Looking for the best rangefinder binoculars? Well, you’ve come to the right place as we spent the last two years gathering, testing, and using these rangefinder binoculars to find what we liked and didn’t like about them to determine which ones are the best rangefinding binoculars on the market. We looked at these units with an eye for finding the best hunting binoculars with rangefinder capabilities, but that does not mean they can’t be be used for things such as golf, bird watching, shooting, or any other sport where you need to know the range of an object a long ways away.
Rangefinder binoculars have come a long, long way in recent years, and that became increasingly evident as we went through and tested each of these binoculars with a rangefinder built in. There was A LOT that went into this review. Unlike our stand alone 26 binocular review and our stand alone rangefinder reviews, we had to compare each of these units on their optical performance AND rangefinding capabilities. Of course, each offers a slightly different feature set which will likely draw you to or push you away from one model or another.
How We Tested: Best Rangefinder Binoculars
This was quite the project as we sought to test each of these rangefinding binoculars in a number of different settings that will hopefully help you decide which unit will provide you with the feature set, performance, ranging ability, and overall performance you need if you are looking to purchase binoculars with rangefinding abilities.
To test and rank them all, we lined them up on tripods to level the playing field in the optical performance department. We set them up atop a bluff to be able to see several miles away and also set up an optics chart at 75 yards to really try to remove any personal bias in the testing.
We also tested the accuracy of the reticle on each unit by picking a telephone pole about 125 yards away and seeing if the aiming point of the reticle within the unit accurately represented where the laser was hitting.
Each of our team members was given a spreadsheet to chart their testing and rank each unit regardless of brand and price point, doing our best to remove any prior opinions about any given brand. Our goal here was to simply find the best performers in each optical performance category, but also balance that with their performance in the ranging ability categories.
Ranking System
I want to make one thing clear: in order to find the best rangefinder binoculars for hunting, shooting or whatever your endeavor, required that we set out to be nit-picky and not sugar coat the results. None of these rangefinder binoculars are bad by any stretch, but we wanted to help you find the BEST rangefinder binoculars that fit your specific needs, so we’ll bring you our honest feedback of what we liked and didn’t like about each one.
Here are the different performance categories and features we tested and ranked for this review:
- Optical performance
- Low light performance
- Edge-to-edge clarity
- Field of view
- Overall clarity/resolution
- Color rendition
- Color tint on lens
- Ergonomics
- In-hand feel
- Focus mechanism location
- Range button location
- Tripod mountable/location
- Bulk/size
- Ranging capabilities
- Ranging ability
- Ranging speed
- Rangefinder display/layout
- Eye box forgiveness
- Eye cup comfort
Each category was given a 1-10 ranking, with 10 being the highest ranking available. We did not divide these into respective price categories as we wanted to see how they each ranked next to each other regardless of price point. Naturally, some of the much higher priced units performed much better. But let’s face it. Not everyone can drop $4,000 on rangefinder binoculars, so take this data and look for what you need in rangefinder binoculars and find the sweet spot in price and features for yourself.
Challenges Of A Rangefinder Binoculars Review
There are a lot more variables when it comes to rangefinder binoculars that make this process much more challenging than a typical optics review. Why? There are a number of reasons.
RANGEFINDER AFFECT ON OPTICAL PERFORMANCE
Generally speaking, the addition of a rangefinder to an optic will reduce the optical performance because of what is required to allow the unit to receive the return laser for the rangefinder. We found that because of this, there is a very real struggle to maintain optical performance while still providing excellent rangefinding performance.
COLOR TINT IN LENSES
Another challenge in comparing rangefinder binoculars is that most of them have some kind of color tint. Of the models we tested, some had an amber tint while others had a green, yellow or blue tint. This added an element of challenge as some people may love or hate a particular color tint depending on the application and personal preference.
RANGEFINDER PERFORMANCE COMBINATIONS
Another very challenging aspect to this review was that, in addition to the issues mentioned above, there was a very wide range of feature combinations within the rangefinders alone. When you stack these vast differences in rangefinder performance and features on top of the color tint and optical performance, it gets pretty challenging to remove personal preference.
With that being said, we did our best to objectively point out the pros and cons of each feature set and the performance of each unit so YOU can decide which one best fits your individual needs.
Want all the data, specs, detailed rankings and price points of every single one of these rangefinder binoculars? Become a Backwoods Pursuit Member and check out the detailed data chart used to put this review together.
REVIEW NOTE: While we did everything we could to include every rangefinder binocular out there in this review, (we did get to test most of them on the market), unfortunately we were unable to include the Leica rangefinder binocular or the Vortex Fury. The new Leupold and Burris rangefinder binoculars came out after we were done with our testing as well. Inventory was the issue with the Vortex Fury, and unfortunately Leica told us that they were not interested in having their products included in a comparison review like this.
The Short and Sweet Results
OK. If you don’t want to read all of the details on each of the rangefinder binoculars we tested, here are the short and sweet results within each respective performance category from our team of testers. None of the participants knew the price tag of the binoculars when rating them in an effort to be as objective as possible. There were a couple of real surprises! Make sure to read through the details below on where each one excelled and where each one didn’t to help you decide which are the best rangefinder binoculars for you.
ABOUT THE RANKINGS
We took the scores from our team of testers during our outing and combined that with our in-the-field testing from the last two years to come up with a ranking for the following categories:
- Clarity/Resolution Ranking: This the average ranking from our testers purely based on optical performance INDEPENDENT OF THE RANGEFINDER FUNCTIONALITY.
- Low Light Performance Ranking: This ranking was derived from the average score given by the team of testers based on low light performance
- Edge-to-Edge Clarity Ranking: This ranking is based on how much of the field of view loses image clarity as you approach the edge of the field of view.
- Field of View Ranking: Our field of view ranking is based on each unit’s field of view calculated by feet@1000 yards.
- Rangefinder Performance Ranking: This is our groups average ranking based purely on the rangefinder functionality and performance INDEPENDENT OF OPTICAL PERFORMANCE.
- Overall Ranking: This is the most difficult to rank given the enormous number of variables. For instance, a “must have” that affects the overall ranking might be irrelevant for one person vs. another. However, we did our overall rankings based on the total package; the combination of the rangefinder and optical performance. Please remember that this is very subjective due to the challenges noted above with rangefinder binoculars, so take the “Overall Ranking” with a grain of salt, and deduct what is more important to you when making your decision.
We did the rankings this way so you can put the most weight on whatever category is the most important for your use and preferences.
Clarity/Resolution Ranking
| Ranking | Rangefinder Binocular | Avg Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Swarovski EL Range TA 10x42 | 10 | $4,000 |
| #2 | Zeiss Victory RF 10x42 | 9.3 | $3,700 |
| #3 | GPO Rangeguide 10x50 | 8.9 | $1,900 |
| #4 | Revic Acura 10x42 | 8.8 | $2,700 |
| #5 | Meopta Optika LR 10x42 | 8.5 | $1,900 |
| #6 | GPO Rangeguide 10x32 | 8.1 | $1,260 |
| #7 | Sig Kilo 6K 10x32 | 8 | $1000 |
| #8 | Athlon Cronus UHD 10x50 | 7.8 | $1,400 |
| #9 | Sig Kilo 10K ABS 10x42 | 7.5 | $2,500 |
| #10 | Bushnell FusionX 10x42 | 6.8 | $700 |
| #11 | Steiner Predator LRF 10x42 | 6 | $1,500 |
Low Light Performance Ranking
| Ranking | Rangefinder Binocular | Avg Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Swarovski EL Range TA 10x42 | 10 | $4,000 |
| #2 | Zeiss Victory RF 10x42 | 9.5 | $3,700 |
| #3 | GPO Rangeguide 10x50 | 9 | $1,900 |
| #4 | Revic Acura 10x42 | 8.5 | $2,700 |
| #5 | Athlon Cronus UHD 10x50 | 7.5 | $1,400 |
| #6 | Meopta Optika LR 10x42 | 6.8 | $1,900 |
| #7 | Sig Kilo 10K ABS 10x42 | 5.8 | $2,500 |
| #8 | GPO Rangeguide 10x32 | 9* | $1,260 |
| #9 | Sig Kilo 6K 10x32 | 8* | $1,100 |
| #10 | Bushnell FusionX 10x42 | 5.5 | $700 |
| #11 | Steiner Predator LRF 10x42 | 4.5 | $1,500 |
*Ranking relative to the smaller 10×32 size, but these two are still ranked based on when they lost the ability to resolve an image in low light vs. the others in the field.
Edge-to-Edge Clarity Ranking
| Ranking | Rangefinder Binocular | Avg Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Swarovski EL Range TA 10x42 | 10 | $4,000 |
| #2 | Revic Acura 10x42 | 9 | $2,700 |
| #3 | Zeiss Victory RF 10x42 | 8.8 | $3,700 |
| #4 | Meopta Optika LR 10x42 | 8 | $1,900 |
| #4 | Sig Kilo 10K ABS 10x42 | 8 | $2,500 |
| #6 | GPO Rangeguide 10x50 | 7.5 | $1,900 |
| #7 | GPO Rangeguide 10x32 | 7.3 | $1,260 |
| #8 | Sig Kilo 6K ABS 10x32 | 7 | $1,100 |
| #9 | Bushnell FusionX 10x42 | 6 | $700 |
| #10 | Steiner Predator LRF 10x42 | 5 | $1,500 |
| #11 | Athlon Cronus UHD 10x50 | 4.3 | $1,400 |
Field of View Ranking
| Ranking | Binocular | Weight | FOV @ 1000yds | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Swarovski EL Range TA 10x42 | 32.6oz | 359ft | $4,000 |
| #2 | Zeiss Victory RF 10x42 | 33.9oz | 345ft | $3,700 |
| #3 | Steiner Predator LRF 10x42 | 35.8oz | 344ft | $1,500 |
| #4 | Athlon Cronus UHD 10x50 | 38oz | 338ft | $1,400 |
| #5 | GPO Rangeguide 10x32 | 24.3oz | 336ft | $1,150 |
| #6 | GPO Rangeguide 10x50 | 35.2oz | 330ft | $1,800 |
| #7 | Meopta Optika LR 10x42 | 32.6oz | 325ft | $1,900 |
| #8 | Revic Acura BLR10b 10x42 | 31.75oz | 320ft | $2,700 |
| #8 | SIG Kilo 10K ABS 10x42 | 32oz | 320ft | $2,500 |
| #8 | Sig Kilo 6K ABS 10x32 | 23.4oz | 320ft | $1,000 |
| #11 | Bushnell Fusion X 10x42 | 35oz | 305ft | $700 |
Rangefinder Performance Ranking
| Ranking | Binocular | Max Range Consistently Registered | Applied Balistics | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Sig Kilo 10K ABS 10x42 | 6300yds | Yes | $2,500 |
| #2 | Revic Acura BLR10b | 3350yds | Yes | $2,700 |
| #3 | Zeiss Victor RF 10x42 | 3100yds | Yes | $3,700 |
| #4 | Sig Kilo 6K 10x32 | 3250yds | Yes | $1000 |
| #5 | GPO Rangeguide 10x50 | 3250yds | No | $1,900 |
| #6 | Swarovski EL Range TA 10x42 | 2000yds | Yes | $4000 |
| #7 | GPO Rangeguide 10x32 | 2900yds | No | $1,260 |
| #8 | Athlon Cronus UHD 10x50 | 2900yds | No | $1,400 |
| #9 | Meopta Optika LR 10x42 | 2300yds | No | $1,900 |
| #10 | Bushnell FusionX 10x42 | 1500yds | Yes | $700 |
| #11 | Steiner Predator LRF 10x42 | 1500yds | No | $1,500 |
Top To Bottom Rankings – Best Rangefinder Binoculars
Here are our rankings based on averages from top to bottom regardless of price. This of course is based on personal preference in many of the categories like color tint and what kind of rangefinder you want, but this is what our team felt was a good representation of the total package considering overall value, features, and performance.
| Ranking | Binocular | Price |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Revic Acura BLR10b 10x42 | $2,700 |
| #2 | Zeiss Victory RF 10x42 | $3,700 |
| #3 | Swarovski EL Range TA 10x42 | $4,000 |
| #4 | GPO Rangeguide 10x50 | $1,900 |
| #5 | Sig Kilo 10K ABS 10x42 | $2,500 |
| #6 | Meopta Optika LR 10x42 | $1,900 |
| #7 | Sig Kilo 6K 10x32 | $1,150 |
| #8 | GPO Rangeguide 10x32 | $1,260 |
| #9 | Athlon Cronus UHD 10x50 | $1,400 |
| #10 | Bushnell FusionX 10x42 | $700 |
| #11 | Steiner Predator LRF 10x42 | $1,500 |
As you can see, finding the best rangefinder binoculars doesn’t necessarily mean just picking the highest priced pair you can afford, however, there is absolutely a correlation between price point and overall performance.
