Leica Press Release - CRF-1600

[Eaglet]

What does that mean? It has different ballistic curves programed in and you need to pick the one that most closely matches yours? Someone needs to buy one and let us know just how good they work.

When I read this, this was my first thought:

G1 Standard for sporting center fire bullets
G5 For low base drag bullets (boat-tails)
G6 For flat base, sharp nose bullets
G7 For very low drag (VLD) bullets
GL For exposed lead nose and hollow point bullets
GS For spherical bullets
RA-4 Official standard for rimfire bullets

All these different Drag Functions use, of course, different BC "conversion"; and each one of them with the proper Ballistic Coefficient will produce different curves...

Now... I could be wrong! Just my first thought!

 

[jmden]

When I read this, this was my first thought:

G1 Standard for sporting center fire bullets
G5 For low base drag bullets (boat-tails)
G6 For flat base, sharp nose bullets
G7 For very low drag (VLD) bullets
GL For exposed lead nose and hollow point bullets
GS For spherical bullets
RA-4 Official standard for rimfire bullets

All these different Drag Functions use, of course, different BC "conversion"; and each one of them with the proper Ballistic Coefficient will produce different curves...

Now... I could be wrong! Just my first thought!

That'd be nice, but my guess is it's the more typical, "...If you are shooting a cartidge with similar ballistics to the .30-06, then select Curve 2. If you are shooting a cartridge with similar balistics to the 300 Winnie, then select Curve 3." ...and so on. That's the typical type of offering you see most for holdover scope reticles and such marketing to the masses.

Capt, Ranging far is good and I hope we can get well beyond 1600yds with the thing, but due to Swaros round beam shape and tremendous divergence at long distance, it's been known to return some erroneous numbers depending on the topography being ranged. Check in with Broz, I believe it was, or maybe it was some else that's really tested all these, and he'll give you and earful on this issue on flat ground, for instance. Leica's horizontal rectangle (long dimension of rectangle is horizontal) seems to do better job in certain situations. The problem still remains that at those very long distances, the beam divergence gets to be too much and you might not be quite sure what it is that you're ranging. This is just what I've picked up from several good discussions about these issues here.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Looks very interesting, but I would like to know just exactly what the balisitc calculations allow for input and exactly what the output is?

Does it take scope height into account?

Selection of drag profiles?

How does it integrate and calculate angle shots?

Does it output required drop corrections in MOA and/or MILs?

I sure hope they got all this right. Otherwise it's just a rangefinder with temp, pressure and angle readings and wont replace the PDA. At least I wont need to mount an ADI with my scopes anymore and it looks like it's a little better product overall with a little more range than the 1200.

It would be really sweet if they got it right so all you have to is press the button and get an MOA correction. Good-bye BDC turrets.

 

[jmden]

Besides wind calc., that's what I was hoping for too. But when they talk about 'ballistic curves', that sounds alot like 'whichever curve your cartridge most closely matches'---and there's only 3 curves, right? In the ballistics calc. regard, it appears to sound pretty elementary. Hopefully, I'm wrong.

 

[Pdvdh]

To tell the truth, I don't want it to double as my pocket PC. I don't want that many buttons and activation switches on it. I would like range 1st and foremost; atmospheric pressure, and temperature, and angle. I would also like digital compass direction which I believe it lacks. I don't really want a keypad on my range finder that enables operator error resulting in day - time - temperature information, when what I really need and want is range.

I would bet money this Leica will provide nothing more than generic - in the ball park - ballistic curves. Like Leupold puts in their top line unit - minute of acre accurate doping data. Probably useful out to 400 yds, but past that a wink, hope, wet thumb in the air, close the eyes and fire source of data.

 

[Boman]

Do we know what the Beam Divergence is?

 

[MontanaRifleman]

To tell the truth, I don't want it to double as my pocket PC. I don't want that many buttons and activation switches on it. I would like range 1st and foremost; atmospheric pressure, and temperature, and angle. I would also like digital compass direction which I believe it lacks. I don't really want a keypad on my range finder that enables operator error resulting in day - time - temperature information, when what I really need and want is range.

I would bet money this Leica will provide nothing more than generic - in the ball park - ballistic curves. Like Leupold puts in their top line unit - minute of acre accurate doping data. Probably useful out to 400 yds, but past that a wink, hope, wet thumb in the air, close the eyes and fire source of data.

I can understand that. But as for me, I think it would just be very sweet to focus on your target, press a button, and get an MOA to dial in. No fumbling with the keypad in the field. (Do all the keypad input at home) No input errors. Less things to foul up and go wrong. Just press the button and dial.



It doesn't sound like this is going to be it, but I'm a hopin' someday....

 

[distantfoe]

Do we know what the Beam Divergence is?

+1 If it's not great, it's just another spin on what's already available.

 

[overbore]

Curious as a customer about zero at SL then shooting at 8,000'. Does the Leica use absolute baro pressure to determine air density for the ballistic output? This to me is critical. Any techie answers?? I like the integrated features and the potential for a neck lanyard.

Laus Deo
overbore

 

[elkaholic]

EEEEEHAAAAAA!! I'm taking offers on my 1500 Swaro. SERIOUSLY........Rich

 

[Loner]

Do we know what the Beam Divergence is?

It's simply how wide an angle the beam spreads. The Leica's have been .5 tall x 2.5 wide millirads and swaro uses 2.0. The smaller beam causes some misses that people have
attributed to it not reflecting as well when they just haven't aimed it well enough.

 

[elkaholic]

EEEEEHAAAAAA!! I'm taking offers on my 1500 Swaro. SERIOUSLY........Rich

That is if I can input b.c.? This would be great for my bullets but not if it only gives std. curves?

 

[elkaholic]

I did some calling around and found out that the 1600 will have CANNED ballistic curves, so for now, no custom b.c. entries. I was really hoping for something more for my bullets but guess I might wait until next year. There will probably be a half dozen new entries by then.......Rich

 

[Pdvdh]

I think it will be tough to find a good marriage of a quality LRF, waterproof +warranty service + decent customer support, with a top notch ballistics computer & software program. If someone does marry two quality units together, I'm afraid it will either be an overly "busy" device to operate, or sorely lacking the capability of a separate PC and ballistics software program.

Therefore I'll purchase a Leica 1600 if they range as far as the Swaro and plan on an independent, and separate, pocket computer with ballistics software. If the Leica provides reliable atmospheric pressures and temperatures, I may at least be able to leave the Kestrel behind.

I'll either hang on to the Swaro for back up, or sell it after proving satisfaction with the Leica in the field.