Laser Rangefinder 650–1200m — Hunting, Golf & Farming

Guessing the distance is how you miss.

Open country lies to you. A ridge that looks 200 metres out is 340. The scrub line you swore was a comfortable shot is well past what your load will hold. Get the range wrong and the best case is a wasted stalk — the worst case is a wounded animal you now have to go and find.

Same problem on the farm, just less blood in it. You pace out a fence run, order the wire, and come up forty metres short. Or you are on the tee with no marker and no idea whether it is a seven or a nine.

A laser rangefinder removes the argument. Put the crosshair on the thing, press the button, read the number. These ARTBULL units also give you the angle and the true horizontal distance, which is the number that actually matters when you are shooting up or down a slope.

Four different models sit under this listing — 650 m, 1000 m, a golf-focused 6×22 unit and a rechargeable 1200 m. They are separate rangefinders, not one product with a range band. Check the Specs tab before you pick, and read the Limits tab before you trust the big number on the box — every rangefinder on earth quotes its best case, and the field is not the best case.

What It Does

• Straight-line distance: the basic measurement — you to the target, in metres or yards.
• Angle-compensated horizontal distance: reads the incline and gives you the true flat distance. This is the one bowhunters and anyone shooting off a hillside actually want.
• Vertical distance and height difference: measures between two points, so you can work out the height of a tree, a tank stand or a cliff face.
• Golf slope compensation: combines the flat distance and the elevation change into a single play-as number.
• Flag locking: short-range priority, so it grabs the near object and ignores the treeline behind it.
• Hunting mode: the opposite bias — pushes past foreground scrub to the target behind it. On the 6×22 and rechargeable models.
• Speed reading: km/h, on the 6×22 and rechargeable models.
• Metres or yards: switchable, so you are not doing conversions on the tee or in the paddock.

Key Features

• Reads to 0.1 m: the display steps in tenths of a metre or a yard. That is the increment on the screen, not a claim about how accurate the measurement is.
• Fixed 6× magnification: on the LS-650 and the 6×22 golf unit. Enough to pick a fence post out of a paddock, and steady enough to hold by hand.
• One-handed operation: mode button and measure button on the top deck, no menus to dig through.
• Auto power-off: shuts down after about ten seconds idle, so it is not flattening the cell in your pack.
• CR2 lithium cell: the three optical models run on a single CR2. Small, light, and holds charge sitting in a drawer between trips.
• Rubber-armoured housing: ABS shell with a rubber grip panel and glass optics.
• Carries properly: zip case with a carabiner, plus a lanyard and a microfibre cloth in the box.
• Pocket-sized: it lives in a crib bag, a golf bag or a ute door pocket rather than getting left at home.

Limits

The big number on the box is the best case. Here is the honest version.

• Maximum range is measured off a highly reflective target: a flat, bright, square-on surface at the manufacturer's choosing. On a deer, a grey tree trunk, a fence post or dry scrub, the usable range is substantially shorter — commonly less than half the headline figure. A 1000 m unit is not a 1000 m deer rangefinder. Buy for the range you actually shoot at, then leave yourself headroom.
• The 6×22 model is badged in yards, not metres: its body reads 1000 YD, which is about 914 m. The store variant is labelled “1000m”. Treat that one as a 1000-yard unit.
• Accuracy is not published: the supplier states a display resolution of 0.1 m but gives no ± accuracy figure, and none for how it changes with distance. We are not going to invent one.
• No water rating exists: the LS-650 and LS-1000 bodies are moulded with the word “waterproof”, but no IP rating and no immersion depth is published by the supplier. Treat all four as rain and splash resistant only. Do not submerge one, do not take one diving, and do not leave one sitting in a wet boat.
• Laser class is not stated: the supplier publishes no laser safety class. Most consumer rangefinders are Class 1 or 1M and eye-safe, but with nothing in writing we will not tell you this one is. Never look into the objective lenses, and never point it at anyone's eyes or at a vehicle windscreen.
• Weather and glass beat it: rain, fog, dust, heavy heat haze and low sun all cut the range. Ranging through a windscreen or a window gives you the glass, not the target.
• It is not a ballistic calculator: it gives you distance and angle. Working out drop and hold is still on you and your load.
• Fixed magnification: there is no zoom. Small targets at long range are hard to hold on, which is a bigger practical limit than the laser is.
• The battery is a question mark: one supplier panel shows a CR2 in the box, another says “purchase by yourself”. Assume you need to supply your own CR2 and be pleased if one turns up.
• One spec disagrees with itself: the “1000m 8 x 20” variant is the green LS-1000, and its own housing is moulded 6×20. We have listed both readings rather than pick the flattering one.
• Not a legal opinion: this describes what the device does. Hunting rules differ by state and by property — check your own before you head out.

Q & A

Will it really range a deer at 1000 metres?

No. The headline figure comes off a highly reflective target under good conditions. An animal in scrub is a poor reflector and the practical range drops a long way — often to under half. If most of your shooting sits inside 300 m, the 650 m unit is plenty; the longer models buy you margin, not the number on the box.

What is the difference between the four models?

They are separate rangefinders. The LS-650 is a 650 m, 6×20 unit in grey. The LS-1000 is a 1000 m unit in green. The 6×22 is a black golf-focused unit badged 1000 yards with a hunting mode and a speed reading. The Rechargeable 1200m has a larger external LCD on the side and a slope switch instead of a menu. Full breakdown in the Specs tab.

Does it give the true horizontal distance when I am shooting up or down a slope?

Yes. All four have a horizontal distance mode and read out the angle. That is the number to use for a steep uphill or downhill shot — the straight-line distance will have you shooting over the top.

Can I use it in the rain?

Light rain and splash, yes. Beyond that we cannot tell you, because no IP rating is published for any of them. The “waterproof” moulded into two of the housings is a marketing word with no number behind it. Dry it off, do not dunk it.

Is the laser safe?

The supplier does not state a laser class, so we will not claim one. Consumer rangefinders are normally low-power and eye-safe, but treat it as you would any laser: do not look into the front lenses, and do not point it at people, animals at close range, aircraft or drivers.

What battery does it take, and does one come with it?

The three optical models take a single CR2 3 V lithium cell. Supplier material contradicts itself on whether one is included — plan on buying your own. The 1200 m model is rechargeable; the supplier does not state the charging method or the cell capacity.

Is it any good for golf?

Yes — flag locking grabs the pin instead of the trees behind it, and slope mode gives you a play-as number. Worth knowing that most competition play does not allow slope compensation, so check your club's rules and switch it off if you need to.

How long is delivery?

Allow 10–14 days from the day you order, and up to three weeks to regional and remote areas. Delivery is free to Australia and New Zealand.

Specs