If you are looking for a spotting scope, make sure to check out our recent massive spotting scope review where we put 19 of them side by side, just like this binocular review!
You Get what you Pay for, But Not Always
The principle of “you get what you pay for” generally applies to all optics, however, as you can see that’s not always the case. In fact, that’s why we love doing these kinds of reviews. Finding a diamond in the rough is always really exciting and can help you save some serious money as well!
As you’ve probably heard, the” law of diminishing returns” applies in buying good glass, meaning you generally spend a lot more to get just a little better quality the higher up in price you go. It’s kind of cruel, but it’s just the way it is with the best rangefinder binoculars on the market.
11 Best Rangefinder Binoculars: The Details
Alright, it’s time to dive into the details of each pair of rangefinder binoculars that we tested for this review. We’ll go over each of the optical and rangefinder performances, the strengths and weaknesses we found while using and testing them, as well as give you the group consensus with specific insights from our team. Many things are certainly personal preference, but it’s always nice to get multiple opinions, points of view, and various perspectives on the same unit.
Steiner Predator LRF Rangefinder Binoculars Review
Overall Ranking: #11
First up we’ll take a look at the Steiner Predator LRF 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars. These are very similar in size and form to the Bushnell Fusion X as they also offer a very streamlined profile that isn’t bulky like many rangefinder binoculars. The Steiner Predator LRF is the only unit in our review to feature built-in sun guards in the eye cup. While I first thought these would be a gimmick, after use, I realized that they really do make a difference.
Just by looking at the Steiner Predator LRF rangefinder binoculars, you wouldn’t know that they have a built-in rangefinder. They are that slim! In fact, they have the slimmest profile of all the rangefinder binoculars we tested. That alone is impressive.
Optical Performance: Steiner Predator LRF Review
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE RANKING: #11
UNIQUE PERFORMANCE NOTES: During our time testing the Steiner Predator LRF rangerfinder binoculars, we noted some unique features:
- GREEN TINT: As mentioned above, nearly all of the rangefinder binoculars featured one color tint or another, and the Steiner Predator LRF has a very defined green tint. This tint provides a very pleasant viewing experience during brighter conditions, but also takes away from its low light performance. Effectively, this greenish tint has the opposite affect that the yellow tint has on those Bushnell Fusion X rangefinder binoculars.
- FIELD OF VIEW: The Steiner Predator LRF surprisingly offers one of the largest field of views in the lineup at 344 feet @ 1000 yards. That’s good enough for third place in this category, and puts them in the company of the Swarovski EL Range TA and the Zeiss Victory RF. And that’s pretty good company to be in!
CLARITY: The overall optical clarity of the Steiner Predator LRF is decent in good lighting, but not quite as good as others in this price class. The green tint seems to reduce the resolution and color contrast as it dulls the overall view through them. The Steiner Predator also seems to be negatively affected in its low light performance due to the green tint.
CHROMATIC ABERRATION: We did notice some chromatic aberration with the Steiner Predator LFR rangefinder binocular, but not excessive, particularly for the price point.
EDGE-TO-EDGE CLARITY: The Steiner Predator, as with most rangefinder binoculars, doesn’t have great edge-to-edge clarity. The outer 35-40% of the field of view begins to loose resolution.
Rangefinder Performance: Steiner Predator LRF Review
RANGEFINDER PERFORMANCE RANKING: #11
ACTIVE ANGLE DISPLAY: The Steiner Predator LRF has the option to actively display the angle in degrees for whatever the reticle is pointed at. You can also opt to turn that off, and display the angle compensated range with a simple click of the setting button.
EASY MENU NAVIGATION: One of the things that I love about the Steiner Predator LRF is how easy the menu is to navigate, and how easy it is to change settings when needed. That’s certainly not the case with all rangefinders.
RANGING ABILITY
During our testing, we were able to range up to 1900 yards on a non-reflective target like a hillside, but only 1500 yards consistently. This falls right in line with what the specs indicate.
APPLIED BALLISTICS
The Steiner Predator LRF rangefinder binoculars do not have applied ballistics or any form of ballistic formulas that are presented in the display. While this may be a turn off for some, more folks likely don’t have the need for integrated applied ballistics.
Physical Features: Steiner Predator LRF Review
SLIM & LIGHTWEIGHT BODY: The Steiner Predator LRF 10×42 rangefinder binoculars are even more slim than the Bushnell Fusion X. In fact, they are the slimmest of all the rangefinder binoculars that we tested. They are also very lightweight at just 35.8 oz.
NOT THREADED FOR A TRIPOD ADAPTER: Unfortunately, the Steiner Predator LRF rangefinder binoculars are not threaded to receive a tripod adapter stud. Even so, we’ve found the Aziak Bino Clamp to work extremely well (size 2 for the Predator LRF10x42). It is crazy lightweight at less than an ounce, low profile, and cost effective.
VERY SLOW FOCUS SPEED: We noted that the focus wheel is a much slower speed than others in this review. That can help in fine focusing, but we also noted that it requires a lot more movement of your hands to bring the optic into fine focus. Another odd functionality we noted is that, when switching directions with the focus wheel, it seems like it takes a bit before the mechanism begins refocusing. Once you get used to this functionality, it works fine, but it’s unlike your typical focus mechanism.
EYE CUPS NOT COMFORTABLE: Another thing we noted is that the eye cups are not all that comfortable. Like several other binoculars we’ve tested over the years, most of us had to have the eye cups rolled all the way down to gain the full field of view. The edges of the eye cups are a bit on the bulky side, making less clearance for your nose, forcing some of us to have to roll the eye cups all the way down.
Steiner App
As of the date of this article, Steiner did not have an App, so that keeps things simple with this unit.
Steiner Predator LRF pros:
- Simple and easy-to-use rangefinder
- Slim and lightweight (35.8 oz)
- Active angle display
- Easy rangefinder menu navigation
- Built-in sun shades
Steiner Predator LRF Cons:
- Slow focus wheel mechanism
- Green color tint decreases color contrast
- Not great edge-to-edge clarity
- No locking diopter or focus mechanism
- Not tripod adaptable
- Expensive for the features and performance
Group Consensus: Steiner Predator LRF Review
Overall the group thought the Steiner Predator LRF offers a nice image but the greenish tint takes away from the overall performance both in good light and in low light. The rangefinder performance is a bit disappointing given its price point, but the active angle display is super useful, and the display is nice and clutter free.
Many folks love the display, and in all reality, 1500 yards is really all you need in a rangefinder for most folks. The integrated sun shades are surprisingly useful, but the eye cups are a bit on the bulky side, causing some of us to have to roll them all the way down to get a full field of view. We also thought the focus speed is a bit slow and not quite as responsive as we’d like.
SEE OUR FULL REVIEW OF THE STEINER PREDATOR LRF 10X42 BINOCULARS
Bushnell Fusion X Rangefinder Binoculars Review
Overall Rank: #10
The Bushnell Fusion X rangefinder binoculars are up next in our search for the best rangefinder binoculars. The Bushnell Fusion X rangefinder binoculars come in as the most economically priced- by a long long ways! What is especially impressive is that, even though they are the least expensive, they also feature integrated ballistic groups which will display the ballistic solution needed for the shot you are taking.
They also feature a bow mode, rifle mode, angle compensated ranges, and many other display options to customize things to your liking If you are looking for a budget friendly rangefinder binocular that gives you impressive performance with a full feature set, the Bushnell Fusion X is your best bet.
Optical Performance: Bushnell Fusion X Review
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE RANKING #10
UNIQUE OPTICAL PERFORMANCE NOTES: During our time testing the Bushnell Fusion X rangefinder binoculars, there were a couple of notable performance aspects:
- YELLOW TINT: Nearly all of the rangefinder binoculars feature one color tint or another, and the Bushnell Fusion X are no different. They have a very pronounced yellow tint to the glass, which we liked in some instances (low light) and didn’t like in other lighting situations (good light). We found this yellow tint to aid in low light performance, but it wasn’t as pleasant to look through in brighter lighting conditions.
- LIGHT IN THE CORNERS: During use we noticed that there is a bluish light on the inside of the optic that is outside the field of view (in the black portion). While this didn’t affect its performance in any way, it was interesting.
CLARITY: All things considered, the Bushnell Fusion X is quite impressive given its price point. The image is surprisingly crisp, but not amazing.
CHROMATIC ABERRATION: We did notice a fair amount of chromatic aberration with the Bushnell Fusion X rangefinder binocular, but not excessive, particularly for the price point.
EDGE–TO-EDGE CLARITY: Same story here in that, while the Bushnell Fusion X won’t blow you away, it is much better than expected. You’ll start to loose clarity at about the outer 25% of the field of view, but again, this unit punches way above its price point.
NARROW FIELD OF VIEW: The Bushnell Fusion X rangefinder binoculars offer the smallest field of view of this group- by a long ways. At just 305 feet @ 1000 yards, that’s awfully small compared to the next smallest field of view of 320ft @ 1000yds (Sig Kilo 10K ABS)
Rangefinder Performance: Bushnell Fusion X Review
RANGEFINDER PERFORMANCE RANKING: #10
ACTIVESYNC RETICLE TECHNOLOGY
The Bushnell Fusion X rangefinder binoculars offer one of the most unique displays of all that we tested. Featuring Bushnell’s Activesync Display, this innovative technology automatically adjusts the color of the reticle to best suit the lighting conditions outside. What this means in real world conditions is that when it’s dark outside, and you wouldn’t typically be able to see a black reticle very well, the display changes color gradually from black to red as light fades.
To be honest, I was quite skeptical at first. However, the display really does change, not only with the fading light, but also depending on the object you are ranging. For instance, if you are ranging a black target, the reticle will change to a deep red so you can see the readout, and if you are looking at a skyline, the reticle will change to black. The display can even be half black and half red if needed. Pretty cool!
HUGE RANGEFINDER DISPLAY
One thing that is worth noting is that the display in the Bushnell Fusion X 10×42 is MASSIVE. Most of us thought it is quite excessive as nearly the entire field of view is taken up by some aspect of the display. That being said, if you struggle with reading the fine or small text that some of these rangefinder binoculars offer, these would be a great option as the display is super easy to read.
RANGING ABILITY
During our testing, we were able to occasionally get out to 1,900 yards on a non-reflective target like a hillside and consistently get out to 1,500 yards. Given that the specs say the max range on a REFLECTIVE target is only 1,700 yards, we were impressed with this performance. Now we certainly had good lighting conditions (overcast in the evening) to achieve the 1,900 yards, but still, that’s impressive given that the specs say we should only be able to range a tree out to 900 yards max.
BALLISTIC SOLUTION
The Bushnell Fusion X features integrated ballistic groups to select from, which is then utilized to display your ballistic solution. While this is not as ideal as having the ability to fully customize your ballistic data, it is certainly useful and gets the job done for most hunting situations.
Physical Features: Bushnell Fusion X Review
SLIM & LIGHTWEIGHT BODY: We were surprised just how slim and lightweight the Bushnell Fusion X is. In fact, it is among the lightest and slimmest of the entire group at just 35 oz and 7 inches in length, while still offering integrated Applied Ballistics. That’s pretty amazing!
NOT THREADED FOR A TRIPOD ADAPTER: Unfortunately, the Bushnell Fusion X rangefinder binoculars are not threaded to receive a tripod adapter stud. Even so, we found the Aziak Bino Clamp to work extremely well (size 2 for this binocular). It is crazy lightweight at less than an ounce, low profile, and cost effective.
FOCUS WHEEL IS STIFF: We noted that the focus wheel is on the stiff side and is less than ideal in the amount of resistance it presents to roll the focus wheel to bring things into focus.
Bushnell App
While Bushnell has an app to help with your ballistic calculations, the Fusion X is not Bluetooth capable, so you don’t pair and sync it with the app. Rather, you will select the ballistic group that is closest to the performance of the ammo you are shooting. This is less than ideal for the long range shooter who requires an extremely precise ballistic solution, but it works just fine for the hunter. It does take a bit of experimenting to find your ballistic group, but with a little work you’ll be set up.
Bushnell Fusion X pros:
- Great price point & value
- Activesync display
- Slim and lightweight (35 oz)
- Ballistic solutions integrated
- Good low light performance relative to price point
Bushnell Fusion X Cons:
- Stiff focus wheel
- Yellow color tint
- Poor color contrast
- Good but not great image clarity
- Narrow field of view (305 feet @ 1000 yards)
- No locking diopter or focus mechanism
- Not tripod adaptable
Group Consensus: Bushnell Fusion X Review
Considering the vast price difference between these Bushnell Fusion X rangefinder binoculars and the competition, it’s not surprising that they didn’t perform optically like the others. That being said they are still more than respectable, and the extensive features and excellent performance of the rangefinder make this a strong contender for the budget-conscience person. Heck! There are stand alone rangefinders that cost a lot more than this unit!
