Leica Geovid HD-B 10 x 42mm Range Finding Binoculars

I added a new pair of premium hunting binoculars to my inventory and I thought I'd share them with you all.

Great bino's but the instructions can be a bit confusing and require careful reading.

p.s. I contacted Leica to do some follow up research and clarify some points in the video. According to Leica, one of the first things you need to do is select your preferred form of measurement (US or EU settings). After completing this step, all your figures will either be displayed in inches, yards and Fahrenheit (US) or centimeters, meters and Celsius (EU). Done, there's no need to mess with this again.

You can either use the micro SD card or select one of the pre-programed ballistics curves (1-12) that most closely matches your bullet's trajectory and zero range. The ballistics curves can be found at the rear of the instructional manual. The SD card can be programmed online using Leica's ballistics calculator. You can program one (1) SD card for each rifle, but you cannot program multiple bullet types on the same card. In other words, one rifle, one bullet, one card. If you want to program two bullet types for the same rifle, you will need to program two separate SD cards for that same rifle. I think the message here is KISS.

If you use the pre-programmed ballistics curves, you can obtain corrected ballistic values up to 875 yards or 800 meters. If you use the micro SD card, you can obtain corrected ballistic values up to 1000 yards or 914 meters.

The binoculars will give you corrected ballistics values regardless of whether you use the micro SD card or the pre-programmed ballistic curves. Yes, the corrected ballistic values will account for the temperature, barometric pressure and angle of inclination. However, you can turn off the Advanced Ballistics Compensation (ABC) system if you just want to use the binoculars as a plain rangefinder. If you do this, no point of impact correction data will be displayed in the viewer. You will only get the distance to the target.

If you use a riflescope with a ballistic type reticle (such as a BDC or BRH) and you choose the Equivalent Horizontal Range (EHR) setting, your reading in the viewer will not contain any holdover values. Simply use the distance provided to match the appropriate reticle on your scope (first, second, third or fourth rung on the crosshairs). Yes, according to Leica, this distance reading will account for the temperature, barometric pressure and angle of inclination. The operating temperature for the electronics is -4 degrees Fahrenheit and -22 F for the mechanical system.

If you use a riflescope with a Plex type reticle, you can choose the Hold setting. This setting will provide you with distance to target, as well as the holdover value. You will see the holdover value at the bottom of the viewer and it will either be in inches or centimeters depending on your initial settings. Simply use the value provided to hold your reticle over the target as specified. For example, if the viewer displays 12, then you would hold the reticle 12 inches high over the target. This is also known as the point of aim. This traditional holdover method is very popular with hunters because it is simple and fast.

The last method requires tweaking the riflescope, but it can also be very effective and precise. This involves selecting your desired Minute of Angle (MOA) settings (1, 1/3, 1/4 MOA). This method is used by those with ballistic type turrets. This requires obtaining a ranging value and a specified number of clicks depending on the distance to target. As such, the binoculars provide the distance and number of clicks. The shooter then uses the specified number of clicks to dial in the scope before placing the shot. In short, the Leica Geovid HD-B's offer several different options for ranging and shooting targets.

As a side note, the tweezers provided with the binoculars are pretty much useless. I think you will find that a miniature set of hemostats works much better at removing and replacing the micro SD card. Please take your time and don't twist or horse the cards. Gently press down so that the brass contacts seat into the slot. Anyway, I think the mini hemostats are the solution for this delicate task.

I have not been able to achieve 2000 yard readings yet, but I did achieve a reading of 1921 yards. This is more than good enough for me. When ranging, if you see 3 dashed lines (- - -) in the viewer, this means that you are too close, too far or the object is not sufficiently reflective or perhaps you are shaking too much. Try again.

Leica recommends that you rest the binoculars on a steady surface when ranging critical targets. You can use a tree, tripod, shooting sticks or a backpack. I tried my Geovid's at the shooting range and was within plus or minus 1 inch on target.

Lastly, I understand that Leica will be putting out their own YouTube video explaining how to program the Geovid HD-B's.