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Rapier 5-700 Laser Rangefinder

We believe that a rangefinder should be the first item packed in everybody's hunting kit. Why? Because if it was, we'd be rich and I wouldn't have to spend my free time writing websites, a job I'm patently unsuited to. (This little quip will be our little secret or I will be soundly beaten by the boss).

On a more serious note, range finding error is one of the biggest causes of missing that crucial shot, when you are shooting high or low your target becomes much smaller, magnifying the effects of wobble and wind. Every calibre bullet starts to drop at a range where you could still be accurate, and it is so easy to be 10 yards at 45 yards with an airgun or 50 yards out with a 22.250 at 400 yards. People spend hundreds or even thousands of pounds on their shooting gear and, for want of a simple piece of kit, miss shots they should get.

Why choose the Rapier?

All electronic rangefinders use a laser and a timer. Laser pings out, timer starts, reflection hits a receiver, timer stops. Time and Speed of light factored in and you have a distance. If you do the maths you'll realise that to produce these silicon chips in the quantities solely used in rangefinders would not be economic, they are an off the shelf device and are probably common to most rangefinders. What you pay for are features and optics and let me stop you right now, if money is no object and you hunt at night, go and buy a Leica with LED display because they are the best I've used at a non-stupid price, retailing at about £350. However this is not a must have, the LCD display common to most rangefinders does not pose a problem for 99% of people, if you can see your reticule you can see the display, and as the Rapier is only £134 if you don't need the LCD display save the £200 and spend it on wild women and booze, or the church collection if you are so inclined. (I'd recommend the former to be honest)

When we started making rangefinders we sold the budget rangefinders for under £100, but experience showed us that for a few pounds more we could produce a much higher spec item with useful enhancements:

5-700	There's a clue there, all the way down to 5 yards and out to 700. There's not a huge point in going much farther, not may people hunt past 400 yards, but the sub 10 yard readings are a real bonus for airgun users
Scan	The ability to follow a moving target is a real bonus, it means that as soon as it stops you have the opportunity for the shot without having to look for a reading. It also means that when you scan the horizon the closer targets will "blip" and you know when you have the correct target
Pinseeker	The laser diverges as it goes out, and this causes a problem in that if you have a small target with a big target behind it the receiver can be swamped by the bigger return signal. Pinseeker effectively uses only the centre of the lens and so allows much more accurate target acquisition
Auto function	The cheaper rangefinders have functions to allow rain use, mist use etc. Unfortunately this means the menu is more complex. The Rapier is auto-functioning, just press and go
Low current consumption	120mA compared to the average 150mA. Saves money, simples
Lightest on the market	It's only a few grams but what the heck, we have bragging rights at 162 grams
Auto shut off	After 30 seconds it shuts down to save battery life. Don't you wish you could fit this to your WIFE?

Plus of course the standard features:
Accuracy	+/- 1 yard
Reading	Selectable yards / metres
Choice of colours	Green, green or green

RRP £134