The yellow tint is less desirable in brighter lights, but actually helps in low light situations. It is also really incredible that you get a ballistic solution displayed within the unit at this price point. The display, however, is massive and takes up a majority of the field of view in the right eye. It could be scaled down considerably, but this is nice if your eyesight isn’t what it used to be. Overall, these are a great value. It was a real surprise that they are as good as they are for the price they ring in at.
Athlon Cronus UHD 10×50 Rangefinder Binoculars Review
Overall Rank: #9
Finding themselves once again ranked respectively versus their price point, the Athlon Cronus UHD rangefinder binoculars come in at the overall #9 spot, despite the fact that only three other rangefinder binoculars we tested were less expensive than them. The Athlon Cronus UHD rangefinder binoculars punch a great value in both optical and rangefinder performance, with one main downside that kept them from ranking much, much higher.
The image they provide is nice and crisp with a warm, violet tint that isn’t overpowering and is quite pleasant. The tint aids in low light performance as well. Some of our team members even ranked these as high as #3 in the optical performance category. That’s extremely impressive given the insanely low price point versus the competition.
They aren’t without their downsides though, as they have a very basic rangefinder that doesn’t include any ballistic calculations. The rangefinder did perform extremely well though, reaching out to over 2,900 yards. Like the Meopta Optika, they provide everything you need in a binocular including good color contrast, image clarity, edge-to-edge clarity, and a respectable field of view of 325 feet @ 1000 yards.
Optical Performance: Athlon Cronus UHD Rangefinder Binocular
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE RANKING: #9
UNIQUE OPTICAL PERFORMANCE NOTES: Like the Meopta Optika LR, there isn’t a lot that is unique optically about the Athlon Cronus UHD rangefinder binoculars. While there is no dramatic color tint in the Athlon Cronus UHD, there is a soft, light violet tint. There doesn’t appear to be any negative affects from this tint, and it is faint enough you hardly notice it. Again, this is a welcomed change from most of the other units we’ve looked at up to this point.
- SLIGHT VIOLET TINT: Warm and pleasant, this violet tint does nothing but enhance the color contrast, image, and low light performance of the Athlon Cronus UHD rangefinder binoculars.
- ROLLER BALL AFFECT: During our testing we noted a bit of that “roller ball” or “fish bowl” affect on the outer edges of the glass. This can be a bit annoying when scanning, but you do get used to it after a little use. It’s just more obvious when comparing side by side with others that don’t have it.
IMAGE RESOLUTION: The image resolution produced by the Athlon Cronus UHD rangefinder binoculars is incredibly well resolved providing a crisp, clear, and well-contrasted image that most of our group thought challenges some of the most expensive rangefinder binoculars in this review.
CHROMATIC ABERRATION: We noted a little bit of chromatic aberration with the Athlon Cronus UHD rangefinder binoculars. Given their price point of just under $1,400 (I even found them for under $1,200) at the time of this writing, we were expecting some compromise in optical performance.
EDGE-TO-EDGE CLARITY: The edge-to-edge clarity of the Athlon Cronus UHD rangefinder binoculars is the biggest downside to this unit. The outer 40% or more of the field of view begins to lose resolution, making these some of the lowest performing in the edge-to-edge clarity department. To add to that, the Athlon Cronus suffers the most from the “fish bowl” effect, with the edges of field of view rolling, making these somewhat less pleasant to scan a hillside with for longer periods of time. Get this issue fixed and these would be KILLER for their price point.
Rangefinder Performance: Athlon Cronus Rangefinder Binoculars
RANGEFINDER PERFORMANCE RANKING: #8
To our pleasant surprise, the Athlon Cronus UHD rangefinder binoculars performed well in our rangefinder testing. Reaching out to over 2,900 yards consistently, they have the capability to range plenty far enough for most folks. The fact that not much optical clarity is given up is impressive as that is often the case with rangefinder binoculars.
Unfortunately, these don’t have any on board sensors. No temperature, ballistic calculation, compass, or even an automatically adjusting brightness for the display. Overall, it’s a basic rangefinder that performs very well with what it does, but it also leaves you wanting more out of the rangefinder features. Given the price point, though, it’s understandable that you don’t get all the bells and whistles.
ANGLE COMPENSATED RANGE: The Athlon Cronus UHD rangefinder binoculars feature the option to display the angle compensated range, but it is displayed after the line of sight range. The line of sight and angle compensated range then alternate in the display. This is less than ideal for the archery hunter or even the long range shooter as it could cause confusion.
TILT, VERTICAL DISTANCE: One of the unique features of the Athlon Cronus UHD rangefinder is that you can also set it up to display the tilt (in degrees) or the vertical distance change. Like the Meopta Optika, this can be useful to determine the elevation gain or loss to a point you are wanting to hike to.
RED DISPLAY: The simple, red display on the Athlon Cronus is uncluttered, simple, and easy to read. I wish the digits and reticle were more precise, though, as the display is a bit bulky and can make ranging smaller objects more difficult. I also wish it had an auto brightness option as well.
AUTO, BRUSH AND FLAG MODES: As with most rangefinders, the Athlon Cronus UHD gives you the ability to select either a hunting mode (brush mode), or target mode (golf/flag). This will return the range for either the closest object the laser bounces off (golf/flag), or the furthest or best object (Hunt mode). Auto mode simply displays the range of whatever the laser hits, so a lot of folks will find this mode the most useful for hunting situations.
Physical Features: Athlon Cronus Rangefinder Binoculars Review
The Athlon Cronus isn’t anything flashy and doesn’t particularly stand out in appearance, but the focus mechanism, eye cups, and diopter/focus all are silky smooth and function exceptionally well. Being a 50mm binocular, it is a little larger than others in this review, but you would hardly notice as it is still incredibly slim. It isn’t particularly lightweight, though, coming in at 38 oz.
SIMPLE RANGEFINDER OPERATION: If you want a simple-to-operate rangefinder that packs a lot of power, the Athlon Cronus UDH rangefinder binocular is tough to beat. It gives you what you need and nothing you don’t.
NOT THREADED FOR A TRIPOD ADAPTER: It’s unfortunate that the Athlon Cronus UHD rangefinder binoculars are not threaded for a tripod adapter. Even so, the Aziak Bino Clamp works well with them.
EXCELLENT EYE CUPS: Another thing we noted is that the eye cups are incredibly comfortable and smooth, and don’t have any play. As we have come to expect from Athlon, they do a great job with their eye cups.
EXCELLENT FOCUS WHEEL: The focus wheel on the Athlon Cronus UHD rangefinder binoculars is exceptionally smooth and has zero play. Again, not surprising coming from Athlon.
Athlon App
As of the date of writing this article, Athlon does not have an app and really doesn’t need once since ballistics aren’t integrated into this rangefinder binocular.
Athlon Cronus UHD pros:
- Solid optical performance
- Violet/warm color tone
- Strong rangefinder performance
- Angle compensated & vertical distance display
- Excellent eye cup
- Silky smooth focus wheel
- Exceptional value
Athlon Cronus UHD pros:
- Roller ball/ fish bowl affect
- No applied ballistics
- Basic rangefinder functionality
- Bulky display letters
- Not threaded for a tripod adapter
- No locking diopter or focus mechanism
Group Consensus: Athlon cronus UHD Rangefinder Binoculars
Overall the group was very impressed with the Athlon Cronus UHD rangefinder binoculars. While these aren’t the rangefinder binoculars you want if you need a lightweight, compact unit, the group did think they performed WAY above their price point in both optical and rangefinder performance.
The group commented that if it weren’t for the roller ball/fish bowl affect, these would have ranked much higher in the optical performance department. Bluntly, it annoyed some folks enough to not rank them very highly, while others weren’t all that bothered by it. The group was especially impressed with their low light performance and image resolution, but the edge-to-edge clarity being the worst of the group was a real bummer.
While not the best in really any one performance category, they are impressively strong in most categories. That coupled with an incredibly low price point makes these one heck of deal!
GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 Rangefinder Binoculars Review
Overall Rank: #8
Next up is the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 rangefinder binoculars. Now you may have noticed that these are different than most of the others in that they are a smaller 32mm objective lens. While it’s not quite a “fair” comparison to put these in the same lineup as the 42mm and 50mm rangefinder binoculars, they actually compare quite favorably, and there simply aren’t enough 32mm rangefinder binoculars on the market to make a separate category, so we left them in with all the others. Just keep in mind that if you are looking for a 32mm rangefinder binocular, these and the Sig Kilo 6K are the two that we were able to test for this review.
With that being said, these little GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 rangefinder binoculars are quite impressive and offer a robust feature set, particularly for their size and weight. They give you a nice, crisp image, average edge-to-edge clarity, impressive rangefinder performance, and even give you the option to display the outside temperature, humidity, or pressure if you want.
The GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 do not have Applied Ballistics integrated or a dedicated archery mode, but they do give you an angle compensated range to use when shooting a bow. This unit also provides you with an auto brightness adjustment which is a HUGE plus!
Optical Performance: GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 Review
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE RANKING: #7
UNIQUE PERFORMANCE NOTES: There are a few unique features offered by the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32. Those include auto brightness as well as the option to display the humidity, temperature or pressure. Those features paired with its excellent optical performance and silky smooth focus mechanism make this an incredible little unit.
For these GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 rangerfinder binoculars, we noted some unique performance aspects:
- BLUE TINT: This unit has a blue tint, but it’s not overpowering like Sig Kilo 10K. It provides a very pleasant viewing experience during brighter conditions, but the blue tint also takes a little bit away from its low light performance. Effectively, this blueish tint has the opposite affect that the yellow tint has on the Bushnell Fusion X rangefinder binoculars where it helps in brighter conditions, but hurts in low light.
- DISPLAY OPTIONS: While you have the option to display the temperature, humidity, pressure, angle compensated range, line of sight range, or angle in degrees, it can be problematic if you want to have the angel compensated range displayed, but also want the temperature. Effectively, you always have the line of sight displayed, but have to pick which of the other options you get to display. You can only choose one. It’s pretty sweet that you get some top-end options at this lower price point, though!
CLARITY: The overall optical clarity and resolution of the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 is excellent, and you might notice that the optical performance ranking is higher than the overall ranking for this unit. These GPO Rangeguide 2800s out-performed the Sig Kilo 6K just a little in this optical performance category, so if you don’t need the powerhouse rangefinder abilities that the Sig Kilo 6K gives you, these are certainly ones to consider.
CHROMATIC ABERRATION: Nothing excessive here, and quite impressive really. Optically, these are impressive given the total package and optical performance.
EDGE TO EDGE CLARITY: As mentioned above, these are right about average in the edge-to-edge clarity department, with the outer 20% or so starting to lose resolution.
Rangefinder Performance: GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 Review
RANGEFINDER PERFORMANCE RANKING: #7
RANGING ABILITY: The GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 performed admirably during our testing, returning ranges on non-reflective targets out to 2,500 yards and over 3,200 yards on some reflective targets. Given that the max reflective range indicated by the specs is 3,062 yards, and the max range for semi-reflective targets such as a tree is listed at 1,093 yards, I’d say they did quite well to range a hillside at 2,500 yards!
EASY MENU NAVIGATION: I love how easy and simple the menu is to navigate on the GPO Rangeguide 2800 rangefinder binoculars. It is super easy to change settings when needed, unlike some on the market.
APPLIED BALLISTICS
The GPO Rangeguide 2800 series of binoculars don’t offer integrated applied ballistics. While some may find this to be deal breaker, many will not. You do get an incredible build quality and better optical performance with this unit since the money is put into those things rather than having applied ballistics integrated.
Physical Features: GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 Review
SLIM & LIGHTWEIGHT: The GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 rangefinder binoculars are slim, compact, and incredibly lightweight, particularly for a rangefinder binocular. At just 24.3 oz and 5.4 inches in length, they fit in the palm of your hand, and you hardly know they are there in the field.
THREADED FOR A TRIPOD ADAPTER: This is one of the small things that makes a BIG difference, especially in a rangefinder binocular. While it’s certainly not a deal breaker either way, having this little unit threaded for a binocular adapter sure is nice.
SILKY SMOOTH FOCUS WHEEL: The GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 binoculars offer a silky smooth, very easy to operate focus wheel. It moves very freely and makes it easier to keep the binoculars stable while focusing.
COMFORTABLE EYE CUPS: The eye cups of the GPO Rangeguide 2800 is super comfortable and doesn’t have any play. There are only 3 positions, but plenty of adjustment to fine tune for your use.
CRISP BUTTONS: The rangefinder buttons on this unit are nice and crisp, and offer the perfect positive click without causing you to move the optic while ranging.
GPO App
As of the date of writing this article, GPO does not have an App, so that keeps things simple with this unit.
GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 pros:
- Simple and easy to use rangefinder
- Compact and lightweight (24.3 oz)
- Excellent image clarity
- Temperature, pressure, humidity display options
- Super smooth focus mechanism
- Powerful rangefinder
- Tripod adaptable
GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 Cons:
- No applied ballistics
- Slight blue color tint decreases low light performance
- No locking diopter or focus mechanism
Group Consensus: GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 Review
Overall the group was very impressed with the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 rangefinder binoculars. While there are very few 32mm rangefinder binoculars on the market as of the writing of this article, these little powerhouse binoculars don’t give up much in optical resolution, and the group loved the focus wheel, in-hand feel, and compact size. The ability to range out to 2500 yards is an added bonus and is farther than most folks will need.
The group noted the blue tint to the lens, and also noted that the blue tint was pleasant during brighter lighting situations but detracted from the color contrast during low light hours. Overall the group was extremely impressed with these little compact rangefinder binoculars, particularly their optical performance for such a small unit. These are perfect for the archery hunter or anyone looking to lighten their pack without sacrificing much in performance.
Sig Kilo 6K 10×32 Rangefinder Binoculars Review
Overall Rank: #7
Next up is the Sig Sauer Kilo 6K rangefinder binoculars. Like GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32, they feature a smaller 32mm objective lens. So the real question was how they would compare to the Rangeguide 2800 10×32. This was an incredibly difficult side by side comparison given how close in optical performance these two are, but how different their rangefinder capability is. At the end of the day, the additional factors came into play for our overall ranking, such as the incredible ranging performance, the dedicated archery mode, integrated applied ballistics, and the surprisingly good price point of the Sig Kilo 6K versus their competition.
They give you a nice, crisp image but slightly worse edge-to-edge clarity than the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32, insane rangefinder performance, integrated applied ballistics, Bluetooth connectivity to the Sig Sauer App, angle compensated range, and even a dedicated archery mode where the rangefinder uses your arrow speed to precisely give you your angle compensated range for use during the archery application.
All of these factors combined pushed us to rank these just ever so slightly ahead of the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32, however, if you don’t need the extra capabilities of the rangefinder in this Sig Kilo 6K, and want better optical performance, then we’d rank the GPO higher. So at the end of the day, this ranking is certainly subjective and might not align with what you need.
Optical Performance: Sig Kilo 6K Review
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE RANKING: #8
UNIQUE OPTICAL PERFORMANCE NOTES: During our time testing the Sig Kilo 6K rangefinder binoculars stood out for their compact size, amazing ranging ability, integrated applied ballistics, and to some degree, their optical performance. While not quite on par with the GPO Rangeguide 10×32, they are extremely close, making this a very difficult ranking.
In testing the Sig Kilo 6K rangerfinder binoculars, we noted a few unique performance aspects:
- BLUE TINT: Like the GPO, these Sig Kilo 6K have a blue tint to them optically, but not quite as blue as the GPO. We like that this lens is closer to neutral (much closer) than it’s big brother, the Sig Kilo 10K ABS.
IMAGE RESOLUTION: Overall image resolution of the Sig Kilo 6K is good, but not quite as good as the GPO. The color contrast isn’t quite as crisp and fine tuning the image is a bit more difficult.
CHROMATIC ABERRATION: We did notice some chromatic aberration with the Steiner Predator LFR rangefinder binocular, but nothing excessive. At this price point you will undoubtedly be faced with some chromatic aberration, but it wasn’t too bad.
EDGE-TO-EDGE CLARITY: The edge-to-edge clarity of the Sig Kilo 6K is about on par with the others in this review, with the outer 25% of the field of view losing resolution.
Rangefinder Performance: Sig Kilo 6K Review
RANGEFINDER PERFORMANCE RANKING: #4
This is where it got really interesting, and quite frankly, what made ranking the Sig Kilo 6K so difficult. Somehow, this little Kilo 6K 10×32 unit produced the 2nd best rangefinder performance as far as the maximum distance it could register (occasionally). We were able to get out to nearly 4,200 yards with this powerhouse, beating the next closest competitor by nearly 1,000 yards- and that includes the 10×42 and 10×50 models. That’s insane! Combine that with the fact that you get Applied Ballistics Lite, a dedicated archery mode designed specifically to adjust the range for your arrow speed, and you have an excellent, powerful compact unit.
DEDICATED ARCHERY MODE: The Sig Kilo 6K has a dedicated archery mode built in, making this a fantastic option for the archery hunter. It calculates your adjusted range based on the angle, as well as your specific arrow’s speed (enter your arrow speed in the unit). Pretty sweet!
AUTO BRIGHTNESS ADJUSTS: I absolutely LOVE the display of the Sig Kilo 6K, and the auto brightness adjustment is fantastic. You never have to worry about your rangefinder blowing out your eyes in low light or not being able to see the display in brighter conditions.
INSANE RANGING ABILITY: During our testing, we were able to range nearly 4,200 yards on a non-reflective target like a hillside/sage brush. This exceeded the 4,000 yard rating for a tree that the specs indicate. Either way, the fact that we were able to achieve over 4,000 yards out of a 32mm rangefinder binocular is incredible!
ONBOARD SENSORS: Incredibly at this price point, the Sig Kilo 6K rangefinder binoculars have onboard temperature, pressure, and humidity sensors for accurate real-time ballistic calculations to ensure your are accurate.
APPLIED BALLISTICS: The Sig Kilo 6K offers integrated Applied Ballistics Ultralight in this unit. The “Ultralight” version operates differently than the full version in the Kilo 10K ABS. Unfortunately, when using the Kilo 6K for your ballistic solution, it displays your correction AFTER the range by cycling through after about 1 second. While not a huge deal, waiting for my ballistic solution to cycle through the display while I have a bull or buck in my crosshairs can be less than ideal.
I much prefer the full applied ballistics display that the Kilo 10K offers, but this unit is less than half the price, so there will be some compromises.
DROP REMOTE WAY POINTS: The Sig Kilo 6K gives you the ability to drop a way point utilizing the rangefinder. This can be a big deal if you are trying to navigate to a spot where you knocked down an animal in thick brush or you can’t get there before dark. You can even use it to simply mark a place you are hiking to so you know you are on track. Super useful feature.
MANY DISPLAY OPTIONS: I love that the Sig Kilo 6K gives you the ability to display ONLY the line of sight, the angle compensated range for your arrow speed, the angle modified (actual angle modified range not calculating your arrow speed), or your line of sight with the ballistics solution displayed after the range. An amazing feature set for a rangefinder binocular under the $1000 price point!
Physical Features: Sig Kilo 6K Review
After all those amazing rangefinder features, you might be in love with this unit. There are some great things about its physical features, however, a number of things are less than ideal for rangefinding binoculars.
COMPACT & LIGHTWEIGHT: The Sig Kilo 6K rangefinder binoculars are the lightest rangefinder binocular we tested at just 23.4 oz. Extremely impressive given the powerhouse rangefinder inside. They are compact as well at just 5.7 inches in length.
GREAT BINOCULARS WITH RANGEFINDER BUTTONS: The buttons of these Sig Kilo 6K rangefinder binoculars are fantastic. Nice and crisp without any play, and a very defined click then pushed.
THREADED FOR A TRIPOD ADAPTER: This is one of the small things that makes A BIG difference, especially in a rangefinder binocular. While it’s certainly not a deal breaker either way, having this little unit threaded for a binocular adapter sure is nice.
VERY SLOW FOCUS SPEED: We noted that the focus wheel has a much slower speed than others in this review. That combined with the stiff focus mechanism is a bad combination. It requires a lot more movement of your hands to bring the optic into fine focus.
EYE CUPS SLOPPY: Another thing we noted on the physical feature side of things is that the eye cups have a bit of play in them. Once in place they stay put well, but during adjustment they definitely have some play.
FOCUS WHEEL STIFF WITH PLAY: Probably the thing we like least about the Sig Kilo 6K is how stiff the focus wheel is and the amount of play it has. Maybe we got a bad unit, but man the focus wheel is stiff and hard to move. That combined with the play we noted when switching directions is just a bad combination.
Sig Sauer App
One of the awesome things about this Kilo 6K is that is has Bluetooth connectivity to the Sig Sauer App. You have the ability to build out your own custom gun and load profiles, then sync them to the Kilo 6K and your ballistic solution will display in your unit. If you have a wind meter (supplied with the Kilo 10K, but not the 6K), you can even have your wind call displayed in the unit.
Sig Kilo 6K pros:
- Incredible rangefinder
- Onboard sensors
- Dedicated archery mode
- Compact and lightweight (35.8 oz)
- Good image clarity
- Tripod adaptable
- Great value
- Bluetooth connectivity to app
- Robust Sig Sauer App/Applied Ballistics/custom gun profile syncing
Sig Kilo 6K Cons:
- Slow focus speed
- Ballistic adjustment cycles
- Sloppy eye cups
- Sloppy and stiff focus wheel mechanism
- Blue color tint decreases color contrast
- No locking diopter or focus mechanism
- No witness/alignment marks on the diopter or focus mechanisms
Group Consensus: Sig Sauer Kilo 6K Review
Overall the group was extremely impressed with the Sig Kilo 6K rangefinder binoculars’ ranging and optical performance, especially for the price point. The rangefinder buttons are perfect, and the menu is surprisingly easy to navigate, but the play in the focus wheel is very unpleasant, particularly when combined with how stiff it is. Connectivity to the app is simple as well, but the real downside to these rangefinder binoculars is the super stiff focus wheel and the play in the focus wheel. These two things, while not the most important features, greatly detract from the user’s experience.
Meopta Optika LR 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars Review
Overall Rank: #6
This next pair of rangefinder binoculars we are looking at is one you may not be quite as familiar with. The Meopta MeoPro Optika LR 10×42 HD. These compact and lightweight rangefinder binoculars were a bit of a mystery coming into this review, but they quickly proved themselves to be a viable contender. Featuring a great combination of optical and rangefinder performance, the Meopta MeoPro Optika LR 10×42 are absolutely ones to consider if they offer the feature set you are looking for.
The image they provide is nice and crisp, and they perform above average overall. Some even ranked these as high as #4 in the optical performance category. They provide everything you need in a binocular including good color contrast, image clarity, edge-to-edge clarity, and a decent field of view.
The rangefinder performance is also right there in the middle of the pack. Nothing flashy or outstanding, but more than most folks need. No fancy bells and whistles, just a solid performing rangefinder.
Optical Performance: Meopta Review
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE RANKING: #5
UNIQUE OPTICAL PERFORMANCE NOTES: Interestingly, there isn’t a lot that is unique optically about the MeoPro Optika LR rangefinder binoculars. There is no dramatic color tint to deal with but has a nice, neutral color tone with a slightly warm tint to it. This was a welcomed change from pretty much everything we’ve looked at up to this point.
- NEUTRAL TINT: There aren’t many rangefinding binoculars that presented us with a fairly neutral color tint, so these stood out as one of the pairs that are more like a typical binocular.
IMAGE RESOLUTION: The image resolution produced by the Meopta MeoPro Optika LR rangefinder binoculars is one of the bright spots for this unit. Crisp, clear, and well-contrasted. These are solid optical performers!
CHROMATIC ABERRATION: Chromatic aberration is minimal with the Meopta MeoPro Optika LR. Given their price point approaching $2,000 (at the time this article was written), we had high expectations, and they didn’t disappoint.
EDGE-TO-EDGE CLARITY:The edge-to-edge clarity of the Meopta Meopro Optika LR is in the upper tier, losing clarity on just the outer 15% of the field of view. This is commonly a struggle for rangefinder binoculars, so it was great to see these perform so well.
Rangefinder Performance: Meopta Optika LR Review
RANGEFINDER PERFORMANCE RANKING: #9
As goes the story, the better a rangefinder binocular performs optically, the worse (typically) their rangefinder performs. Now that’s not to say that this Meopta MeoPro Optika LR is a slouch by any means. We were able to get over 2300 yards with this unit, which realistically is more than most folks need. That being said, there were only three other rangefinder binoculars in this test that weren’t able to range a further target.
Add to it that it doesn’t have any onboard sensors, no temperature, ballistic calculation, compass, or even an automatically adjusting brightness for the display, and it leaves you wanting more out of the rangefinder, particularly given the price point.
It does, however, have basic rangefinder functionalities that work really well:
ANGLE COMPENSATED RANGE: The Meopta MeoPro Optika LR features the option to display the angle compensated range below the line of sight range which is somewhat standard in most rangefinders today.
VERTICAL DISTANCE: The Meopta MeoPro LR gives you the option to display the distance in either yards or meters from your position to the target being ranged. This can be super handy in order to see how much of a climb or decent you have to get to your destination.
RED DISPLAY: I love the simple, red display the Optika LR gives you, however, I do wish it had auto brightness. The display is a bit on the bulky side as well and would benefit from a thinner font.
