(Review) Leica’s Rangemaster CRF 1600-B optic

The German camera company originally known as Ernst Leitz GmbH began life in 1913 and was started by a gentleman named Oskar Barnack at Ernst Leitz Optische Werke, Wetzlar. However, over, the intervening years, the company has grown and changed significantly and is now divided into three separate companies known as Leica Camera AG which manufactures cameras and laser range finders, Leica Geosystems AG which manufactures geosurvey equipment, and Leica Microsystems GmbH, which manufactures microscopes. In fact, Lecia Camera AG has been both a leading innovator and the standard by which other laser range finders are measured for eighteen years now.

Consequently, Leica recently introduced their newest innovation, the Leica Rangemaster CRF 1600-B. This unit measures 4.4” x 2.9” x 1.3” and weighs just 7.8 oz. so it is very compact and light weight due to its tough, carbon fiber reinforced, body . In addition, it features a 24mm Objective lens with a 345 ft. Field of View at 100 yds. Also, this unit features a 7x magnification and a measuring range of 10 yds. to 1600 yds. Plus, in includes three ballistics programs and a readout that not only displays the distance to the target, the unit also automatically compensates for angle, temperature, and barometric Pressure and thus, provides point-of -aim correction and the distance can be displayed in either yards or meters. Last, the Leica Rangemaster CRF 1600-B rangefinder is impervious to inclement weather due to the fact that it is waterproof to one meter.

The first thing we noticed about the Leica Rangemaster 1600-B is that it is held vertically instead of horizontally and thus, it perfect for people who are either right or left handed. In addition, it compact size and light weight allow it to fit into the breast pocket of most field shirts and thus, it is easily accessed when needed. In addition, all long-range, precision, rifle shooters are aware that both temperature and barometric pressure can adversely affect your shot just like wind can. Furthermore, shooting either uphill or downhill requires the solution of a trigonometric formula in order to arrive at the correct ballistic distance. Therefore, the Leica Rangemaster 1600-B features an integrated ballistics computer with a choice of ballistics curves that automatically adjusts for the angle of inclination, the temperature, the barometric pressure, when displaying the distance to the target which we thought was an extremely neat feature! Plus, we found that due to the compact size, we were easily able to reach the control button with our fingertips even when wearing gloves. Furthermore, depressing the button activates the unit and a second press starts the measuring process and the solution is displayed in less than 0.3 seconds. But, a feature we found really neat is that constant pressure on the button places the rangefinder in “scanning” mode so that the unit continuously measures the distance to the target and thus allows you to continuously track a moving target. Also, the superior optical system with 7x magnification combined with an extra wide Field of View allows the Rangemaster 1600 to double as a high quality, monocular, field glass for detailed viewing of prospective targets. In addition, a diopter adjustment combined with a rubber eyepiece makes the Leica Rangemaster 1600 friendly for those users who wear eyeglasses.

So, while we are all aware that precise measurement of the distance to your target is key to any successful long-range shot, especially when shooting over long ranges in poor light or in inclement weather conditions, you may not be aware that the slightest miscalculation can mean the difference between hitting and missing your target. Consequently, if you are serious about precision shooting over long ranges, then the Leica Rangmaster 1600-b laser range finder is a must have accessory.