I decided to purchase a Bosch GLM 250VF since it advertised 250m range compared to 200m of the Leica Disto D5 and also cost about 60% of the D5's price.
It works well on white card out to at least 150m, and I am presently experimenting with cheap clear plastic retroreflectors of the type used on vehicles, to make a target suitable for use at 250m.
I need advice on a cheap way to achieve fine controlled pointing. I purchased with the laser meter the recommended Bosch "Professional" BS150 tripod. Unfortunately, although this has orthogonal adjustments they are just of a simple controlled friction type and even when I slacken off the locking device there is enough friction that the pointing adjustment becomes somewhat fiddly.
The beam has a divergence of about 2 minutes of arc (0.6mrad) so ideally I would like a fine screw pointing adjustable smoothly at the few minute of arc level. My present tripod is only smooth at the 1 degree level. Also, being light (just what I need for carrying on my bike - I don't want a heavy traditional surveyors' tripod) it does flex under the friction force needed to adjust the present pointing system. I reason that if I could get or make a simple screw adjuster to sit between the tripod and the laser meter, it would be a satisfactory solution. I have not been able to find a cheap fine motion device to purchase, so I am thinking of constructing one.
Are there any suggestions?