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Dec 26, 2023

Best Rangefinder Binoculars (Review & Buying Guide) in 2023

Two eyes are better than one. The Leica Geovid Pro combines all the high-tech software you could want with excellent image clarity in a small package, making it the best overall rangefinding

Two eyes are better than one.

The Leica Geovid Pro combines all the high-tech software you could want with excellent image clarity in a small package, making it the best overall rangefinding binocular.

The Vortex Fury HD provides high-quality rangefinding technology with the ability to range deer-sized targets at up to 1600 yards, making it the best rangefinding binocular for hunting.

The ridiculous range capabilities of the Kilo10K combined with the onboard technology allowing BDX-equipped optics and third party info-gathering makes the Sig Sauer Kilo10K-ABS the best rangefinding binocular for long-range shooting.

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Rangefinder binoculars might seem like an odd combination — like a fork and spoon creating a spork — but they fill a niche role that gives hunters multiple advantages. There is, of course, the titular function (range finding, duh), but many also include calculators to do ballistic math for you and provide higher magnification than their monocular counterparts. Plus, using both eyes means you’ll get a higher field of view, making it easier to see your target.

If you want improved visibility and excellent range estimations at long distance, continue below to find a list of the best rangefinder binoculars on the market.

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Leica has been making optical devices for years. At the start of 2023, it released the Geovid Pro, calling it the world’s first premium compact rangefinding binocular.

It certainly ticks all the boxes. Sporting only a 32-millimeter objective lens, it’s at the bottom end for size, but it still has 10x magnification and an excellent FOV. But the best bit is under the hood. The Geovid Pro sports custom patented prisms, called Perger-Porro prisms, which give all the light transmission that Porros do while being able to be easily weatherproofed similar to roof prisms.

But that’s not the end of the features. The Geovid Pro sports onboard environmental sensors such as temperature, pressure, and humidity, and it also has a compass. Wind can be imported from a third-party device, or input manually. All this data gets fed into the onboard ballistics calculator, which is driven by Applied Ballistics software. You can also add additional data, such as ballistics profiles, via Bluetooth into the calculator via an app. Once the data is imported, you don’t even need your phone, as the rangefinder stores the profiles for you. But if you do have your phone, you can use the rangefinder to mark GPS positions in the app.

Unfortunately, the app has its limitations. Leica is running AB Ultralight. While an excellent software, it’s limited to making calculations out to 875 yards. If you want to improve that range, you’ll have to pay to upgrade to AB Sportsman or AB Elite. Given the price, it’s a shame to have to pay for an upgrade on an already premium product. But if you do, you’ll be able to take advantage of the extra image clarity for making long-range shots.

Compact form factor

Onboard Applied Ballistics tech

Onboard environmental sensors

Excellent warranty

Pricey

App requires upgrade for full Applied Ballistics data

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Sitting at the top end of Vortex’s offerings is the Fury HD 5000 AB. It’s more expensive than its brothers, but that’s because of the tech inside, specifically the Applied Ballistics Elite software package.

The Fury HD 5000 gets its name from its rangefinding capabilities. According to Razor, the Fury can estimate deer up to 1,600 yards, trees and brush up to 2,400 yards, and reflective targets up to 5,000 yards. It also has scan modes to calculate range and track moving targets correctly, but that’s not all.

Like many pricey and high-end rangefinding binoculars, this model has Applied Ballistics software onboard, allowing for precise firing solutions by importing data. Peripherals like Kestrel and Garmin can be paired to allow for GPS and wind data, or you can add in wind data yourself, either in full force left/right or in a specific direction for a more accurate calculation. The rangefinder collects environmental data such as temperature, pressure, humidity, and direction. This data gets input into the AB Elite calculator, and when combined with an imported ballistic profile, the calculator spits out a firing solution.

Getting there might be a bit of a pain. The display is cluttered, and the controls are known to be clunky. The image clarity leaves a bit to be desired, as well. It’s not that terrible, but nowhere near as nice as high-end binoculars without the rangefinding capability, owing to the lens design. But for the money you pay, if you’re serious about long-range hunting or shooting in general, these are an excellent option.

