Vortex Fury on tripod mount maximising rangefinding potential
While Vortex continues to broaden their range of binoculars, it’s the new Fury HD that’s the real stand-out for me. These full size binoculars are of roof prism design and offer laser range-finding capability at long distances. We all know that Vortex offer a number of options via their dedicated laser rangefinders but these new binoculars offer a dual-purpose both-in-one unit that gives a larger field of view than a traditional stand alone range finder. With 42mm objective these binoculars offer 315ft field of view at 1000yards and a close focus distance of just 20 feet. At this stage they are only available in 10×42, however, in my mind if you’re a serious deer or trophy hunter, anything under that simply isn’t enough magnification.
The new Fury HD’s are well designed and offer high quality HD optics coupled with a built-in rangefinder. Firstly, the controls are conveniently located on the right hand side for single-handed use and the illuminated display (offering three brightness settings). They can be set to yards or meters to range your target. Another great feature with the Fury HD’s is its SCAN mode that offers continuous readings on a moving target or distant landscapes. I remember using this mode on a recent fallow hunt. The friend I was guiding simply wasn’t confident in taking a shot at over 250 metres. That’s where scan mode comes into play and while the buck was on the move, I could continually whisper the distance via the Fury’s ultra-fast readout. Once that buck got to with 250 metres he was in real trouble as Tim knew exactly where his bullet would land from there.
Next, these binoculars offer the choice of two range modes. HCD (horizontal component distance) and LOS (line of sight) and Scan mode can be used with either. While HCD is the primary pre-set mode, the display offers shot angle and component distance or horizontal range, as you’d read off a map. So for example if you are looking at a target of say 500 yards line of sight at an up or down hill angle, the horizontal component distance of 385 yards will be displayed. This takes the guesswork out of calculating the corrected shot placement at that angle.
The Rangefinder in this binocular runs off a single battery offering literally hundreds of scans, however, the battery life is always visible in the display, so you’ll know when the battery needs replacing. The Vortex Fury HD’s offer XR fully multi coated HD Lenses (high density low dispersion glass) and dielectric-fully multi-coated prisms producing exceptional clarity and superior light transmission, even in low light conditions. To customise these binoculars to your eyes, the fury HD’s offer dioptre adjustment located under the twist-up eyecups. The left bell is for dioptre adjustment marked “D” while the right bell adjustment (marked “R”) takes care of focus on the display. In addition, a conveniently located focus wheel, green, rubber armoured body for non-slip grip and single bridge construction make these binoculars very comfortable to use.
With regards to rangefinding capability the maximum range on these binoculars is stated at 1600 yards, however, this relates to large reflective surfaces only and while it might work on large rock faces or tree trunks way out yonder, I believe the effective range on a deer sized animal for an accurate reading would likely be around 1000 yards, but I believe that goes for any pair of rangefinding binoculars or dedicated range finder on today’s market.
The Vortex Fury HD’s are gas purged and “O” ring sealed for fog and waterproof performance, while their ultra-hard exterior lens coatings protect against scratches, dirt and dust.
Like all good Vortex product, the Fury HD 10 X 42 RF binoculars come with the Vortex unconditional, unlimited lifetime VIP warranty. To find out more ask at your local dealer or visit www.extravision.com.au
Fury underside view of battery compartment
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