefinder | FIELD TESTED - The Good and Bad
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- Опубліковано 16 лип 2024
- If you are in the market for the best hunting rangefinder, you are in the right place. For this project we tested these five hunting rangefinders to find the best rangefinder for hunting. Being both a bow hunter and rifle hunter, we explore some of the best rangefinders for bow hunting, the best rangefinders for long range shooting, as well as the the rangefinder for hunting generally speaking.
In this group we have arguably one the best long range rangefinder options out there in the SIG Kilo 2400 ABS, one of the best rangefinder for bow hunting specifically, the Leupold RX Full Draw 4 Rangefinder. This thing features the new Leupold Flightpath software which is pretty awesome. We've also got another awesome hunting rangefinder in the Bushnell Nitro 1800. This is not only an awesome long range rangefinder, but it also a fantastic bow hunting rangefinder featuring ballistics integration as well as angle range compensation to cover pretty much all hunting scenarios. We also tested the GPO Rangetracker 1800 for this review, and were really impressed with its clarity and functionality. Finally, the new Vortex Razor HD 4000 Rangefinder is Vortex's newest offering and man does this thing have great optics! You don't typically think of optical excellence in a hunting rangefinder, but the Razor HD 4000 delivers just that.
Check out our other gear reviews:
Website: backwoodspursuit.com/category...
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Buy Bushnell Nitro 1800 Rangefinder: bit.ly/34xEEC6
Buy GPO Rangetracker 1800 Rangefinder: amzn.to/35yr4il
Buy Leupold RX Full Draw 4 Rangefinder: bit.ly/38lnNDQ
Buy Sig Kilo 2400 ABS Rangefinder: amzn.to/35v7V0Q or bit.ly/38lgmN1
Buy Vortex Razor HD 4000 Rangefinder: bit.ly/3nBUjI9
0:00 Intro
0:52 5 in this review
1:35 Eyepieces
2:07 Weights
3:00 Prices
3:26 Size differences
3:51 Optical performance
4:31 Displays
8:06 Ranging speeds
11:05 Purposes/applications/internal features
14:53 Good, Bad and Ugly - Спорт
Great helpfull info thank you for taking the time to review.
Absolutely! Thanks for the feedback and glad it was helpful!
Excellent. Great review. Very helpful. Subscribed.
Thanks you! Appreciate the sub as well!
Awesome Video!
Thanks Gabriel! Appreciate you watching!
Great review.
Thank you! Appreciate you watching as well!
Would love for you to get your hands on the new Sig kilo 8k and do a review on that! The amount of features packed in that rangefinder is insane
Heck yeah....the 8K looks like and awesome rangefinder! Tons a features! Thanks for watching 😁
I LOVE my KILO 8K monocular. It's very similar to the KILO2400ABS reviewed here, but it has an OLED active matrix display which is a total game changer. I have also owned the Razor HD4000 reviewed here, and it is one of the few Vortex products I have reservations about (I buy and AWFUL lot of Vortex gear). I found the finish on the Razor HD 4000 monocular (and the Razor HD binoculars, for that matter) really easy to mark. This doesn't effect performance one iota, but they so start to look dog-eared pretty quickly, and this effects their resale value as it looks as though you don't look after your kit and it's been neglected (when it hasn't).
Once you've used the SIG Sauer KILO8K-ABS, there's no going back!
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Great video! It would be awesome if you could include the +- of yardage for each unit tested. Also it would be really interesting to have a vetted target at 1000 yards and see the +- in yardage after 10 ranges with each unit. Great job thanks for the reviews.
Thanks for the recommendation! I'll have to do that next time for sure. Maybe gather a few more rangefinders and put together another review with that testing. Thanks!
@@BackwoodsPursuit hid
@@chetartiger4511 HID? Is that a brand you'd like reviewed? Thanks!
@@BackwoodsPursuit
If youre working on another review roundup please include the high end Maven RF, I have one and its pretty bad ass! It is heavy though.
@@tonesmith909 thanks! Yup... In testing today Maven RF.1 right now actually! Review to come down the road when I find testing. Thanks!
I've owned the Leupold for 6 years now Still going strong and I absolutely love that range finder.
