Best in its price range - Vortex Ranger 1800 Laser Rangefinder w/ HCD

I've been nothing but ecstatic with the performance of this range finder. Previous one was a Nikon Prostaff that had laser failure after a 1 year and was essentially half as powerful as the RANGER but nearly half the price. So far my ranging testbed has been an ocean beach in the shape of crescent. First time it was misty at extended ranges, still I was getting reads over 700 on beachouses with a max of 918 yds. Not bad considering they were actually somewhat dark brown and immersed in sea mist. Nothing here was what you'd call particularly reflective at all. Still, it did it promptly. Today, without the sea mist, I was stunned to see 1300, then 1380 multiple times and on dull beachouses. I also ranged about over water out to well over 800 yards at rocking boats in the choppy sea. Almost half a mile on a bobbing target by a handheld ranger. This is excellent performance. I'll keep ranging for fun and report though it was bought for hunting. Its cool to see its more extreme ends. Some folks have not reached the 1800 yards the manufacturer claims and I've got some thoughts on that. 1380 was handheld on a drab beach use. Handhell at extended ranges truly demands a tripod. The laser spot coming back is the result of a smeared moving spot thats averaged out and it makes the effective power really take a hit. Use a tripod if you're really going to try for the 1800. Next, reflective targets I'll almost certainly bet were highway roadsides or distant reflective office blunts. I wouldn't even try a beachouse that far, I fact I did by accident and it was a zero return AND handheld. For the hunter, I'd say its perfect for everyone but the ardent long-range 1000 yard or more shooter. Here you simply need the next model up (I'm told). For ranging deer though 500 to 700 yards (vortex sais 900) this is ideal. Oh, forget the Leupold thats slightly more money. The electronics are garbage and they don't warranty that while VORTEX does lifetime. Too, its not water resistant like the VORTEX.