Bushnell Elite 1600 Rangefinder User manual

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Model: 205110
Lit. #: 98-2003/07-11 ENGLISH

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CONTENTS
English
Français
Español
Deutsch
Italiano
Português
4 - 26
27 - 52
53 - 78
79 - 104
105 - 130
131 - 156

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Elite™1600 ARC™- Laser Rangefinder
205110
e ultimate in innovation, the NEW ELITE  ARC, combines the best of a compact monocular with the
new Vivid Display Technology™. Every range is displayed with rich contrast and stunning clarity no matter what
the lighting conditions are. At the push of a button, it displays the exact distance to your target from  to ,
yards. With built-in Angle Range Compensation, BOW Mode delivers Line-of-sight, degree of angle, and true
horizontal distance and RIFLE Mode provides line-of-sight, degree of angle, and bullet-drop / holdover data. With
new RainGuard® HD anti-fog coating and a fully waterproof design to ensure reliability and clarity in all conditions,
it’s the best of all worlds.
is booklet will help you achieve optimum performance by explaining its adjustments and features as well as how to
care for this device. To ensure optimal performance and longevity, please read these instructions before using you’re
Elite  ARC laser rangender.

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HOW OUR DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY WORKS
e Elite™  ARC™ emits invisible, eye safe, infrared energy pulses. e Elite  ARC‘s Advanced Digital
microprocessor and ASIC chip (Application-Specic Integrated Circuit) results in instantaneous and accurate
readings every time. Sophisticated digital technology instantaneously calculates distances by measuring the time it
takes for each pulse to travel from the rangender, to the target, and back.
RANGING ACCURACY
e ranging accuracy of the Elite  ARC is plus or minus one yard / meter under most circumstances. e
maximum range of the instrument depends on the reectivity of the target. e maximum distance for most objects
is  yards /  meters while for highly reective objects the maximum is  yards /  meters. Note: You will
get both longer and shorter maximum distances depending on the reective properties of the particular target and the
environmental conditions at the time the distance of an object is being measured.
e color, surface nish, size and shape of the target all aect reectivity and range. e brighter the color, the longer
the range. White is highly reective, for example, and allows longer ranges than the color black, which is the least
reective color. A shiny nish provides more range than a dull one. A small target is more dicult to range than a
larger target. e angle to the target also has an eect. Shooting to a target at a  degree angle (where the target
surface is perpendicular to the ight path of the emitted energy pulses) provides good range while a steep angle on
the other hand, provides limited ranging. In addition, lighting conditions (e.g. the amount of sunlight) will aect
the ranging capabilities of the unit. e less light (e.g. overcast skies) the farther the unit’s maximum range will be.
Conversely, very sunny days will decrease the unit’s maximum range.

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GETTING STARTED
OPERATIONAL SUMMARY
While looking through the Elite™  ARC™, depress the power button once to activate the Vivid Display. Place the
aiming circle (located in the center of the eld of view) upon a target at least  yards away, depress and hold the power
button down until the range reading is displayed near the bottom of the in-view display. Crosshairs surrounding the
aiming circle indicate that the laser is being transmitted. Once a range has been acquired, you can release the power
button. e crosshairs surrounding the aiming circle will disappear once the power button has been released (i.e. the
laser is no longer being transmitted). Note: Once activated, the display will remain active and display the last distance
measurement for  seconds. You can depress the power button again at any time to distance to a new target. As with
any laser device, it is not recommended to directly view the emissions for long periods of time with magnied lenses.
e maximum time the laser is transmitted (red) is  seconds. To re-re, press the button down again.

