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Are Rangefinding Binoculars Worth It?
Over the past few years, several companies have combined great glass that brings you closer to the game with the ability to determine the range at which it is standing. Now there's no need for carrying two different items into the backcountry, deer woods, or shooting range.
Trim down the hunting pack and carry less - sounds like a plan to me!
We recently put five different range finding binoculars through the paces, and I plan to highlight three of them here for you.
Alpen Apex XP 10x42 ED Laser Rangefinder Binoculars
Burris Optics 10x42 Signature HD Laser Rangefinding Binoculars
Hawke Frontier LRF 10x42 Binoculars
All of the binoculars have similar specs, and there is A LOT that could be covered, but we’re just going to touch on some highlights of similarities and differences. I will go ahead and let the cat out of the bag. All of these are pretty awesome overall. So if you’re looking to buy a pair of rangefinding binoculars, hopefully, this initial comparison will help you.
We also included a pair of Vortex Fury HD 5000 10x42 and the Leupold BX-4 Range HD TBR/W 10x42 in our video comparison. We plan to add those into another comparison article coming in the near future.
If you have any questions about those, don't hesitate to watch the video for more information. And, you can always easily reach us by email at robbie@reviewthisthingtv.com
First, let’s look at the similarities:
- All of our samples have a 10x magnification with a 42mm lens.
- And an eye relief around 16mm.
- They all have a ~6 deg angular FOV, putting their Linear FOV right around 320 feet.
- The reflective detection range on all of them is around 2500-2600 yards.
- And the detectable deer range is stated at about 800 yards for the Burris and Alpen.
- But, we couldn’t find a documented deer range for the Hawke.
Now, we're probably not taking a shot at 800 yards, but I guess having those further distances available lets you know how far you may have to travel for a spot and stalk-type hunt or to find a landmark you need to get to for that closer shot. And if you are planning to shoot an animal at that distance, you obviously need it to detect a range when directed at that animal.
- All of them except for the Hawke can easily attach a tripod adapter for added stability and to give your arms a break if you’re going to be glassing for a while.
- So if you plan to use them for long-term glassing, keep that in mind.
How do the sizes compare:
- They’re all very close, with the Hawke’s clearly being the tallest, and the Alpen the most compact, but the Hawkes are smaller in circumference
- They’re pretty close in weight, too - ranging from right at 2 pounds to 2.25 pounds
- with the heaviest being the Burris and the Alpen’s again being the lightest
Let’s take a look at the glass:
- All of them use some type of ED or HD multi-coated high quality glass.
- We both took turns looking through all of them in the rain and fog and even past last shooting light. We had a hard time choosing a clear “best” option.
- They all were very clear, even at several hundred yards out.
- And all of them significantly increased our own visibility as it got darker.
- Each one seemed to lose detection and range finding ability about the same as the other.
- At one point as it grew darker, we still could have detected an animal at least 500 yards away, but maybe not have clearly identified it for shooting.
Now, let’s talk about the ranging modes:
- All of them have multiple options including being able to choose between horizontal distance and LOS (angle distance measures) depending on your purpose.
- Choosing yards or meters is available on each pair.
- The Burris and Hawke also have Near or Sport Mode and Hunt mode:
- The hunt mode is meant to ignore brush or other things that may be in front of your target and measure what’s farthest away.
- While sport mode does the opposite - so say if you’re using them for golf. It should display the distance of the closest target in your view.
- The Hawke Frontiers also have a rain mode, which is designed to ignore rain or other interference of that type.
- All of them worked pretty well when we were testing them in the rain, so we didn’t check this feature out specifically.
Buttons and Focus Wheel:
- Alpen and Burris both have the focus wheel in front of the ranging button.
- If you're used to using a regular pair of binoculars, this arrangement seems more intuitive for index finger focus adjustments and range finder use.
- Where the Hawke is opposite - which Adrian seems to prefer.
- She feels that using her index finger for the range finder button and middle finger for the focus wheel makes quick adjustments and finding ranges faster.
- She seemed to find herself feeling around to find the ranging button on the others.
As far as the displays:
- All the range displays are located in the right eye portion of the binoculars.
- They’re all pretty similar red LED displays that can be focused for clarity and the brightness adjusted.
- Pretty much all show the LRF reticle, distance with the unit used, and angle measurement.
- Ones with different modes display that as well.
- And the Hawke and Burris are going to show you battery life when they first come on.
- One thing I did notice is that the reticle on the Hawke has some extra lines that come out from around it while the others are basically a circle.
Measurement accuracy:
We tested them out in several different conditions: sunny, cloudy, rainy, and even when it was pretty foggy.
- They all did well and measured very close to each other.
- There’s a street sign that sits 233 yards from our house that was easily measured through fairly dense fog.
- One rainy day we took them all to a nearby field, which just happened to have some geese out feeding. Each pair of binoculars provided precise measures quickly and all were close to each other in the ranges that were provided.
What's Included:
They all come with a case, straps, and glass covers. The Hawke case is actually a bino harness chest pack, with molle attachments for adding other pouches if needed.
- And of course, all of them come with the battery needed for operation.
Warranty for the Just In Case...
Of course, they’re all supposed to be shockproof, waterproof, and fog proof.
But what happens if something goes wrong, and they quit working:
- Hawke has an unlimited no-fault lifetime warranty on their optics.
- But, unfortunately, the electronics are only guaranteed for 2 years.
- Burris has what they call their Forever Warranty, and it looks like it also covers the electronics.
- But it seems there are several caveats to it
- Doesn't cover normal wear and tear or misuse
- Or optics not sold by an authorized dealer
- The Alpen website has a couple of different warranties listed.
- On the product page for these is says they have a Lifetime Warranty if you register them within 60 days of purchase and have proof of purchase
- But their warranty page is a little different
- When we reached out to them the quickly corrected us and said the Lifetime Warranty is accurate on electronics and optics. So, from that aspect, it seems the Alpen could be your best investment since the whole optic and electronics are covered no matter what you do to mess them up.
Conclusion
We can't come to a conclusion without talking about pricing.
- MSRP ranges from $999.99 to $1200
- The lowest cost are the Alpen Optics, Hawke is in the middle, and the Burris pair is slightly more expensive.
- Of course they all have great warranty's so that's only slightly something to consider.
- We were able to find them on sale for less than MSRP, so don't forget to shop around to find the best price.
- Burris on Optics Planet for less; Hawke on Optics Planet for less
As far as which pair is best - I'm sure you know what answer is coming...
It depends on what you’re looking for and what you want them to do.
The best case scenario would be to narrow it down to 2-3 pairs based on the functionality you want. Then, find a store so you can hold each of those to get a feel for how they fit, feel, and how intuitive they are for you to use. I was surprised when choosing my final pairs because it really came down to how they felt in my hands more so than exact quality of glass or options.
All 3 of these binoculars are great options and I don't think you can go wrong!