Excellent rangefinding capability

Onboard Applied Ballistics tech

Onboard environmental sensors

Poor image clarity

Cluttered display

Tedious to set up

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If you’re all about reaching out and touching someone, then the Sig Sauer Kilo10K-ABS HD is for you. Boasting an impressive 10,000-yard ranging distance, the Kilo10K is purpose-built for long-range shooting. Admittedly, the numbers are a little superfluous. The longest confirmed kill was made at 3,871 yards, roughly 2.2 miles. So while it’s good to know that you too could at least spot a target at almost three times that distance, in practice you’re not likely to need to.

To be making long-range shots, you’ll need plenty of data. Luckily, the Kilo10K provides such data. The rangefinder is capable of correctly ranging deer-sized targets at 3,000 yards, trees at 4,000 yards, and reflective targets at 10,000 yards. An onboard compass provides bearing, and there are also sensors onboard to measure pressure, humidity, and temperature. As a bonus, a WeatherFlow wind meter is included with your purchase (as well as a chest harness in Multicam) to provide wind data via Bluetooth.

Kestrel and Garmin products can also be paired to the Kilo10K to provide ballistic and GPS data, via the integrated Applied Ballistics technology. You can also import ballistics data from Sig’s app to get a firing solution based on the Applied Ballistics Elite ballistic software. And if you own a scope from Sig’s BDX line, you’re in luck, as that data can be transferred directly to the scope. Meanwhile, Sig Sauer has paired with another app called BaseMap to allow inputting GPS coordinates based on location, bearing, and range measurement.

Unfortunately, it’s not all perfect. According to folks on the Long Range Hunting forum, the glass leaves a blue tint, due to lens coating and prism design. Pictures available on the internet confirm this. The display tends to feel cluttered, as well. But apart from that, you can rest assured you’ll be getting a quality product.

Extreme rangefinding capabilities

Includes WeatherFlow wind meter

Onboard Applied Ballistics and BDX technology

Onboard environmental sensors

Pricey

Poor glass clarity

Clutter display

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Bushnell is known for making quality products at low prices, and the Fusion X is no different. These little 10-power binos are fairly cheap, but they do an excellent job. Accurate within a yard, these can range a deer-sized target to 700 yards, trees to 900 yards, and reflective targets to a mile out. That’s not as high as the competition, but it’s nothing to scoff at either.

Glass clarity is high, as Bushnell has implemented its High Definition Optical System (HDOS), which refers to the prism technologies as well as the lens film, to ensure high-quality viewing. Additionally, the rangefinder auto-detects ambient light, so that in high visibility the reticle is black, but is red in low light to ensure proper range reading.

While the Fusion X doesn’t have a fancy programmable ballistics calculator, it does have the next best thing, accessible in rifle mode. According to the manual, Bushnell has taken ballistic data from over 2,000 caliber and load combinations including black powder/muzzleloader and put them into 10 groups. After a range has been found, data from the group selected is used to calculate a hold needed. If you feel that you would prefer a more precise hold calculation, Bushnell provides instructions within the manual for a more accurate ballistic calculation.

Low price

Excellent clarity

Built-in simple ballistic calculator

Shorter effective range than competition

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Every hunter has a “one-that-got-away” story, usually detailing a massive trophy animal larger than life. These stories are usually more than a little embellished, and though we all have one, we’re typically skeptical of everyone else’s. Well, with the ATN Binox 4k 4-16X, you’ll be able to come away with a little more proof that the big one really does exist, and hopefully, it will help you hit the sucker.

The Binox were the only digital binoculars that I could find, and they’re packed with features. First off is the variable zoom with a range of 4- to 16-power, which is a gain on most other rangefinding binoculars, which typically cap at 10-power. Additionally, this option features digital night vision, of which some users reported being able to see game at 125 yards. Once you spot your target, you’ll be able to capture photos and video via a few button clicks. With a video resolution of 4k, you should be able to prove that “big one” really is out there. It won’t look as good in the field though, owing to the viewing screen being limited to 720p, which is limited by the compact form factor. A 16-hour battery ensures many hours of use, with a battery extender that sits in a neck strap available from ATN.

As far as rangefinding binoculars go, this one performs relatively poorly. ATN lists the Binox as having an effective range of 1,000 yards, which is comparably short. Additionally, because there is only one objective lens, the field of view is small as well, limited to 220 feet at 1,000 yards. The good news is that if you own an ATN scope, like the Thor 4 or something similar, you’ll be able to use onboard Bluetooth to transfer data to the scope, as well as ATN’s Obsidian app to stream footage, mark targets on GPS, and show line of sight to others using the Obsidian app based on the onboard compass. But if you don’t own a Thor optic, and aren’t sold on digital binoculars, it might be worth looking at different options.

