The full text on BX-4 Range HD…

“Best Overall: Leupold BX-4 Range TBR/W 10×42”

Given the trend to pack as much electronic power into a laser rangefinding binocular as possible, Leupold’s long-awaited entry in the category is relatively primitive. The new BX-4 Range is essentially Leupold’s RX rangefinding monocular repackaged as a very good binocular. It doesn’t have a Bluetooth connection to a ballistics mobile app. It doesn’t contain a compass or GPS transponder that will help you find your way home.

But the BX-4 Range is one of the most capable LRF binoculars in our test, performing basic ranging and aiming tasks with minimum fuss, and delivering excellent optical clarity as an important bonus, since these devices are used primarily for viewing.

The Leupold’s interface is fast and intuitive. Users can choose either the company’s patented TBR/W (it stands for True Ballistic Range and is Leupold’s angle-adjusted mode), bow mode (a shorter-distance angle-adjusted mode), line-of-sight mode, or add a wind hold for longer shots. Further, the unit includes 25 ballistic groups so rifle shooters can match distance-adjusted holds to the bullet dynamics of their loads. That’s about it. The BX-4 Range does not include Leupold’s arrow-flight software, called Flightpath.

The unit will express holds in angle-adjusted ranges, or holdover in either MILs, MOA, or inches/centimeters. We ranged deer-sized targets out to about 1,250 yards, farther than the advertised range, and ranged reflective targets at 2,800 yards. The minimum range we recorded was about 12 yards.

I took a prototype BX-4 Range on a mule deer hunt in Mexico, and experienced the speed and simplicity of the unit in the dense brush of the Sonoran Desert. The 10×42 unit performed on par with Leupold’s non-ranging BX-4 Pro Guide binocular, with very good edge clarity and decent field-of-view, both important features when scanning both tight cover and distant viewscapes for big Sonoran bucks. Shot opportunities are fast and fleeting in the desert, and the BX-4 Range performed admirably in these snap-shot situations. The circular reticle in the Leupold is fast and intuitive, and I found I didn’t have to hunt and peck for ranges.

The ranging engine is lightning fast, on par with units from Sig, which has previously been the undisputed speed champion of this category. Leupold’s TBR software is accurate and proven, and the addition of wind holds gives long-range shooters plenty of tools, though competition shooters will probably want to link to custom ballistics software through a mobile app, which isn’t possible with the BX-4. We recorded a few demerits, both in the field in Mexico and later during our testing. First, the unit is the size and heft of a brick; it’s an ungraceful handful. The closed-bridge design makes it difficult to use with a single hand, though Leupold has thoughtfully made the button operation ambidextrous. The optical coatings that make the red OLED display pop tend to throw a blue-green veil over images. You get used to it after a bit, but it can be distracting. The display has only three intensity settings; we’d like to see an auto-brightness feature in subsequent models. And testers felt that the unit was overpriced, given the fairly spartan features.

It should be noted that, while many sources will cite this as Leupold’s entry into the LRF binocular category, we tested the brand’s first unit as far back as 2019: the since-discarded RBX-3000. While there are similarities between that Czech-made rangefinding bino and the Asian-sourced BX4-Range HD, the new version is faster, clearer, and less expensive than its predecessor. For a fast, capable rangefinder housed in an excellent binocular, and backed by Leupold’s legendary customer service, we conclude that this is an excellent “freshman” effort, and worth the wait for Leupold’s re-entry into this dynamic category.”

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