looks like a military range finder

W

wvbestshot

New member
I was looking at a long range article and I notice a long tube looking range finder. Like a small rocket launcher on a tripod. were do you get this at.
 
Your explanation is not real clear but it sounds like you are describing surplus Russian range finders.
The main body tube is about 36" long and mounts on a solid surface, presumably a tripod.
The tube has a lens at each end and an eyepiece in the middle.
Basically it works under the principle of binocular vision but the eyes are spread about 2 ft. apart. You look thru the rear eyepieces similar to looking thru a pair of binoculars and line up the object on the left with the object on the right. When they are right on top of each other you read the scale to get a range determination.
It is tough to describe without a picture.

If it is similar to what you are describing they are Russian surplus optical range finders.
I have seen them around for sale before but can't think of where off the top of my head.
 
Same principle as the first hunting range finders that came out, but alot smaller than what you are describing. Germans used the same type of rangefinder in WW2. Actually the first rangefinders the U.S. Army used in the M48 Patton series of tanks used the same principle.

German WW2 optical rangefinder

130a.jpg


M60 series tank. Look at the little "ears" on ether side of the turret, those are the rangefinder lenses

m60-005.jpg
 
The split image range finders of military quality are very good for finding ranges of targets on relatively flat, featureless terrain, at long distances. Those are the conditions where laser range finders have problems. But, the downside is that they are very big and heavy (compared to laser rangefinders), best suited for something like setting up and shooting prairie dogs or groundhogs from a fixed position, and they do require recalibration from time to time.
 
I have not seen Russian rangefinders on the surplus market, but I have seen British, Swiss, and Swedish units available for a while.

While they are big, and a bit bulky, if you are shooting PD's out in flat areas, or targets in confused areas... they will beat the lasers every time.

While it looks like a binocular in the middle, it is not... there is only one eyepiece. All of these rangefinders use "split images" to do the rangefinding.
There is a window in the right eyepiece that has a part of the image, and it is moved until it matches the rest of the larger image. When it matches, you get the range reading in the left "eyepiece". The English unit (Barr & Stroud) is in yards, the Swiss (Wilde) and the Swedish (Zeiss) are in meters.

I have the Swiss and the Swedish units, and they are outstanding in quality and optics (and bullet proof).

Recalibration takes all of a few minutes, and you do it yourself... I have yet to have to recalibrate either of my rangefinders after over 10 years of use.

.
 
CDR and Catshooter

Thanx for the reminder. I could not think of the definition of those scopes. Split Image, was the words I was looking for.

Your right about their size. By the time I drug one of those and a heavy varmint rifle around, I'd be to pooped to shoot.

I'd have to transport everything in an APC.

Bill
 
Ditto what CatShooter said on the PD's and flat terrain. I have a Swedish mortar crew rangefinder that I got a couple years ago from CheaperThanDirt. It's a bit bulky, and not worth the effort if you're moving a lot. But, if you are going truly long-range and plan on being in one location for a while, you can't beat it. It's rated for 1500 meters (~1700 yards)and is spot-on accurate.

I've owned (3) lasers and while I like them and use them a lot, I've not found (and I've "field tested" a bunch) one that is reliably accurate against PD's in the terrain I hunt much past 350 yards.

If you plan on doing much PD shooting beyond 500 yards, an optical rangefinder rules the roost.

Mike
 
Hey, Cat.....

Question for you. My Swedish unit came with the instructions, unfortunately all in Swedish. How do you re-calibrate the unit? Mine doesn't need it....yet. This would be very helpful info in the future, though.

Thanks

Mike
 
Quote:
Hey, Cat.....

Question for you. My Swedish unit came with the instructions, unfortunately all in Swedish. How do you re-calibrate the unit? Mine doesn't need it....yet. This would be very helpful info in the future, though.

Thanks

Mike



What... you don't read Swedish???

Take a night course /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I have only found the adjustment for making the two images match at the split - I have not found an adjustment for range. It seems like there should be one, but I haven't found it. It hasn't gone out of cal, so I'm not worried (so far).

.
 
Quote:


What... you don't read Swedish???

Take a night course /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif


.



I tried an online translator. When finished, I had some kind of recipe that resulted in basically inedible fish.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif

Mike
 
Quote:
I have only found the adjustment for making the two images match at the split - I have not found an adjustment for range.



Couldn't you just place a target at a known range, set the units range to match that known range, then make the images align using the split-image adjustment? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Quote:


Couldn't you just place a target at a known range, set the units range to match that known range, then make the images align using the split-image adjustment? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif



The range is read on a "dial" inside the viewfinder. Problem being, there doesn't appear to be an adjustment (readily available, anyway) that allows independent manipulation of the dial, or the split-image adjustment. Turning the split-image adjustment always results in movement of the dial range indicator.

Mike
 
Quote:
Turning the split-image adjustment always results in movement of the dial range indicator.



Ah, I see. Thought I had a good idea for a minute there. Doesn't sound to me like there's any kind of adjustment at all. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
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