Hardware Review: Steiner ePredator LRF & ePredator 8 Riflescope

Jeff Johnston

posted on August 20, 2026

News, Guns & Gear, Optics, New for 2026, Review

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W H2026 07 Hardware W3832 TAH 1596Leadlayered — Photos by Forrest MacCormack

I was prone in the high-mountain country of northwest Colorado, rifle rested on a gravelly ledge. Sprawling before me was an undulating canyon pocked with boulders, cedars and silhouette targets hidden anywhere from 250 yards to three-quarters of a mile distant. A steel sheep was a mere speck in the scree on the opposite canyon wall, difficult to find, much less hit. My quest was to find it then hit it in less than a minute.

I was testing arguably the most advanced rangefinding ballistic system made up to this point, Steiner’s ePredator LR 10x42 binocular paired with its ePredator 8 riflescope. The promise is simple: Combine to provide exact, realtime holdover dope for my specific rifle and load.

At this moment I wasn’t looking through the bino—my shooting partner was. I could tell exactly when he pushed the range button though, because the yardage also showed up in my ePredator scope: 1,055 angle-compensated yards to the sheep. Cool. So what now?

Reticles

In the upper-right corner of the scope’s heads-up display (HUD), above the range-to-target number, the scope’s current turret setting was listed: 100 yards, also my scope’s zero. Without taking my eyes off the target, I reached up to dial the mechanical elevation turret until the digital number in the display was close to the same as the target’s range. This number, 1,051 yards or 34 MOA up (also listed), was provided by Steiner’s phone-based ballistic app (connected to my scope and bino via Bluetooth) that factored in my bullet’s trajectory out of the Benelli Lupo 6.5 Creedmoor rifle I was shooting, and other vital data gleaned from the bino, such as temp, barometric pressure and inclination. The scope even told me I was canted slightly via its digital level, so I corrected it. I was now dialed in.

I settled the crosshairs and sent a round downrange. I’d like to tell you I hit the target first shot, but I’d be lying. “Elevation perfect,” said my spotter. “Gimme 2 MOA left,” he said. The second shot sent a killing strike to the faux sheep’s shoulder.

It was incredibly easy, and it is—after you take your time in the beginning to set up everything correctly. This requires reading the manual as well as chronographing your load and verifying your bullet’s actual BC. While I had the distinct advantage of being coached by Steiner’s product manager rather than having to pour through the lengthy instruction manual on my own, I was impressed with the system.

Controls

The scope, bino and my phone app communicated with each other well; the user controls and internal menu of the scope were easier than most to navigate—although it does take practice to become fluent—just like any new electronic device. I think Steiner did a good job with the app’s user friendliness. In essence the system, when used in tandem, takes the most tedious part of long-range shooting—the constant collecting and inputting of data—and automates the process by sending it to your scope so the shooter never has to come off target, but rather simply dials the turret to the number shown in the scope.

Although I don’t have the space to list all their features here, one is particularly notable: When something is ranged, the bino sends the GPS data to your phone so the range-from location and the target location appear on Google Maps. It’s useful in many ways.

Concerning the build, both units are solid, befitting the Steiner name, despite the ePredator series being at least partially made in China rather than Germany. (If the unit contains electronics, China usually has a hand in it.) However, the optical clarity of both units surprised me. For years I’ve written that Chinese optics are inferior to Japanese and European, but I am hard pressed to find any quantifiable disparities with this one. The ePredator’s imaging is clear and sharp. The bino has two easy-to-find buttons on each barrel. The right one is to activate the laser rangefinder while the other is the menu button.

Binos

The ranging time is as fast as any integrated LR/bino unit I have tried: near-instantaneous. It’s good out to around 3,000 yards. Both units are waterproof, precise, the optics are coated well to top-end resolution, and they’re tough. I didn’t love the eyecups on the bino, as they seem to be a little loosey goosey. The scope is large physically, but it has an outstanding 8X range, and features parallax adjustment on the right side. The elevation knob is a target style with a zero stop, and the windage dial is covered.

But in spite of the amazing technology, I also worry about what would happen if a battery craps out in the field. With the bino, you lose the rangefinding capacity of course, and with the scope you lose the data feed, but both still function as traditional optics with mechanical focus and adjustment dials. While the bino’s battery life is great, the scope’s single CR2032 doesn’t last long; depending on the weather and how much you’re using Bluetooth, expect a few extended range sessions. While hunting, pack extra batteries.

There is one notable flaw in the scope, in my opinion—not so much for hunting, but for target shooting. Despite the scope’s 34mm tube, it only has a total of 40 MOA elevation adjustment. Many modern rounds start nearing the 40 MOA adjustment mark around 1,100 yards. That’s a long shot, sure, but these days target shooters are routinely stretching out to a mile for kicks. I was just surprised Steiner didn’t squeeze more adjustment room into this target-style scope.

Something else that must be mentioned is the learning curve. The setup is not as simple as “install batteries and go.” You’re best advised to be open to learning a new electronic device until using it with your rig becomes second nature.

The Steiner ePredator 8 and ePredator LRF are brilliant pieces of engineering alone; together they are remarkable. They work in tandem to simplify a complicated task, and they do it with a speed and efficiency that can shave valuable seconds off your time from spotting a target to an accurate shot. In this area it’s a game-changer. Even so, it can’t replace shooting fundamentals and good, old-fashioned wind calls. Steiner just makes the process of dialing the correct data into your scope a whole lot faster.

ePredator 8