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The Bushnell Fusion 1 Mile ARC rangefinder binoculars makes a pretty bold claim about itself right in its name. If you say that you can range to 1 mile, you better be able to back that up with some real world proof.
Let’s take a look at these Bushnell Fusion rangefinders and see if there’s proof in the pudding or not.
One quick note before we get started: Bushnell only lists a 10×42 and a 12×50 version of the Fusion on their site, but you may also find a Fusion 1 Mile ARC 8×32 on Amazon.
If you’re in a hurry right now and just want to see these Bushnell rangefinders at Amazon, you can click (tap) the link just below.
If you’d like to skip to a specific section of this article, click a link in the box below. Otherwise, you can keep reading as usual.
Contents
What Are the Features of the Bushnell Fusion 1 Mile ARC?
Both the 10×42 millimeter and the 12×50 millimeter editions of the Fusion 1 Mile share many of the same characteristics.
One feature you are probably quite interested in is the ranging capability. Can it really range as far as one mile?
Bushnell states that the ranging performance of the Fusion is 10 to 1760 yards. (Actually, there is what appears to be a typo on the Bushnell site where it says the 12×50 set can only range to 1750 yards. I’m pretty sure this is really 1760 yards as stated elsewhere.)
It appears that the Bushnell Fusion does stand up to it promise. Here’s what one owner says.
“I tested the one mile claim and found that these binos are capable of surpassing it. I ranged a high dirt bank in twilight conditions at 1780 yards! In normal daylight conditions, I was able to get 1600 yards with no problems, so the rangefinder is great.”
Being able to range an object like a dirt bank that is not highly reflective over a mile away is quite a feat. You should be able to do such ranging within a one-yard (plus or minus) degree of accuracy.
Bushnell uses a lot of proprietary terms when describing the Fusion. One of them is ARC which stands for Angle Range Compensation. You can use ARC in either of the modes – bow or rifle – that the Fusion provides.
When in bow mode, ARC gives you the “shoots-like” horizontal distance from 10 to 99 yards. If you switch to rifle mode, ARC will tell you bullet-drop and holdover information up to 199 inches.
You can use Angle Range Compensation to sight a target at virtually any high or depth. It will work from positive 90 degrees all the way to negative 90 degrees. This will be handy if you are shooting down from a tree stand or up into the hills.
There are three modes of ARC. Select either automatic scan, bullseye, or brush mode depending on your target.
While you can range over a mile as stated earlier, you should only expect up to 1000 yards when looking at trees and 500 yards at most when spotting animals like deer.
When you are in rifle mode, you can change the sight-in distance with the Fusion’s VSI™ (Variable Sight-In) options. You can choose from 100, 150, 200, or 300 yards when figuring sight-in.
To see all this information clearly, Bushnell provides Matrix Display Technology that “improves contrast, clarity and light transmission for rapid, positive identification”. You should be able to range while seeing object in true color in any lighting conditions. In addition, Bushnell includes “XTR® technology for ultimate light transmission”.
What this all boils down to is that you will be able to identify objects easily and quickly through the glasses.
Inside these roof prism binoculars are BaK-4 prisms that have PC-3® phase corrective coating to further aid resolution and clarity. The eyepiece and objective lenses are fully multi-coated which is the best coating currently available. RainGuard® HD water repellent lens coating makes them resistant to the elements, so you can take them out whenever you like.
The housing of the Fusion 1 Mile is both waterproof (depth unknown) and fogproof.
The binoculars have a close focus of 10.5 feet (3.2 meters). The twist-up eyecups will accommodate you if you wear eyeglasses.
If you want, you can mount the Fusion to a tripod with an adapter. This will make ranging measurements even more sure by keeping the unit steady.
Include with the purchase of a new pair of these binoculars is a carrying case, a neck strap, and a 3-volt CR 123 battery.
Users have said that the “[c]ase [is] too short to fit binoculars with eyepiece cups extended or with lens caps in place.” In most cases, this is probably a minor annoyance.
What Are the Differences between the 10×42 and 12×50 Fusion Models?
With all that was mentioned above, you probably can guess that there is very little to distinguish these models.
Your guess would be correct.
There are really only four features that set these rangefinder binoculars apart: field of view (FOV), eye relief, size and weight.
The FOV of the 10×42 Fusion is 305 feet at 1000 yards. For the 12×50 it is 225 feet.
The eye relief is nearly the same. For the 10×42 the measurement is 18 millimeters. Eye relief for the 12×50 is just 2 millimeters less at 16mm.
I don’t have the actual length, width, and height of each pair, but the 12×50 with it’s larger objective lenses is obviously bigger than the 10×42. This also causes it to weigh more (32.7 ounces) than the 10×42 (31 ounces).
What Is the Verdict on the Bushnell Fusion 1 Mile ARC?
With either pair of rangefinder binoculars, you get a solid pair of glasses that can range (as claimed) up to a mile – in some cases, even father.
If that’s all you need, then these range finding binoculars are probably for you.
If you think there is a pair of RF binoculars that would suit you even better, check this article to see if you can find one there.