AUTO, BRUSH, AND FLAG MODES: As with most rangefinders, the Mopta Optika LR gives you the ability to select either a hunting mode (brush mode) or target mode (golf/flag). This will return the range for either the closest object the laser bounces off of (golf/flag) or the furthest or best object (hunt mode). Auto mode simply displays the range of whatever the laser hits, so a lot of folks will find this the most useful for hunting situations.
Physical Features: meopta MeoPro Optika LR Review
The Meopta MeoPro Optika LR 10×42 is one of the most compact and overall least bulky rangefinder binoculars we tested. They are so similar to a standard 10×42 in size and weight, if you didn’t notice the rangefinder buttons, you wouldn’t even know they have an integrated rangefinder.
COMPACT & LIGHTWIEGHT: The Meopta MeoPro Optika LR 10×42 is impressively compact and lightweight for a rangefinder binocular. No protruding parts or pieces and a simple, streamlined design.
SIMPLE RANGEFINDER OPERATION: If you want a simple-to-operate rangefinder, it’s hard to find one easier to use than this Meopt Optika LR.
THREADED FOR A TRIPOD ADAPTER: This is one of the small things that makes a BIG difference, especially in a rangefinder binocular. While it’s certainly not a deal breaker either way, having this unit threaded for a binocular adapter sure is nice.
EXCELLENT EYE CUPS: Another thing we noted is that the eye cups are incredibly comfortable, smooth, and don’t have any play. That’s not the “norm” unfortunately, but these Optika LR eye cups are fantastic.
EXCELLENT FOCUS WHEEL: As expected with a Meopta binocular, the focus mechanism is silky smooth and isn’t too stiff. Using this one next to some of the others we tested really makes the Meopta Optika stand out.
Meopta App
As of the date of writing this article, Meopta does not have an app and really doesn’t need once since ballistics aren’t integrated into this rangefinder binocular. They do, however, have a handy ballistics calculator on their website if you want to take advantage of that.
Meopta MeoPro Optika LR pros:
- Fantastic image clarity
- Neutral/warm color tone
- Tremendous build quality
- Angle compensated & vertical distance display
- Compact & lightweight
- Tripod adaptable
Meopta MeoPro Optika LR Cons:
- Average rangefinder performance
- No applied ballistics
- Basic rangefinder functionality
- No locking diopter or focus mechanism
- Expensive for the rangefinder features you get
Group Consensus: Meopta MeoPro Optika LR 10×42 Review
Overall the group was very impressed with the performance of the Meopta MeoPro Optika LR rangefinder binoculars. They don’t have many flashy performance features, but everything they do, they do very well. The group loved the more neutral color tone versus many of the others, and the image resolution is excellent, receiving rankings as high as #4 in optical performance.
If you are someone who wants a pair of great performing rangefinder binoculars without all the bells and whistles, this is absolutely one to consider. It does everything well that it is designed to do.
Sig Kilo 10K 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars Review
Overall Rank: #5
Next up comes the Sig Kilo 10K ABS rangefinder binoculars. Like their little brothers, the Kilo 6K, these were especially difficult to rank given their elite rangefinder performance and combined optical performance that the group didn’t love. Again, your personal ranking may be substantially different that ours depending on your needs, but all of our tester loved the rangefinder and didn’t love the blue tint to the glass.
The thing that made raking the Sig Kilo 10K so incredibly difficult was that the image resolution is actually quite good, but the very defined and substantial blue tint to the image reduces the optical performance in all but bright sunny conditions. Now, according to the folks at Sig when I called to inquire about the reasoning behindthe blue tint, they indicated that it was to reduce glare in bright conditions. Armed with that knowledge, it made more sense. However, the fact still remains that low light performance is severely reduced, and the blue tint reduces color contrast significantly.
Again, the image is nice and crisp, but what was just mentioned above is not what people are typically wanting in a hunting situation. Hunters usually want good low light performance and excellent color contrast to spot that trophy animal.
The rangefinder performance, however, is flat out incredible! There are no two ways around that. This incredible rangefinder performance certainly offsets some of the lack of optical performance in our rankings.
Optical Performance: Sig Kilo 10K ABS Review
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE RANKING: #6
UNIQUE OPTICAL PERFORMANCE NOTES: During our time testing the Sig Kilo 10K rangefinder binoculars a few things stood out. Getting past the blue tint, it is amazing how crisp images are. It could be easy for us to dismiss the fantastic optical performance of the Sig Kilo 10K due to that blue tint, but really the images are extremely sharp.
In testing the Sig Kilo 10K rangefinder binoculars, we noted a few unique performance aspects:
- STRONG BLUE TINT: Like the GPO 2800 10×32 and Sig Kilo 6K 10×32, the Sig Kilo 10K has a blue tint, but even more so than those other two. This could be a deal breaker for you if optical performance is what you need.
- POOR COLOR CONTRAST: Because of that blue image, the color contrast is probably one of the worst of the rangefinder binoculars we tested.
IMAGE RESOLUTION: Overall the image resolution of the Sig Kilo 10K is quite good, but that resolution is muted by the overpowering blue tint to the image. Now during bright conditions, the blue tint does a great job of reducing glare, which might be just what you are looking for in a binocular if you are shooting a match where you typically have brighter conditions, but it’s not ideal for hunting where low light performance and color contrast is key.
CHROMATIC ABERRATION: Chromatic aberration is minimal with the Sig Kilo 10K ABS rangefinder binocular which is a huge plus.
Rangefinder Performance: Sig Kilo 10K Review
EDGE-TO-EDGE CLARITY: The edge-to-edge clarity of the Sig Kilo 10K is about on par with the others in this review, with the outer 20% of the field of view losing resolution.
RANGEFINDER PERFORMANCE RANKING: #1
I know we’ve been harping on the glass of the Sig Kilo 10K ABS so far, but now let’s turn our attention to where this unit really shines; its rangefinder capabilities. There is no other way to say it other than FLAT. OUT. PHENOMENAL.
Here are a few examples of their performance:
- I was able to range a hillside over 4,500 yards away offhand while out on morning hike.
- When set on a tripod, we were able to range over 7,200 yards on a sagebrush hillside.
- The ballistic solution was calculated and displayed at those extreme ranges instantaneously.
- Onboard sensors (pressure, humidity, temperature, altitude) help produce a more accurate ballistic solution.
- The unit displays density altitude, direction, ballistic correction, and much more.
There is far too much in this unit to cover in this short summary, but go check out our full Sig Kilo 10 ABS review for a more detailed rundown of this rangefinder binocular.
A few of the standout features we will cover in this summary are:
DEDICATED ARCHERY MODE: The Sig Kilo 10K has a dedicated archery mode built in, making this a fantastic option not only for the long range hunter/shooter, but also for the archery hunter. It calculates your adjusted range based on the angle, as well as your specific arrow speed (enter your arrow speed in the unit). Pretty sweet!
AUTO BRIGHTNESS ADJUSTMENT: I absolutely LOVE the display of the Sig Kilo 10K ABS and the auto brightness adjustment is fantastic. You never have to worry about your rangefinder blowing out your eyes in low light or not being able to see the display in brighter conditions.
INSANE RANGING ABILITY: During our testing, we were able to range over 7,200 yards on a non-reflective target like a hillside with sage brush. This far exceeded the 4,000 yards rating for ranging a tree that the specs indicate. The fact that we were able to achieve over 7,200 yards out of this rangefinder binocular off a tripod and over 4,500 yards off hand is incredible!
ONBOARD SENSORS: The Sig Kilo 10K rangefinder binoculars have an onboard compass, temperature, pressure, humidity, and density altitude sensors for accurate, real-time ballistic calculations to ensure your ballistic solution is accurate.
APPLIED BALLISTICS: The Sig Kilo 10K offers a fully integrated Applied Ballistics Elite in this unit. The amazing thing about this is the amount of data you get in the display. Typically, a busy rangefinder display bothers me, but somehow Sig managed to make the display pleasant and extremely useful while not making it feel cluttered. Sure, it it displays a ton of data, but the data it displays is awesome. It tells you what cartridge it is calculating, the FPS and muzzle energy at impact, elevation and windage correction needed for the range, and it can even be paired with a Kestrel or the wind meter that’s included.
DROP REMOTE WAY POINTS: The Sig Kilo 10K also allows you to drop waypoints by ranging a spot and then utilizing the Earthmate App to navigate yourself to that waypoint. Pretty useful feature if you take a shot at an animal across a deep canyon right before dark and have to try to work your way over to it in the dark. This is a game changer!
MANY DISPLAY OPTIONS: I love that the Sig Kilo 10K gives you the ability to display ONLY the line of sight, the angle compensated range based on your arrow speed (archery mode), the angle modified (actual angle modified range not calculating your arrow speed), or your line of sight with the ballistics solution along with the downrange bullet velocity and impact energy displayed beneath the range. I love that you don’t have to wait for the unit to cycle through all this information as it’s all right there to digest.
Considering all those incredible rangefinder features, it’s a bit easier to appreciate just how difficult it was to rank this unit. There is is a bit of a love/hate kind of thing going on with this one! The rangefinder is so good, it makes you almost forget about the things you didn’t like about it optically.
Physical Features: Sig Kilo 10K Review
Given all those incredible rangefinder features, you might be in love with this unit. As far as physical features go, there are some great things about these rangefinder binoculars and a number of things that we didn’t care for.
COMPACT BUT BULKY: The Sig Kilo 10K rangefinder binoculars are some the most compact 42mm rangefinder binoculars we tested at just 5.7 inches in length. They are a bit more bulky than the other 10x42s we tested and even a bit more-so than the 10x50s in this review due to the protruding electronics on the bottom. It’s a small price to pay for all the power inside.
GREAT RANGEFINDER BUTTONS: The buttons on these Sig Kilo 10K rangefinder binoculars are fantastic. Nice and crisp without any play, and a very defined click then pushed.
THREADED FOR A TRIPOD ADAPTER: This is one of the small things that makes a BIG difference, especially in a rangefinder binocular. While it’s certainly not a deal breaker either way, having this little unit threaded for a binocular adapter sure is nice.
LOOSE EYE CUPS: Another thing we noted is that the eye cups have a bit of play in them. Once in place they stay put well, but during adjustment they definitely have some play.
FOCUS WHEEL IS STIFF: Like the Kilo 6K, one of the things we like least about the Sig Kilo 10K ABS is how stiff the focus wheel is. There’s no way around it, the focus wheel is simply too stiff and has too much resistance. We always felt like we were fighting it to move the focus wheel. That said, it’s really nice as it does not move unintentionally in your bino harness.
Sig Sauer App
One of the awesome things about this Kilo 10K is that it has Bluetooth connectivity to the Sig Sauer App. You have the ability to build out your own custom gun and load profiles, then sync them to the Kilo 10K and your ballistic solution will the display in your unit. If you use the wind meter that is supplied with the Kilo 10K you can even have your wind call displayed in the unit.
Sig Kilo 10K pros:
- Incredible rangefinder
- Onboard sensors
- Dedicated archery mode
- Compact
- Great image clarity
- Tripod adaptable
- Bluetooth connectivity to app
- Robust Sig Sauer App/Applied Ballistics/custom gun profile syncing
Sig Kilo 10K Cons:
- Slow focus speed
- Ballistic adjustment cycles
- Loose eye cups
- Stiff focus wheel mechanism
- Very blue color tint decreases color contrast & low light performance
- No locking diopter or focus mechanism
Group Consensus: Sig Sauer Kilo 10K Review
Overall the group was so incredibly impressed with the rangefinder, it is painful to admit that the optical performance isn’t on par with the rangefinder performance. There wasn’t one tester who didn’t comment on the blue tint being a downside. However, the rangefinder buttons are perfect, and the menu is surprisingly easy to navigate given how complex and robust the unit is. Sig truly did a fabulous job with the menu. Connectivity to the app is simple as well. Other than the blue tint causing optical problems, the real downside to these rangefinder binoculars is how stiff the focus wheel is. It makes it more laborious to focus the unit than it needs to be.
All that said, there isn’t another unit in this review that our group didn’t ooh and awe over more when it came to rangefinder performance. It is simply incredible and feature-rich. It’s an incredible piece of equipment!
GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 Rangefinder Binoculars Review
Overall Rank: #4
One of the biggest surprises in this review were these GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 rangefinder binoculars. I guess it shouldn’t have been a surprise given how well the GPO Passion HD binoculars did in our big 26 binocular review, but none-the-less, these are impressive! If you want the rare combination of top-tier optical performance AND exceptional rangefinder performance without breaking the budget, this is our pick.
The image resolution is top-notch, low light performance is nearly right there with units costing more than double, and the rangefinder performance, while basic in most functions, still gives you the 3rd most ranging ability of all that we tested ranging a hillside at over 3,200 yards during our testing. These even have a solid field of view of 330 feet @ 1000 yards. These are impressive rangefinder binoculars!
