Laser Rangefinder Review

Dual purpose can mean a variety of things but here at Laser Rangefinder Review dual purpose rangefinders are referring to those that will be used for both archery and rifle hunting.  While there are a larger number of rangefinders on the market only a handful of them meet our criteria for a good dual use rangefinder.

What to Look For:

Medium Range Magnification: These rangefinders are going to be used for hunting situations where shots routinely range from as close as 10 yards with a bow all the way out to a quarter mile plus with a rifle. Here a 6x magnification range finder is a good option, it provides enough power to see targets at several hundred yards and yet still has enough field of view to see and target animals at closer ranges for archery hunting.

Vertical Design: Rangefinders generally come in two styles: horizontal or vertical. Horizontal design rangefinders are the flat wide style that are held like binoculars; however, horizontal style rangefinders are generally quite large compared to their slimmer counterparts. Vertical rangefinders are the taller thinner style rangefinder and this more compact design generally makes them a better candidate for the combination bow and rifle hunter.

Angle Compensation: This is the feature on many rangefinders that accounts for the angle of the shot and calculates the horizontal distance to the target; Bushnell calls it ARC (Angle Range Compensation), Leupold named theirs TBR (True Ballistic Range), and Nikon opted for ID (Incline/Decline). Under most normal hunting situations there isn’t usually a great difference between the normal linear distance to the target and the horizontal distance; however, when shooting at an extreme angle, like from a tree stand,  there can be appreciable differences it the two readings.

Dual Purpose Rangefinder Comparison Chart

Model	Nikon RifleHunter 1000	NIkon RifleHunter 550	Leupold RX-1000 TBR	Bushnell Legend 1200 ARC	Bushnell Scout 1000 ARC	Leupold RX-750 TBR
Picture
Cumulative Review Score	96(15)	97(61)	92(34)	90(22)	89(75)	71(16)
Estimated Price	$350	$290	$400	$350	$300	$285
Configuration	6x21mm	6x21mm	6x22mm	6x24mm	5x24mm	6x22mm
Weight	6.9oz	6.3oz	7.8oz	7.4oz	6.8oz	6.8oz
L x W x H	4.6 x 1.6 x 2.9	5.1 x 1.5 x 2.7	3.8 x 1.3 x 2.8	4.3 x 1.7 x 2.9	4.3 x 1.7 x 2.8	4.2 x 1.6 x 3.0
Reflective	1000 yds	550 yds	1000 yds	1200 yds	1000 yds	750 yds
Angle Compensation	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y

Editor's Pick: Nikon RifleHunter 1000

(Click Pictures for price comparison at Amazon.com)

The RifleHunter 1000 has a medium 6x magnification, ID angle compensation feature, first and distant target priority modes, a compact vertical design, and 1000yard ranging capability on reflective targets. The one concern about the Nikon 1000 rangefinder is that when the reticle changes to orange in dimmer light some hunters felt it obstructs the targeted object; others welcomed the contrast of a bright reticle on a dark background. There wasn’t a clear consensus on whether this feature aided or hindered low light ranging; however when its getting toward dark you have to pick your poison, drown out your target with a bright colored reticle, or not be able to see your aiming marks with a dark reticle on a dark background.  If you have had experience with red reticles on dark backgrounds and it is too bright for your preference then the Nikon RifleHunter 550 would serve you well with its constant black reticle. However, everyone else would probably enjoy the smaller size and extended range of the Nikon RifleHunter 1000.

Why not the RifleHunter 550? Good question and honestly it could have went either way, they are both nearly perfectly suited for the dual purpose rangefinder role. The Nikon RifleHunter 1000 ultimately won out because of its increased ranging ability; how often this would make practical difference while hunting is debatable, but first time readings on more difficult objects at several hundred yards should be easier with the RifleHunter 1000.  However, it was pretty much just splitting hairs at this point when it got narrowed down to the Riflehunter 1000 or 550. A strong argument could be made for the RifleHunter 550 as being a more proven rangefinder and costing less, and if money is tight you won’t be out much if anything by going with the RifleHunter 550.