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VIVID DISPLAY INDICATORS
Your Elite  ARC Vivid Display™ incorporates the following illuminated indicators:
Angle Range Compensation Modes
Rie Mode ()
Bow Mode ()
Battery Life Indicator ()
Aiming Circle ()
Active Laser ()
Targeting Modes
BullsEye Mode ()
Brush Mode ()
Primary Numeric Display displays Line-of-sight Distance ()
Holdover / Bullet-drop measure for Rifle Mode
MOA ()
CM ()
IN ()
SD = Variable Sight-In Distance ()
Secondary Numeric Display ()
(Toggles from Degree of Angle to Holdover / bullet drop for Rie mode)
(Toggles from Degree of Angle to True Horizontal Distance for Bow Mode)
SD
1
12
2
4
56
3
7
8
910
11
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ANGLE RANGE COMPENSATION
e Elite™ ARC™is an advanced premium laser rangender monocular featuring a built-in accelerometer-based
inclinometer that digitally displays the exact angle from - to + degrees of elevation and is +/- . degree accurate.
e Bushnell® Elite  ARC solves a problem hunters have been faced with for years. e problem: Bow and rie
hunters have struggled with extreme uphill and downhill angles because of how these angles alter true horizontal
distance to your target. e Solution: ARC’s integrated inclinometer provides elevation angle to allow for distance
compensation when targeting objects that are either uphill or downhill. is data is then combined with internal
algorithmic ballistic formulas.
ARC (ANGLE RANGE COMPENSATION) MODES
Bow Mode ( ): Displays line of sight distance, degree of elevation, and true horizontal distance from - yards /
meters and a maximum inclination of +/- °.
Rifle Mode ( ): Calculates and displays the amount of bullet drop, at the target in inches, centimeters or
MOA. e amount of bullet drop is determined by the line of sight distance to the target, degree of elevation,
along with the specic ballistic characteristics of the caliber and ammunition load. When you range your target,
the line of sight, degree of elevation, and bullet-drop/holdover in inches, centimeters, or MOA will be displayed
from  to  yards/meters with a maximum inclination of +/- °. One of eight ballistic groups (identied as
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H) for center re ries and two ballistic groups (Identied as I and J) for Black Powder /
Muzzleloaders can be selected by the user, with each formula representing a given combination of caliber and loads.
e ballistic groups are selected by the user in the SET-UP menu.
Regular Mode ( ): is mode does not provide any degree of elevation or compensated distance, but instead,
line of sight distance only.

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BATTERY LIFE INDICATOR
Battery Indicator:
Full charge
/ battery life remaining
/ battery Life remaining
Battery Indicator Blinks - Battery needs to be replaced and unit will not be operable.
INSERTING THE BATTERY
Remove the battery cap by lifting the battery door tab and then rotating counter clockwise. Insert a CR123 3-volt
lithium battery into the compartment negative end first, then replace the battery cap.
NOTE: It is recommended that the battery be replaced at least once every 12 months.
UNIT OF MEASURE OPTIONS
e Elite  ARC can be used to measure distances in yards or meters. e unit of measure indicators are located
in the lower right portion of the LCD.
ACTIVE LASER
Crosshairs surrounding the aiming circle indicate that the laser is being transmitted. Once a range has been acquired,
you can release the power button. e crosshairs surrounding the circle will disappear once the power button has been
released (i.e. the laser is no longer being transmitted).

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SELECTIVE TARGETING™ MODES
e Elite™ ARC™was especially designed with hunters in mind. e selective targeting modes allow you to
adjust the performance parameters of the unit to suit your specic situation and environment. To move from one
mode to another, press the POWER button once to turn on the unit. While looking through the eyepiece, press the
MODE button and quickly release. e dierent targeting modes available and mode indicators are listed below:
Standard with Automatic SCAN (LCD Indicator – none) is setting allows most targets to be distanced up to 
yards. Used for moderately reective targets that are typical of most distancing situations. e minimum distance in
the standard mode is  yards. To use the Automatic SCAN feature, simply hold down on the POWER button for
approximately  seconds and move the rangender from object to object while leaving the POWER button depressed.
Automatic SCAN will allow the range to be continuously updated as multiple objects are targeted.
BullsEye™(LCD Indicator - )is advanced mode allows easy acquisition of small targets and game without
inadvertently getting distances to background targets that have stronger signal strength. When more than one object
has been acquired, distance of the closer object will be displayed and a crosshair will surround the BullsEye™ indicator
informing the user that distance to the closer object is being displayed in the LCD.
Once in this mode, press the POWER button to turn the unit on. Next, align the aiming circle
onto the object (i.e. deer) that you want distance to. Next, press and hold the POWER button
and move the laser slowly over the deer until crosshairs surround the BullsEye indicator. If the
laser beam recognized more than one object (i.e. deer and background trees), distance of the
closer object (i.e. deer) will be displayed and crosshairs will surround the BullsEye indicator
informing the user that distance to the closer object is being displayed in the LCD (Figure ).
ere may be times when only the laser beam only sees one object in its path. In this case,
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Figure 

