Rangefinding binoculars have a strong following among open-country western hunters. It’s especially useful to get an instant range while glassing distant targets. But many eastern bowhunters have been slower to accept these multi-purpose optics. Useful as they can be, rangefinding binoculars are typically much bulkier and heavier than their standard bino counterparts. For that reason, many bowhunters prefer to keep a compact pair of binos in a chest harness along with a lightweight handheld rangefinder at their side.

Vortex’s new Ranger HD 3000 might change some of that thinking, however. Realtree’s Tyler Jordan has been using these rangefinding binos extensively this fall, and he says they’re very practical for bowhunters, providing 10x42 magnification with scanning range capability, meaning that you can quickly glass a buck and range shooting lanes in one motion without having to change optics. Yet, the Ranger HD 3000 is compact and lightweight, weighing just 32.4 ounces, which is less than 10 ounces more than a pair of standard Vortex Crossfire 10x42 binoculars. The Ranger HD 3000 has a minimum range distance of 6 yards, and it will range up to 3,000 yards on a reflective surface (and about 1,500 yards on a deer). If you’re looking to declutter your kit and invest in a multi-purpose optic that’ll serve for both glassing and ranging duty you wherever you’re hunting, this rangefinding binocular is worth your attention.