What about the Leupold RX-1000TBR? This appears to be a pretty solid rangefinder it has an aluminum body, an OLED red display, its compactness is very impressive, and this unit is very customizable. You can choose from one of three reticle options, and can display the angle compensated yardage or the amount of holdover in inches based on the ballistic group you choose. However, with all this customization comes clutter and complexity. While the angle compensated number is shown above the crosshair, the angle of the shot in degrees and the linear distance is displayed below the reticle, this division of numbers is a good thing but both yardage numbers are pretty large and with all this information above and below the reticle the display screen gets crowded.  Also when the RX-1000TBR is in bow mode angle compensated reading are only available out to 60 yards and then it switches to linear distance. Leupold also make a non-TBR version so if you want to get one for a dual purpose unit make sure to get the one with TBR. Note Leupold has made several changes to this lineup over the last couple years and the score above is based on older models. A brand new update has just been released and the newest version (pictured at left) is the RX-1000i TBR with DNA (Digitally eNhanched Accuracy). If you value customization above clutter free screens and ease of operation then the RX-1000 TBR line would be a good choice.

How about the Bushnell 1200? This unit showed promise and does have all the features of a good dual purpose rangefinder. However, the Bushnell 1200 has three modes bow, rifle and regular, and the screen can get pretty cluttered with too much unnecessary information in the rifle and bow modes (do you really need to have the angle of the shot displayed right next to the ranging information, just one more wrong number to grab under excitement especially in bow mode where all three numbers can be double digit numbers and are right next to each other). The Bushnell Legend 1200 also has a Variable Sight In feature, which is a setting within rifle mode that allows you to pick from several different sight in ranges. Then while in rifle mode the rangefinder calculates the angle compensated holdover information in inches based on the selected cartridge/bullet combination and sight in range you programmed in. This sounds good and maybe it is, but in rifle mode it only displays the linear yardage not the angle compensated yardage. You can get angle compensated yardage in bow mode but only out to 99 yards. Also if you want to hunt with a different gun, you need to reprogram the rangefinder VSI feature if you want to use the angle compensated holdover info in rifle mode. Sometimes too many unnecessary options just complicate things,  just give us the angle compensated reading in yards and leave it at that.

Why not the Bushnell Scout 1000 ARC? Much like the Legend 1200 only with no VSI (Variable Sight In), less range and less magnification. Like the Legend 1200 you get a bow mode that displays linear distance, angle of the shot and horizontal distance. The Regular mode displays linear distance only, and in the rifle mode you select a cartridge/bullet combination, but are not allowed to change the sight in range. The rifle mode display shows you the linear distance, angle of the target, and angle compensated holdover in inches, no angle compensated yardage is given. Once again there is something to be said for the simplicity of the Nikon’s.

And the Leupold RX-750? This unit was just a little out of its class with all the strong competition in the dual purpose category. The the RX-750 does use a similar TBR feature to the one used on the RX-1000 TBR, but it is built on the same body as their entry level RX-600. So with the RX-750 you get much of the same highly customizable features as the RX-1000 TBR and the resulting clustered screen and more complex operation. Furthermore, because it shares the same style body as the RX-600 and uses a LCD display screen, you basically get a unit that shares the same problems as the RX-1000 TBR, and doesn’t have any of the benefits like the aluminum body and OLED display (assuming you consider a red OLED a benefit).

Conclusion: While there are several good rangefinders in this category, the simplicity of the Nikon RifleHunter 1000 and 550 really stood out, as well as their comparatively uncluttered screens, and their ability to set and forget is probably understated, because while making changes in modes and settings is easy when you are in the comfort of your home and have the instructions right next to you, it is often a different story under pressure and without instructions. The first and distant target priority modes are also a nice feature allowing it to be set for better performance when used from cover.  The Nikon RifleHunter’s are probably the best fit for the majority of hunters who will be using their rangefinder for both bow hunting and rifle hunting. The RifleHunter 1000 edged out the RifleHunter 550 primarily because of its increased ranging capability. So to recap here is what made the Nikon RifleHunter 1000 our pick for the top Dual Purpose Rangefinder Category.

Transitions between bow and rifle hunting without have to changes modes.

  Compact and lightweight for easy carrying while hunting.

  Ideal 6x magnification for a dual purpose rangefinder

  Clutter free screen for easy target viewing and eliminating the chance of using the wrong number.

   ID technology for angle compensated readings.

 Selectable target priority modes, distant priority mode is especially usefull when trying to range through grass or branches.

  Provides angle compensated yardage reading at all ranges when in ID mode.

1000 yard ranging capability covers all practical hunting situations.