Heck yeah Jeremiah! That's a great rangefinder for sure! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Great comparisons! However, I'm surprised you did not mention that the Bushnell Nitro 1800 is Bluetooth-enabled to sync with your smart phone and Kestrel and weather stations, or that while in Scan mode the Nitro 1800 is capable of 4 range measurements per second. Do the other range finders (besides Bushnell) provide rifle scope MOA offsets to targets based on windage and distance unique for your rifle and ammo?
Hey there! Yeah, there were a lot of great features I couldn't cover in this video, particularly on the models that have Applied Ballistics integrated and are Bluetooth enabled. I did go into that into more depth I'm the written review on the Nitro 1800 though. It's a great rangefinder! That Sig 2400 ABS has all those same features as well, but kinda stuck to basics for this video to try to cover each of them without making the video too long. Thanks for watching!
I'd be curious how a Leica would perform compared to these ones. Cabela's sells them and I think they are the most expensive. Got me curious how they perform compared to the rest. But awesome video especially showing a view through the finders.
Thanks Curt! I'm actually testing the new Leica 3500.com right now...along with the new Athlon Midas 1 Mile and new SIG Kilo 5k. Keep an eye out for those reviews! The Leica is pretty incredible optically though!
Leica craps on every other range finder on the market. They make THE best range finders a civilian can buy.
ive had the vortex 4000 since mid dec 21 ,everything worked great untill i left in the truck and temps went below freezing,walked uo to a nice 8 pt on its bed and it would'nt range just got random numbers. once back in the house and the unit warmed up it started working again. i guess i have to send back to vortex, optically was perfect even used instead of a bino for the short distance bowhunting we do
Thanks for sharing. Yeah, that happened to me as well while testing the Razor 4000 as I mentioned in the video. Seemed like it just stopped working when it went below freezing, but started working again once it warmed up. Odd for sure.
after your comment and the problem i had that almost cost the buck ,used an 8 year old bushnell that was burried in my pack and it ranged at 44 yards .after searching today ,vortex nation is saying dont send it back ,its the battery freezing and not working .strange the old beaten bushnel still worked.i bought it because it was so ruggedly built and great glass but is useless in below freezing.
@@georgetamburi9959 yeah, that could be the issue. When I talked to Vortex about it, they also said if the battery goes below 50%, there can be some performance issues. Bummer.
Please include what's included in the package. Sometimes the small things make a difference also. I just received a nice halo rangefinder for Christmas but will be returning it due to no case included. Why risk damage to the optics because of no case to store it in, also would be nice throwing it in a pack and not worrying about scratching it up and the lenses. Also a overall "feel rating" would be great. How good does each one feel in your hand and access the modes? Thanks for the review!!!
Hey there! Thanks for watching. Check out the more detailed review over on the website here. It may answer some of your questions. There are a few other rangefinder reviews on the website as well! backwoodspursuit.com/best-rangefinder-for-hunting-5-elite-options/
I believe that I could live with the Dont likes column for the price difference,,the two cheaper models are the only two I would consider buying.
Also I bought a bushnell rangefinder in 1998 and still today it works perfectly
For sure man! All of them worked very well for me! Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Ohhh if price didn’t matter I would be proud to own either of the more expensive ones ,,but for me it does matter
@@bobbygreen2291 totally understand! These things aren't cheap! And, in all reality, the cheaper ones get the job done just fine as well!
I personally can't fathom justifying paying for any rangefinder doesn't have a hassle free no questions lifetime warranty since all electronics eventually go bad.
Yeah, it would be nice if they all had that kind of warranty! Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Only the Vortex and GPO have lifetime warranty on their electronics from what you tested.
My next rangefinder is going to be the $450 Maven as soon as they have their next sale. Already confirmed they have a lifetime warranty on their electronics and made in the Philippines not China and have crystal clear glass with 7x magnification.
I'm done with buying disposable throw away rangefinders that don't have real lifetime warranty on their electronics and the people buying the $2000+ SIG rangefinders unfortunately probably think they have a lifetime warranty but it's only 5 years from date of manufacture nit date of actual purchase same goes for their electronics in their scopes illuminated reticles and ballistic apps and reticle leveler same limited short term warranty from date of manufacture NOT date of purchase and SIG has no intention to repair electronics past their short term warranty is expired and they really pulled a clever but legal fast one on everyone to make them think they are getting a real lifetime warranty but in reality not anything electronic. Burris has a. FOREVER warranty on their electronics in their rangefinders and scopes including their laser Eliminator scope and their new digital scopes.
What was the power of the eye pieces? 4x, 6x, 8x? If you did note that, my apologies.
