Has someone tried the Leica LRF 800?

[sport22]

Hi I am about to buy a rangefinder, and someone has got a Leica LRF 800 to sell at a reasonable price.
Has anyone tried it and how is it compared to for exampe Buschnell yardage pro?
Also, what is your favourite rangefinder?
Thanks
OneShot

 

[Brent]

OS,

this is one FS on the board here Lieca LRF800 .

Have never used one in the field, but at the store the glass looked a little better than the Bushnell YP1000 of mine. I don't glass through mine, I have a good set of Lieca 10x42 bino's for that.

I have ranged to 1400+ yards with the YP1000 at dusk and dawn when the light is changing.

During the day it works out to 600yds very quickly. From 600 to 800 it takes a few more seconds, about 5 to 15. Over about 850 yards during the day is difficult if not over half the time impossible due to the light.

It is best to get there early and do the very long ranging at dawn or the previous evening when the conditions are incredibly good. Wright out a map of any possible shot location ahead of time and wright in the exact range from the location you'll be at.

My map basically has four ranges for each clearing. One for the left side , one for the right, nearest and farthest edges, maybe a referance point in the middle somewhere if it is very far accross.

The error is forever getting larger at that range and beyond and the need for accurate ranging is getting more crucial than ever so this method only works to a point where an error in estimation of range could put the bullet too high or low depending on how flat the bullet flies.

Darryls Russian LRF is the only way to go for those serious about making the most of this, it has to be on the near future equip. list or your ****in in the wind past 1500yds, some would say even 1000 too.

Just some things to consider........Brent

 

[sport22]

Thanks Brent!
I have tried a Bushnell Yardage Pro 800 and I dont think it is that very good. Bad optics and quite hard to get any readings sometimes.
I will look into the Leica even further.
Thanks OneShot

 

[Mysticplayer]

I strongly recommend the Leica 800. Optics are great, very fast readings, repeatable, quite good in bright light, waterproof, small and light, can range out to 965yds on reflective surface/boulders/mountains sides. It also has the narrowest beam of affordable laser rangefinders so makes ranging smaller objects easier.

I have used it now for two years and have no complaints. If the conditions aren't right for the Leica, the bushnells stopped ranging a while before that. At least in my experience.

They have just come out with a 1200 model so you may want to consider your options. Personally, I will not get the chance to shoot beyond my Leica 800 when hunting on foot. For the really long shots, I will be using my Wild and a big bench rifle.

Good luck...

Jerry Teo

 

[Ian M]

I have used the Leica and it is very nice, but the reason that the 800's are being sold is probably because of the new 1200. Haven't used one yet but understand that they are significantly better than the 800. If you are going Leica you should get a 1200. Available from SWFA I believe.

 

[Brent]

I tried the Lieca LRF800 yesterday and it came back with ranges just as fast as my YP1000 and a couple of places maybe quicker. The farthest up in the rocks we could range was 938yds, and it was just early evening still. The optics are way brighter and clearer than the Bushnells too.

The one thing I didn't like was that it didn't have a target quality meter. It can be faster with the meter helping you home in. I would buy the 1200 for the optical quality, now that I know the rangefinder works great too.

 

[sport22]

Great info guys, I will look into it even further.
Talk to you soon!
OneShot

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Hello

I am having a new 1200 Leica sent to me and it should be here today.
I'm positive NOTHING will outperform the Russian laser but, I have to try the 1200 to see for myself what it will do as far as a commercial rangfinder is concerned.

I have been very disappointed with about any of the commercial units in the past but, the Leica is probably on the top of the scale for ranging shorter distances. To me anything under 1000 yards is a short distance. It too has it's faults (800) as far as repeatability. I'm hoping the 1200 will do better. We tried the 800 at the Williamsport 1000 yard range and at different distances and the light changes caused the unit to give false readings at the upper limits of 800 yards.

The Russian military unit ruins you when trying or comparing "anything" else. Of course the price difference is much more for the Russian also.
I guess you get what you pay for even in lasers from what I have seen.

If the 1200 works out, the importer here in PA that I'm working with, will sell the 800 for $300.00 plus shipping and $400.00 plus shipping for the new 1200. The shipping would be from his place in PA to yours, not from Germany.

I'll let you know how they do probably today or tomorrow at the latest.

