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Reviewed here
Leupold RX-1400i TBR/W Gen 2
TBR/W gives you the true horizontal distance and a holdover value in the same readout, which is the single most useful feature on a hunting rangefinder.
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How we earn
At about $200 this is the unit we point people at more than any other, and the reasoning is narrow enough to state in two paragraphs.
Reason one: TBR/W gives you a holdover, not a distance
Most rangefinders with angle compensation return the corrected horizontal distance. You then convert that to an aiming correction yourself, mentally, with an animal in front of you.
TBR/W does the conversion. You select a ballistic group matching roughly what you shoot, and the unit returns the holdover - in inches, MOA or MIL depending on how you set it. One less thing to do at the worst possible moment. How TBR/W works and its limits.
Reason two: the display stays readable
This is the specification that is invisible in a shop and decisive in the field. An LCD display renders dark characters you read against whatever you are pointed at. Point it at dark timber in the last twenty minutes of legal light and the numbers disappear.
The RX-1400i's red OLED projects its own light. It reads against timber, against shadow, against a dark hillside at dusk. For roughly $7 more than the LCD alternative in this class, that is not a decision that needs much thought.
What it does not do
- It is not a monocular. Leupold's page was not machine-readable for us, so we do not quote its optical figures - but this is a ranging unit, not glass you would choose to look through. If you want dual use, the Crossfire HD 1400's 4.2 mm computed exit pupil is the better option.
- No full ballistic solver. No environmental sensors, no bluetooth load profile. Past about 400 yards that starts to matter. Where it does.
- The stated maximum range is reflective. On a dark animal expect comfortable performance inside 400 to 500 yards in good light, less in rain or haze. That is physics, not a shortfall.
- It is not arrow-matched. TBR/W includes an archery mode, but if you shoot a bow seriously the FullDraw 5 takes your actual arrow as an input.
Who should buy it
Almost any rifle hunter shooting inside 400 yards, and any bowhunter who also shoots a rifle and wants one unit for both. If you shoot past 400 yards with a profiled load, step up to a solver. If you want the unit to double as a monocular, take the Vortex. Those are the only two reasons to buy something else.
This unit and two alternatives
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How we earn
Leupold RX-1400i TBR/W Gen 2
TBR/W gives you the true horizontal distance and a holdover value in the same readout, which is the single most useful feature on a hunting rangefinder.
Magnification and objective are the manufacturer's own model designation; exit pupil and twilight factor are computed from them. We could not machine-read Leupold's spec page, so the remaining published figures are not listed rather than guessed.
What it does well
- TBR/W reports true ballistic range, not line of sight
- Fast, legible red OLED display in low light
- Compact enough for a harness pouch
Where it gives ground
- Stated ranges assume reflective targets, not deer hide
- No bluetooth or ballistic app integration
Skip it if
You need ranges past 1,000 yards on game - this is not that unit.
How this score breaks down
- Ranging accuracy and range on game (weight 5)8.5
- Angle compensation implementation (weight 5)9.5
- Display legibility in low light (weight 3)9.0
- Speed and scan mode (weight 3)8.5
- One-handed ergonomics (weight 2)9.0
Weights and definitions are published on how we review. These are editorial judgments from published specs and documented consensus, not test results.
The combination is what matters: nothing else under $250 gives you a holdover output and an illuminated display together.
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How we earn
Vortex Crossfire HD 1400
A 5x21 monocular that ranges to 1,400 yards reflective with HCD angle compensation, at the price where rangefinders stop being a luxury.
| Magnification | 5x |
|---|---|
| Objective lens | 21 mm |
| Eye relief | 16.0mm |
| Field of view | 367' @ 1000 yds |
| Angular field of view | 7.0º |
| Stated accuracy | 1 yds. @100 yds. |
| Weight | 4.8 oz. |
| Length | 4.0" |
| Height | 2.9" |
| Width | 1.3" |
Specs verified 2026-10-05 from Vortex's published specification. Exit pupil and twilight factor are computed, not quoted.
What it does well
- HCD mode gives angle-compensated distance
- 16.0 mm eye relief with a 367 ft field at 5x
- VIP warranty
Where it gives ground
- Display is LCD, not illuminated, so it fades in deep shade
- No ballistic holdover output, just corrected distance
Skip it if
You hunt in low light often - an illuminated display is worth the upgrade.
How this score breaks down
- Ranging accuracy and range on game (weight 5)8.0
- Angle compensation implementation (weight 5)8.5
- Display legibility in low light (weight 3)6.5
- Speed and scan mode (weight 3)8.0
- One-handed ergonomics (weight 2)8.5
Weights and definitions are published on how we review. These are editorial judgments from published specs and documented consensus, not test results.
A 4.2 mm computed exit pupil makes it usable as a monocular, which the Leupold is not. Head to head.
Price as of October 5, 2026. #ad How we earn
Leupold RX-FullDraw 5
Built specifically around arrow flight: it takes your arrow weight and speed and returns the pin-matched distance rather than a raw number.
Magnification and objective are the manufacturer's own model designation; exit pupil and twilight factor are computed from them. We could not machine-read Leupold's spec page, so the remaining published figures are not listed rather than guessed.
What it does well
- Archery-specific ballistics using your arrow weight and speed
- Flightpath shows whether your arrow clears a branch
- Fast ranging in Scan mode from a stand
Where it gives ground
- Overkill and over-priced if you only shoot a rifle
- Needs setup before the season, not in the stand
Skip it if
You hunt with a rifle. The RX-1400i does the job for less than half.
How this score breaks down
- Ranging accuracy and range on game (weight 5)9.0
- Angle compensation implementation (weight 5)9.5
- Display legibility in low light (weight 3)9.0
- Speed and scan mode (weight 3)8.5
- One-handed ergonomics (weight 2)8.5
Weights and definitions are published on how we review. These are editorial judgments from published specs and documented consensus, not test results.
If you shoot a bow, this is the version of the same idea built for your problem.
Questions people actually ask
Is the Leupold RX-1400i worth it?
How far will the RX-1400i range a deer?
What does TBR/W stand for?
Can the RX-1400i be used for bowhunting?
Sources
- Leupold RX-1400i TBR/W Gen 2 product page - read 2026-10-05
- Vortex Crossfire HD 1400 published specifications - read 2026-10-05