What type of batteries did each one take?.
I sure it is hard to do but is there any chance you could test the batteries for life?
I only ask about the last question because I have a bushnell that must have a parasitic draw and I have to take the battery out after use or by the end of a week or less it will eat up a 123 battery. Thanks for taking the time to share this info.
Hey there! The GPO, Leupold, Bushnell are all 6x, while the Vortex and Sig are 7x. If I remember correctly, they all take the CR2 battery as well. I've had good luck with each of them lasting we'll over a full season on a battery. Thanks for watching!
For the vortex they say that you have to have it on a tripod to get your 4000 yards
Yeah, I'm sure the performance would improve on a tripod. Thanks for watching!
4 kilometers he hits, that's more than 4000 yards
I want a range finder with applied ballistics but I can’t afford the Sig Sauer Kilo 2400. Is there any other Comparables besides the Bushnell?
Hey Frank! You know...Sig just came out with that Kilo 5k that has applied ballistics. It's selling for about $650 right now. I haven't tested it, but it seems like a great unit. Thanks for watching!
Does he like the red adaptive oled display? I didn't pick up on that 😊
LOL....thanks for watching!
Surprised with the ranging performance of the vortex. In the elr mode free hand I've ranged 3200 first try and multiple times. Which is the farthest I have attempted.
That is interesting. Thanks for sharing your experience with it! Good to know you were able to get that kind of range out of it. Thanks for watching!
I just went out and messed with it for fun. To be fair I have not had the chance to hunt with the rangefinder yet. But last time I ranged 3200 no problem. This time it was dusk and I could only get mountainsides to 1800-2000. Which is plenty but still a let down. I did range a building from my house at dusk at 4049, not that I care about how well it can range a building. I respect your opinion and am grateful for all your reviews 👍. Hope it performs well in hunting conditions. I was reluctant to buy it because of experience with previous vortex models. But the glass is probably the best I've seen in a rangefinder.
@@PetersenOutdoorLivin that's awesome man! Yeah, I agree...Vortex did an awesome job on the glass with that Razor! I appreciate you following the channel and taking the time to share your experience!
I have the razor 4000 and I have been able to range out to 4100 yards half a dozen times off hand and a bunch more once I put it on a tripod. It will take up to 20 seconds to get a reading back, but it can still do it, and I was ranging a cliff face
My Halo XRT 7 works great for me and doesn’t cost an arm an leg
Awesome! Those look like nice rangefinders!
Compare at 50 yds, 100 yds , 200 yds, 500 yds etc. would be much helpful.
Thanks for the feedback! I'll have to do that next time. Appreciate it!
My Vortec 1800 is disappointing very slow .
Yeah, I experienced the same thing with that Vortex 1800...the Razor is much faster though. Thanks for watching!
No talk about waterproofness? Warranty across brands?
Sorry! Should have touched on those but didn't want the video to get too long. The Bushnell and Sig have a 5 year warranty, the Vortex and GPO have a lifetime warranty, and the Leupold has a 2 year warranty.
As for water resistance, the Bushnell and Sig are IPX4 rated water resistant, the Leupold is waterproof, and the Vortex is IPX7 waterproof rated. Hope that helps!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Nah its all good. I only mentioned it because while researching Rangefinders I'm seeing alot of people with Leupolds failing just out of warranty.
@@dallanc5199 yeah, definitely something that's relevant! It's a bummer when they fail just out of warranty for sure. Thanks again!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Its all good. I went with a Vortex Razor HD 4000. SUPER happy with it. Ranged misc non-reflective brush on the hillside at over 2000 yards from my house. Plenty good enough for my needs.
The only problem is the rangefinder glass is WAY better than my binos... distinctly better. Now I feel the need to upgrade the binos.
@@dallanc5199 haha....I hear you! I guess that's a good problem to have lol! Thanks for letting me know😁
People dont realize that the condition of the lithium batteries will heavily impact the function when exposed to cold temps. Leaving the tool on the floor in ur truck overnight exposed to low temps and expecting it to function is about as stupid as it gets. If i was to shock wake u up in the middle of the night while ur in deep sleep and have u take a 1k yd shot within 30secs, u would fail everytime
Yeah, making sure you have good batteries will certainly help to make sure the rangefinder operates properly! That said, the reality in hunting situations is that we often are in cold temperatures with no way to keep them from getting extremely cold, particularly when backpacking and sleeping in a tent. I've tested a lot of rangefinders in cold conditions, and most do pretty well. Like you said, make sure you have good batteries and most of the time they've performed the same as warmer conditions. Thanks for watching!
