Knowing the exact distance to your target is essential for pinpoint accuracy, regardless of whether you are shooting a bow, muzzleloader, or a long-range rifle. Last year we tested the RX 2800 and it performed unbelievably. So, this year, we are doing the same testing for its little brother, which has some very similar features, but is a less expensive unit.
The RX-1600i TBR/W is another compact rangefinder in the Leupold line and will range reflective targets out to 1,600 yards. This is always a question when we field test these products, but it delivered on this promise. The 6X magnification on this model makes those 1,000+ yardages a bit tough to hold steady on, but when you do, the equipment is capable. The RX-1600i processes extremely fast and spits ranges out quickly. Even at extremely long ranges, we were able to get quick feedback without multiple pushes of the button. On objects like trees, the advertised distance is 1,200 yards and we found that to be a conservative number by Leupold as we were able to exceed that number in our testing. This was the same with deer sized targets, exceeding the advertised number of 1,000 yards.
As with most rangefinders, the RX-1600i will put readings out in both yards and meters and the red OLED display lights up well, even under extremely bright conditions. This rangefinder will also provide you LOS which stands for ‘line of sight’ reading. This is the actual yardage or meters in a straight line to the target. It’s also a dandy little computer and will give you what Leupold refers to as TBR or ‘true ballistic range’. This means that it will take into account the incline or decline and give you the corrected yardage or meters to hold. This takes the guesswork out of making a shot uphill or downhill.
Taking this to the next level in the TBR mode, you can get holdover outputs in several options. These all require you to know certain data about the load you will be shooting and requires some input. The BAS output will give you the equivalent horizontal range and what I like to call ‘corrected data’. It will also display data in MOA and MILS. This eliminates the need to have to cut a custom turret for your rifle. You can zero your rifle at whatever altitude you will be hunting or shooting at and your corrected data is then output and you can make a quick change on your rifles’ elevation turret in the appropriate MILS or MOA.
The RX-1600i has the ability to give a constant 10MPH full value ninety-degree wind measurement in these same measurements. It also has a bow mode, which delivers up and down compensation for shooting out of a tree stand or off of a ledge out to 175-yards. This is truly a great rangefinder and it performed extremely well in all of our field testing.
