I've read as many of the past reviews as I could find but I seem to be missing one bit of info to help finalize my decision. I currently have a Nikon Riflhunter 550 and it has done OK for most of my deer hunting needs but it pretty much craps out on deer past 350-375 yds. It is almost worthless for ground squirrel hunting whether ranging the animals or the mounds.
So I have some Cabela's bucks saved up (not willing to spend cash) and currently have four RFs in my wish list including the Leica CRF 1000R($539), Leica 1600B ($719), Leupold RX1200i($300-320), and Vortex Ranger 1000($380). I think these are the best available from Cabela's in my price range (~$700 max) but am willing to be educated. So I need an RF that will reliably range deer out to 550-600 yds, and I think these would all do that. But I also need one that will go to 400-450yds for where I hunt ground squirrels. I've seen a lot of discussion how these work on deer/cows/donkeys/rocks/barns/etc... but how about on the small targets like ground squirrels and their mounds?
My feeling is that the Leicas are the best of the bunch and I was very impressed with my guide's Leica 700 several years ago and how it performed on antelope. I'm sure that capability only got better. The real question is will one of the less expensive ones reliably fulfill my needs, at half the price of the 1600B? I don't mind paying for quality/performance but will not pay for marketing. All these RFs have limited warranties on the electronics and folks talked highly of Vortex/Leupold customer service and spotty on Leica's. I'd really prefer not to have to talk to anyone about warranty service.
I welcome any thoughts on the specifics of what I'm looking for. 100% reliable at 600yds for big game and 450yds for little stuff.
Your leaning toward the Leicas is probably not a bad idea. My 1000r is a terrific tool and will do everything you want except consistently rage squirrels at long range - those small targets make all of them struggle unless the background is very different from the target. But a bush or rock has always gotten me a return close enough. In fact mine routinely reaches past 1000 yards on reflective target.
Yeah, the ground squirrels are a challenge. We hunt mostly alfalfa fields and they may be on the bare spots with mounds or just a head poking up out of the green. Sometimes can get a reading off the walking sprinkler, a pipe, or maybe a rock or something but not that often.
