Many of us carry a bino and a rangefinder when we're hunting, especially if we're after something with a bow. Several optics companies have combined the two into one unit. No doubt such an optical tool offers convenience, but it usually comes at a price of $3,000 or more.
But as American Hunter Field Editor Ron Spomer discovered, Bushnell has found a way to combine great glass with a powerful and accurate, angle-compensating rangefinder, and make it available for less than $1,700. Spomer tested the optical quality of the new Bushnell Fusion 1 Mile ARC rangefinding binocular in all kinds of lighting conditions, and pitted its rangefinder against targets from 10 yards to more than a mile.
"The Fusion owes its excellent optical performance to top-tier ingredients and precision construction," he wrote in the April 2014 issue of the magazine, due in NRA members' mailboxes this week. "The laser half of this instrument's pedigree kept pace with optical performance."
Barring a few gripes mainly related to aesthetics and ergonomics, Spomer pronounced it "the best laser rangefinder/binocular under $2,000 in the business."
OK, it's a great piece of gear, but the Fusion's MSRP of $1,676 is still a hefty chunk of change. Is having a quality combo worth it to you where you hunt, or are you sticking with a separate bino and rangefinder? Let me know below.
