Laser Rangefinder Review

Cumulative Review Score: 92(26)

The Swarovski Laser Guide 8x30 rangefinder is currently the only rangefinder in the Swarovski line.  Researching the user reviews of this product produced several patterns.  First, most everyone gave it credit for having great optics.  Next, most were impressed with the extreme distances at which objects could be ranged; the were plenty of reports of readings of over 1500 yards and a couple reviewers that had gotten ranges over 2000 yards.  Users of the Swarovski rangefinders also seemed to find it as an adequate replacement for their binoculars.  However, not all the themes that emerged from the reviews were positive.  Some user's had trouble with the display on their unit flickering, and many complained that the aiming reticle was too large for precise target acquisition at great distances.  Finally, a lot of users felt that this unit was a bit to big and bulky for extended carry in the field. Find out how the Laser Guide did against other models in the long range shooting category.

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Owner's Manual:
The Laser Guide's manual is a quick read, basically the Swarovski rangefinder is a high end monocular with a very powerful, yet simple rangefinder built in.  Basically you can set this unit to yards or meters and it has a scan mode.  These are pretty much the extent of this unit’s rangefinder features. 

LRR Thoughts:
The Swarovski  Laser Guide 8x30 rangefinder is a $1000 rangefinder, it has great optics and probably the longest ranging capability of any hunting style monocular rangefinder.  While searching the reviews, it was surprising to see reviews dating back from 2006; these units have been around for awhile, and with others coming out with newer designs one can't help but wonder if Swarovski won't be updating this model or introducing a new model soon.  Despite its high price tag, relatively large size, the Swarovski remains the standard by which other long distance rangefinders are measured.  It was also worth noting that many users substituted this rangefinder for their binoculars, this is something that nearly everyone that buys a rangefinder of any brand tries, but few have any luck with. This is because most rangefinders have a small objective lens, which generally make them unsuitable for the long scanning type searches done with binoculars; combine this with the generally lower magnifcation compared to binoculars and these two factors usually rule out most rangefinders for serious scanning and spotting work.  While not for everyone, the Swarovski laser guide rangefinder is probably best utilized by the extreme long range rifle shooter.

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