Optical Performance: GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 Rangefinder Binoculars
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE RANKING: #4
UNIQUE OPTICAL PERFORMANCE NOTES: There isn’t anything that stands out as overly unique optically with the GPO Rangeguide 2800 other than the pleasantly neutral tint and the slight roller ball/fish bowl affect at longer distance viewing.
- NEUTRAL TINT: The GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 has a very neutral tint, unlike the blue tint we noted in the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32. Interesting, but a welcomed surprise.
- SLIGHT ROLLER BALL AFFECT: During our testing we noted just a little bit of that “roller ball” or “fish bowl” affect on the outer edges of the glass, particularly when glassing at longer ranges. Some found this to be a bit annoying when scanning, but you do get use to it after a little while. Still, that is a downside to this unit.
IMAGE RESOLUTION: The image resolution produced by the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 rangefinder binoculars is flat out incredible and rivals that of the top tier performers without the price tag. Great resolution, color contrast, and excellent low light performance make this a serious contender, even in the top tier category.
CHROMATIC ABERRATION: We didn’t notice much chromatic aberration with the GPO Rangeguide 2800 rangefinder binoculars. A little bit, but far less than most units we tested.
EDGE-TO-EDGE CLARITY: The edge-to-edge clarity of the GPO Rangeguide rangefinder binoculars is right on par with most of the rangefinder binoculars we tested with the outer 25% of the field of view losing resolution.
Rangefinder Performance: GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50
RANGEFINDER PERFORMANCE RANKING: #5
While the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 is able to range the 3rd farthest distance in our testing, we ranked them #4 due to the fact that the ones that it barely beat out (the Zeiss Victory RF and the Revic Acura BLR10b) also feature fully integrated ballistic calculations (and other premium features) while the GPO Rangeguide 2800 has a much more simplistic rangefinder. For that reason, it seemed completely unfair to rank these over the Zeiss and Revic based solely on their ability to range a few hundred yards further.
You do have one onboard sensor with the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 for temperature, but that is the only one. It is nice to be able to see the outside temperature, so that’s a definite plus with this unit.
ANGLE COMPENSATED RANGE: The GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 rangefinder binoculars feature the option to display the angle compensated range or “Horizontal Range.” It is displayed below the line of sight range which is always the primary number in the display. I wish there was a way to have only the angle compensated range displayed for some applications, but it currently is not a display option.
RED DISPLAY: We all loved the simple, red display of the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50. It is uncluttered and easy to read, and not overly bulky like some displays. I wish it had the automatic brightness adjustment like its little brother, the 10×32, but oddly enough it doesn’t.
BEST/LAST MODES: As with many rangefinders, the GPO Rangeguide gives you the ability to select either the “Best” or “Last” range that the laser hits. “Best” is a great option unless you are wanting to cut through some thicker brush in an attempt to range a target beyond some branches, etc.
Physical Features: GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 Rangefinder Binoculars Review
The GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 rangefinder binoculars are sharp in appearance and the focus mechanism, eye cups, and diopter/focus are all not only silky smooth and function exceptionally well, but there is zero play in any of them. Being one of the 50mm binoculars in this review, they are a little larger than others, but like the Athlon Cronus UHD, you would hardly notice them as being larger as they are still incredibly slim. They are surprisingly lightweight for a 50mm rangefinder binocular at 35.2 oz.
SIMPLE RANGEFINDER OPERATION: If simple and easy to operate is what you want, butyou also need a rangefinder that can reach out there a long ways, the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 rangefinder binoculars are probably your best option. It gives you everything you need along with a handy temperature reading.
NOT THREADED FOR A TRIPOD ADAPTER: It’s unfortunate that the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 rangefinder binoculars are not threaded for a tripod adapter. As mentioned before, the Aziak Bino Clamp works really well for any binoculars that aren’t threaded for an adapter, or if you just want a budget friendly, low profile adapter that you can afford to lose in the woods.
EXCELLENT EYE CUPS: The GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 give you some of the best eye cups of all the units we tested. They are that good! Comfortable, smooth, no play, and durable.
EXCELLENT FOCUS WHEEL: GPO has long done an amazing job with their focus wheels, and this Rangeguide 2800 10×50 is no different. Silky smooth, great focus speeds, and absolutely no play.
GPO App
As of the date this article was written, GPO does not have an app and really doesn’t need once since ballistics aren’t integrated into this rangefinder binocular.
GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 pros:
- Top-tier optical performance
- Neutral color tone
- Exceptional rangefinder performance
- Great rangefinder display
- Angle compensated & temperature display
- Excellent eye cup
- Silky smooth focus wheel
- Exceptional value
GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 Cons:
- Slight roller ball/ fish bowl affect
- No applied ballistics
- More basic rangefinder functionality
- Not threaded for a tripod adapter
- No locking diopter or focus mechanism
Group Consensus: GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 Rangefinder Binoculars
There are no two ways about it, the group was impressed with the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 rangefinder binoculars. Are they the best? No. But, they are close enough to the top performers while being less than half the cost that they turned some heads. Outside of their excellent optical resolution and exceptional rangefinder performance, their low light performance was outstanding. The slight “roller ball” affect did bother most people, but it was less pronounced than the Athlon Cronus we mentioned earlier.
If we could change a couple things about the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50 rangefinder binoculars it would be to add an auto adjust brightness control for the display- just like the smaller 10x32s have- and get rid of the roller ball effect.
Swarovski EL Range TA 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars Review
Overall Rank: #3
Okay, okay. I know we are going to get some flack for this ranking, but hear us out. There was little question during our testing that the Swarovski EL Range TA would be the winner in pretty much every optical performance department. Those votes were unanimous; best in class image resolution, low light performance, field of view, and edge-to-edge clarity. So why didn’t they take the top spot? Well, given that this is a rangefinder binocular review, we need to take into account the unit’s performance as a whole.
When looking at the whole picture, they don’t quite live up to others in the rangefinder performance department- not by a long shot. In fact, we were genuinely disappointed in their rangefinder performance. In fact, to our utter amazement, the Swarovski EL Range TA rangefinder binoculars would only return a range consistently out to 2,000 yards. Sure, with that you do get applied ballistics and the super useful Tracking Assistant, but the overall ranging abilities of the EL Range TA was a disappointment, particularly given that these are the most expensive pairs of rangefinder binoculars in our review.
Additional reasons for this ranking are due to the overly bulky nature of the Swarovski EL Range TA as they are the most bulky pair of rangefinder binoculars in the entire group. Armed with that frame of reference, let’s get into the details.
Optical Performance: Swarovski EL Range TA 10×42 Rangefinder Binocular
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE RANKING: #6
UNIQUE OPTICAL PERFORMANCE NOTES: What is unique about the Swarovski EL Range TA rangefinder binoculars in the optical performance department is just how good they are. No odd color tint, excellent edge-to-edge clarity, crystal clear resolution, and hands down the best performer in low light conditions.
- NEUTRAL TINT: The Swarovski EL Range TA 10x42s have a very neutral tint to them, unlike many of the units in this review. Most of us felt that the Swarovski EL Range TA have the best overall, most neutral tint of the group.
IMAGE RESOLUTION: The image resolution that the Swarovski EL Range TA rangefinder binoculars produce is best of the group. No one really argued that by the end of the testing. They still aren’t up to par with non-rangefinding binoculars, but that’s to be expected. However, if optical performance is your #1 priority in a rangefinder binocular, the Swarovski EL Range TA is it. You’ll pay a hefty price tag though.
CHROMATIC ABERRATION: One of the few rangefinder binoculars that was free of chromatic aberration, the Swarovski EL Range TA are the best rangefinder binoculars here as well.
EDGE-TO-EDGE CLARITY: Edge-to-edge clarity is also best in class, only giving up resolution around 10% of the largest field of view we tested. Easily the best of the group.
Rangefinder Performance: Swarovski EL Range TA 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars
RANGEFINDER PERFORMANCE RANKING: #6
The only reason the Swarovski EL Range TA rangefinder binoculars didn’t take the top spot was due to the disappointing rangefinder performance. And by that, I mean its inability to range past 2,000 yards. It’s not that it was inaccurate or void of great features like Tracking Assistant and integrated ballistic correction, but rather that for a rangefinder at this price point, the way it struggled to consistently range targets past 1,500 yards was disappointing. With some consistency, we were able to range out to 2,000 yards, but not all the time.
Additionally, the ranging and scanning functions are a bit slow and clunky compared to most of the other units. As an example, it takes a full 3 seconds holding down the “range” button to engage the scan mode. 3 seconds can be an eternity if you need to quickly scan an area that an animal is about to walk through. It could realistically cause you to miss an opportunity on some game if you’re a hunter.
We also didn’t love that you don’t have the option to display only the angle compensated range if you prefer. Like many rangefinders, the Line of Sight display is the only option you have for the primary display number.
On the bright side, you do have a number of handy onboard sensors with the Swarovski EL Range TA rangefinder binoculars. It gives you the temperature, air pressure, and a compass which are used in your ballistic calculation. However, the temperature and air pressure are not displayed unless you go into the menu and view them under atmospheric data. It would be super nice if the temperature could be displayed in the main display if one desired.
ANGLE COMPENSATED RANGE: The Swarovski Range TA 10×42 rangefinder binoculars feature the option to display the adjusted shooting distance or the “CAL.” It can be displayed below the line of sight range in the main display. It would be nice if there was a dedicated archery mode where only the adjusted shooting range was displayed.
RED DISPLAY: We all love the simple, red display of the Swarovski EL Range TA 10×42. It is one of most uncluttered and easy to read of all the rangefinders we tested, and the digits are not overly bulky like some displays. The font used is a bit more difficult to read, however, and some of our testers really didn’t like it. It features automatic brightness, but you can use the brightness settings to increase or decrease how bright the display reads as well, which is an added bonus.
TRACKING ASSISTANT: The integrated Tracking Assistant can be a handy tool to help you navigate to a point that you ranged, using either your phone or within the display of the EL Range TA. This type of integrated technology is definitely a premium feature, and one I believe more units will feature in the near future.
INTEGRATED APPLIED BALLISTICS: The integrated ballistic calculation is super nice and easy to set up in the app. The Swarovski EL Range TA is better used in conjunction with the app, as navigation through the menu is a little more cumbersome, but doable. I would recommend imputing the three rifles you want to set up within the app so they are easily available when needed.
Physical Features: Swarovski EL Range TA 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars Review
The Swarovski EL Range TA 10×42 rangefinder binoculars are easily recognizable as a Swarovski product, and all its physical features are top-notch quality as you would expect from them. They are, however, very bulky and the most “clunky” feeling rangefinder binoculars that we tested.
SIMPLE RANGEFINDER DISPLAY: We love how simple and easy to read the rangefinder display is on the Swarovski EL Range TA. It is extremely uncluttered and the red color is ideal for most viewing conditions, but the font is odd for a rangefinder.
NOT THREADED FOR A TRIPOD ADAPTER: It’s unfortunate that the Swarovski EL Range TA 10×42 rangefinder binoculars are not threaded for a tripod adapter. As mentioned with other units, the Aziak Bino Clamp works really well, and they even have one specifically made just for the Range TA.
BULKY: The Swarovski EL Range TA is the most bulky rangefinder binoculars of the group, even though they do not feature the largest objective. This is certainly something to consider given that you might need a larger binocular harness to house these.
EXCELLENT EYE CUPS: The Swarovski EL Range TA rangefinder binoculars have some of our favorite eye cups of all the units we tested. They are super comfortable, don’t have any play, and stay put where you leave them. They also have 4 click stops where many other units only have 3.
ROUGH FOCUS WHEEL: The focus mechanism on the Range TA isn’t the smoothest of the rangefinder binoculars we reviewed. In fact, they are more middle of the pack in this regard. There isn’t any play, but they are a bit rough, and the resistance is inconsistent throughout the focus range.
LOCKING DIOPTER AND FOCUS: The Swarovski EL Range TA is the only pair of rangefinder binoculars that has a locking diopter and focus mechanism. We love this feature as getting rangefinder binoculars set up is a bit more of a chore than with standard binoculars.
Swarovski App(s)
Swarovski has a couple of apps that you will want to download and use if you pick up some EL Range TA rangefinder binoculars. The most important one is the “EL Range Configurator” app, and the 2nd is the Swarovski Ballistics Calculator app. You really don’t need the Ballistics Calculator app, but it can be nice. Start with the “EL Range Configurator” app, which will make getting your Range TA set up a breeze.
Swarovski EL Range TA 10×42 Pros:
- Top-tier optical performance
- Best in class edge-to-edge clarity
- Best in class low light performance
- Neutral color tone
- Angle compensated range & temperature display
- Excellent eye cups
- Locking diopter and focus mechanism
Swarovski EL Range TA 10×42 Cons:
- Scan takes too long to engage (3 seconds)
- Slow scan speed
- Only 2,000 yards max ranging ability
- Rough focus wheel
- Not threaded for a tripod adapter
- No dedicated archery mode
- Bulkiest unit we tested
- Most expensive unit in the review
Group Consensus: Swarovski EL Range TA 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars
The group was utterly impressed with the optical performance of the Swarovski EL Range TA. Crystal clear image, best of the group for edge-to-edge clarity and low light performance, and fantastic color contrast. There were a few puzzled and disappointed looks though, when it came to the rangefinding ability of the Swarovski EL Range TA.
