Burris Signature LRF 10x42s are easy to operate and offer exceptionally fast return times while ranging reflective objects to 2,600 yards. (Photo submitted by the author)
October 08, 2024
By Brad Fitzpatrick
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Burris has offered its Signature LRF and other rangefinders for years, but now it has stepped into the rangefinding binocular market with the Signature LRF 10x42. They combine quality glass with a built-in rangefinder, meaning you have one less thing to carry with you. The Signature LRF binoculars don’t have onboard ballistics. You simply get a range to the target, and you get it quickly. The lack of onboard ballistics isn’t a bad thing. Adding a ballistic calculator requires extra mass, and that makes your binos more of a burden. There’s also a cost factor. Competing rangefinding binoculars with built-in calculators cost from hundreds to thousands more. If all you want is to get your range and apply your own dope, these offer everything you need.
That’s not to say that the Signature LRF 10x42s don’t have lots of onboard tech. With a simple press of the range button, the optics display a range that’s accurate to within one yard to 1,000 yards and accurate to two yards beyond that. This ranging comes quickly. I think these are noticeably faster than other rangefinding binos that cost more, even at extended ranges.
Modes In scan mode, the Burris binos are spitting back ranges as fast as you can move your hand. That’s not a big deal at the range, but it is significant when you’re hunting and you’ve got a narrow window of time to make a shot. Sometimes milliseconds don’t matter, but at other times they do.
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The binoculars have three programmable modes: Hunt, Sport and Auto. In Auto mode, the binos return a range for the target with the strongest signal. Hunt mode ranges the farthest target object within the circle, which is useful when hunting in timber or grass so other objects don’t interfere with range accuracy.
Sport mode ranges the closest target in the group, which is primarily aimed at golfers, but it could also be used when ranging small steel targets on distant hillsides. Sport mode also has a slight but perceptible delay on returning ranges.
Display Options (Photo courtesy of Burris Optics) There are five different display options when ranging: line of sight, horizontal, both LOS and horizontal, LOS with angle calculation, and horizontal with angle calculation. Each mode has its own virtues and times when it is appropriate, but most hunters will likely find the horizontal distance setting the simplest and most versatile to use because it provides an accurate “hold to” distance. You can also select yard or meter measurements and brightness.
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I don’t want to fiddle with too much tech when I’m in the field. I want equipment that is intuitive and easy to use, and that’s one benefit of the Burris Signature LRF binos. The range button is located on the bridge between the top hinge of these binos and the right barrel. It's textured and easy to feel when you’re glassing, so you can fire ranges without having to stop and hunt for the button.
The only other control is a power button on the left bridge that allows you to run through menu settings. Across the board, Burris optics are really intuitive and easy to use—far easier than competing European optics—and you can master the controls in a matter of minutes no matter how much you dislike technology.
Press and hold the left power button for a few seconds, and it brings up mode settings. Use the right button until the mode you want is flashing, then it’s back to the left button to move through the menu. Choose the setting, mode, measurement and brightness you want, and you’re finished. It’s simple and straightforward.
The scan mode is, as I said, really fast. Hold the right button, move the binoculars with the target, and you’ll continuously receive new ranges. This is important when a target is moving and you need to keep obtaining new ranges. A fast scan mode isn’t always required on hunting binos, but it’s an asset when you need it.
Relaying Speed What’s as amazing as the speed is the distance at which these binoculars perform. I couldn’t range anything at the maximum effective distance of 2,600 yards for reflective objects, but I did manage to range a barn at 2,240. When I spoke to Burris’s Jordan Egli, he told me he managed to return a range of 3,265 yards on a cliff face in Wyoming.
Burris promises 1,100-yard ranges on deer-size game, but I managed to range a cow at 1,214. There’s no need to point out that cows are larger than deer, but I believe that Burris undersells its products a bit.
Burris Signature LRF Specs PowerxObj.: 10x42mmLength/Weight: 6 in., 36 oz.Max Range: 2,600 yd. reflective; 1,100 yd. deer-size gameBattery: CR2, 2,000 activationsMSRP: $1,200Manufacturer: Burris Optics, BurrisOptics.com