Precision shooting is complex. It’s an extremely involved process on many fronts requiring, well, “precision” across a myriad of parts and accessories. The rapid progression of advancements in components has made precision shooting seem like no big deal anymore. With today’s barrels, actions, optics, ammo and the like, nearly anyone can lay down behind a precision rifle of reputable build and assembly and immediately shoot 1,000 yards with success as long as someone in the group has a grasp of the precision shooting fundamentals and basics. And if that someone is very advanced and the range allows for it, the complete novice can hit a target at a mile with a little coaching.

Tangoinnos Fire 4000: Find, Laze, Fire, Repeat

I struggled through the earlier years of little to no precision shooting information, finding it wherever I could in sparse quantities. And now that I know what I’m actually doing, and still far from an expert of any kind, I still struggle with one aspect of precision shooting. That aspect is the workload of the individual who wants to engage targets with efficiency. What do I mean? Well let’s look at the process of the individual shooter after the rifle and shooter are set up on the ground, assuming prone shooting position:

Scan target area (you can do this before you get on the rifle)
Locate target(s)
Range target(s)- likely with a handheld or LRF binos
Note range
Acquire DOPE (via app or hard copy written)
Dial Dope
Observe area for wind condition (this is continuous)
Correct for wind
Send round

It’s not that it’s difficult to do, but there is a lot of movement on and off the rifle. The result is considerable inefficiency. The problem with ranging is you have to come off the gun. Then you have to stabilize your LRF, (accurately) acquire the range, put that down, consult your form of ballistics solver, before you get on the gun again, dial your DOPE (if you don’t forget), observe wind, hold and shoot. Again, doesn’t sound like much until you are 15 rounds in and you’re growing weary of the up and down and the slowness of the whole thing. How does the individual shooter become more effective? Enter the Fire 4000 from Tangoinnos.

On the Gun

The Tangoinnos Fire 4000 is a weapon-mounted laser rangefinder. It not only accurately provides ranging information but ballistic info (DOPE) or come-ups when properly set up. The shooter need only setup behind their rifle, and scan through their optic to find targets. Once a target is identified, the user presses the range button and a range is acquired lightning fast. The Fire 4000 gives the user an elevation and wind solution via the installed Applied Ballistics solver on an OLED display, then it’s up to the user to dial elevation, hold for wind and press the trigger. All this without lifting their head from the rifle’s cheekpiece, again with proper setup.

Tangoinnos had a mission when they created the unit. “With the Fire 4000 we set out to lower the barrier to field matches and sniper-style precision shooting—delivering only what matters in a rugged, user-friendly WMLRF built for speed, efficiency, and the everyday rifleman.”

The Fire 4000 mounts atop the primary riflescope.

Rangefinder Specs

The unit itself is 2.9×4.3×1.7 inches. It mounts to a pic rail and can reside on the top of your optic via a diving board, or it can also be side-mounted to your rifle. In my opinion, optic mount is best, but that is only a preference for me. I feel like in that position the unit is less likely to be bumped around and affect zero. Again that’s just my opinion.

Powered by one CR123A battery, it has a life of about 15 hours of continuous use. The unit features a visible laser, used for sight in. If this is left on it hits the battery life a little harder. Once powered on, the unit is triggered via a ranging button on top or via a provided tethered switch that can be located somewhere on the rifle for the shooters convenience. This can be achieved with zip ties, which are included. I opted for hook and loop attachment.

The Tangoinnos has an effective range of 4,000 yards on a highly reflective target. On trees it’s rated at 1,500 yards and 1,200 yards on animals. During my use it easily hit over 2,000 yards on rocks in the distance. The laser is a Class 1 designation, which means it’s safe under most conditions and does not emit harmful levels of radiation. Its ranging accuracy is plus or minus 1 yard above 400 yards with a minimum ranging distance of 10 yards. As mentioned before, the unit provides range data instantaneously thanks to the laser’s fast pulse duration.

A ballistic laser rangefinder ranges out to 4,000 yards.