What? No Athlon rangefinder? Otherwise, very nice job with this review!
Thanks Rich! Wasn't able to get my hands on the Midas when I started this review, but hope to test it out very soon!
Athlon is THE MOST underrated, underappreciated, underpriced, OVER performing optics on the market!! My Midas Tac 6-24x50 (APLR4 MOA reticle) is absolutely BAD ASS!! Got it on sale for $529 and it out preforms most $1,000 very easily!!
Athlon DESERVES the praise that Vortex gets. It's a real shame. But Rich, those who know, know!
What no Maven review, come on man! 🤣
🤣🤣 Thanks for watching Erick!
It was a good review, I’m “upgrading” this year and found I do like the red reticle over the black.
@@Ridgerunner_802 thanks man! Agreed....I did like the red reticle best during use.
You didn’t review the Leica? Are you kidding me? It’s the benchmark!
Hey Frank! Yeah, not in this one...but we have since. Agreed....they are amazing! Thanks for watching!
Yeah, the Leica is heads and shoulders above any of these. Funny it's not in this comparison. I'd take the Leica 2400 every day and twice on Sunday..
What no Kahles Rangefinder, this review is useless without it. :) :) :)
Haha! Wouldn't it be nice if we could have included them all!
After a while, it’s a pain to listen to you describe what you see. For example, describe for us the color blue… yeah, you have to see it.
It would be better if you could give more video through the viewfinder.
Hey there, and thanks for the feedback! I've definitely been doing more video through the optics lately. It is hard to give an accurate representation of optics when digiscoping as any time you add another lens, it is never a perfect representation of how your eye will see it, but it is at least helpful. Thanks for watching!
Leica is the best mate.
Hopefully I'll get the chance to test out a Leica soon! I've heard they are great rangefinders! Thanks!
Holy smokes. 1,300 dollars. No thx
Yeah, that Sig isn't cheap!
I guess not. Lol. Great video tho. Thank you.
@@midwest4444 you bet! Thanks for watching!
Be honest, how many times has the Vortex broken? I assume ALL Vortex products break now. It's like when you meet someone who does Crossfit you can just ask them "when did you hurt your back?" They will go "how did you know I hurt my back?" "Bc you do Crossfit"
Vortex is the same. Good thing they have a great warranty bc the company is dog poop now
Yeah, unfortunately I've had a few Vortex products need the warranty.
Had a Vortec 1800 range finder very disappointed in it very slow getting the reading .
You claim "the best"....and don't have a Leica up there....even for comparison...how does that work...
Hey there Rick. At the time the video was made we didn't have a Leica to test, but have since been able to test and review the 3500.com from Leica. That is certainly a superior rangefinder to the one we had at the time of the video. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit The Leica 2400 is better than anything you compared in this video. Nice try though.
@@lmbear yeah, we've since had the chance to test the Leica 3500.com, as well as a bunch of rangefinding binoculars. I'd certainly agree that the Leica is a superior rangefinder, other than not being ideal for the archery hunter. Incredible optics for sure! Thanks for watching!
You might want to look into a public speaking class
Thanks for the suggestion....and thanks for watching.
Man that's what you come up with, that's what matters to you. You want someone with an education if speaking, Ill point you in the right direction i.e. go find any politician. Me I'll take Gabe's unbiased reviews on products any day.
I’ve been killing deer and elk most of my life, never once needed a friggin “Range Finder” invest your money into a Top notch Mil Dot scope and learn how to use it.
Mil Dot scopes are a great way to go as well. Obviously those don't apply to the archery scene, but same principle applies there: If you get really good at judging your distances, you don't need a rangefinder. They are nice to have in some situation though. Thanks for watching.
Virtually impossible to get precise ranges when ranging with reticles. Ballpark at best.
I mostly use mine as a monocular
I want theSIG KILO3000 BDX binoculars to go with a SiG/SAUER Sierra6 BDX 3 - 18 x 44 rifle scope. They pair" through Bluetooth and will work with a Kestrel 5700 that has Bluetooth. Sorry, none of them will wipe your nose. Maybe next year.
That's a sweet setup! Unfortunately that BDX scope isn't legal here in my home state.