Rangefinders - Sig v Leupy v Vortex v Nikon v ?

rebelblue

FNG
Joined
Nov 8, 2017
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30
Location
North Carolina
For a long time I thought I wanted a Vortex Ranger; long enough ago it was the 1000 I had my eye on. Of course, they've since upgraded and now I'm a little more serious about dumping my old RF for something with a little more to offer. I've not scratched Vortex off my list, but I've seen some pretty interesting things on the market.

Some context. I need:

- An illuminated reticle and read out
- Angle compensation that works well near and far
- Animal targets reliably read out to, say, 800 yds and as close as a sneak by a treestand

Recently, I've become interested in Sig Sauer's Kilo series. I believe both the 1800 and 2200 have the red OLED, but not sure which of the other offerings from Sig I should look at. Note that I don't give two f's about the BDX system so I kinda hate to pay the premium for it, but everything else about those RFs sounds fantastic.

The Nikon 3000 Stabilized is a little too pricey, but it looks amazing and I can't help but mention it. And, yes, while MSRP of everything mentioned here isn't too terribly far away from one another, I've never seen a deal on one of these.

Leopold's RX-1200i TBR with DNA is securely on my list.

Any thoughts on any of the above and anything else I should look at are very much appreciated.

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Joined
Oct 15, 2017
Messages
766
Location
MS
Check out the Sig Kilo1600. Has everything you need. It's a new release and their lowest line with a red OLED display. Plus no BDX. Have had mine almost a month and love it!
 
Joined
Mar 31, 2018
Messages
360
Location
Reno, Nevada
I always had trouble getting the vortex products to live up to their name. My vortex 1000 im sure in perfect factory conditions on the moon could do a 1000 but I never got better than 550 consistently out in the field. Same with the 1500.

I now have a Leica 2000 and not only does it do 2000 in field conditions the glass quality is very good. Its almost like a back up pair of binos
 
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BassAssassin04

Lil-Rokslider
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Jun 30, 2019
Messages
129
Location
Michigan
I have a Vortex Ranger 1500. I believe Vortex is the only company that offers a full warranty on rangefinders, so it was a simple choice for me.
 

scfreeman66

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
264
I bought a new Kilo2200 from eBay for a great price. It was an auction that I won. For the price, I wanted to try it. I love it, it's a premium range finder in my book.

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as.ks.ak

WKR
Joined
Aug 22, 2015
Messages
722
Location
AK
Vortex 1500 here. I think it sucks. I’m in the same boat you are.

I’ve had enough issues ranging sheep and goats and it failing me that I’m getting something else. I almost threw it down the mountain a few weeks ago in the Brooks. I’m done with it.

Sigs are high on my list right now as well. Looking forward to seeing more opinions here.


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Redarrow

FNG
Joined
Mar 14, 2019
Messages
52
I’ve got a kilo 1250, not sure they’re made anymore, paid $180 for it and no complaints
 

Rich M

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Jun 14, 2017
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5,100
Location
Orlando
I have the RX-1200i TBR and it works fine for me (got it in 2017). Was getting ranges on antelope out of 600 yards. Also use it for archery hunting and target range distances. I haven't tried the TBR but that's gonna change real soon.
 
OP
rebelblue

rebelblue

FNG
Joined
Nov 8, 2017
Messages
30
Location
North Carolina
Ended up going with the SIG SAUER KILO1800BDX. Found a great price on Ebay. Just got it in the mail and I'm super impressed with the glass, read out, and overall fit and finish. Very optimistic about field performance.

Wanted to share an image of the box insert that does a fantastic job breaking down some key features of each model in this line. I never came across anything like this online and found it super cumbersome to try to bushwack through websites teasing out the 1400 v 1800 v 2200 etc. This here card, though, is super efficient and I hope it helps others. For example, nowhere did I ever see anywhere that there is a 1M and a 3R model in the 1800. I ended up with the 3R, btw.

Cheers.
2a110e61afbec3ee32834f6f46c99f2d.jpg


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TravisIN

WKR
Joined
Oct 8, 2017
Messages
974
Need some input on the matter. I have a vortex and do not like it. I like the red led read out and the belt clip but other than nothing.


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Joined
Apr 5, 2015
Messages
5,824
I started with a vortex 1000. It worked fine for bow hunting and rifle for 3 seasons. It started to get a little blinky. Like it wouldn’t come on or it would blink off while using it. Vortex was rock solid on CS. They had a new one to me within two weeks but that was long enough for me to look into some other options.

Ended up going with a Sig Kilo 2200 that I caught on a sale. It is at another level of performance and price as well. I could probably still be using Vortex and be happy. The sig is just much faster and seems to have less issues with irregular targets or intermediate clutter. The improvement in speed alone is worth it to me for Bowhunting. It seems rock solid at longer ranges so Worth the extra $$$ in my opinion.
 

dv808

FNG
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
82
Location
honolulu
I also have the Leupold RX-1200i TBR. After investing in rangefinding binos, they're now used as a backup for hunting/golf. It was great and worked fine but now I don't have to carry two separate items. Made even more sense since my old binos weren't exactly compact.

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SniperHunter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 4, 2019
Messages
120
I think swarowski makes the best Bino and i am very surprise its not on the above title list.
 

bradb

WKR
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
959
Currently i have the sig 2400 abs and vortex razor 4000. The vortex ranges faster and farther with better glass. The sig has built in ballistic ect
 
Joined
Sep 27, 2019
Messages
52
I have the Sig BDX. You can also use the app to learn about your dope and dialing in your shots. Maybe not a feature you would use during the hunt but it has helped me learn about my reloads.
 
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