Leupold’s BX-4 Range HD Gen 2 gets a field-test in Spain’s rugged Sierra Nevada Mountain Range
by Jace Bauserman
I wasn’t a fan of rangefinding binos. The early models I tested were fat and clunky, and while yardage readouts were quick and accurate, glass quality was sub-par. As a Western hunter, sub-par glass doesn’t work.
Plus, early in my hunting career, I always carried a stick-and-string in my hand, and I found it easier to tote my 10x Leupold binos and a small handheld rangefinder.
Today, I’m a 50/50 hunter. My time in the woods is split equally between bow and rifle. I like it that way.
I took a dream trip recently, and Leupold was kind enough to ship me their new-for-2025 BX-4 Range HD TBR/W Rangefinding Gen 2 binos. Southeastern ibex and Iberian mouflon were on the to-hunt menu, and the rugged terrain would prove a perfect testing ground for Leupold’s new optic/range system.
Leupold BX-4 Range HD Gen 2 First Impressions
Leupold offers the BX-4 Range HD Gen 2s in 10x and 12x models. I slid the 12x into my bino harness, and at 39 ounces, I noticed an immediate difference in weight between them and my BX-5 Santiam HD binos.
Is this bad thing?
Not at all. The new BX-4 Range HD Gen 2s should weigh more; they feature an on-board rangefinder. Ten minutes into our first hike in Spain’s Sierra Nevadas, I no longer noticed the weight. The binos didn’t ride differently in the harness or pooch it out.
At daylight, I pressed the Elite Optical System to the max. Though I didn’t glass an ibex, I was picking up dead branches that looked like horns inching up behind brush, rocks that didn’t match the color of the terrain, and even a single log that stuck out from behind a large rock. It looked like the body of an ibex, even though, at the time, I had no idea what a live ibex looked like.
The point: I tested Leupold’s first BX-4 Range HD binos. The Gen 2s are, at least, and I’m going on the low end here, 15 percent better regarding optical clarity. I felt like I was looking through a VX-6HD Gen 2 scope—colors popped even in remarkably low light. The optics seemed to gather every ounce of available light and transmit that light efficiently to increase optical clarity.
TESTED: Leupold VX-6HD Gen 2 3-18×44
The center focus dial isn’t sloppy. It turns smooth, allowing you to micro-tune your clarity and obtain the best field of view possible. I spent hours behind these optics each day in Spain. I glassed Southeastern ibex and Iberian mouflon from extreme distances. From 746 yards, I even found the right horn of a mouflon tucked into the timber.
The weight and tube size of the binos boost off-hand glassing. The optics felt excellent in the hands, and I could balance them and pick apart the terrain effectively. I used a pair of shooting sticks when I wanted to get ultra-steady.
BX-4 Range HD Gen 2 Setup
These rangefinding binos have two buttons—Power and Mode—making setup a breeze. Press the Power button to wake the HDs up. Then, press and hold the Mode button until the red LED display starts to flash. Use the Power button to scroll through all the different Modes, sub-functions, etc. When you find what you want, press the Power button to select it. Leupold made setup elementary, which I appreciate. I set these binos up in the field in less than five minutes. However, I did give the instructional manual a good once over. I recommend you do the same.
The BX-4 Range HD Gen 2s come preset to TBR Mode. If you’re a rifle hunter, this is the mode you want. TBR (True Ballistic Range) gives you ballistic compensated ranges, and inside the TBR Mode are five settings, including CDS, MIL, HOLD, MOA, and TRIG.
On pages 15-17 of the instructional manual are numbered ballistic groups. On this hunt, I shot Browning’s X-Bolt 2 Speed LR chambered in 6.8 Western. I was shooting Browning’s 175-grain Sierra Tipped GameKing Long Range Pro Hunter. For this, my selected ballistic group was #6. The CDS displays the equivalent horizontal range, which is calculated using the distance, the angle of your shot, and your selected ballistic group. There are 25 ballistic groups to choose from. Many caliber, grain, and bullet-type combos fall in the same ballistic group. If you can’t find your ballistic group number, call Leupold, and they will tell you what ballistic group to go with.
Other TBR Mode settings like MIL and MOA are also available. MIL displays the appropriate amount of holdover in milliradians, which is calculated using the distance to the target, the shot’s angle, and the selected ballistics group. MOA provides minute-of-angle adjustment to your target, calculated using the distance, the angle of your shot, and your chosen ballistic group. For information on HOLD and TRIG, read the instruction manual.
If you’re a bowhunter, and I am, I’m thrilled the all-new BX-4 Range HD Gen 2s come with BOW Mode, which uses TRIG or Archer’s Advantage. I’ve used Archer’s Advantage in Leupold’s RX-Fulldraw 5, and I love it. Enter your arrow speed, weight, and peep height from 1 to 6 inches, and Flightpath Technology will show you if your arrow will hit an overhanging branch, vine, bush, etc. It’s a great feature.
BX-4 Range HD Gen 2 Brightness Settings & Yardage
The BX-4 Range HD Gen 2s have three brightness settings (low, medium, and high). If the red LED isn’t popping, you can toggle to the brightness setting quickly and make an immediate change. However, I discovered that the high setting worked the best for me in every lighting condition.
I also wanted to test the unit’s battery life and figured running the LED on high and ranging every tree, rock, and animal I could wear down over five days. My goal was to get the unit under 25 percent battery life, at this point, a battery indicator would appear on the display. I failed at this goal.
Since then, I’ve used the BX-4 Range HD Gen 2s for multiple days chasing longbeards, but there is still no light. I recommend carrying a CR2 battery in your bino harness or pack in case a change is necessary.
The second you settle the red LED circle on the object you want to range and push the Power button, the range to the object pops up. The readout is immediate, which I love, and because the rubber-armored magnesium housing feels excellent in the hands, getting that circle on the object is quick.
Leupold brands the distance capabilities of the BX-4 Range HD Gen 2 as:
- 4,000 yards on reflective targets
- 2,000 yards on trees
- 1,400 yards on deer-sized game.
All these distances are an improvement compared to the original BX-4 Range. I also discovered Leupold went a tad low on the deer-sized game number, which is brilliant. I ranged an ibex at 1,429 yards and a mouflon at 1,499 yards.
BX-4 Range HD Gen 2 Final Thoughts
Leupold’s new rangefinding binos will remain in my bino harness pouch for the immediate future. I’m ultra-impressed with them, and like all Leupold products, they proved tough as nails in the hellish country we trekked across for five days.
Leupold BX-4 Range HD Gen 2 Features
- Rubber-armored magnesium alloy body
- Objective lenses with extra-low dispersion glass
- Twist-up eyecups
- Center focus dial and CR2 battery compartment
- Right barrel diopter (focuses the display)
- Left barrel diopter
- Right button—Power/ranging/toggle settings (reversible for left-handed users)
- Left button—Mode/menu/navigation/selection
- Laser transmitter (right objective)
Leupold BX-4 Range HD Gen 2 Specifications
Magnification: 10x / 12x
True Ballistic Range/Wind (TBR/W): Yes
Inclinometer: Yes
Scan Mode: Yes
Compass: No
Line of Sight Distance (LOS): Yes
Yards/Meters Mode: Yes
Bright Red OLED Display: Yes
Last Target: Yes
Battery Status Indicator: Yes
Battery Life: >4,000 Actuations
Weight (with battery installed): 39 oz
Dimensions: 10×42 (in) 5.9 x 2.5 x 5.1 (LxHxW)
Dimensions: 12×50 (in) 6.3 x 2.7 x 5.3 (LxHxW)
Warranty: 2 Years
Waterproof: Yes
