Leica 1600b rangefinder

[Ridgerunner665]

There is one thing that I think should be standard on rangefinders...

The new G7 BR2 has a "reticle" that is the same size/dimensions as the beam...that is a very good idea, I think...in the case of the G7 and many others, it is a horizontal rectangle...having the reticle fit the beam seems like it would greatly simplify getting on target (the intended target)

 

[Oldtrader3]

The PRF has the same rectangular reticle which is handy for sure.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

The Bushnell just failed miserably on what I thought would have been a pretty easy task...not just failed...but failed miserably.



The sign in the distance is the target, it is directly above the W on the tanker trailer....the Leica 1600b ranged it every time at 858 yards, no misses, no fussing...

The Bushnell will not range it no matter what I do...it will range the trees to the left of it if I'm careful with it (732 yards)...when I aim the Bushnell at the sign it ranges the tanker trailer (41 yards)...I tried bringing the beam down onto the sign from above, no joy...no matter what I do it won't range the sign....the beam is too big...it goes from the tanker to the trees.

That should give you an idea of the effect of beam divergence...look how wide that gap is...and the Bushnell beam won't fit in there.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Some good reading...

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2013/10/2 ... ders-work/

 

[Ridgerunner665]

For those that may not understand mils (milliradians)...

1 mil at 100 yards is 3.6"...the Leica 1600b laser beam is .5 x 2.5 mils...the Zeiss PRF beam is 2 x 4 mils...below I'm going to offer a comparison of the beam sizes, in inches and feet, at different distances.

Leica 1600b @ 1000 yards...the beam is 18" x 90" (1.5 feet x 7.5 feet)
Zeiss PRF @ 1000 yards.......the beam is 72" x 144" (6 feet x 12 feet)

Leica 1600b @ 800 yards......14.4" x 72" (1.2 feet x 6 feet)
Zeiss PRF @ 800 yards..........57.6" x 115.2" (4.8 feet x 9.6 feet)

Leica 1600b @ 600 yards....10.8" x 54" (.9 feet x 4.5 feet)
Zeiss PRF @ 600 yards.........43.2" x 86.4" (3.6 feet x 7.2 feet)

Leica 1600b @ 400 yards......7.2" x 36" (.6 feet x 3 feet)
Zeiss PRF @ 400 yards ......28.8" x 57.6" (2.4 feet x 4.8 feet)

Leica 1600b @ 100 yards.....1.8" x 9"
Zeiss PRF @ 100 yards.........7.2" x 14.4"


Do understand...I am NOT picking on the Zeiss PRF...many other rangefinders have beams as big and bigger than the Zeiss...Bushnell for example...as I just figured out today (gotta be at least 20 feet wide at 850 yards, probably more).

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Next up...in the rain...

 

[Oldtrader3]

I do not shoot at game past 400 yards. So, the 2.5x5 foot window works fine for me on deer at 400 yards and even on elk to 600 yards, if I was to break my rule of 400 yards. The trajectory tables ( 6 of them) are at two zero points (100 and 200 y/m) and only go to 500 yards/meters which is the extreme limit of anything I would ever shoot at anyway. So all is copacetic with me on the PRF.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

OK.....this one, then the rain.

In the pic below...over the truck you can see the light fixture just barely sticking up over the fuel island canopy...the fuel island canopy is 61 yards, the light fixture is 515 yards


The Leica 1600b has no trouble getting over the canopy and ranging the light fixture, no trouble at all...the Bushnell 1300 ARC will not do it, I either get the canopy or nothing.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Finally...rain!

Going back to the original target (the sign in the fist pic, 858 yards)...the Leica will range it even in that rain you see, every time....the Bushnell, won't range a damn thing past 120 yards.

When I took this pic, it may not have been raining at the sign...but it was when I did the ranging (only got 2 hands )

 

[Oldtrader3]

Pretty impressive in the rain, Lynn! No doubt the Leica is a fine instrument, never questioned that. I like Leica, I own two of their scopes?

I agree also that my older Busnell rangefinder had some real issues?