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Vortex Fury HD 5000 10x42 Rangefinder Binoculars Review


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It almost seems too good to be true.

If you know more than the average person about rangefinder yardages, you’ll know the ins and outs about spotting iffy ranging claims.

The Fury HD 5000 is advertised to be a 5000-yard ranging binocular rangefinder.

Can it really do it, or is it all hype?

You’re getting a lot more than what you think with the new Fury HD around your neck or on a tripod.

Yes – it’s definitely worth mounting this whopper.

Quick Overview...

What We Like: Rangefinder Binoculars

What We Don’t Like: Not really 5000 yards

Best Uses: Hunting, Bow Hunting, Target Shooting, Wildlife Observation, Marine Observation, Tactical Use

  • Yard Range: 5-5000
  • Magnification: 10x
  • Objective Lens: 42mm
  • Display Type: LED
  • Dimensions: 5.75 x 5”
  • Waterproof/Fogproof: Yes/Yes
  • Angle Compensation: Yes
Vortex Fury HD 5000 10x42 rangefinding binoculars review
Image Credit - Vortex

Our Verdict: If you’re in the market for ranging binoculars and want maximum range with actual results, the Fury HD 5000 can’t be beat. It’s extreme, it’s accurate, and it’s for real. Performance and quality are guaranteed. Besides, the VIP warranty will take care of your concerns if you’re really worried about it. Is it worth it? Need you ask?  

Who is the Vortex Fury HD 5000 10X42 Best Suited to?

Wow, with more ranging power than ever seen before, the new and improved Fury HD bino rangefinder, not to be confused with the Fury HD 5000 AB, could be appropriate for use for all types of professions, applications, and recreational sports.

Hunters, long-range shooters, law enforcement, sightseers, wildlife observers – everyone will benefit from having these in their hands. The question is, will you pay for it?

Hunters are not shooting these crazy distances or even getting distances on targets at these mind-blowing ranges. But, when you refuse to be limited by your gear and would rather have the capability than be without, no other ranging binocular can beat out the Fury 5000 on what long distance really means!

How Does the Vortex Fury HD 5000 10X42 Perform?

YouTube video

Whoo whee, the Fury HD 5000 is out to blow minds and make a gigantic and impressive footprint in the rangefinder binocular market.

With a small beam divergence, 5000-yard ranging performance, HD optics, and mounted to a tripod, it’s an impressive 32 oz (approx.), 6” (approx.) pair of ranging binos.

Vortex cut nothing out when they made a newer version of the Fury HD 10x42. In fact, they added a few more optical improvements and bulked up the laser tech. This is what we get – a pair of binoculars that look just like the older version but with better performance.

What about the price? Retail, they’re no more expensive than acquiring a Leica Geovid R. Streetwise, they’re just as competitive as any other ranging bino, but you get Vortex’s superior VIP warranty.

Everything about the new Fury makes sense. The laser tech is all on the right side, so it makes sense to have the controls on the right side. You’ll never know where you are when you spot your trophy, so HCD is made to be accurate from 5 yards right up to 800 yards. Those are some impressive features that make sense.

It’s hard to say that the price is extravagant for a quality product like this. While ranging binoculars have always been this expensive, plus some, optical quality and technology is getting better. We’re not paying more just because there are advancements in the industry. At this price point, the Fury HD 5000 is a great deal worth pulling the trigger on.

Features & Benefits

YouTube video

Rangefinder Binoculars

Vortex kills the market with their Fury rangefinder binoculars. Maybe their laser technology and algorithms are just good. Maybe their optics are razor sharp. Maybe it’s because buyers already trust the brand. It’s likely that it’s a combination of all the above.

So, when you want a rangefinder, whether it’s a compact handheld, or the biggest and baddest ranging binos, Vortex is the brand to turn to.

The electronics for the rangefinding display are located on the right binocular barrel. For right-hand users, this provides a more natural user experience. Seeing as the electronics are on the right side, the right diopter allows for focusing the display slash reticle. 

Great HD Optics

When it comes to the HD quality of the Fury HD 5000, it falls for comparison against the Viper binocular series, so it doesn’t have the razor-sharp optics of the flagship Razor series. It’s why we’re saying they’re great and not excellent.

The Fury has the HD Optical System that increases resolution and reduces chromatic aberration (CA). If you’re really looking for it on very high-contrast targets like the horizon, you’ll see some CA, but that is difficult to eliminate completely for any optic. Additionally, it’s not like you’ll be using this as a photography platform over its use as a hunting, ranging, and glassing tool.

It also has phase correction and dielectric prism coatings which are a must-have for roof prism binos, and of course, all air-to-glass surfaces have XR Fully Multi-Coating coatings that are proprietary to Vortex.

