Zulus LRF vs non

I'm in the same boat as you experience wise.
I didn't get the LRF, seemed like just another think to have to deal with when shooting at things that aren't always willing to wait for you.
I bought the NON LRF and have no regrets.

Given the option, I'd always pay the extra for LRF if it's going on an airgun.

I have the non LRF 5-20x Zulus, for my uses I don’t need the rangefinder at the distances I use it on pests…I have different profiles, with different reticles for yardages from ten to fourty yards…

Doesnt the LRF version have ballistic software onboard that quick zeros according to target distance? Seems like a no brainer to me, but then again Im not great at judging distance sometimes.

For my bird abatement, I chose the LRF and have been using the ballistic calculator quite a bit. Having said that, my pulsar thermal also has a LRF. I do enjoy the one shot zero with the LRF version as well.

I’m assuming the non LRF doesn’t offer the holdover feature, correct?

I have both! The LRF is just so much easier to use for night ranging versus changing a profile to zero the reticle at the profile distance. But I use hold-overs on the non-LRF and it works just fine! I like the both! If someone said you can only have one - and I had the money - it would be the LRF model

L.Leon said:

I have the non LRF 5-20x Zulus, for my uses I don’t need the rangefinder at the distances I use it on pests…I have different profiles, with different reticles for yardages from ten to fourty yards…

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How long does it take to change profiles on a Zulus? I tried this route with my Wraith but it was a pain in the butt having to scroll through the menu as my quarry was moving on.

Vetmx said:

How long does it take to change profiles on a Zulus? I tried this route with my Wraith but it was a pain in the butt having to scroll through the menu as my quarry was moving on.

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Hold press the menu button, three clicks of the menu select the another button push, another submenu select, then however many profiles you have to work through. Too many for quick change while on target, not bad if you are watching something at a pre-set distance.

Vetmx said:

How long does it take to change profiles on a Zulus? I tried this route with my Wraith but it was a pain in the butt having to scroll through the menu as my quarry was moving on.

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Too long for in the field for a critter to wait… My main profile allows multiple distances using hold overs in pesting scenarios… When pesting indoors I preselect my profiles.

L.Leon said:

Too long for in the field for a critter to wait… My main profile allows multiple distances using hold overs in pesting scenarios… When pesting indoors I preselect my profiles.

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Or buy multiple scopes.

L.Leon said:

I have the non LRF 5-20x Zulus, for my uses I don’t need the rangefinder at the distances I use it on pests…I have different profiles, with different reticles for yardages from ten to fourty yards…

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Same.
I have a Pard NV008s and DS35, both non IR. I do this same method, or just know the holds. I don’t find myself ever in an unknown environment. Shooting rats and birds, you don’t need to be exact.


Just like with my traditional scopes, it’s just putting to memory the holds.

dens228 said:

Hold press the menu button, three clicks of the menu select the another button push, another submenu select, then however many profiles you have to work through. Too many for quick change while on target, not bad if you are watching something at a pre-set distance.

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Ok, thanks guys. It’s no different than my Wraith then. I got pretty quick with navigating the menu but finally it was just a pain in the butt. When one of these scopes get a reticle I can live with for hold overs, I will probably invest again.

I understand the advantages a built in LRF would provide me in certain settings. The thing is the Zulus is not my primary scope and using it for night pesting is infrequent at this time. So I went with the basic model. Am hoping to get more nighttime pests as the summer waxes… I do plink with it at night from 15 to 64 yards… Am still in the learning phase with the Zulus… Proof of the Atomics plinking prowess…

The LRF/ballistic calculators really shine on very close targets when the pellet is coming up through (something like) three inches of rise to meet your 0. Those almost within arms reach shots are tricky holdover calls. The LRF/BC makes shot placement on small vital zones extremely doable.

Once close to my zero range of 18 yards, the trajectory is flat enough to go without LRF/BC out to 30 yards on starlings. On crows a simple Kentucky windage and estimating range by eye can put birds on the ground out to 60+.

I've lobbed in airgun artillery and taken one possum at 160 yards utilizing the LRF/ballistic calculator. IMO-Extreme long range is a poor use of the equipment we're talking about here. While it can be done, it is not really effective nor is it ethical.

Dairyboy said:

I'm kicking around getting one of these as everyone seems to love them. Previous day/night scopes always have seemed mixed reviews but this one is different. I can definitely see me using this on the dairy as we do have some rats and we get mice at our house. I also think I can find roosting birds at night. Anyways is the LRF worth it for someone who doesn't really use a rangefinder all that much for normal shooting? Most my shooting is either from memory or just simply doing it long enough I have a pretty good guess on the distance. $240 difference is pretty big IMO but I can see why some use it. What do you owners of these think?

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There is a code I checked theis morning for 25% off at Arken, makes it about 700. "COYOTE" is the code

What is the FOV on the Arken at 5x base magnification?