Bushnell announces Prime 1800 laser rangefinder

Bushnell just announced its new Prime 1800 laser rangefinder, with a blend of capability and affordability that should make it attractive to hunters and long-distance shooters.

The Prime 1800 has 6x magnification, with 24 mm objective lens. Bushnell says the all-glass optical path "provides optimal clarity in all lighting conditions." The company also says the new Prime 1800 "features 2X brighter imaging with a 50% larger objective lens." Errr, brighter than what rangefinder? Larger than what objective lens?

Regardless of those questions, the Prime 1800 does indeed look to be a decent low-light rangefinder, at least in this price range. It features Bushnell's new ActiveSync internal display, which adapts the rangefinder's internal readout to match light conditions. If the rangefinder is aimed at a bright background, the user gets a black LCD readout. If aimed at a dark background, the LCD readout changes to red, for max visibility.

ActiveSync changes the display colour automatically, which some users might like, and others might not. The rangefinder has 4 range updates per second, and Bushnell says it will range out to 1800 yards on reflective targets, with +/- 1-yard accuracy. On trees, Bushnell claims 1000-yard ranging capability. Bushnell says the Prime 1800 ranges deer to 900 yards. That's a pretty long poke for even the most optimistic Bambi blaster.

The Prime 1800 also comes with Bushnell's Angle Range Compensation (ARC) technology built-in, to help shooters properly gauge angled shots in the field. The rangefinder comes with Scan, Bow, Bullseye/Brush and Rifle A-J targeting modes. It runs on a single CR2 battery, and comes with a threaded mount for tripods, etc.

The lens comes with Exo Barrier protective coating, and the whole rangefinder is IPX4 water-resistant. It weighs six ounces.

Pricing

In the US, the Prime 1800 has a $249 MSRP. We haven't seen a Canadian price tag yet (this has just hit the market), but obviously expect the exchange rate to drive the MSRP higher. The Prime 1300 sells for around $240 in Canada, so expect the Prime 1800 to be at least $350 in Canuck bucks. More details at Bushnell's website.

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