Bushnell Fusion 1600 Arc

[the hunt guy]

Has anybody used the Bushnell Fusion 1600 ARC rangefinder/binoculars? I was just curious as to how well they work.

 

[ZSteinle]

i have heard really good things. I know cstactical has a review on them. I am just curious if it is the same laser technology as the bushnell 1500 arc. I assume it possibly is because on the site it has the same info. 500 on deer, 1000 on trees and 1600 on reflective items. I own the bushnell 1500 and now a new swaro laser guide and all i can tell you is there is no comparison.

 

[the hunt guy]

I own the bushnell 1500 and now a new swaro laser guide and all i can tell you is there is no comparison.

No comparison as in the swarovski's are way better?

 

[ZSteinle]

I didnt really want to get away from what you were asking about and i have never used the 1600 arc but i would assume that it would compare to the 1500 arc for ranging ability. when i bought my bushnell 1500 i compared it with the swaro outside of the store and was simply amazed at how quick and how far it would range so naturally i bought the bushnell for much less! I was very pleased with it until i took it antelope hunting and was very dissapointed when i couldn't range game at 600 yds or any father. The fusion on bushnells website says 500 yds for deer which i think is a very good estimate (on the fact that it will range deer at 500 yds in most terrain 90% of the time) My swaro on the other hand at closer ranges can be a bit more finicky to get to range (or at any range for that matter) But give it a good solid rest and see what it can do. The first day I had it i was picking up a black horse at 1400yds every push of the button. The bushnell wouldnt range it. also was ranging a rock the other day with the bushnell and it read 1247yds. as far as my eye could tell it was 1247 yards away, until i put the swaro on the rock and it ranged 1452 yds and then ranged the grass patch in front of the rock and the swaro ready 1248. I can already see the extreme benefits of the swaro and if you are really looking for a range finding binocular i would go with a leica or just use the swaro as a monocular

 

[the hunt guy]

cool, thanks for the clarification

 

[bigngreen]

The Bushnell has a beam divergence of 2 milrad by 4 milrad and the Swaro has a 2 milrad circle, that translates into the beam of the Bushnell will bounce of all kinds of stuff at range since it's the size of a house. For a good tight beam and range it looks like the Leica 1600 may be good.

 

[blacktails]

I had my Fusions with me today while driving around. Stopped to range some cows (Herefords & Angus) and horses out in the valley. Easy to consistently range the cows which were from 650-750 yards out, and the horses (various colors) were also easy at around 800-850 yards. Very impressed with ranging capabilities so far. I can easily range various objects out to 1600+ yards with these, now I just need to find some animals further out than the cows & horses were. Also, for those of you that think the red display is too dim in good daylight, adjust the brightness setting up to 4 (This is the highest. Mine came factory set at 3). The display is way better IMO at the 4 setting, though in darker conditions it may be too bright for some. However, it is easy to change the setting to meet the conditions. Overall, these are pretty nice and a good value, and appear to be well built.

 

[the hunt guy]

I had my Fusions with me today while driving around. Stopped to range some cows (Herefords & Angus) and horses out in the valley. Easy to consistently range the cows which were from 650-750 yards out, and the horses (various colors) were also easy at around 800-850 yards. Very impressed with ranging capabilities so far. I can easily range various objects out to 1600+ yards with these, now I just need to find some animals further out than the cows & horses were. Also, for those of you that think the red display is too dim in good daylight, adjust the brightness setting up to 4 (This is the highest. Mine came factory set at 3). The display is way better IMO at the 4 setting, though in darker conditions it may be too bright for some. However, it is easy to change the setting to meet the conditions. Overall, these are pretty nice and a good value, and appear to be well built.

Cool, please keep us updated on how they work on deer/elk/antelope etc at far distances. They sound pretty nice so far.

 

[johnnybar]

On several web sites, I read people stating that they like a certain brand and model of rangefinder because it ranged deer or horses or trees or buildings at xxxx yds. Almost all of these posts do not compare the reading to any absolute known distances. A cow lasered at 1427 yds may really be 1592 yds or ???? yds and you are really ranging who knows what....rocks, pasture weeds, etc. Please someone, get a hair-on deer hide, fold it in thirds to expose the normal side profile, hang it on a bush at a half mile mark and range it.....do you get 880+ yds ? Most mile sections have quarter section cross fences that are at that disance. Maybe range a big rock at the half mile mark too. That's the kind of report I would like to read before messing with ordering, being dissapointed and hassling with a return/refund....as I have done with too many electronic gadgets. I am really leaning toward Fusion 1600 Bino's and would like to know what they really can do. PS: Use your trucks trip meter if you have to....reset it at a landmark, drive to the 0.5 mile point, set out a piece of hide, return to point zero and laser, repeat till ranging fails then report findings.