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the distance will be displayed, but because more than one object was not acquired, crosshairs will not surround the
BullsEye indicator.
TIP: While pressing the POWER button, you can move the device slowly from object to object and intentionally force
the laser to hit multiple objects to ensure that you are only displaying the closest of the objects recognized by the laser.
Brush™(LCD Indicator - ) is advanced mode allows objects such as brush and tree branches to be ignored so that
distance only to background objects are displayed. When more than one object has been acquired, distance of the further
object will be displayed and a circle will surround the Brush™ indicator informing the user that distance of the farthest
object is being displayed in the LCD.
Once in this mode, press the POWER button to turn the unit on. Next, align the aiming circle onto the object that
you want distance to. Next, press and hold the POWER button and move the laser slowly over the object until a circle
surrounds the Brush indicator. If the laser beam recognized more than one object (i.e. close-
up tree branch and a deer in the background), distance of the further object (i.e. deer) will be
displayed and a circle will surround the brush indicator informing the user that distance to
the farther object is being displayed (Figure ). ere may be times when only the laser beam
only sees one object in its path. In this case, the distance will be displayed, but because more
than one object was not acquired, the circle will not surround the Brush indicator.
TIP: While pressing the POWER button, you can move the device slowly from object to
object and intentionally force the laser to hit multiple objects to ensure that you are only
displaying the furthest of the objects recognized by the laser.
Once the device has shut o, the unit will always default back to the last targeting mode used.
Figure 

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MENU SETUP – SELECTION OF DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS, BOW, RIFLE, REGULAR MODES, UNIT OF MEASURE, SIGHT-IN DISTANCE AND BALLISTIC
CORRECTION
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
Vivid Display Technology™ dramatically improves contrast, clarity and light transmission while increasing brightness
of the digital readout, making distance readings legible in low light environments.
ere are four intensity settings to choose from and this is the rst setting within the SETUP menu. Press the MODE
button for  seconds to get into the SETUP menu. e existing brightness setting will be ashing (i.e. 1, 2,
3, or ), pressing the MODE button will toggle between the four brightness settings. “ 1” is the lowest
intensity while “ ” is the brightest.
Simply press the MODE button until the desired brightness setting is displayed and select by pressing and releasing
the POWER button.
ere are two ARC (Angle Range Compensation) modes and one REGULAR mode. e two ARC modes are BOW
mode and RIFLE mode.
To select between these modes, rst turn the unit “ON” by pressing and releasing the POWER button. Next, press
and hold the MODE button for three seconds to get into the SETUP menu. e brightness is displayed rst and
can be changed by pressing the MODE button or accepted by pressing the POWER button. en press the power
button until you see the existing compensation mode indicated by either the “Bow” symbol ( ), the “Rie” symbol
() lit with one of the ballistic groups (A thru J) displayed and ashing, or no indicators lit and the message
( ) ashing.

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e modes can be cycled through in a circular fashion by pressing and releasing the mode button. e order of
modes is a follows: BOW, RIFLE A, RIFLE B, RIFLE C, RIFLE D, RIFLE E, RIFLE F, RIFLE G, RIFLE H,
RIFLE I, RIFLE J, REG, etc. When the bow selection is displayed, the “BOW” icon will ash and when a “RIFLE:
selection is displayed, the “RIFLE” icon and ballistic group will be ashing. When the ( ) is displayed, the
message ( ) will ash within the display.
Once the desired distance compensation mode is displayed, select it by pressing and releasing the POWER button.
Following this selection, the current unit of measure, “Y” for yards or “M” for meters will ash in the display and the
SETUP icon is still lit. Pressing the MODE button will toggle the unit of measure. When the desired unit of measure
is displayed, press the POWER button to accept the unit of measure.
If the user chooses RIFLE mode, and after having determined unit of measure, the user has the following options:
. Variable Sight-In (VSI™) - Allows the rie hunter to choose from four sight-in distances (, , , or  yards
or meters) and provides holdover / bullet-drop data in inches, centimeters or MOA. e “SD” (Sight-In Distance)
indicator will turn on and the current Sight-In Distance number will blink within the display (I.e. , , , or
). e Sight-In Distance options can be cycled through in a circular fashion by pressing and releasing the mode
button. Once the desired Sight-In Distance is displayed, select it by pressing and releasing the power button.
. And nally, if RIFLE mode was chosen, and as long as unit of measure and a sight-in distance was selected, you
have the option of determining how you would like hold-over / bullet-drop displayed. If measurement units are in
yards, you will be able to choose between inches, or MOA. e “CM” for centimeters or “IN” for inches will ash
in the display and the SETUP icon is still lit. Once the desired ballistic measure is displayed, select it by pressing and
releasing the power button. If units of measure selected previously was Meters, then your hold-over / bullet-drop will
automatically be displayed in centimeters.

