The Tests
Rangefinders depend on the target to reflect a portion of the laser back to the unit to determine the range, and animal fur is a less-than-ideal surface. But many rangefinder users will be trying to get readings off distant animals, and the first exercise was designed to test a unit's ability to take readings off animal fur.

A tanned nilgai hide was used to test each unit's ability to range animals at long distances. A canvas target board was also used to determine how well the rangefinders ranged moderately reflective targets.

Blackwater USA--a superb training facility in Moyock, North Carolina--graciously allowed the use of its 1200-yard, known-distance range for a few hours. On a partly cloudy day, a tanned nilgai hide was suspended between a target frame, and readings were taken with each of the four units every 100 yards until they were unable to come up with a range. At several positions down the line, a white canvas target board was used as a control, and plywood target markers, painted black and white, sitting behind the test targets, were used to double-check the readings.

In the field, rangefinders are subjected to cold, heat, moisture, and the occasional drop and tumble. So the test units also spent two hours submerged in water. With batteries removed, the rangefinders were placed in a deep freezer for 24 hours, followed by being baked at 170 degrees for an hour, and then each was function tested.

Shown here with its nylon carrying case, the Leica CRF 900 did well on Blackwater USA's known-distance range. It was able to range both the nilgai hide and white target board out to 1000 yards.

SPECIFICATIONS Leica Rangemaster CRF 900
DIMENSIONS:	4.5x 2.25 x 1.25 inches
WEIGHT:	7.76 ounces
RANGING ACCURACY:	+/- 1 yard
RANGE:	10 to 900 yards
MAGNIFICATION:	7X
FIELD OF VIEW:	347 @ 1000 yards
OBJECTIVE DIAMETER:
EXIT PUPIL:	3.4 mm
EYE RELIEF:	15 mm
OPTICAL COATINGS:	P40 phase-corrected
DISPLAY:	LED
POWER:	CR2 Lithium
WARRANTY:	Two-year limited
FEATURES:	Waterproof, case and strap included
PRICE:	$579
TEST RESULTS
RANGING:	Nilgai hide, 1000 yards; white target board, 1000 yards
HEAT TEST:	Pass
FREEZE TEST:	Pass
SHOCK TEST:	Pass
WET TEST:	Pass

The shock test involved dropping the units, three times each, from eight feet onto a concrete driveway. A small piece of cardboard was placed on the concrete in an attempt to prevent marring the finishes. All of the rangefinders handled the tests quite well. They are plenty tough enough for the most rigorous field use.

The test results are detailed in the charts, but they do not give the end user an idea of how the rangefinders handle in the field. It is important to include these descriptions because of the wide range of features and prices these four units encompass.

Bushnell Elite 1500 ARC
The Elite 1500 is the largest of the four rangefinders tested, but it will easily fit into most jacket and cargo pockets. There are just two control buttons--a power/range button on top of the unit and a mode button to the left of the eyepiece. If you take the time to read the instruction manual before maneuvering through the different modes, the Elite is surprisingly easy and intuitive to operate, considering all the different features and functions offered.

Scan, brush, and bullseye modes allow the user to get continuous updates on moving targets; acquire ranges through brush, grass, or small limbs; and pick out small targets against "big" backgrounds. I was able to range columns on a distant porch and then a wall behind a row of pickets.

It took a couple of tries, but the Elite would range cars and houses several hundred yards behind a screen of grass or limbs. The bullseye mode picked out a lamppost at 47 yards while ignoring the side of a building 176 yards away. Selecting a different mode was accomplished with a few clicks.

The Elite 1500's most unique feature is the Angle Range Compensation (ARC) mode that uses a built-in inclinometer to take the guesswork out of shooting at extreme angles up to 60 degrees. A rangefinder setting is matched to the particular caliber, bullet, and bullet velocity, and after the line-of-sight distance is determined, the unit takes the angle and calculates the correct holdover in inches or centimeters.