Range Finding Binos

Anyone recommend a decent quality pair of range finding binoculars?

Do you want a ballistic solution? Think they pretty much all have one now though

In glass quailty
1) new swaro el range with tracking
2) Lecia Geo’ .com
3) Ziess
4)GPO/Vortex/sig

X) nikon
X)bushnell

I have not played with Nikon or Bushnell but have the rest.

I feel like ergonomics wise is really the biggest difference in top three. That will be personal choice. With that said sig/vortex/gpo are great products with great warranties

I personally will buy the first one that comes out with a 12x.


If feel like right now Vortex, Sig, and GPO is the best starting point budget wise. The older Lecia Geovid’s are also, they are just heavier and don’t have ballistic solvers

I bought used Leica Geovids, for $1k. 1000 yard capable laser, superb glass, no ballistics calculator.

The only upgrade from them is the model that ranges farther, which I will do some day.

They never leave my truck, unless they're going in my pack. So I use them daily. I've got line of sight around my camp plus 1000 yards. They got the test of all in Brewster and Terrell counties, where line of sight reaches into miles more than yards. They are bad to the bone!

They're more money than what you mentioned, but I assure you it will be a buy once, cry once proposition.

Not necessarily looking for budget.

Quality
Ergonomics/User friendly
Ballistic solution

I have the Sig.
Rangefinder and Ballistic App work very well. I got to pick thru a couple to get one that the collimation was good on and they are a good for money but not wow glass.
Want to try the new Vortex but haven’t got to check them out yet.
The GPO is interesting but no Ballistic solution.
I have the 11x45 Mavens for just glassing.

GOP doesn't have ballistics, nor does older lecia geo’s.

I think glass wise the top three are very close, but the new vortex/sig arent that far off,

The new Swaro’s are where I personally would probably go, the tracking feature is very useful in regards to how I hunt. It's basically a back azimuth with a range association so you can walk/stalk to what you ranged.

The top three really are a coin toss. Swaro best glass, Ziess best ballistic solver, Leica best ergonomics. IMO

The Vortex and Sig probably have better ballistic solvers then the top three glass ones, especially the sig. But comes a point on ballistic solvers comparisons are really just picking specs out of chilli, they all work well.

Basically all 5 get the job done and all do it well, it's just going to come down to personal preferences. Good time to be a consumer. Not sure if I helped or made it more complicated though

Like I said though for me the first one with a 12x model and Ballistics solver is what is buy

I'm the other way. I don't need a ballistic calculator. I confirmed DOPE on my range, way before going hunting.

All I really need is great 10X glass, and a great laser. What I'm missing is angle compensation in the ninos I currently have.

If your ammo is really consistent, and you've shot the distances you'll be shooting, in close to the temp and DA you'll be hunting in, you're good. Inside 500 yards, elevation corrections do not change very much from 30°F to 100°F, DA -300' to +3000'.

Go west, get DA +4000' and shoot farther, and you'll need a new elevation correction from what you shot on your home range.

The newer ones are starting work off the apps GPS so if all your sight in environmental data is correct you should be able to blue tooth bino with update local info, rather quickly. I can't image it won't be long before altimeter and temp are standard features if not all ready

I have DOPE but it is nice to just range a target across a canyon and the binos know all the parameters.. incline degrees ,DA, etc and the Dope is can be instantly updated if target moves a few yards.
Both work.

Did not know all those bells and whistles were out there. I like to try to stay at least a little up to date, but Im beginning to think Im behind the times more than I thought. You just dont know what you dont know until you join a forum.

It’s crazy how fast technology is moving for sure.
The Sig Binoculars doesn’t have all the bells&whistles inside it to pull environmental’s but as Bobo points out you Bluetooth from app to pickup local conditions. Then it gives accurate Dope to only 800 yds which is for the most part all that’s needed for hunting. I used mine that way on a Colorado elk hunt where we were only 15 miles from a airport weather station and it worked perfectly.
But I pair it either to a Kestrel or more recently to my Garmin watch which has Applied Ballistics and now I have local atmospheric and it will give me come ups as far as I can range which has been 3500 yds. That was on a barn but realistically on animals it’s 800-1000 yds which is about as far a I need.
The new Vortex has all the stuff built in to give accurate ballistics but I have not used it yet.

I wonder what Jack O'Conner would say?
Thats not a bash against all yall that understand and use the tech stuff. Maybe Im jealous.
Carry on guys, back to topic, Im just rambling today for some reason.

