Reviews & Ratings for Bushnell 10x42 Fusion 1600 ARC Laser Rangefinder Binocular — 18 reviews — Page 1

Worked great the few times I used it. At end of the season I removed the C123 battery and stored it in its protective case inside my weather proof indoor safe. Took it out today after 3 months and placed a new battery in the binocular and it would not power up the display. So I tried 5 different brand new full batteries in it and same problem, it would not power up. How does the electronics on this binocular die while being stored in its protective case inside a pro safe without a battery in it and not being exposed to any weather, humidity or anything remotely like that for about three months when it worked perfectly just before it was placed and stored in the safe inside my home? This was a huge waste of money and of course its tooooo late to doing anything about it with a warranty and other reviews I have read here and at Amazon said customer service is useless or they would be glad to sell you a more expensive version of this. So you just spent a lot of money on what was supposed to be a high quality tech item that should have lasted a long time but it died after a few uses and while it was not in use in a safe! What a huge waste!!

In a recent Caribou hunt to northern Quebec, the binocular and rangefinder functions were put to the test in extreme cold weather conditions. My hunting partner has a really expensive($2,600+) rangefinder/binocular, so we did several side by side tests.

The Bushnell measured exactly the same distances, which for me is one of the critical features. Both units were a little sluggish in the cold (-22c), and I was having difficulty seeing the readout on the Bushnell's. The conditions were overcast skies with very flat light and snow, snow and more snow.

The optics were not as bright on the Bushnell's but I paid $800 for mine and they are the best that I can afford. To me the brightness is something that was marginal and not worth the extra money but it would really be nice to have a brighter readout as I was having a hard time reading the display.

I would definitely recommend this unit for those with a limited budget as it performed just about as well as a unit that is out of my price range. you just have to be a little more patient in really bright conditions.

Finally, you really need to take the time to pair the rangefinder with your gun. Failing to do so will mean that you will miss an awful lot. Take into consideration elevation and air density. The range finder will not correct for these variable and you need to know what they are in order to insure you hit your target at long range.

Are you kidding me Bushnell! $1000 for this product is insane! I have seen $100 binoculars that perform better. If you are buying these for hunting these may be for you if you like looking at green and blue deer and elk! My dad has these and some Vortex vipers that I sent back for repairs 3 weeks ago. His Vortex binos were completely refurbished and will be here day after tomorrow. I called Bushnell today and they told me that somebody will look at them in 8 more days! What a joke. I asked Bushnell why they haven't even opened the package and they didn't have an answer for me. NO WARRANTY when you compare to Vortex's warranty is like apples and oranges! Don't waste your time and $$$$. I dont know how others giving reviews can give these optics a thumbs up? Would give 0 stars if I could.

Great value for money with very good quality optics. I bought these to get the combined binos & RF to save carrying separate items "on the hill". (we have some serious "hills" where I hunt). I was expecting that optics might suffer a little with compromise of dual features but to my pleasant surprise the optics are superb. Have been able to range farm sheds and animals out to 1600 yrds. Only downside as noted is the difficulty in reading the RF display when operating in bright sunlight and brightly lit objects. Even when illumination is cranked to max. You have to move the binos to a darker object in the same vicinity to clearly see the display. No issues if you're hunting first light and dusk when lighting is not bright but could be tad frustrating if you spot a trophy head out in the tussock in middle of day or into a setting sun.
Pros: Really impressed with the glass, clarity, fov and depth. Very crisp. I would struggle to justify spending another $1k for euro high end binos.
Cons: ARC read out is difficult to read in bright sunlight, even when you crank up the illumination to max (4).

Very good value for money - so much more affordable than other brands available
Pros: Very good value for money. Easy to set up and use. Instructions easy to understand
Cons: Display is somewhat difficult to read in bright light

The range finding is great on these. The only complaint is the hard to see display when used in bright lighting conditions. The glass is very usable; better than I expected. Really good glass for the price, even if the rangefinder was not included.
Pros: great rangefinder, good glass
Cons: display is hard to see in bright light

I upgraded to this rangefinder binocular combo on a recommendation from some Special Forces scout sniper friends. I figured if it was good enough for them, its good enough for my Alaska needs. I was using a pair of Leupold RXB-IV (RB800 predecessor) rangefinding binoculars. The Leupolds only ranged large flat surfaces at 700 yards and animals 400-500 yards on a good day. They were rated for 1500 yards. The glass was decent and the battery wore out quickly. These Bushnell Fusion 10x40s blow the Leupolds away in every category. The glass is so much better and easier to focus, and keep focused. The laser rangefinder is very powerful. I ranged a group of trees instantly at 1128 yards in a snow storm. The unit is also super simple to use and pretty much had it mastered before I read the instructions. The CR123 battery is also very easy to change. This was extremely cumbersome with my Leupold RXB-IV. I would recommend these to anyone as it is a quality product.
Pros: Easy to use, very powerful laser, easy to focus, nice glass for the cost, one unit does both
Cons: CR123 battery, these batteries do not last long in cold climates

The binoculars show holdover numbers for ballistics group H to be larger than for ballistics group G which is impossible since group H is for a flatter shooting cartridge.If the holdover info is not reliable you might as well purchase a better and less expensive rangefinding binocular.
Pros: Easy to range with
Cons: Ballistics group H holdover info not accurate

Ideal for having both binocular and range finder in one unit. Plus provide the long distance range finding for our hunts in Colorado.

The LED-driven display is too dim and difficult to read on even moderately bright days. The LCD display used in the Bushnell 1500 rangefinders, which is easy to read under all conditions (except perhaps the dark of night) is superior. Even though the LCD thin film would likely compromise the optical clarity of the binocular vs. the LED projected image, Bushnell should have used the high contrast LCD display in the Fusion too. The Fusion optics aren't going to rival top bin euro optics or even a pair of Gold Rings, regardless.

Unlike the 1500, the Fusion is incapable of ranging at close range. I don't know where it signs off, but it's somewhere under 20 yards or so. My 1500 can range distances down to 5 yards, which may not be important to some users.

I'm looking forward to not having two optical devices around my neck banging against each other during hunts, but the rangefinder performance is disappointing. Most people seem to be critical of the optical performance of the Fusion, but I think discerning the optical differences between most mid-tier and up binoculars is splitting hairs. However, when it comes to a difficult ranging situation, you either get a reading or you don't (or you get one and can't read the dim display).
Pros: Only a single weight around your neck when hunting!
Cons: Rangefinder difficult to read in sunlight. Overall performance inferior to 1500.