Rangefinders: Leica vs Vortex Video Review

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I've played with a lot of rangefinders, but I thought I'd do a sit down review on the two I'm trying out right now.

The Leica has been a standby for me over the past 2 years, but after a playing with the vortex I think its the one I'll end up keeping.

What do other people use? I know leica has a pretty strong following in Alberta.

At one time or another I've used:
Leupold
Zeiss
Bushnell
Leica
Vortex
Nikon
Swarovski

And I have a bunch of opinions on those too. But I really can't bear to make a half hour video of me talking at a camera, nor would anyone sit through that CIA level torture.
 
How far are you able to range deer or other animals? It's annoying to have a range finder say 1k yards and then barely range a deer in a field 400 yards away. As I'm interested in a rangefinder for huntig, I am primarily interested in how far it will range critters. I don't always hunt in places that have rocks or trees right next to what I'm trying to shoot.
 
Like I said, I switched to the Newcon Optic 1800m and it's an amazing performer from what I have seen. No it won't range find to 1800 meters in daylight but I've hit a very bright white silo at 1.5km in mid day.


They're inexpensive AND Canadian :canadaFlag:! Dooooo ittttt. Plus tactical imports is great to deal with, just wish they would have taken credit card...

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Haagen_Dazs said:
Like I said, I switched to the Newcon Optic 1800m and it's an amazing performer from what I have seen. No it won't range find to 1800 meters in daylight but I've hit a very bright white silo at 1.5km in mid day.


They're inexpensive AND Canadian :canadaFlag:! Dooooo ittttt. Plus tactical imports is great to deal with, just wish they would have taken credit card...

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Thank-you for the kind words. We are now able to accept credit cards :)
 
I liked the Newcons I've seen, but they are very very big in comparison to the Leica and Vortex I've used.

If you really want range, buy a Vectronix and lase mountains!

@kman300 I've had very similar experience between ranging animals and ranging light shrubby brush. I can confidently range at 500 yards with either of these units, and if I had time to steady the rangefinder and hit it a couple of times I'm confident I could get a solid range out at six or seven hundred yards.

But for me personally, I don't shoot at animals more than 400 yards away so its kindof moot. I'd like to be confident in a clean shot.
 
Great video, quite enjoyed the review.

Although Vortex is very innovative, pricing is good and they have a great warranty their product isn't at the same level as Leica. Go to the optics section here or any forum and people are raving how good the warranty is and customer service after they sent in their scope or binos for repair. There is a lot of Vortex stuff going back for repair. I've yet to see one thread about Leica products failing or going back for repair work ect...
When you have a Leica product you know you have a reliable dependable product, its been proven for years in the field....Vortex...no so much.

Cheers!!
 
scott_r said:
Great video, quite enjoyed the review.

Although Vortex is very innovative, pricing is good and they have a great warranty their product isn't at the same level as Leica. Go to the optics section here or any forum and people are raving how good the warranty is and customer service after they sent in their scope or binos for repair. There is a lot of Vortex stuff going back for repair. I've yet to see one thread about Leica products failing or going back for repair work ect...
When you have a Leica product you know you have a reliable dependable product, its been proven for years in the field....Vortex...no so much.

Cheers!!
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Agreed,

Great warranty should be a foregone conclusion when you have a superior product that is costly. A great warranty is no good to me if my product fails in the field. Vortex seems to be producing some great products when they are working 100%, but the failure rate seems unacceptably high and for that reason I will avoid them.

My 10yr Leica compact 8x binoculars are phenomenal and I would recommend Leica to anyone looking for superior optics without the bells and b*ll####.
 
I purchased a used Leica 1200 from a fellow Nutzers and just enjoy the bahjeezus
out of it.
No fancy bells and whistles.
Aim, push and bazingggg.
Dial inside to change from yards/meters.
No frills, no spills.
Fast, accurate and simple.
Little square battery that one can find anywhere.
Had an opportunity to use a couple higher end Bushnells and
a Leupold.
Way too much bling.
Point and shoot works for me.
 
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I appreciate this post, I'm in the market for a long distance Rangefinder. I just put together a .338LM rifle under a S&B 5-25x56 PMII scope and I would like to be able to fairly accurately set up 1KM targets without using a tape measure! I am leaning towards Leica but I am open to hearing experienced users suggestions. Money not being an object...
 
I am leaning towards Leica but I am open to hearing experienced users suggestions. Money not being an object...
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My first RF was a Leica 1200. When I first started shopping around/researching it came down to 3 in my budget; Leica, Leupold and the Bushnell 1500 arc. The Leupold got eliminated really quick. I ended up going with the Leica, my shooting partner went with the Bushnell. After one season he ditched the Bushnell in favor of a Leica 1200 as well.

As our shooting distances increased I outgrew the Leica 1200 and sold it in favor of the new Leica 1600. I got it to range a few times around the 1850yd mark. As my shooting distance increased again I outgrew this unit as well and sold it.

I bit the bullet and bought a Vectronix Terrapin. There's simply no comparison. In the middle of a 30 degree bright & sunny day, I'm ranging everything I point the thing at... and we're talking 2500yd +.

My suggestion is 'buy once and cry once' (but it looks like you already understand that given your choice of rifle scope). It's one thing to be able to range 1500yds once in awhile on a perfect day, against a perfect target.. and another thing to range consistently regardless of the conditions.
 
Thanks for the tip wheels, being new to the Rangefinder end of things, I have never heard of Vectronix Terrapin before but now I have something to check out! That sounds like an amazing piece of hardware! I figure with the money invested in the rifle, I didn't want to limit it with inferior optics, now I don't want to limit that with inferior rangefinding and then the vicious cycle continues! I'm sure some you CGNrs know what I mean!
 
Just bought a Bushnell 1300 at ct on sale of 359$.
Trees are no problem @900 yards and I've consistently got over 1300 on reflective objects.....pretty darn good for the price i feel.
 
Canuck1978 said:
I appreciate this post, I'm in the market for a long distance Rangefinder. I just put together a .338LM rifle under a S&B 5-25x56 PMII scope and I would like to be able to fairly accurately set up 1KM targets without using a tape measure! I am leaning towards Leica but I am open to hearing experienced users suggestions. Money not being an object...
Click to expand...


I have ranged cows to 1300m with my Zeiss. Trees/rocks over 1km. Have ranged deer out to 900ish if you can hold it still enough. I am very happy with it. When hunting, I leave my binos at home and use it as a monocular.
 
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