I've owned a few of them so far. My personal take is that if you want the very best glass then flip a coin between the Z/L//S. The Geovid I had (403 model) had great glass and a pretty darn good RF as long as the temps were significantly above freezing. At around the freezing mark they wouldn't range past 200 yds. After going round and round with Leica's schitttty customer service I sent them back to the retailer for a refund. Thank goodness it was still within the 30 day period. The predetermined ballistic profiles in many of the Geovid models are a waste of time and money, as FJG said you don't want it "close" or 'about" right, you want verified data. Those preloaded profiles you choose from don't cut it.

I then bought a pair of the Sig Kilo 3000BDX. Glass was average, RF was a big step ahead of the Leica, but it had wandering diopters that wouldn't stay put, and the laser beam was actually aligned outside of the circle reticle at 6:30. Sig proclaimed it was within spec so I sent that pair back as well.

I'm currently getting used to the Vortex Fury AB. RF is on par with the Sig (better than the Geovid I had), glass is a touch above average, fit and finish are actually pretty good, and the laser beam is aligned with the reticle. The AB readouts are quick, customizable, and easy to input. It has an environmental portal that takes that into account, and a wind direction input as well. Vortex is actually the only one that I'm aware of (except for Athlon's bino/rf) that warrants the entire unit for life. Sig has lifetime on bino, 5 yrs on warranty.

So to me, if you have to have the best glass available choose between the Z/L/S units. If you are OK with pretty good glass but superior ballistic solutions then go with the Fury HD.

Friend of mine just bought the newest Geovids two weeks ago. I think he said they blue tooth to his Kestrel.

Kestrel with Applied Ballistics has been the best-est ballistics calculator I've ever used. It gets station pressure, and temp, and adjusts elevation as needed. If the correction is wrong, it is tracking error in the scope. That's a big reason to physically shoot the distances and true up the calculator. Plus learn this particular scope's error. If someone is holding elevation only, then the corrections given will be spot on after truing the calculator.

Damn sync with garmin watch is pretty slick.

I don't wear any rings or watches but I'm getting closer to watch just due to Gps grid and or track back ability.

I haven’t worn rings or watches for years either but mentioned to my wife how cool it was so she told me to get it for our last anniversary. I have a really nice watch my company gave me for 25 years and it’s never been out of the box.
This Garmin is pretty cool. I have to charge it about every three weeks or so depending on how much sun it gets and use.

Jack was a early user of telescopic rifle sights that were probably just as controversial back in the 1930’s for hunters.
He was the main proponent of sighting in 3 inches high at 100 with flatter shooting rifles to extend point blank range s who knows. Or he could be like all those dead people that voted for Biden and is turning over in his grave.

Gotta prove 'em up, that's for sure. I'm not personally going to lug around a Kestrel while hunting as I don't hunt from stands much. Of the bench, etc would be another matter. I believe this latest Geovid is the only Leica that will pair with Kestrel IIRC, but I've had such bad luck with Leica CS I'm pretty much done with them. The Sigs and Fury will pair with a Kestrel as well, as does the Bushy Elite RF's.

Here is an excellent read on the Vortex if someone is interested

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/vortex-fury-hd-5000-ab-review.7079637/

Lug around?

Dimensions: 5.0 x 1.8 x 1.1 in. / 12.7 x 4.5 x 2.8 cm
Weight: 3.6 Ounces / 102 Grams

Hunting in open country is where they shine. It's either in a pocket or in the pack.

As listed before can’t go wrong with the big 3 if price isn’t any issue. I went with the Leica because I found great price on used pair. If I was buying brand new prolly go Swarovski

I will probably skip the Vortex. I plan to tell Doug to put my name on a pair of these.

https://cameralandny.com/shop/brand...0139-8616-00163ecd2826?variation=2986228

I have the standard SIG 10X42 RF bino's they are fine for around $1k

They aren't magic like the ballistic stuff. They aren't married to anything but me. They are VERY accurate rangefinder and great bionos. KISS

Always a pleasure to assist the members here

I just got the Geovid 10x 3200.com. They are stupid good, and give temp, angle, and pressure and talk to the kestrel with applied ballistics. Obviously overkill for most hunting situations, but I'd rather have overkill when it comes to absolutely needing to work when called on if that big bull steps out. Not to mention use for long range shooting. They are replacing my swaro el's, so that should say something about the glass. Next to a good rifle and scope, and the boots on my feet, I consider quality binos top of the list on my good gear needed. They are worth the pain in the wallet.

Love my GeoVids even though they aren't as fancy as some of y'alls.