Help deciding on which RF Binos around $1400 -1500 range.

ihuntsolo

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Jun 19, 2022
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I am shopping for a pair of RF Binos around $1400 -1500, and narrowed down to two options:
Leica Geovid R 10x42 (the new updated 2022 version)
Vortex Fury HD 5000 AB

My mainly use cases are for open country western mule deer rifle backpack hunting, 400 yards or less. For those who used these two, can you comment on which one would be a better buy overall? I know Geovid R has no AB, but optically somewhat better? Do I need AB for my use cases? size, weight difference?

For this price range, if you have other better recommendations, please do so! Thanks.
 
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Fury 5000 abs were below 900 last month, you might want to shop a bit harder or make a friend at the vfw if you decide to go that route.
 
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ihuntsolo

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That is refurbished at sierra, but still good price for fury ab. Thanks for this. How about geovid r 2022. Anyone?


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rcook10

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I tried the fury, nikons and sigs, ended up with the sigs and have hunted them hard for 3 years. Rangefinder and system are breat, glass is good but not great. Hated the vortex tinting in the field. Hated the slightly different individual eye tints of the nikons. Fury's have held up great but have slightly annoying eyecups and diopter adjustment.
 
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Keep in mind with all Leica's, the built in RF only gives solutions out to 800 yrds (bino alone)/ 1000 yrds (with Leica app). Anything beyond that you need to pair it with a Kestrel elite.
 
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I have not used any range finding binoculars but do use Leica equipment at work. The accuracy of their lasers is very high, at least for our uses.
 

Jimbee

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Mar 16, 2020
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I have an old pair of Bushnell RF binos and just bought a pair of Leica Geovid R. I'm not very experienced with high end optics but the Leicas seem incredibly crisp and bright to me. I only want a yardage reading and I'm really happy with my purchase so far.
 

BjornF16

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I had Fury AB but moved them along after getting my Leica Geovid Pro’s.

I liked the Fury’s, but liked the Leica better
 
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ihuntsolo

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Jun 19, 2022
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Thanks all for your inputs. I actually just ran to a local Cabelas and tested the two sets in store. For clarity, I could not see much difference. Both are very crystal clear to me. But the Geovid R is obviously bigger than the Fury HD 5000 AB. And I actually like the feel of Fury a little better. Weights seem on par with each other. Since Sierra has Fury AB refurbished for $1000, I decided to go with that option. Thanks rsltid13 for the lead.
 

EMAZ

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Mar 5, 2021
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Thanks all for your inputs. I actually just ran to a local Cabelas and tested the two sets in store. For clarity, I could not see much difference. Both are very crystal clear to me. But the Geovid R is obviously bigger than the Fury HD 5000 AB. And I actually like the feel of Fury a little better. Weights seem on par with each other. Since Sierra has Fury AB refurbished for $1000, I decided to go with that option. Thanks rsltid13 for the lead.
Good choice…hard to beat, especially since Vortex doesn’t limit the lifetime warranty on electronics like many others
 

longrange13

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Jun 25, 2023
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I haven’t used the new fury but I have used an older pair compared to an older pair of geovids. The lazer is better in the vortex and it has ballistics, but the Leica is better glass in my opinion.

I picked up the new geovid 15x56 and they are amazing. I was able to replace my 10x42s in most situations and dump my spotting scope in most situations. That’s a weight savings of almost 4 pounds. I’m not a huge vortex fan personally, but their high end stuff should get the job done. I personally think that most on board ballistic calculators are in accurate. You can use bdc turrets to 500 yards with minimal margins of error and past that I’d recommend using a kestrel regardless of an onboard calculator.
 

Camo Toe

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Aug 27, 2023
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Just got the new 2022 revision Leica Geovid R 10x42 RF bino. Love everything about them so far.
Does anyone have a recommendation on a quality light weight tripod for mountain hunting with this bino? I know I will need a tripod adapter & probably use the RRS Cinch (elite).
 

longrange13

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Just got the new 2022 revision Leica Geovid R 10x42 RF bino. Love everything about them so far.
Does anyone have a recommendation on a quality light weight tripod for mountain hunting with this bino? I know I will need a tripod adapter & probably use the RRS Cinch (elite).
Solid choice! I use the rrs cinch plastic version on both my geovids. It works great, is super adjustable and really durable. I’m sure the elite is super nice. Definitely a superior system to the bino adapters that mount to a stud imo and you don’t have to worry about loosing it.

There are lots of great tripod options. I use the slik 733 right now. If you buy a slik the 733 and 734 are the best option weight versus stability. With the short center column in I can just barely stand and glass. I am 5’ 8”. I currently use the sirui va-5 head on top.

The sirui T-024SK is a great combo kit as well. Includes the va-5 head and lightweight tripod for around $270.

Another awesome tripod is the aziak backcountry lite tripod. It is the lightest of the bunch. I’m not sure if you’d be able to stand and glass with this tripod but it is ultra light, stable, and compact.
 

JGRaider

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The only thing superior in any Leica bino/rf unit is the glass. The RF feature, ballistic interface, setup, etc is easily surpassed by several, including Sig, Vortex AB, and GPO.
 

5811

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Jan 25, 2023
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The only thing superior in any Leica bino/rf unit is the glass. The RF feature, ballistic interface, setup, etc is easily surpassed by several, including Sig, Vortex AB, and GPO.
I was on a trip out west where we had Fury's and Leica Geovid R's. The Vortex were faster to range and ranged to farther distances than the Leica. I'm not a glass snob, they both looked crisp to me, but the rangefinding function on the Fury's was much, much better.
 
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