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Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Using Digital Technology? and premium optics, the Elite 1500 delivers crisp, clear images and precise distance measurements from 5 to 1,500 yards with ? 1-yard accuracy. It's built around invisible, eye-safe, class-one lasers. Fully multicoated optics transmit maximum light for enhanced dawn and dusk performance. It's also extremely rugged and 100% waterproof thanks to the RainGuard? coating and protective rubber armor. Adjustable eyepieces and an LCD within the optical system displays targeting reticle, mode, distance and battery strength. Scan mode provides continuous distance measurements of multiple targets within the field of view. BullsEye? mode gives you pinpoint ranging of small objects and game without inadvertent readings from surrounding targets. Brush? mode ignores close-up objects, such as tree branches, and ranges background targets only. Its LED screen provides illuminated distance readings for low-light convenience. Twist-up metal eyepiece with oversized ocular and diopter setting for quick adjustment and optimum eye relief. Runs on a 9-volt battery (not included). Includes solid tripod mount and a tough, molded hard case. Color: Black.

Average Customer Rating:

4.4 out of 5

29 of 31 (94%) customers would recommend this product to a friend.

Customer Reviews for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

3 out of 5

Deer hunter, November 18, 2009
By Jag6242 from Flint Mi

"I just returned from an extended hunting trip which gave me ample opportunity to test my new 1500. I had mixed results. The optics are good, the rainguard coating is fair.It ranged every target i pointed it at except the big eight point I seen in good light at about fifty yards. It refused to give me a reading. Battery was good, and it would range everything except the eight point. The night light is pretty much useless in low light. When I purchased this unit I assumed it had the arc feature, as this is Bushnell's top model. I was wrong, it doesn't have it. I am disappointed in that. It is a little bulky"

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 2 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

1 out of 5

1500 What ?, November 2, 2009
By UnclePudding from Lake Dallas, Tx

"Will barely range an animal at 400 yards...Tried to range cows at 1000 yards, Got no readings. Had to move within 430 yards before it would read. Bought the to make one thousand yard shots with my rifle. Will not do it, Big waste of money. I would not recomend for long range shooting. Is not as advertised..."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? No

Review 3 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

pleasantly surprised, October 20, 2009
By brokenwing from bakersfield, ca.

"i used the elite 1500 on a 5 day deer hunt and was surprised that it worked all the way out to 1283 yards. the return was quick and repeatable."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 4 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Great product, October 7, 2009
By Mty71 from Monterrey, Mexico

"I ve been using it for establishing distances for the hunting blinds, and it works great!!!! for long distances in non reflective, like bushes..."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 5 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

4 out of 5

Works Great, May 5, 2009
By FNAR

"I purchasd this product so that I can use it for target shooting and hunting. Although I have not yet used it for hunting, for target shooting, it has worked great. Good optics, great range, and all around a very solid product. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that I wish it used CR123A batteries. It uses a 9 volt battery, so, now I have to carry spares of one more battery type."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 6 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Everything I hoped it would do - It did., April 27, 2009
By CBN67EX from Reloader in central Minnesota

"I already owned a Bushnell Laser RangeFinder (the Legend)(Max. range : 930 yds.) and was happy with it because it did what it advertized that it would do.
I needed something more powerful so I could range prairie dog mounds out to 700-1000 yds. My Legend was good to 900+ yards on reflective surfaces but couldn't pick up a dirt P.D. mound past about 350-400 yards. It took several seconds to shoot anything past 500 yards so it had to be kept very steady for the duration.

This Bushnell Elite 1500 shoots mailboxes at 1200+ (I haven't tried to shoot one any farther yet) and delivers the distance in less that one second! The optics are great and the display is real easy to read.

I like everything about this range finder & can't wait to try it out on the P.D. dirt mounds in a month."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 7 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Awesome Awesome!!, April 22, 2009
By Shayd14 from Halcott Center, NY

"If you want to get a set of rangefinders, for every use of sport, east and west, ground or stand, get this rangefinder. Ive used it for close up shots with deer. Gets the arc right on, no guessing. And way out west for elk. Long range is no question. I, and clarity is great. A great product."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 8 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Great Product, March 30, 2009
By wildt from Herington Ks

"Great Product at a great price. Very simple to use right out of the box. Just point at what you want to range and press the button. The different modes are easy to understand. I have not ranged out to 1500 yds yet but only because I do not have a clear view to do it but I have done out to 1325 yds with no problem."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 9 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

A Rangefinder with Reach - and a Range Card, February 27, 2009
By AugieTheProspector

