Rangefinding binoculars — a bino that incorporates a rangefinder and binocular into a single unit — are the rage these days. I’ve field-tested several different units through the years, and they have some definite plusses, and a few minuses.
Having one do-it-all optic is very nice. All manufacturers of the premium models claim their offerings can give you an accurate reading out to a mile or more, which is great if you’re a precision rifle shooter, but not much of a real-life benefit for bowhunters. The downside for bowhunting is most of these models are difficult to use with one hand, which means it’s tough to have the bow in one hand while trying to take a reading while stalking, or when an animal is moving. Sitting in a treestand or ground blind, bow in my lap, eliminates this issue. That said, I was able to stalk-and-range in Wyoming this past September after some practice.
Several companies offer 10x42 versions, including Bushnell, Leica, Nikon, Sightmark, Steiner (a 10x30), Swarovski, Vortex Optics and Zeiss. They’re very expensive, so choosing the right one definitely involves a cost/benefit analysis.
The latest entrant into this category is the GPO RangeGuide 3000. This is a 10x50 optic, which gathers a massive amount of light at dawn and dusk, thanks in no small part to the company’s GPObright high-transmission lens coatings. The optic weighs nearly 2 pounds, but it’s built to take some serious field abuse. It’s loaded with high-tech features, including both line-of-sight and angle compensating modes.
I was able to get an accurate reading at only 6 yards, and measured accurate distances from there out to 800 yards off some trees, which is far as I tested it, but it’s rated to more than 3,000 yards. The OLED display has nine brightness level adjustments, which is awesome in changing light conditions. It has a lightning-fast scan mode, and can even give you an outside temperature reading.
GPO (German Precision Optics) is a U.S.-based company run by men who were top executives in major European optics companies for decades. GPO President Mike Jensen, a man I respect as a serious hunter who has decades of hunting optics experience, told me GPO’s goal is to offer “premium product with better features at similar prices, or similar quality products at better prices.”
The RangeGuide 3000 fits into this latter category, offering superb performance for less money than the top-end units available today. I’ve also used a GPO Passion HD 10x42 binocular for over a year now, and I can tell you it is as good as any bino I’ve ever looked through.
For more information on the GPO RangeGuide 3000, visit www.gpo-usa.com.