The Maven CRF.1 Rangefinder is a high-quality, midrange hunting rangefinder designed for both archery and mid-distance rifle hunters. It’s fast and easy to use — and it comes with an unconditional lifetime warranty.
To get us a closer look, Maven sent Man Makes Fire a CRF.1 Rangefinder review unit. Man Makes Fire gear reviewer Chris Maxcer took it out archery elk and rifle deer hunting in Idaho to test its real-world performance in various conditions. To help you determine if the Maven CRF.1 is right for you, here is what he learned and his buying recommendations:
Review: Maven CRF.1 Rangefinder
The Maven CRF.1 is a midrange laser rangefinder that delivers angle-compensated ranges quickly for bowhunting and rifle hunting.I previously tested and reviewed the excellent and very powerful Maven RF.1 Rangefinder, and I was excited to see a midrange version offered by Maven. If you’re not familiar with Maven, the company is a Wyoming-based direct-to-consumer manufacturer of high-quality optics.
I’ve previously tested several of Maven’s binoculars, including the awesome B1.2 10×42 binoculars as well as the surprisingly great C.1 10 x42 binoculars. I can recommend Maven binoculars to pretty much everyone because they offer such a compelling price-to-value ratio, due in no small part to Maven’s cost-saving, direct-to-consumer business model.
Ranging While Hunting
The Maven CRF.1 is intuitive and easy to use in the field.Meanwhile, what about the CRF.1? How does it perform while hunting?
In short, the CRF.1 ranges reflective targets in good light very quickly — often sub-second, near instant ranges. For archery purposes where I’m typically ranging bushes, trees, and stumps in the 30-75 yard range, measurements display fast pretty much no matter what I’m trying to range.
In light rain, I’ve successfully ranged targets as well, but sometimes the range will take just a bit longer to come in. In fog, I’ve had mixed results — but that’s not necessary a dig against the CRF.1. Every rangefinder I’ve ever tested has had trouble ranging in foggy conditions in Idaho. That said, my impression of the CRF.1 in fog is that it’s a bit better than the average I’ve experienced.
The farthest deer I’ve ranged was 590 yards, but that was broadside in very good light. Maven reports its distance-to-deer range as up to 650 yards. I believe that’s an accurate claim.
I’m not a long-distance shooter, so for me, the CRF.1 is plenty powerful enough for my rifle seasons.
Ranging Reflective Targets
Maven reports that the maximum reflective range is up to 2,400 yards. I’ve ranged reflective targets up to 1,700 yards. That’s just to test the CRF.1. It’s not often that I need to know how far away a highly reflective barn is.
In full daylight, I’ve ranged trees out to 1,240 yards, but at these distances the CRF.1 is slower to range and doesn’t always give me a reading. Maven reports its distance to trees is 1,300 yards.
At these distances and when more ranging more difficult targets, you’ll need to keep the CRF.1 steady and give it time — these far ranges typically take the CRF.1 about 3 seconds to range. Compared to the more powerful RF.1, I can range the same trees at 1,240 yards almost instantly. Some barns at 2,400 yards are easy with the RF.1 but I can’t get them with the CRF.1. But again, for me, these distant ranges are more of a curiosity than a need.
Angle Compensated Ranging
The 3-button design makes it easy to adjust settings and switch into Forest or Field modes.Every good hunting rangefinder has some sort of Angle Compensated Ranging. What is an angle-compensated ranging? Unlike Line of Sight ranging, which delivers the distance between two objects as if it were a straight line, angle-compensated ranging uses math to calculate a shorter distance that accounts for the effects of gravity on projectiles traveling at steep angles.
Basically, whether you’re shooting up or down at a very steep angle, the effect of gravity on your arrow or bullet trajectory results in less drop. This is why hunters often overshoot their targets at steep angles.
To get these measurements, the rangefinder is doing some fancy math based on the angle and distance to your target. What the rangefinder does is returns an effective shorter distance that lets you aim appropriately for the desired result.
For archery hunting, having an angle compensation is critical because a difference of a just a few yards at certain distances can put you out of the strike zone. If you shoot big game at 200 yards and under, it’s a bit less critical with modern rifles. But once you start getting more than a few inches of drop at longer ranges, suddenly angle-compensated readings become more and more important.
The point is, most hunters will want to use the Angle Compensated setting vs the Line of Sight setting — particularly in the mountains or from an elevated blind or tree stand.
Because the Maven CRF.1 ranges fast in a variety of terrain — and easily ranges deer and elk farther than most rifle hunters shoot — it’s one of those hunting gift ideas that should work well for short-range archery hunters who also want fast and accurate traditional rifle range distances.
How to Test Angle Compensated Ranging
It’s pretty easy to test how angle-compensated ranges work: Simply find a tall tree or light pole. Range a straight horizontal line to the base of the tree or light pole, then range the top of the tree or light pole. Assuming the tree or pole is mostly straight, your two ranges should be the same. You can do this with tall buildings, too.
When I tested the angle compensation on the tall light poles at our local high school football field, the compensated ranges were the same.
Read about Maven’s outstanding lifetime warranty here!