"The Bushnell Elite 1500 reaches out further than either of my older Bushnell units, and produces a result in at most a couple of seconds. The older units will run the laser as long as you hold down the button, and occasionally report a range only after many seconds of ranging. This one is fast, or it fails to range entirely. That alone much prolongs battery life when taking individual ranges (not the "scan" mode). It will range nearly anything out to 700+ yards, and most things to 800+. Large, light colored targets are usually better and will lock on well past 1000 yards. Reflective traffic and road signs can be ranged out to 1500+ yards easily and repeatedly.
It will take a lot of readings before reporting low battery, which starts when the 9V has dropped to about 7.8 Volts. That is pretty dead for an alkaline 9V, and it will work reliably (while complaining) at even lower voltages.
Range finders can be overwhelmed by bright sun and this one is no exception. Very light objects in bright sun seem not to be ranged quite as far as some darker objects, especially if they have a pattern that results in partial self-shading (e.g. trees). In more moderate light, brighter objects definitely range further. This can confuse reports of ranging performance. A lot of my testing was done in bright desert sun, so it WILL perform well in the sun, even if it is not at its best. A trick: range a shadowed area near your target to get a good approximate reading under extreme lighting at very long range.
This unit has a lense cap for the eyepiece - the instructions warn about keeping it in place to avoid focusing sunlight down the eyepiece and damaging the internals. I haven't seen this provision on other Bushnell rangefinders, so it may be more susceptible to such damage. Just a word to the wise.
The optics are bright and crisp, the eye relief generous, even with glasses, and the diopter correction welcome for old eyes. It really is an acceptable spotting scope for some types of hunting, replacing a binocular or small spotter. E.G. fine for predator hunting. But no little 7X26 monocular will ever completely replace good binoculars or a high power spotter.
Some people seem to be confused about the ARC functions. So am I, at least about its availability. Mine has it (bought in the bargain cave at a Cabelas store), but the only model listed in Cabelas online right now doesn't seem to have ARC. Other reviews mention it. Maybe that model is temporarily unavailable. (model 20-5101 / camo colored). I'll discuss it since I did buy one at Cabelas.
The Bow function gives both a line-of sight range and an effective (as-if) horizontal range for shots angled up or down. This is limited to 99 yards. Since I'm not an archer, I'll not comment further. Read the instructions.
Their are 8 Ballistic tables for rifle shooting, labeled A - H, and a "Reg" (regular) setting with no ballistic table. The tables report drop in inches (assuming you selected ranging in yards). The ballistic tables all assume that you are sighted in at 100yds. I haven't figured out what they assume for scope height. Table A will work for loads in the .22 Hornet range, H is suited for hot magnums. My bargain cave special was missing the ballistics CD, but an extensive list, matching commerial loadings in many calibers to the correct table, is easily found online. Handloaders, shooters with shorter or longer barrels, etc., may need to do what I did: Make a chart of drops for each table and a variety of ranges. I did it every 50 yards, by walking down the street while ranging a distant stop sign. That allows more precise matching of cartridge to table (or part of a table), including corrections for high altitudes, custom loads, unusual cartridge and bullet ballistic coefficient combinations, etc. E.G. my 14" .223 Contender pistol will likely need to drop down a table from that used with most rifles.
The maximum drop seems to be 199 inches. Apparently, drops above 99 inches flash (e.g. 154 inches is 54 flashing). This means that table A quits just past 550 yds, while table H goes well past 800 yds. I made a chart for level shooting (about zero degrees inclination). The ARC feature corrects each table at all ranges for uphill and downhill shots. I haven't checked how well. For modest angles, it cann't be an issue.
The reported range is always line-of-sight. The angle, and drop for that range and angle combination, are reported below. This differs from the Bow function, so don't confuse the two.
The table label (A-H) is displayed if a range cannot be obtained, allowing easy checking that the correct table is active. Like everyone else, I've noticed that the green backlight is almost (but not quite) useless.
I haven't really evaluated the 8 tables for accuracy, but I've got high hopes. Even if some interpolation is needed for some cartridges, or perhaps a limiting of the usable range, I expect that some experimentation with a ballistic program combined with chronograph or drop data from firing at the range will allow usefull matching of a number of my rifle/load combinations to an appropiate table.
Such a simple arrangement won't make everyone happy. Those with target turrents or mil-dot reticles, etc., won't EASILY benefit (though the conversions aren't difficult). Those of us who merely want to get onto a distant target of roughly known size with any of a wide selection of variously scoped rifles, without a card-file of range cards, may be pleased however. A mini-card of wind and moving target leads might even be within my capacity to memorize for the gun in hand, if I have range and drop numbers to work from. Lead goes up slightly faster than range and wind correction is proportional to drop (I think). You just need to memorize the conversion factors for a few typical speeds (again, I think). It wouldn't be difficult to add some such corrections to a future model, at the expense of complicating the display. I'm hoping they do. In concept this rangefinder contains a set of selectable electronic range cards, which can be as complicated as desired. This model just has a simple set.
This is a great performing range finder. Seperately, the ARC functions in some models show considerable promise for simplifying aiming corrections in long range shooting - a promise that I haven't fully investigated. I apologize if I've misreported any details above."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 10 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Great Rangefinder, January 22, 2009
By Someonewhohunts

"Positives: Great long distance ranging. Ranges pretty easily in PA out to 700 some yards. Past that you need a light colored object to hit. Various modes for scanning, target shooting or rangining in brush. Futherst range so far is 1062 yd.