I'll check them in sun and shade.

He told me to try them and see how the do. If I'm not satisfied, send them back to him.

Later
Darryl Cassel

[ 04-30-2002: Message edited by: Darryl Cassel ]

 

[sport22]

Sounds great!
Please keep us informed!
Thanks
OneShot

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Well, here goes on the Leica 1200 testing this afternoon.

I have been use to military rangefinders either optical (Barr and Stroud, Wild, Zeiss and others) or military lasers (USA Litton or the Russian), for many years now and I won't pull any punches about what I have found about the Leica 1200 commercial Level #1 laser. I promise I will be critical concerning the testing of this laser unit or any rangefinder for that matter.

Here in Driftwood PA we are surrounded by large mountains. From my front or back porch I can range a very long way if I have a rangefinder that will do the job, today I didn't have that luxury.

Today I had both sun and overcast skies to range in.
At NO time would the Leica range over 835 yards. The only real target it would pick up "in the mountains" were Birch trees (white target) and NO further then 835 yards. Under 600 yards I could pick up a patch of pines.

When the sun came out the repeatability at 500 to 600 yards was terrible, unless I shot the side of a neighbors house.

Being a longrange hunter, we have to be able to range the animals, rocks, tree trunks and so on in "ALL" weather conditions.
From what I found today, you would have to hunt the same area and have ranged it in advance (On a perfect day) if you had a day like I had today. Even then, I doubt if it would pick up a smaller target that wasen't white or shiney.

The optics are sharp & clear on this very small and compact unit. It comes with a pouch for the laser that can be carried on your belt. It operates on one 9 volt battery and an extra backup is recommended. It has one button to use and the unit will automatically shut off shortly after you range an object. This feature to save battery power.

I will test it more tomorrow to make this as fair as possible.

My thoughts after using this laser today are,
If I was new to medium longrange hunting where the yardages were 700 or 800 yards or less and if I hunted on perfect days that the Laser will work reasonably well, I MIGHT buy one.

Just as an add on here, the instructions echoed exactly what I found today concerning the terrain, colors and weather conditions I was rangeing in and to.
If it won't range darker colors well, it could be useless very early in the morning when the game is moving on the far mountains.

With the Military lasers, there is never a problem or weather condition that it won't repeat time and again, EVERY time.

So far, for my type of hunting, this unit will be sent back after tomorrows test. It certainly is not reliable day in day out at the advertised ranges.

Sorry if I have stepped on toes here, I am being honest. Tommorrows another day. Maybe I'll take it turkey hunting with me and range right after daylight?

Thats, what I found today concerning the New 1200 Lieca Laser. I found the same thing however, in other commercial units too. They don't have enough power to do the job day in day out in all conditions.

Darryl Cassel

 

[Ian M]

Darryl,
Thank you for an excellent assessment. I have always hoped to get 50% of the rated range of the small commercial laser units and it looks like the 1200 is pretty much that way.
You are fortunate to have powerful lasers that will do the job for your type of hunting - fact is that the Leica or Bushnell 1000 will more than do the job for an awful lot of hunters who consider shots over 250-300 yards as LONG SHOTS.
Personally, I would be saticefied with the performance that you obtained since I have had far poorer results with other (older) models. With my equipment and ability I am interested at optimum condition shots out to 6 or 700 yards - the challenge is there and I am trying to maintain that ability and confidence.
Look forward to any more info you can provide on the Leica.
Thanks

 

[longrangehunter]

Who do we contact to get a Leica 1200 for $400?

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Call Alex at 570-220-3159 and he will send you one.

Darryl Cassel

 

[Brent]

I looked at the 1200 at a shop today also, it was reading consistantly 540yds along with the 800yd model while ranging through a pretty good rainfall. That was the farthest point I could check without taking them out of the doorway into the rain. I could tell no difference at that range between the two, both worked every time, but again it was only 540yds.

Figured your test results would be real good or fall pretty short with the Lieca there Darryl. Looks pretty unpromising so far, but OK all things considered for the average shooter.

If I bought a Russian laser from you right now, my wife would probably shoot me with the last rifle I just bought, so the Bushy 1000 will half to do this year I'm afraid.

I'm told the laser finders do indeed recieve better under darker conditions, but as you said unless you hunt the same area.........