Video recording in 1080p

Integration with ATN optics and apps

Digital night vision

Built-in compass

Low FOV

Relatively low range

Lack of picture clarity at high magnification

Well, first off, what are you doing? If you’re just hiking through the woods and birdwatching, I’m not even sure why you’ve made it this far on this list. But if you’re into shooting, then maybe these are for you. Rangefinding binoculars are better than their monocular counterparts because you’re looking through lenses through both eyes, allowing for a wider FOV. Additionally, binoculars tend to have higher magnification.

For example, the Vortex Fury featured here has a 10x magnification and an FOV of 321 feet. By comparison, Vortex’s Razor HD 4000, its top-end monocular rangefinder, has 7x magnification and an FOV of 341 feet. The extra magnification at the cost of some view (and increased price) might be worth it to some shooters.

Besides the titular feature of these binos, there are usually a few other goodies involved.

The most common is the horizontal distance calculator. The rangefinder finds the angle from level ground to target, and then multiplies the range found by the cosine of the angle. One quick calculation later, it spits out the horizontal distance. The reason for this is because, regardless of the angle fired, gravity pulls the bullet down at the same rate. For example, a shot taken at a 35-degree angle at 450 yards has a horizontal component of roughly 370 yards, and the bullet will drop the same amount that it would from a 370-yard shot. So if you don’t have a ballistics calculator or your phone is dead and you can’t access the app of your choice, you can refer to your dope card or range book or what-have-you, and still make an accurate shot.

Speaking of ballistics calculators, maybe you’ve chosen a rangefinder with one onboard. Basically, it will take the information that I’ve detailed above, punch that range in (or Bluetooth will do it for you), and add in other data like wind, barometric pressure, known rifle performance, etc. It does all the work for you, and tells you how far to adjust your shot.

Another popular feature is a scan mode. This keeps the rangefinder actively on as you visually scan your surroundings. Typically, you can also set the rangefinder to record the ranges that measure closest or furthest to positively ID a target, like a deer in a field.

A: Not anymore. For a short time, Leupold offered a rangefinding binocular called the RBX-3000. However, it seems that it was discontinued by Spring 2020.

A: Almost all do. The added magnification allows users to more accurately aim at targets, thus getting a range calculation. That said, I’ve noticed that the binocular rangefinders tend to have stronger magnification than their monocular counterparts.

A: Recently, the Army and Marines issued contracts for weapon-mounted rangefinders. L3Harris won the contract for the Small Tactical Optical Rifle-Mounted Micro Laser Rangefinder 2 (STORM 2) for the Army, while Optic 1 was awarded the contract for the Integrated Compact Ultralight Gun-mounted Rangefinder (I-CUGR) for the Marines. Unfortunately for you LARPers out there, these don’t seem to be available for the general public.

If you’re still not sure which set of binos is for you, let’s break it down simply. If you want the best option out there, featuring premium glass clarity and excellent rangefinding capabilities with all the high-tech bells and whistles, select the Leica Geovid Pro. If you’re wanting the best for long-range hunting and shooting, then either the Razor Fury or Sig Sauer Kilo will serve you well. Meanwhile, if you’re balling on a budget, look no further than the Bushnell Fusion X. And if you want to measure range at night and make the most of digital zoom, select the ATN Binox. All are excellent options in their own right. But if you’re still not convinced of binoculars, maybe check out this list of monoculars, where we tested out the best rangefinders on the market.

For this buyer’s guide, I was looking for information regarding performance data. A rangefinder that sucks at measuring range is just a paperweight. I was looking at effective range, field of view, and also checking for features such as ballistic calculators. End-user reviews were vital to this selection, as were individual reviews and forum discussions. In particular, data from the Long Range Hunting forum, as well as reviews from Outdoor Life and Petersen’s Hunting were extremely helpful.

Jesse Carlson is an F-16 crew chief with the Air National Guard and a mechanical engineering student, courtesy of the GI Bill. A constant tinkerer, he can often be found working on restoring his M38A1 Jeep.