The bottom line and consensus is that, if you don’t need a rangefinder to consistently return a range past 1,500 yards, these are the ones to buy (assuming you can swing the price tag). If you would like better rangefinder performance than that or a different feature set, then you’ll want to check out one of the next two options we cover.
Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars Review
Overall Rank: #2
These last two spots were hands down the toughest to rank due to similar overall optical performance and similar rangefinder performance/features. The Zeiss Victory RF comes in at the #2 overall spot, but not without some qualifications and asterisks, if you will. Are they best optically? No, that goes to the Swarovski EL Range TA. Are they the best rangefinder? No, that goes to the Sig Sauer Kilo 10K. However, we felt like they were the 2nd best COMBINATION of those two things.
It was incredibly tough to rank these over the optically superior Swarovski EL Range TA, and behind the Revic Acura BLR10b (since the Zeiss Victory RF offers better optical performance). However, we couldn’t ignore the fact that the Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 rangefinder binoculars far out-perform the EL Range in its rangefinding abilities by nearly 2,000 yards. It is also impossible to ignore that the Revic Acura offers more for the long range shooter than the Zeiss Vciory RF as it has significantly faster ranging abilities.
Combined with the fact that the Victory RF is far more customizable than that Swarovski EL Range TA, but not as much as the Acura BLR10b, we came up with this ranking. Additionally, other reasons for this ranking took into account the much more slim and compact nature of the Zeiss Victory RF vs the Swarovski EL Range TA, however, the Revic Acura BLR10b is even more slim and more compact.
The bottom line here is that you can’t go wrong with any of these top three units, and we would recommend each one depending on your specific needs. This Zeiss Victory RF still reigns supreme in the focus mechanism department as it offers the best and smoothest of this group.
Let’s get into the details.
Optical Performance: Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 Rangefinder Binocular
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE RANKING: #2
UNIQUE OPTICAL PERFORMANCE NOTES: The Zeiss Victory RF rangefinder binoculars are certainly impressive in their optical performance in that they give you a nice neutral color tone, good edge-to-edge clarity (not quite as good as the EL Range), and an excellent field of view of 345 feet @ 1000 yards, good enough for 2nd only to the EL Range.
- NEUTRAL TINT: Like the Swarovski EL Range TA, the Zeiss Victory RF also has a very neutral color tone with a slightly more blueish tint to them. It is extremely pleasant and produces exceptional color contrast.
IMAGE RESOLUTION: The image resolution of the Zeiss Victory RF are top notch, with only the Swarovski EL Range TA rangefinder binoculars being better. The Victory RF also displays excellent color contrast.
CHROMATIC ABERRATION: As you would expect from a top tier rangefinder binocular, the Zeiss Vicotry RF is free of chromatic aberration.
EDGE-TO-EDGE CLARITY: The edge-to-edge clarity is also also excellent, bot not quite as good as the EL Range TA. While this isn’t the the end of the world, we would have liked to see a little better edge-to-edge clarity.
Rangefinder Performance: Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars
RANGEFINDER PERFORMANCE RANKING: #3
At the end of the day, the Zeiss Victory RF is slightly behind the Swarovski EL Range TA optically, but exponentially better in the rangefinder department as it is able to range nearly 2,000 yards farther than the Range TA. Additionally, take into account that the Zeiss Victory RF gives you more display customization, a much better focus mechanism, and comes in roughly $300 less, and it makes it difficult to rank.
At the end of the day, if superior optical performance is most important, the Swarovski EL Range TA is your best option. However, if you are looking for one of the best combinations of optical performance and rangefinder performance, the Zeiss Victory RF and Revic Acura BLR10b are both more complete units in our humble opinion.
ANGLE COMPENSATED RANGE: The Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 rangefinder binoculars feature the option to display the angle compensated range, but it comes AFTER the line of sight range, which is a bummer. It would be nice if there was a dedicated archery mode where only the angle compensated range was displayed as having to wait the 1 second for it to cycle can be annoying at best, and potentially cost you precious time in the heat of a bull coming into your call in the dense timber.
RED DISPLAY: We are fans of the red display that features an auto brightness adjustment, with 9 brightness levels to set the baseline brightness for the display. Each brightness “level” auto adjusts to keep the brightness where you set it regardless of outside lighting. The display is also uncluttered and easy to ready. We felt like the aiming circle could be a touch smaller for more precision, but it is still very fine and not bulky.
INTEGRATED APPLIED BALLISTICS: The integrated ballistic calculation is super nice and allows you to fully customize how your rangefinder displays. You can build out your load in the app, then transfer it to the Victory RF and you are set.
ON BOARD SENSORS: The Zeiss Victory RF features onboard sensors such as altitude, incline/decline, temperature, and atmospheric pressure to ensure you are getting an accurate ballistic solution. If you’ve done any long range shooting, you know that these things can make a big difference.
SLOW SCAN ACTIVATION AND SPEED: One significant downside we found in the Zeiss Victory RF, and quite frankly one of the things that pushed the Revic Acura BLR10b past it, is its slow ranging speed and how long it takes to activate the scan mode. Like the Swarovski EL Range TA, these take roughly three seconds holding the fire button to switch to scan mode. That’s simply too long.
After getting into scan mode, it’s able to get roughly one reading per second when scanning. Again, that’s below most others out there, and certainly slower than the Revic Acura. Each range does, however, come with a ballistics solution, which is why the scan speed is slower.
Physical Features: Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars Review
The Zeiss Victory RF 10x42s are one of the slimmest and lightest weight rangefinder binoculars we reviewed, adding to their appeal. If you didn’t know they were a rangefinder binocular, you couldn’t tell by looking at them.
UNIQUE BUTTON LOCATIONS: Unlike any other rangefinder binoculars we tested, the buttons on the Zeiss Victory RF are located on the inner portion of the barrels. A number of folks said they weren’t sure if they liked that (when using them for the first time), but it’s one of those things that really grows on you. They are well placed and right in line with your fingers for a quick range without having to fish for the button up by the focus mechanism.
NOT THREADED FOR A TRIPOD ADAPTER: Unfortunately, the Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 rangefinder binoculars are not threaded for a tripod adapter. As mentioned as an option with other units, the Aziak Bino Clamp works fairly well as shown above, but because of the non-cylindrical shape of the barrel, a Really Right Stuff Cinch is a better option for this unit if you want to mount it to a tripod.
SUPER SMOOTH FOCUS WHEEL: The focus mechanism on the Zeiss Victory RF is the best of the best in our opinion. It gives you just the right resistance, is silky smooth, and has the perfect speed. We’ve said this before about the Zeiss focus mechanism, and it stands true again.
NON-LOCKING DIOPTER AND FOCUS: Unfortunately, the Zeiss Victory RF rangefinder binoculars don’t have a locking diopter or focus mechanism. This is surprising for a top tier rangefinder binocular and a bit of a disappointment. They do offer enough resistance that they don’t move easily on you, but we’d still like to see them locking.
Zeiss App
The Zeiss app is easy to navigate and you can easily get your gun profiles set up. This is the best place to set up the Victory RF just how you like it, then transfer the settings and ballistics to the unit. It is a bit cumbersome on the initial load, but once you get into your “connected products” it works very well.
Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 Pros:
- Top tier optical performance
- Excellent edge-to-edge clarity
- Excellent low light performance
- Neutral color tone
- Great rangefinder display
- Angle compensated range
- Monster rangefinder capability
- Inline rangefinder buttons
- Smoothest focus wheel of the group
- Slim, compact, and lightweight
Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 Cons:
- Scan takes too long to engage (3 seconds)
- Slow scan speed (1 range per second)
- Angle compensated range comes after LOS range
- Not threaded for a tripod adapter
- No dedicated archery mode
Group Consensus: Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars
The group was ultimately divided on which pair of rangefinder binoculars are the “best overall” as that truly is going to depend on your personal needs and preferences. However, after deliberation and a lot of consideration, we felt that as far as an overall package, the Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 rangefinder binoculars offer the 2nd best combination of features and capabilities.
At the end of the day, the Zeiss Victory RF 10×42 is a killer combination of a top-notch rangefinder with top tier optical performance, integrated ballistics, and the smoothest focus mechanism you’ll find. Given how much time you spend moving that focus wheel, that’s not a small thing.
Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars Review
Overall Rank: #1
To say that we expected this pair of rangefinding binoculars to rank #1 overall prior to doing this review would be an understatement of the century. Heck! The Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42 wasn’t even in existence when we began our testing for this review. However, the new kid on the block came in guns-a-blazing featuring one of the most robust, long range hunting rangefinders of the group (only the Sig Kilo 10K truly competes with it), top of the line optical performance, and a small, lightweight package that is hard to believe.
The interesting thing about this ranking is that the Revic Acura BLR10b isn’t number one in any of the individual categories. Optically, the Swarovski EL Range TA, Zeiss Vicotry RF, and GPO Rangeguide 2800 all edge them out. In the rangefinder department, the Sig Kilo 10K out-performs the Revic nearly doubling their ranging ability. However, when you look at the complete package, the Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42 rangefinder binoculars are the perfect balance.
As we’ve already established, a unit’s rangefinding and optical performance are in competition with each other, but Revic knocked it out of the park with the Acura BLR10b if you want top tier optical performance, elite rangefinder performance, integrated ballistics for long range shooters to nerd out on, and a compact, lightweight package.
Let’s get into the details of just how the Revic Acura BLR10b rangefinder binoculars edged out the competition.
Optical Performance: Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE RANKING: #4
UNIQUE OPTICAL PERFORMANCE NOTES: The most notable thing about the Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42 rangefinder binoculars is that there is nothing negative that stands out. They have overall great image resolution, some of the best edge-to-edge clarity of the group, great low light performance, and no odd color tint. This is a rare combination in rangefinder binoculars.
- NEUTRAL TINT: Like the Swarovski EL Range TA and the Zeiss Victory RF, the Revic Acura BLR10b also offers a very neutral color tone with a slightly more yellowish tint to them. It is extremely pleasant and produces exceptional warm color contrast.
- EXCELLENT EDGE-TO-EDGE CLARITY: One of the many categories the Revic Acura BLR10b excels in is its edge-to-edge clarity. Right on par with the Zeiss Victory RF, and only slightly worse than the Swarovski EL Range TA, these stand out with the best.
IMAGE RESOLUTION: The image resolution of the Revic Acura BLR10b isn’t quite what the Zeiss Victory RF and Swarovksi EL Range TA offer, but they are none-the-less top notch,
CHROMATIC ABERRATION: As with all of the binoculars in this class, the Revic Acura BLR10b is free of any noticeable chromatic aberration. Not perfect, but close.
EDGE-TO-EDGE CLARITY: The edge-to-edge clarity is some of the best in the group with the Revic Acura BLR10b only losing clarity at the outer 15% of the field of view. Not quite as good as the EL Range TA and about the same as the Zeiss Victory RF.
Rangefinder Performance: Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars
RANGEFINDER PERFORMANCE RANKING: #2
All things considered, the Revic Acura BLR10b isn’t the best rangefinder in the sense of maximum distance, but it is the MOST COMPLETE rangefinder we tested. Not only that, but it also excels in nearly every category, unlike so many of the others. The Revic Acura BLR10b can be used no matter if you are a long range junkie or prefer the up close and personal archery experience. This thing is packed with rangefinder features!
ANGLE COMPENSATED RANGE: The Revic Acura BLR10b rangefinder binoculars feature a built-in angle compensated range, unless you are in “Range Only” mode. The unit uses that angle compensated range and a bunch of onboard sensors to give you your ballistic calculation (along with a lot of other factors).
USING THE REVIC ACURA BLR10b FOR ARCHERY
Now, while this unit wasn’t designed to used by the archery hunter, a simple adjustment through the app, and it was spitting out your angle compensated range with the exact same accuracy as any other archery rangefinder we’ve tested. In order to use this unit as your go-to archery rangefinder, you’ll need to simply put the unit in your ballistic mode and select one or your rifle profiles. Then go to the app and then toggle the “BDC Turret” on, and the unit will then display your “Shoot to” range very quickly after the line of sight range.
While we would rather have only the “Shoot To” range displayed, it cycles extremely quickly, so there is no waiting for that second range like many of the competitors.
RED DISPLAY: We are all huge fans of the red display that features an auto brightness adjustment, along with with 4 brightness levels to set the brightness for the display if you choose not to use the auto brightness. While it would be nice if each brightness level had integrated auto brightness like the Zeiss Victory RF, this one is nearly as good as is. The display is uncluttered and easy to read, but also provides an incredible amount of adjustment and data when needed. We felt like the lines of the aiming circle could be a touch thinner for more precision, but it is still an excellent display.