Tangoinnos Fire 4000 Visual Readout

A well designed OLED screen displays all pertinent information for the shooter, including range, angle, ranging modes, AB modes, elevation, windage, time of flight (TOF), vibration (the unit has haptic feedback), and direction. The orientation of display can be changed from a horizontal layout to a vertical one should you choose to mount it that way.

While the LRF capabilities are amazing, they wouldn’t be complete without the onboard ballistics solver. In this case, it’s the number one name in ballistics solutions—Applied Ballistics. Via their AB Synapse BOSS app, specifically for the Tanginnos, your ballistics data is sent via bluetooth between it and your smart phone. There are different versions of the AB software, and I highly recommend paying for the upgraded Elite version to max out the solver’s capabilities. Because of the AB solver, coupled with the sensors inside the Tangoinnos, a wind solution can be provided throughout use of the unit. Wind will always be the tough end of the equation, but with real time positional/angle/directional info, this should help significantly.

Garbage In, Garbage Out

I must be careful not to over simplify the outcomes with the Tangoinnos. Yes, it does amazing things, making the shooting process as a whole much faster and easier, but only if it’s set up correctly. This involves mounting the unit to the rifle/optic then ensuring a parallel zero with your optics reticle, which is critical for proper ranging.

Once you establish your 100-yard zero, you need to confirm the laser of the unit is aligned with the center of your reticle. This is done by measuring the physical offset of the Tangoinnos’ visible laser and the center of your rifle optic at 100 yards. It’s a process that takes roughly anywhere from three to 15 minutes after you’ve secured a solid 100-yard zero. It could take longer if you try to do things your own way and don’t follow the instructions.

Luckily, I had done it before with a different unit, so it was quick, but I did have a buddy help me dial it in to perfection, although it can be done by oneself. After this is complete you’ll need to set your zero stop on your optic because you’ll need to dial back to zero every time you range, in order to grab an accurate reading.

The OLED screen display on the Fire 4000.

Parallel Worlds

Remember the reticle and Tangoinnos parallel each other, and if you have elevation dialed into the optic, then the parallel is lost.

You can setup your Applied Ballistics solver at any point by entering in rifle profile data. If you’ve done it before, you know it’s pretty straight forward. The cool thing about this AB Boss app is that it updates atmospherics with the touch of an icon and automatically updates the Tangoinnos. Your data in always current as long as your smart phone is blue toothed to the unit. All this is accomplished pain free.

Does It Work?

If this is all you care about the answer, in short, is yes. It works. It works amazingly well. In fact it almost pulls some of the soul out of precision shooting. Certain steps are skipped right over, like shooter/spotter comms, finding targets and writing their distance and acquiring dope. A little bit is missing. This isn’t a bad thing, especially if you have been shooting precision for a while and came up in the “craft” and all its nuances and subtleties. This is also known as slowness and delays.

For many of us, it took years to get to the point where we could use such technology and understand what is going on. But now, many can bypass some of the painful steps. That said, you still must absolutely know how to properly execute the shooting fundamentals, and have a solid understanding of ballistics in order for this unit to work for you. This isn’t magic. It’s magic sauce. There is a difference.

I lazed and shot targets at various sizes, shapes, and locations. Sky-lined targets still present as a challenge to even good LRF’s like the Tangoinnos employs. Noting where the visible laser hits on your reticle is key. I made the mistake of trying to use the center of my reticle for ranging. That’s not proper. Our range has targets tucked in places that will surely render your LRF mostly useless. This is why you must use your own visual range estimation along with the unit.

The activation control on the Fire 4000.

Final Shots: Tangoinnos Fire 4000

The Tangoinnos Fire 4000 with Applied Ballistics Software is what I hoped it would be, and it allows me to do exactly what I’ve always wanted to do—stay on my rifle and move from target to target with minimal delay while delivering impact after impact. One first-round hit after the other. I plan to buy one if not two of these units. Find it. Laze it. Shoot it. Repeat until boredom sets in.