Field/Forest and Scan Modes
The Maven CRF.1 is easy to hold, but it has a bit of a chunky profile.Not all rangefinders have field or forest modes, but the best rangefinders have good scan functions. The Maven CRF.1 has a Field mode, which prioritizes small, hard-to-hit targets in open country. For example, if you’re trying to range a deer in a field with a treeline in the background, you want the rangefinder to return a reading for the deer and not the treeline. The Field mode helps you get the right range.
Similarly, if you’re hiding out in a forest with some small bushes, branches or grass in between you and a deer, you don’t want to range the branches in between you and a deer or elk. The Forest mode helps prioritize bigger objects when ranging.
The Scan mode lets you hold down the Fire button and continuously range around an object. The CRF.1 will give you real-time ranges, letting you pass over a deer, for example, at 300 yards, showing you 300 yards, then onto a distant tree at 370 yards, then onto a closer bush at 290 yards, and then back over the deer at 300 yards. The scan mode can help give you confidence in the actual distance to objects when they’re near other objects that could deliver very different ranges.
Remember the fog?
While most rangefinders aren’t magic and can’t beat the physics of light, use the “FOR” forest setting in rainy or snowy conditions. The FOR mode will help the CRF.1 ignore snowflakes in favor of a more distant stable object reading.
Red & Black LCD Modes
The CRF.1 features a cool red/black LCD mode. It’s an automatic LCD display that changes the color based on background of what you’re ranging. If you’re ranging against a dark background, the display will show red. If it’s a light background, it’ll show black. It works very well.
In addition, you can tap the Display / Menu button to switch it if you need to. The CRF.1 also automatically adjusts the brightness of the red mode to match the ambient light. This is a cool feature because it reduces the issue of red displays shining too brightly in low-light dawn/dusk conditions.
Build Quality
The CRF.1 (bottom) is slightly smaller than the RF.1 (top).The Maven CRF.1 has a solid overall build quality. It has a polymer case, so it’s not as rugged as the RF.1’s magnesium/aluminum case, but the CRF.1 feels solid in your hand. The rubberized bottom and top are grippy. All the seams are straight and flush, which is often a good indicator of overall quality.
I’m a big fan of the Maven charcoal, gray and orange colors. They make Maven gear stand out from the crowd with a tasteful, modern design.
Optically, the 6 x 22 objective lens is bright and crisp.
Maven CRF.1 Ergonomics
At 8 ounces, the CRF.1 isn’t the lightest rangefinder on the market, but for the distances and quality, it’s doable. In the hand, it’s easy to hold and use.
I have two minor quibbles, though, neither of which is a deal-breaker. First, the CRF.1 is a bit chunky. It’s 1.85″ thick. It doesn’t have the protruding knob that the RF.1 has, but still, 1.85″ is a bit thick when you’re trying to stay trim and slim with the gear you carry. It’s not enough that I have trouble fitting it into rangefinder pockets on the packs I use, but if you have a smaller rangefinder pocket on your chest pack, for example, you might want to consider the fit.
The second minor quibble is the size of the LCD display. For my aging eyes, I would prefer a bolder, larger display — basically larger text. But I understand that smaller displays let you see the whatever you’re looking at easier and that younger eyes might have zero quibbles at all. Incidentally, the RF.1’s display is a bit easier for me to read quickly compared to the CRF.1 display.
Want peace-of-mind in your purchase? Read about Maven’s outstanding lifetime warranty here!
Key CRF.1 Specifications
Magnification: 6 x 22
Maximum Range: 2400 yards
Distance to Trees: 1300 yards
Distance to Deer: 650 yards
Minimum Range: 5 yards
Accuracy: .5 yards up to 200 yards
Angle Modes: LOS & Angle Compensated
Size: 4.3″ x 2.9″ x 1.9″
Weight: 8 oz.
Waterproofing: IPX7-rated
Tripod Mount: Yes
Battery: CR2
Battery Life: 2,000~ cycles
LCD Color: Auto Red/Black
The Verdict
All-in-all, the Maven CRF.1 Rangefinder is an outstanding midrange rangefinder. It’s fast, easy to use and delivers speed and distance that’s easily better than entry-level rangefinders and very competitive with the midrange competition. Because the CRF.1 ranges fast close up, it’s great for archery hunting. Because it’s more powerful than typical entry-level rangefinders, it’s also good for deer and elk rifle hunters that need improved performance but aren’t taking extra-long shots. The field, forest, and scan modes make ranging easier and more accurate while hunting, and the automatic red/black LCD helps ensure you can see the readings in varying conditions. Very highly recommended.
Get the Gear:
Our Gear Review and Tester’s Specific Related Experience:
Chris Maxcer has tested and reviewed several rangefinders for hunting for Man Makes Fire, as well as binoculars and spotting scopes. His primary testing ground is steep and dense Idaho forests for elk and mixed field and forest ground for deer. He hunts with a bow and with a rifle depending on the season, his tags, and fellow hunters. Of course, Maxcer has also written hundreds of in-depth outdoor gear reviews, including independent, first-hand reviews of fly fishing gear, camping gear, hunting gear, backpacking gear, and beach and water play gear. He believes the best way to understand a product is to use it in the real world for the kind of activity it was designed for.
Man Makes Fire publishes independent gear reviews, unencumbered by any requirements from any gear brand or manufacturer.
