Rangefinder help: Vortex4000hd, Leupold 2800, Leica

[6.5shaggy]

I need to upgrade my rangefinder. I have hade sig 2000, Leica 1600b and Swarovski laser guide. I sold them all for various reasons and am getting by with my old Leica 1200 rangemaster. I use it for hog control in Texas and they are very UN-REFLECTIVE. I need input from real hunting experience with the vortex 4000hd and leupold 2800. It's pretty flat here with big fields and thick brush in places. I need small beam divergence and accurate ranging on muddy hogs at 800 to 1500 yards. Can either of these cut it or should I stick with a Leica 2700 b?

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Stick with the Leica and you'll not regret it

 

[dfanonymous]

I've had good luck with the leupold 2800.
1500 has been no problem

 

[6.5shaggy]

dfanonymous, 1500 on game species? People like to state how far they can range buildings or rock formations. We don't really have rocks or hillsides here and I generally don't see hogs in/on buildings. Thanks for your input.

 

[dfanonymous]

dfanonymous, 1500 on game species? People like to state how far they can range buildings or rock formations. We don't really have rocks or hillsides here and I generally don't see hogs in/on buildings. Thanks for your input.

Yes on rocks, trees, deer, people etc. 1500 yards with the leupold 2800 has been no problem. Steel has worked past 2000 yards. Besides that I don't know what you are talking about.

 

[User4302021]

Cows at 1552 in an open field with the RX2800.

Cliff face at 2387 relatively clear but overcast.

Ranging straight into morning sun at misty tree line 1712.

 

[6.5shaggy]

Sorry if I was vague and I didn't mean to be sarcastic. My needs and conditions ask a lot from a rangefinder. Often I am trying to range a very non reflective mud covered boar at 6-1200 yds walking a fence line or in an open field across flat ground with short weeds/scrub in between and/or behind the target. Alot of false returns or blank screens from what I've used in the past. No real trees, rocks, or hills to range for reference. The swaro was terrible for its large aiming circle or divergence would give widespread readings on the same target. Sig 2000 was good only to 750 ish. Leica 1600b was much better but I sold it to buy the sig. A buddy has the Geovid 2300 but it struggles sometimes too, and $800 is about my max budget. I knew someone here would have real world experience. Thanks

 

[palerider3]

I had the Vortex 4000 for about a week. Brought it to the blood stripe sniper challenge in MT last may and ended up borrowing a Nikon to get through the match. I had a hard time getting returns on anything other than a cliff face. It struggled to get steel targets out in a cut field at 600 yards. It could have been just that individual unit but I was really disappointed. The only thing I really liked was the glass quality. The Nikon 4k worked great on targets out to 1400+ in bright sunlight. If the glass was a little better I'd buy one. I'm in the market for a new one as well as my wife will be getting my sig 2000 as I get it back from getting warrantied.

 

[Mram10us]

Curious why the sig 2k didn't work for you. I've had much more expensive but sold them and stuck with the sig. thanks

 

[palerider3]

Curious why the sig 2k didn't work for you. I've had much more expensive but sold them and stuck with the sig. thanks

The Sig actually worked great for me for a couple of years of hard use. I used it for PRS and field matches along with hunting until this spring when it started to get sporadic. Sometimes I can get returns out to 1300 still, but last weekend I had trouble ranging elk in a steep hillside at 850 with an overcast sky. I sent it back to sign in May but they returned it saying it was fine. I just sent it back again on Monday after getting frustrated this weekend and having to have my hunting partner range a herd to get a shot at 760. Hopefully it'll come back as good as it used to be but I still need another because my wife is bowhunting and starting to shoot out last 500 on her own and really needs her own decent rangefinder.

 

[Mram10us]

Pale, did you try a new battery? I ask because my rf degraded from early mulie hot weather hunts with a new battery to last week in single digit temps with 2 bars for the battery. Not sure if it is the battery, the cold or both. I know my iphone went from full charge to 1% in less than an hour while filming mulies in 11 deg weather. Would have got better pics of this guy!

 

[palerider3]

Yeah, I'm a big believer in quality lithium batteries in anything I expect to use in the cold. New batteries didn't help but that was first thing I tried.

 

[Bobcape]

Might be obvious, but make sure you clean the laser lens as well. My Leica 10X42 HD-B had a couple of hiccups. I cleaned the lens in the field and it immediately ranged a target it had been struggling with. Good luck.
Bob

 

[Rockin90]

Have you tried the Sig 2400 ABS? I have ranged critters out to 1200 with mine and I love it.