Leupold RX-FullDraw 5 Review | Outdoor Life

After a brief however steep hike up the bottom of a mountain and a white-knuckle descent down a cliff face, I peered over a cliff at a bedded aoudad ewe. I pulled my rangefinder out and tried to get a variety, however one thing was flawed. I couldn’t see the show within the vivid, west-Texas solar. While preventing to get a variety, the aoudad went from a snug distance to my max vary. A slam dunk turned a tricky shot. The arrow left my recurve and cleanly missed slightly below the ewe’s armpit. On the lengthy climb down the cliff, I collected my arrow and quietly stubborn my rangefinder. 

One of the guides, Aron Snyder, had a Leupold RX-FullDraw 4 that I performed with in camp. We mentioned its spectacular accuracy at excessive angles, brightness, and archery-specific options. After my heartbreak on the cliff, I used to be prepared to purchase a brand new rangefinder, and I used to be satisfied the FullDraw 4 was the one for me. Then Leupold got here out with the FullDraw 5, which works with a wider array of arrow weights and has improved efficiency in fog. So I bought the brand new model and put it to the take a look at. 

Here’s how the Leupold FullDraw 5 carried out throughout my whitetail season. 

Leupold RX-FullDraw 5 Specifications and Key Features

• 6 energy magnification
• Red show
• Waterproof
• CR2 battery
• Weight: 7.5 ounces
• Archer’s Advantage
• Flightpath Technology 
• Battery Life: More than 3,000 ranges 
• 6-yard minimal vary, 900-yard most vary on deer
• Ranges in .5 yard increments to 175 yards 
• Angle compensation 
• Custom distance compensation primarily based in your bow setup
• MSRP: $499.99

Archer’s Advantage

Integrating Archer’s Advantage software program into the rangefinder makes the adjusted distances extra correct to your particular bow setup. To enter your arrow weight, velocity, and peep top, faucet the ability button, maintain down the mode button for one second, after which faucet the mode button to cycle by means of the menu till you see CALC Ball. Hit the ability button to pick out that choice. Then it’s only a matter of utilizing the ability button to regulate the values of every knowledge level. The velocity ranges from 170 to 550 fps. Arrow weights vary from 200 to 900 grains. Peep heights from 1 to six inches.

Flightpath Technology

Tight taking pictures lanes with branches that would deflect an arrow are a difficulty for anybody who hunts within the woods. The Fulldraw 5 has an indicator of your arrow’s flight path throughout the show, so you may inform in case your arrow will hit an overhanging department earlier than you come to full draw. You can select between an indicator at your arrow’s 20 yard top or the height top of your arrow for the ranged distance. 

Single Range or Scan 

The Full Draw 5 can produce a single vary per button push, or you may maintain down the vary button to scan and get a steady feed of ranges. 

Testing the RX-FullDraw 5 within the Field 

Bowhunters want a rangefinder that may establish targets in .5-yard increments from 0 to 100 yards as a result of arrows drop inches per yard previous 40. I used the FullDraw 5 at my native outside archery vary, which has targets set at tape-measured distances to 100 yards. The FullDraw 5 was useless on in comparison with the taped distances. 

So it really works nice on a flat vary, however what about angled photographs? I wished to see how correct the angle-compensated ranges have been in comparison with my verified lower charts. So I climbed on my roof and began taking pictures. The FullDraw 5 was correct on the angles and distances I might obtain from my roof. If you’re planning a hunt with excessive angles and lengthy distances, like aoudad, you’ll need to apply taking pictures angled photographs and examine the FullDraw 5’s cuts on the identical time. 

With these two exams, I used to be feeling actually good in regards to the FullDraw 5 being top-of-the-line rangefinders for identified distance 3D. But I’d need to see the way it held up all through the season earlier than I stamped it as one of many greatest rangefinders for bow searching. 

I used the RX-FullDraw 5 throughout my archery whitetail season, the place I noticed situations that ranged from 80 levels and 80 % humidity to the latest bomb cyclone. It’s nonetheless operating on the identical set of batteries, and it was one hundred pc dependable. It labored surprisingly effectively in fog and rain, that are often the Achilles heel of rangefinders. 

Many of the areas I hunt have thick vegetation, and I observed the FullDraw 5 might simply vary by means of tight taking pictures lanes. On a number of events, I ranged by means of one-foot openings to spots 40 to 50 yards away. That was an fascinating commentary on the beam divergence, however I wished to run a managed take a look at to see its efficiency. 

I made a body out of archery targets and a log with an 8-inch x 12-inch opening. Then I set a 3D goal 7 yards behind the body. The objective was to see if I put the laser rangefinder’s reticle contained in the opening. Would it vary the 3D goal or hit the sting of the body? I examined from 17 yards to 45 yards and by no means had a difficulty with interference. I even used scan mode to maneuver the reticle from the body onto the froth deer, and as quickly because the reticle cleared the body, it learn the right distance. 

I’ve at all times had a gripe with rangefinders that didn’t work by means of mesh home windows in blinds. The FullDraw not solely works by means of mesh, however it additionally shoots by means of glass. 

My quest for a brand new rangefinder started due to a dim reticle. So I paid shut consideration to the FullDraw’s brightness. You’ll see some bloom across the reticle in low mild, however it’s balanced by good visibility throughout vivid solar. 

One of the cons of the FullDraw 5 is that for an archery-specific rangefinder, I would love much less magnification for a wider area of view. I usually discover myself looking for the precise tree I meant to vary as a result of the picture is so zoomed in I can’t simply establish it from the encircling timber. I additionally suppose that it might be good to have an archery ballistics app that paired with the rangefinder for simpler setup and a number of bow profiles.

What It Does Best

This is a rangefinder for the devoted bowhunter or 3D archer. Whether you get pleasure from taking pictures targets at 120 yards or deer together with your prime pin, this rangefinder has options you’ll admire. It particularly excels in ranging angled photographs and thru tight cowl. 

What It Does Worst

The power of the FullDraw 5 is it’s made only for bowhunters, however that’s additionally its weak spot. This rangefinder might pull double responsibility for bow and rifle, however it’s not for severe rifle hunters. Seeing the way it’s designed particularly for bowhunting, I’d just like the magnification to be decrease for a wider area of view. It is also upgraded with a few of the options we generally see in high-tech rifle rangefinders, like an app that pairs with the rangefinder through Bluetooth for simpler setup and extra capabilities. 

Read Next: Best Rangefinders for Hunting

Final Thoughts

The Leupold FulDraw 5 is, for my part, the very best rangefinder for bowhunting. It solves plenty of points I’ve had with different rangefinders whereas providing correct ranging at excessive angles, it really works in fog, and it’s customizable to your bow setup.