INTEGRATED BALLISTICS: The integrated ballistic calculation of the Revic Acura BLR10b is quite frankly our favorite of this group. While this one and the Sig Kilo 10K ABS are close in what they offer, most of us prefer the Revic Acura BLR10b. The Sig Kilo 10K ABS does give you more data in the display such as bullet velocity at impact, density altitude, direction, and more, however the Revic Acura BLR10b is no slouch as it gives you the ability to make quick adjustments to your ballistic solution when in the field.
Another unique feature we found only in this Revic Acura BLR10b is the ability to have it give you your “shoot to” range, rather than it spitting out your ballistic solution. This is super useful if you are someone who likes to use a custom ballistic turret and have your gun set up that way. Simply toggle the “BDC” option on the app and sync it, and the Acura BLR10b will give you your “shoot to” range all while still integrating the shot angle, air temperature, atmospheric pressure, azimuth, wind speed, and direction into the ballistic solution.
Quite frankly, the ballistic solution provided by the Revic Acura BLR10b is second-to-none compared to others we experimented with for this review. Like many others, you can build out your specific load in the Revic App, then sync it to the Acura BLR10b, and you are ready for your hunt or the shooting range.
ON BOARD SENSORS: The Revic Acura BLE10b gives you a host of onboard sensors such as altitude, shot angle, air temperature, atmospheric pressure, azimuth, and whatever wind values you enter to ensure you are getting an accurate ballistic solution. If you’ve done any long range shooting, you know that these things can make the difference hitting your mark and going home empty.
SCAN ACTIVATION AND SPEED: The Revic BLR10b gives you a fast scan speed, and the unit enters scan mode much more quickly that the Zeiss Victory RF. It takes only one second holding down the “fire” button for the unit to switch to scan mode, which is so much more desirable than others in this review. Once in scan mode, it returns ranges much more quickly as well, with the last range it shows integrating the full ballistic solution for your long range shot.
Physical Features: Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars Review
The Revic Acura BLR10b 10x42s are the slimmest and most compact of all the full size rangefinder binoculars we tested. Not only that, but they are also one of the lightest weight rangefinder binoculars in this review. The amount of power that’s built into this compact and lightweight unit is truly incredible.
UNIQUE QUICK KEY BUTTONS: Unlike any other rangefinder binoculars we tested, the Revic Acura BLR10b offers what they call “Quick Key” buttons to help you quickly navigate through settings you might want to change on the fly. These buttons are also extremely useful to help you navigate through the menu. The Quick Keys allow you to change the wind direction and speed as well as the display brightness and range mode with a quick press of the buttons. Pretty sweet setup!
THREADED FOR A TRIPOD ADAPTER: Another feather in their cap, the Revic Acura BLR10b rangefinder binoculars are threaded for a tripod adapter so you can get the most out of your optical and rangefinder performance. This may not be a big deal to some, but it makes a big difference to many of us out west.
SUPER SMOOTH FOCUS WHEEL: The focus mechanism on the Revic Acura BLR10b is very smooth and offers enough resistance to stay put, but not so much that it’s difficult to move. We still prefer the Zeiss Victory RF focus mechanism, but this one is very, very good as well.
NON-LOCKING DIOPTER AND FOCUS: Unfortunately, like most of the rangefinder binoculars we tested, the Revic Acura BLR10b rangefinder binoculars don’t have a locking diopter or focus mechanism. This is a downside to these top tier rangefinder binoculars. They do not move easily at all, so there is no issue with them moving on accident, but we’d still like to see them locking.
Revic App
The Revic app is super easy to navigate, set up your gun profiles, and sync with the Acural BLR10b, and it provides a ton of data points for your long range shooting needs. You will want to set up all your ballistic profiles prior to getting out in the field or hitting the range, but once they are in there, it’s super easy to select which profile you want to use and have your ballistic solution displayed in your rangefinder binoculars.
Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42 Pros:
- Top tier optical performance
- Excellent edge-to-edge clarity
- Excellent low light performance
- Neutral color tone
- Great range”finder display
- Angle compensated range
- Monster rangefinder capability
- Quick key buttons
- “Shoot to” mode for archery or custom ballistic turret use
- Fast scan mode
- Excellent focus wheel
- Smallest, most compact and lightweight of the group
- Threaded for a tripod adapter
- Best overall combination of a rangefinder & binocular
Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42 Cons:
- Menu and quick keys take some time to learn
- Not the “best” in any one stand alone category
Group Consensus: Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars
Picking the “Best Rangefinder Binoculars” from among this group was not easy. There is no way to pick a “winner” without a lot of qualifications and caveats. That being said, the group felt that the Revic Acura BLR10b rangefinder binoculars offer the best overall combination of rangefinder performance, optical performance, and overall user experience. As mentioned above, they aren’t the best in any one category, but being that they are nearly always in the top three of every test we did and are a long range shooter’s dream while still retaining the ability to be easily be used by an archery hunter, they edge out the competition for the top spot.
The group LOVED the overall rangefinder functionality, but also felt like you didn’t have to give up a bunch of optical performance to get it. Everyone agreed that the GPO Rangeguide 2800, Zeiss Victory RF, and Swarovski EL Range TA are all slightly better in the optical performance department, though.
However, what they make up for in the rangefinder department with their 2nd best ranging ability, super fast ranging and scanning speeds, fully integrated ballistics, and even a simple “Range Only” that can be used by the hunter who just wants to know the line of sight range, pushes them over the top. The ability to display your “shoot to” range for your achery hunting, or if you have a custom turret is a game changer for many as well.
You may come up with an entirely different conclusion than we did here at Backwoods Pursuit based on your own personal needs. For many of us, optical performance carries the most weight which could push you towards the Swarovski EL Range TA or Ziess Victory RF, even the GPO Rangeguide 2800 if you prefer a simple rangefinder without all the bells and whistles of integrated ballistics.
At the end of the day, though, the Revic Acura 10×42 is a killer combination of a top-notch rangefinder with top tier optical performance and some of the most incredible integrated ballistics we’ve ever seen, combined with super fast scanning/ranging speeds. Even though we didn’t mention it much, the Revic Acura BLR10b also has a fantastic focus wheel which is buttery smooth with absolutely zero play.
Our Picks For Each category
Here are Backwoods Pursuit’s favorite picks for various categories after testing these rangefinder binoculars. Hopefully this will help you narrow things down if you are still struggling to decide which ones would work best for you.
Biggest Surprise
Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42
The Revic Acural BLR10b rangefinder binoculars came out of nowhere. Literally. In fact, they barely made it in this review, but boy are we glad they did! Amazing in nearly every category, these burst onto the scene in a big way and ran with the “big boys” right out of the gate.
Runner Up: GPO Rangeguide 10×50
Best Optical Performance
Swarovski EL Range TA 10×42
There was little question that optically the Swarovski EL Range TA lead the field. With best in class edge-to-edge clarity, low light performance, image resolution, and color contrast this decision was unanimous, just edging out the Zeiss Victory RF.
Runner Up: Zeiss Victory RF 10×42
Best Rangefinder Performance
Sig Sauer Kilo 10K 10×42
If rangefinder performance and features are what you are after, the Sig Kilo 10K ABS is where it’s at. It simply ran away from the competition, beating the next closest non-Sig Sauer competitor by nearly 2,000 yards in ranging ability, while still offering the most long range shooting data in the display of any unit we tested. A dedicated archery mode makes it even more versatile. Hands down the best features of the group!
Runner Up: Revic Acura BLR10b
Best Rangefinder Binoculars for Archery Hunting
Sig Kilo 6K 10×32
If you are looking for rangefinder binoculars specifically for archery hunting, the Sig Kilo 6K are tough to beat. Featuring a small, lightweight, and compact design and a built-in “Archery” mode that calculates the shot angle and arrow speed into its adjusted range, all while not giving up applied ballistics for the long range shooter. Pretty sweet for such an affordable unit!
Runner Up: Acura Revic BLR10b
Best Rangefinder Binoculars for Long Range Shooting
Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42
If you have a passion for long range shooting and want a rangefinder built and designed to support that activity, the Revic Acura BLR10b stands out with the best combination of excellent rangefinder performance and excellent optical performance. It is truly built with long range shooting in mind. If, however, you want even more rangefinder power and want to have more ballistic data shown in the display, seriously consider the Sig Kilo 10K ABS as that was the top performing rangefinder of the group, and is also built for the long range shooter.
Runner Up: Sig Kilo 10K ABS
Best Overall Value
GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50
If the best overall value is what you are after, you’d be hard pressed to beat the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×50. Coming in at an amazing 3rd place overall in optical performance, while not sacrificing any rangefinder performance, the GPO Rangeguide 2800 routinely returns ranges past 3,300 yards instantaneously. You don’t get any integrated ballistics, but that’s part of why you get a great price point with exceptional performance. This truly is one of the best combinations.
Runner Up: Acura Revic BLR10b
Most Versatile Rangefinder Binoculars
Revic Acura BLR10b
This one was a huge surprise as the Revic Acura BLR10b rangefinder binoculars give you unreal rangefinder performance, incredible integrated ballistic solutions, a mode that can be used by archery hunters (if that is your passion), and a red auto brightness OLED display- all in a super compact and lightweight package. You also get top tier optical performance to boot. Pretty impressive feature set that is perfect for every outdoor pursuit from archery to long range rifle shooting.
Runner Up: Sig Kilo 6K 10×32
Best Compact Rangefinder Binoculars
GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32
Even though the Sig Kilo 6K is more versatile, the GPO Rangeguide 2800 10×32 offers better optical performance, a more refined build quality, far superior focus wheel, better eye cups, and overall is a better quality optic. It doesn’t, however, have applied ballistics integrated, so if that’s of utmost importance, the Sig Kilo 6K is the way to go.
Runner Up: Sig Kilo 6K
Best Overall Rangefinder Binocular Combo
Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42
If you are looking for the absolute best overall rangefinder binoculars combination, we give that award to the Revic Acura BLR10b 10×42. While not the best optical performer or best rangefinder performer, they ranked in the top three for just about every category. The Acura BLR10b has the least amount of compromise in each respective area.
Runner Up: Zeiss Victory RF 10×42
Conclusion: Best Hunting Binoculars With Rangefinder
At the end of the day, if you are in the market for rangefinder binoculars, there are SO MANY aspects to consider and a number of features that affect the performance of the unit. After trying to sift through the many variables while doing this rangefinder binocular review, we can offer one important piece of advise- first determine what your non-negotiable features are. You’ll be able to weed out a lot of rangefinding binoculars that won’t work for you if you start there. Otherwise, you’ll likely find yourself in the weeds of “analysis paralysis.” This is especially true with rangefinder binoculars given how the addition of one feature oftentimes adversely affects the performance in another area.
I think I’ll go take a week long nap now to recover from this project…
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It would be cool if you did a review on the new Leopold BX-4 RANGE HD TBR/W 10X42MM
Hey there Jason! Yeah, that would be awesome! We’ll see what we can do! Thanks.
Have you had the chance to get your hands on the Burris Signature 10×42 LRF? That would be another set that would be interesting to compare!
Hey there, Jon! Unfortunately I haven’t yet had the change. Those came out just as we were wrapping up this project, and they were pretty tough to get a hold of, so we couldn’t get them in the review. Hopefully soon though!
interested to know why vortex was not included in the comparison
Hey there! Thanks for the question. I noted in the review, we weren’t able to get our hands on the Vortex Fury as they proved extremely difficult to find. Thanks for reading!
Why did you not text the Leica Geovid Pro ?
Hey there, Lee! Thanks for reading the article! We didn’t have any Leica rangefinders in this one as they told us that they did not wish to have theirs in the review at that time. They have since reached out and said they would certainly like have their products in future reviews, so we are excited about that as Leica makes some great optics!
Well done, you guys do the best reviews!! Love the content please keep it up!!
Did you have plans to review sub compact versions like the Leica pro 8×32 and el range 8×32?
Hello, Lyle and thank you! We really appreciate the kind words. A sub-compact review isn’t currently in the works, but that is definitely something we can consider as a future project. Thanks for the suggestion!
Fantastic roundup of rangefinder binoculars! While I’m partial to the Leica Noctivid for its low-light prowess, the Sig Kilo series really caught my eye. The Kilo 10K’s extended range and angle compensation are impressive, and the Kilo 6K’s compact size and affordability make it a tempting option. It’d be great to see a head-to-head comparison of these Sigs against the Zeiss Victory RFs in similar lighting conditions. Ultimately, the choice probably comes down to individual needs and budget, but Sig Sauer Optics are definitely in the running for top honors in the rangefinding binocular game!
Thank you! I’m glad the article was helpful. The Sig Sauer rangefinder binoculars are extremely high on rangefinder performance, that’s for sure! Thanks for reading.