Rx5000 range finder.

[salmonchaser]

I’ve been waiting to purchase a new range finder, looking for something unique and useful. Over the years I have been vexed many times by having to cross a canyon that drops 500 to 1000 feet and then climb even higher to recover an animal or look for sign after what was only a 4 or 500 yard shot. I learned years ago to use a compass in conjunction with my range finder and hang an orange vest to mark the start location. I can guarantee you when you climb the other side you’ll be in the wrong side ridge and have to cross a crease in the hill and climb much higher than you thought. It just is. So Leupold has come out with the Rx 5000 that in addition to being able to accurately read 5000 yards and project a waypoint. Exactly the tool I felt I could use.
Limited testing in the back yard yesterday afternoon was informative.
Without reading all the directions I was able to range accurately to known property corners at just over 2000 yards, with out using some sort of support or brace. Two hands point and shoot kind of thing. I needed to use the top of a fence post to get a waypoint to pin” at that distance. You need to be very steady at longer distances to “pin”. I was able to, two hands point and shoot, drop a pin at 1300 yards.
Most of my 58 years of hunting has been in the same general area. I know it very well but I still see this as very useful, particularly being able to take full advantage of being able to use the map to know exactly how to get into a spot I can see but can’t get to from here kind of thing.
Tremendously useful if I’m hunting new country. Hell I’ll be 70 this year I don’t have that many wasted steps in me.
More to follow, I’ll read some, probably all, the directions and report back. So far I’m impressed. Now if they send back my Vx 5 and it tracks reliably, I’ll be very happy.

 

[xphunter]

Good Stuff

 

[grry10]

Very interesting

 

[salmonchaser]

Took a few minutes playing with the range finder today. Achieved a reading of 5110 yards and compared that to my topo of the area. Pretty damn close. A short distance below that reading I have an established track from helping a friend look for an elk he hit a couple years ago. I didn’t have a way point there but I can do line distance from where I am in the back yard to the trees where I found the elk, where my track crossed a drift fence. Range finder said 2.655 miles. Line distance from my back yard says 2.651. That error could well be from where I’m dropping my point doing line distance on ONx.
Played some more with free handing, best I was able to do today was 3500 yards.
This thing is amazing. If Leupold gets my VX 5 tracking I’ll remain a fan boy for life. I’m 70 at elk camp that’s not saying much, I still need to read the directions on dropping pins. I’m not doing something right. It might help if I did the reading. The center of the rock face is where I hit 5100 yards. Also almost 4000 ft elevation gain. A little below the rock face the open area starts closing up and there is a stand of three threes. That is where my trail is.