 

[johnnybar]

Well guys....got tired of waiting and ordered the Fusion 12x50s. Will let you know how they do it the real world. I think a lot of reports, good or bad, are not based on actual, but instead, assumed performance. Mine are due in this afternoon. Ill test them on cardboard, white copy paper (my el'cheapo targets), trees, bushes, deer, cattle (red & black), a medium sized dog and I'll try to get a small tan calf on the neighbors place to simulate a coyote and compare readings to licensed survey results. I'll also try to plot the beam margins vs reticle since I believe most long range errors are due to beams and reticles not being exactly aligned. If you know where your beam is really at, RFs usually perform a little better at distance. I've even heard that the high end brands can be at the margins of the reticle. No big deal until you are way out there and some reticles cover a house while the beam may be only 4 to 7 feet wide and 2 to 4 feet tall.

 

[T3-OleMan]

Well guys....got tired of waiting and ordered the Fusion 12x50s. Will let you know how they do it the real world. I think a lot of reports, good or bad, are not based on actual, but instead, assumed performance.

Check out item #9........I don't do assumptions either!

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f18/buying-insurance-timber-accurate-range-73823/index2.html

How did yours work out?
Good luck.

 

[johnnybar]

Yes I checked #9 out....I wrote it . Was trying to get some REAL performance feedback. I went ahead and took the plunge since I have 90 days , no questions asked, return period. Figured I would have plenty of time to bench test and hunt test on coyotes and crows. UPS hasn't delivered yet but, I'm waiting to hear big brown in the driveway! Got a ProChrono Digital in the box too.

 

[johnnybar]

They arrived:
After programming for rifle mode, 200yd zero, 22-250 50gr V-max, which is the Fusion's "H" ballistics curve, I wanted to verify the unit's MOA calculation near my self imposed max coyote range. I prefer MOA to inches and clicks, that the unit is capable of, since I use target knobs marked in minutes on my VXIII scopes. I ranged some brush at 550 yds and the Fusions noted 7.9 minutes were required above a 200yd zero. Huskemaw's online ballistic calculator listed 7.8 without my tinkering with elevation, temp and baro pressure, so the Fusions passed test #1 with an A+. This was one of my biggest concerns. Since the 22-250 is so flat shooting, some units don't accurately track bullet flight for it.

I also played with target, brush and standard mode. I was reasonably impressed with the units ability to screen out VERY heavy brush and trees to pick up objects behind them. But, those objects were not coyotes or deer, so I will reserve judgement on brush mode for later.

It is fully overcast here in NE OK this evening and just as dusk was waning to dark (5:40 pm), I viewed some dark pockets of timber and covered sheds facing east at 200 to 500 yds....I was very impressed. If I can't hunt right up to legal shooting hours with this bino, even on cloudy days, I need to get some cataracts removed! As a bonus, I now know what the neighbors are keeping in their sheds...nosey me.

So far so good...more to come.

JB

 

[T3-OleMan]

I was refering you to my # 9 in: http://www.longrangehunting.com/foru...23/index2.html

Semi - final UPDATE:

Second usage, took it to our local airport with a google map print out with about 8 or 10 known distances marked and shot the ones I could see from parking spot to see if this puppy was LYING!

Google Earth.(Yds.big fat dot)..............Leica CRF 1600 (Yds)

444 Aircraft tail...................................................445


502 Bldg............................................................504


619 Bldg............................................................622


1092 Bldg........................................................1088


1204 Bldg........................................................1207


1210 Bldg........................................................1212


1539 Bldg........................................................1522


2573 Church and steeple at bad angle................ - 0 -

Could not see any Bldgs. at 1600, 1700, 1800 etc to shoot, just the church at a bad angle!

I am sure mine is RIGHT – ON and DADGUMITTTTTT I ain't got any EXCUSES NOW!!!

The FINAL UPDATE will be a crying towel or HERE HE IS!!!!!
Film @ Eleven....lol

Hope it goes as advertised for you. Good luck.