Laser Rangefinder Review

Cumulative Reveiw Score: 96(15)

On the market for about a year now, the Nikon RifleHunter 1000 has made it through its first hunting season. However, user reviews on this unit are still hard to come by as they weren’t widely available until the first part of 2011.  The user reviews that were available did show some common themes.  First, many reviewers were impressed with the clear optics, compact size and light weight of this rangefinder.  Next, the units maximum range of 1000 yards, and its ability to give angle compensated reading were both well received.  However, the Nikon 1000’s newest and most talk about feature, the Active Brightness Control feature (description below) was met with mixed reviews; some hunters found that the bright orange reticle obscured the target in low light, while others felt that it allowed enough contrast between the animal and the crosshairs to get a reading they otherwise would not have been able to with standard black crosshairs.

>>>>>Dual Purpose Rangefinder Comparison with Editor's Pick<<<<<

Owner's Manual Highlights:
The Nikon RifleHunter 1000 shares an owner’s manual with it close sibling the Archer’s Choice Max.  The RifleHunter 1000 is very similar to the RifleHunter 550 in that it can measure in yards or meters, and can be set to either first or distant target priority, and will measure distance either linear or horizontal (angle compensated) mode.  The RifleHunter 1000 has a maximum range on reflective targets of 1000 yards and uses what Nikon calls an Active Brightness Control Viewfinder, that automatically adjust the color of the crosshair from grey to orange as the lighting conditions darken. The Nikon 1000 also has a scan mode which allows for five seconds of continuous readings, just hold the button down and sweep from target to target and the display will update the distance. Also noteworthy is that in ID (Incline/Decline) mode the Nikon RifleHunter 1000 rangefinder reports distance in .1 yard increments, yep .1 yard not 1 yard.

LRR Thoughts:
Overall, the Nikon RIfleHunter 1000 reviews that are available are quite positive, Nikon seems to have taken the proven design of the RifleHunter rangefinder series and improved upon it with more ranging power, and a slightly smaller size; while still keeping the target priority, ID (Incline/Decline), and other features from the original. This new RifleHunter 1000 should make an excellent dual purpose rangefinder. To see how the RifleHunter 1000 compared to other rangefinders in the dual purpose category click the red link above.