Negatives: A little bulkier than bushnell scout rangefinders. At long distance you either need a rest for a large object to range off of (or a really steady hand).

Despite the few negatives, it has been an excellent product so far."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 11 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

4 out of 5

Montana Hunter - Shooter, January 6, 2009
By QuackDaddy

"I bought the Bushnell Rangefinder after very poor results from the Leupold RX II Rangefinder. The Bushnell Elite 1500 has performed at least 100% better so far in similar field conditions. I have not yet had a chance to use it in all field conditions that I might encounter but I am pleased so far. This rangefinder might be a 5 star item with more field experience but I can't give it that right now"

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 12 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

1 out of 5

Elite 1500, December 20, 2008
By Navy1

"The farthest I could get it to range was 750 yards. I have a 10 year old Bushnell 800 yard rangefinder that worked better. It will be going back!"

Would you recommend this product to a friend? No

Review 13 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

4 out of 5

Master Target, December 9, 2008
By inumoose from Palm Bay Florida

"This rangefinder will take you well past the 1000 yards that most people will every need,good buy,light to carry,small enough to pack away with out with out loseing storage space."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 14 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Great Asset, November 10, 2008
By deerslayer84 from Oklahoma

"It works great. The ARC function is not too much benefit here in Oklahoma. I get the same readings in all kinds of conditions. It holds up in the rain."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 15 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Primary use was hunting prairie dogs., September 29, 2008
By PrairieDogDominator from North Dakota

"Bought this rangefinder(June 2008) after comparing with the Leica and the Nikon. The clarity of the Leica is the clearest, but I didn't find the expensive price to be reasonable enough to buy. The Leica also doesn't range as far or work as good as the ELITE 1500. The Bushnell Elite 1500 has met all expectations. Easily ranges prairie dogs(probably the mounds) out to 400 yards. Ranged a dirt hillside at 1486 yards as well. The modes are very easy to use. Just click of the button and the mode changes, which you can see in the lense. All the modes also work like they are suppose to. Everything I ranged worked perfectly, no problems what so ever. 9-volt battery is also very handy when out in the field, if it dies, you can actually find one quickly in any convenience store opposed to all other brands(Leica, Nikon, etc.). Intensively used the rangefinder for 4 days and the battery said low. Highly recommend this product to anyone looking for a good high end rangefinder for less the money. GREAT BUY!"

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 16 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

range finder excellent, July 29, 2008
By nevamerican

"Easy and accurate. Like most Bushnell products, you get your money's worth."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 17 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Bushnell 1500, July 22, 2008
By Chief62 from Santee, CA.

"This rangefinder is great. Easy to use and very compact and light weight. A little pricey but worth it."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 18 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

4 out of 5

Elite 1500, November 13, 2007
By MGFitz

"this product is a little bulky,and to range out beyond 1000 yds is very touch'y,But overall this is very good product and I would recomend it but check it out at your local sport store before ordering."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 19 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

works better than expected, November 5, 2007
By dayner

"I've tried out the upper end Lieca, Nikon, Cabela's brand, and Leupold. The Bushnell worked better than most and as good as the $200 more expensive Lieca. Some of the other brands were supposed to be 1200 yard, but 400 yards was difficult to read off of huge structures. There wasn't anything the Bushnell couldn't read that the Lieca was. Even with a low battery. I have tried it in the fog and the rain and it hasn't changed it's effectiveness unlike several of the other brands. It even reads through glass windows, (but not as good through vehicle windows) over 1300 yards with no problem, which really surprised me. Another surprise was that is said it had a 1500 yard max, but on any day I can get it to read over 1600 yards off of a hill or large tree or rocks. My farthest reading is 1634 yards, over a mile away. It reads off of suprisingly small objects that are under 1200 yards. I don't know if I just got a really well made unit or if they are all that good. Like all companies I know you can have bad luck and get a bad one, but mine works great. The one I tested at the store had a very low battery and it was still reading close to 1400 yards. The one thing I think could be better is the illuminator, it doesn't light up the numbers so if it is real dark you have to move your head to the side to see the numbers."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review 20 for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Bushnell Elite 1500 Rangefinder Awesome, November 2, 2007
By ElkMike from Anasazi Ranch, Penasco, New Mexico

"We own a ranch in the mountains above Taos,New Mexico. We have elk hunting guests . The big elk parks of northern New Mexico can be deceiving when one is trying to get a correct distance to an elk or an aspen tree opening where the elk will emerge from.
This range finder was totally awesome. Never let us down from early morning in the frost and half light to dusk and the graying shadows that were closing over the mountain bowls.I was surprised at the accuracy way out to over 1000 yards. Really great at 800 yards when you see the elk and know it is just too far but the guest will not listen. Picks it's way through screening ghostly aspen trees. We love it, beat out others we have tried and guests claim that were so great. Price is great for such accuracy. Will buy more. Gracias."

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

1-20 of 31

More Reviews for Bushnell® Elit® 1500 Laser Rangefinder

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