Long-Range Rangefinder

Fury HD 5000 10x42 rangefinding binoculars
Image Credit - Vortex

It’s a two-button rangefinder with one button to access the menu and the other to acquire a distance. It’s not one-button operation, but there really isn’t much to gripe about. The menu provides access to switching between yards and meters, display brightness, and the various target measuring modes.

As the name implies, the Fury HD 5000 has a 5000-yard range. Is it believable? Well, it can be since max reflectivity is the ranging distance that’s usually advertised.

On soft targets, like the animals you want to hunt, it’s limited to 1600 yards which is still extremely impressive. While you may not ever need these extreme readings, it’s still nice to know that you’re not nearly as limited by your rangefinder.

Multiple Rangefinder Modes

Vortex Optics Fury HD 5000 10x42 rangefinder binoculars
Image Credit - Vortex Optics

The Fury HD 5000 has beefed-up laser rangefinding technology. This entails both the target modes and the ranging modes.

There are two target modes which is the way the laser rangefinder decides on what target you want to acquire a distance on. Best Mode is the default mode as it provides the strongest reading on the target within the reticle. Last Mode is for acquiring the furthest distance when you’re scanning to get past rocks, brush, and other obstructions that may prevent measurement of a distant target.

There are two ranging modes: HCD (Horizontal Component Distance) and LOS (Line of Sight). HCD is the Fury’s way of compensating for angles. It’s been said that it’s effective out to 5000 yards, but Vortex states that its accurate performance is from 5-800 yards for mild angles and up to 400 yards for angles steeper than 15-degrees.

Not sure if you’re on an incline? Don’t worry about it. While in LOS mode, an additional number will appear and that is the slope incline. Now you’ll know if you need to get a new distance by kicking into HCD mode, right?

Don’t forget about Scan! It’s not its own ranging mode as you can use it while you’re in either LOS or HCD.

Limitations

Not Really 5000 Yards

Well, you may be able to get 5000-yard readings, but not in the traditional sense in the way that most of us use them – freehand.

There are multiple factors that determine whether or not you can acquire such a reading. One, can you even see that far? Two, what is the beam divergence and is the reticle too big? Three, at 10x power, can you hold it steady enough to get a measurement at those distances? Brush up on rangefinder yardage claims here

If you had a tripod, you may get out to 5000 yards out if there’s a target large and reflective enough to acquire it and if conditions allow. Field tested by owners, many have consistently gained 3000-yard and better performance. Still deserving of being impressed by.

Popular Questions

What are the Differences Between the Fury HD 5000 VS Fury HD?

As the Fury HD 5000 is the upgraded version of the Fury HD 10x42, its primary performance upgrade is its ranging capability. The 5000 has a longer high-reflective target range and 1600-yard soft target range. The Fury HD had a 1600-yard high-reflective target range and 1000-yard soft target range.

Are the Optics the Same on the 5000 as the Fury HD?

While the optics on the Fury HD 5000 is often said to be comparable to the Fury HD, it did see some upgrades that includes dielectric prism coatings and the HD Optical System. They are comparable to the Viper line of optics from Vortex.

What is the Beam Divergence on the Vortex Fury HD 5000?

Word is that the beam divergence on the Vortex Fury HD 5000 is 1.5 x 0.1 mrad. This is quite small and what we refer to as “tight” target ranging when pairing it with the reticle. So, it is more than capable of acquiring measurements at extended distances. It’s food for thought that it may outperform a Leica Geovid R and match a Vectronix… interesting.

What is the Ranging Accuracy of the Fury 5000 Rangefinder Binoculars?

Vortex claims impressive ranging accuracy of -/+ 1 yard at 100 yards, -/+ 2 yards at 1000 yards, and -/+ 3 yards at 3000 yards and beyond.

Conclusion

The Fury HD 5000 are hardcore rangefinding binoculars for the most hardcore of all of us. Even if you’re not ranging these ridiculous distances for any real and practical purposes, it’s still awesome and impressive to test it out.

You can gain a lot by having the Fury with you on your big horn hunts or when you’re tailing a semi on stakeouts or watching whales. While the weather and other factors might inhibit full ranging performance, that isn’t anyone’s fault. We can bet you’d rather have the tech than be without it when it’s needed.

Further Reading

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Simon Cuthbert - Founder

Simon is an avid outdoor enthusiast and the founder of Target Tamers. He is passionate about bringing you the most up to date, accurate & understandable information on sports optics of all kinds and for all applications. Simon has contributed to notable publications online and teaches beginners the technical side of optics through his extensive library of optics guides.

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