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Upon returning to the normal operating menu, the current compensation mode and unit of measure will be identied
in the display as indicated below.
SETUP menu Normal Operating Menu
When the unit automatically powers down, operation will always return to the normal operation (i.e. away
from SETUP) with the last used ARC mode active (i.e. BOW, RIFLE, or REGULAR) along with the last used
TARGETING modes active (Standard SCAN, BULLSEYE, or BRUSH). If the unit turns o while in the SETUP
menu, the unit will always return to the last mode(s) still active.
Once the range is displayed, continue to hold the POWER button down for approximately  seconds while holding
the aiming circle on the object and keeping the unit as steady as possible so as to allow the inclinometer enough time
to measure angle. en release the POWER button. Once you have released the power button, the line of sight will be
displayed along with unit of measure. Beneath the line of sight distance and unit of measure, the degree of angle will
be displayed for approximately . seconds, and will then automatically switch to the compensated range. e line of
sight distance, unit of measure and automatic toggle from degree of angle to compensated distance will continue for
 seconds at which time the display will automatically shut o.

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BOW MODE EXAMPLE
Line of sight is  yards, angle is - degrees, and the Angle Range Compensated distance is  yards. Instead of
shooting as  yards, shoot as  yards. If you were to shoot as if  yards, you would shoot over the top of the deer
because of the severe angle.
Line of Sight = 32Y
Compensated Distance = 23Y
Line of Sight = 32Y
Degree of Angle = -44°
If in BOW mode, the line of sight distance will display in the primary numeric display and the inclination and
horizontal distance will display in the secondary numeric displays. Bushnell determined through extensive testing and
interviews with high-prole bow hunting experts that multiple bow ballistic groups were not necessary. Bow-hunters
want to know true horizontal distance because that is how they practice shooting, and once they condently know
that, they can make any necessary adjustments. Giving the bow-hunter anything else other than horizontal distance
creates additional confusion and uncertainty.
Many people mistakenly believe that uphill shots perform dierently from downhill shots because of gravity. However,
it is not due to gravity, but more of an aberration of the sighting system used on bows. e sighting pin on a bow
resides several inches above the mechanical axis of the arrow. For example, when one is aiming  degrees up an
incline, the arrow is at a dierent angle.

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RIFLE MODE EXAMPLE
Line of sight is  yards, angle is - degrees, and the bullet-drop/holdover is  inches. ARC not only takes into
account ballistic data based o your caliber and load from distances of - yards, but also compensates for any
uphill and downhill angles which also aect bullet-drop.
Line of Sight = 376 Yards
Holdover/Bulletdrop =
28 Inches
Line of Sight = 376 Yards
Degree of Angle = -33°
If in RIFLE mode, the ballistic group will be displayed in the bullet drop numeric eld anytime that the primary
numeric display is showing dashes (i.e. no target acquired). When a target is acquired in RIFLE mode, the line of sight
distance will display in the secondary numeric displays. e “IN” icon (i.e. inches) will light next to the bullet drop
numeric display, if the unit of measure is set to Yards (Y). If the unit of measure is set to Meters (M), the bullet drop
will be calculated and displayed in centimeters and the “IN” icon will be turned o. If the bullet drop / hold over reads
“ ,” this means the compensated distance is beyond what can be displayed, and or beyond ballistic calculations and
user will need to hold low.
REGULAR MODE
is mode does not provide any degree of elevation or compensated distance, but instead, line of sight distance only.
e will still appear below the line of sight numeric display, but there will not be any information displayed in this
secondary numeric display.

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KNOWING WHICH BALLISTIC GROUP TO SELECT
Bushnell engineers have worked with Sierra® Bullets’ ballistic programs and grouped many of the most popular calibers
and loads into eight ballistic groups (A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H). Once you know what caliber and load you are shooting
simply look through the chart to determine which one of the eight ballistic groups match with your particular load
and caliber. For Muzzleloaders, we have worked with PowerBelt Bullets to incorporate ballistic data into two ballistic
groups (I and J).
POPULAR CALIBER & LOAD COMBINATIONS
Federal Cartridge. dia. - Rem,  gr. Bear Claw at  fps G
Federal Cartridge. dia. - Rem,  gr. Partition at  fps F
Remington Arms . dia. - Remington Arms ,  gr. V-Max at  FPS H
Remington Arms . dia. - Remington Arms ,  gr. PSP at  FPS G
Winchester . dia. - Rem,  gr. Ballistic Silvertip at  FPS H
Winchester . dia. - Rem,  gr. PSP at  FPS G
Federal Cartridge . dia.  Win,  gr. Ballistic Tip at  fps F
Federal Cartridge . dia.  Win,  gr. Partition at  fps F
Remington Arms . dia.  Win,  gr. PSPCL Ultra at  FPS E
Remington Arms . dia.  Win,  gr. SPCL at  FPS D
Winchester . dia.  Win,  gr. Partition Gold at  FPS E
Winchester . dia.  Win,  gr. PP-Plus at  FPS E
Federal Cartridge . dia. - Spring,  gr. AccuBond at  FPS D
Federal Cartridge . dia. - Spring,  gr. Bear Claw at  FPS D
Remington Arms . dia. - Springeld,  gr. A-Frame at  FPS D
Remington Arms . dia. - Springeld,  gr. BRPT at  FPS D
Winchester . dia. - Sprg,  gr. FailSafe at  FPS D
Winchester . dia. - Sprg,  gr. Partition Gold at  FPS D

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Federal Cartridge. dia.  WSM,  gr. AccuBond at  fps F
Federal Cartridge. dia.  WSM,  gr. Bear Claw at  fps F
Winchester . dia.  WSM,  gr. Ballistic Silver Tip at  FPS F
Winchester . dia.  WSM,  gr. Fail Safe at  FPS F
Remington Arms . dia.  R.S.A.U.M.,  gr. PSPCL Ultra at  FPS E
Remington Arms . dia.  Wby Mag,  gr. PSPCL at  FPS F
Above are a few of the most popular caliber/load combinations. A complete list of approximately  caliber and load
combinations can be found on Bushnell’s website (www.bushnell.com).
After you have determined which ballistic group corresponds to your caliber and load, select this ballistic group
(See MENU SETUP above). e internal formula will determine amount of bullet drop/holdover in inches or
centimeters based upon distance, angle, and ballistics of your caliber and load.
is state-of-the-art digital technology allows the hunter or shooter to know precisely where to hold for an eective
shot. is information should be treated as a helpful guide or tool and in no way should it ever replace practice and
familiarity with your rie, cartridge and load. We encourage practice shooting at dierent ranges so you know how
your rie, cartridge and load will perform under various conditions. Always know what is behind your bullet; if you
don’t know, don’t take the shot.

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EXAMPLE
You have a  WSM and are shooting the following Winchester brand load:  gr. Ballistic Silver Tip bullet at 
FPS muzzle velocity. is combination falls under Ballistic Group “F”. After setting the rangender to ballistic group
“F”, go to the range and sight in your riescope at  yards. If you then take a shot at a target at  yds, the bullet
drop will be  inches. If the shot is at angle of  degrees upward, then the corrected bullet drop will be  inches.
WHAT IF YOUR CALIBER IS NOT LISTED?
While we have taken great care to include as many calibers and brand names in our ballistics tables, new loads are
always being developed. In addition, some shooters load their own ammunition with unique ballistic characteristics.
If you cannot nd your load in our ballistic tables, you can still use the bullet drop feature of the laser rangender.
As above, sight in your rie at  yds. en shoot the rie, without adjusting the riescope, at  yds. Measure the
bullet drop from the point of aim. Using this drop, select the ballistic group from below. If you will be shooting longer
distances then you may want to check the bullet drop at  yds. Because there is enormous variation in rie barrels,
chambers, and hand loads, you should thoroughly test the ballistic setting before actual hunting. You may need to
move up or down one group depending upon your tests.

20
If Bullet Drop is: @300 yds @300 m @500 yds @500 m
Use:
A25-31 inches 63-79 cm 114-146 inches 291-370 cm
B20-25 inches 50-63 cm 88-114 inches 225-291 cm
C16-20 inches 40-50 cm 72-88 inches 182-225 cm
D13-16 inches 34-40 cm 61-72 inches 155-182 cm
E12-13 inches 30-34 cm 55-61 inches 139-155 cm
F10-12 inches 25-30 cm 47-55 inches 119-139 cm
G8-10 inches 20-25 cm 39-47 inches 99-119 cm
HLess than 8 inches Less than 20 cm
Less than 39 inches Less than 99 cm