rangefinders yes or no?

leekboy · 03-23-2005, 08:26 PM

im thinkin bout buyin a rangefinder but i have had friends tell its a waste of money?is this true?if not what would be a good one to purchase?

stubblejumper · 03-23-2005, 08:50 PM

I use the leica 1200 and find it a worthwhile investment since my shots can vary from 20 yards to 500 yards.

BowHuntingFool · 03-23-2005, 09:05 PM

Yes I sue the Nikon 440. I like it alot and always have with me while hunting!

trailer · 03-24-2005, 05:29 AM

Having a range finder will definitely help in the hunt. Is it a waste of money? I don"™t think so, not where I hunt. I"™m very satisfied with my Leica 900 and wouldn"™t go hunting without it. It takes the guess work out hunting but for some I suppose makes it less of a challenge. I would rather make sure of the distance then guess.

Highpower · 03-24-2005, 06:21 AM

I have a Nikon 800. Wouldn't think of leaving home without it. A great tool regardless what you're hunting.

Longbow Bowhunter · 03-24-2005, 07:52 AM

I use a Bushnell Sport and love it, small, and real handy. I would recommend one.

skeeter 7MM · 03-24-2005, 08:19 AM

I hunt on the ground so my ranges often change with the wind and patterns of game. I find a range finder an awesome tool and like the others worth the investment. In my case I setup do some landmark ranging before getting settled into my game plan, basically just a assurance tool that if a animal steps out I know what I am looking at or where they have to get to to be inside my effective range.

TerryM · 03-24-2005, 11:26 AM

It depends on the land you hunt. If your shots are rarely past 200 yds then you really won't use it much with the trajectory of most modern centerfires. I bought one for my first western hunt for antelope and it was fabulous! Pulled off two beautiful shots and killed 2 antelope easy. I now use it mostly for archery and am glad I bought it but likely won't even carry it much for deer hunting where I hunt. a 100 yd shot is a long one and there is no need to calculate trajectories for that. If you take shots past 200 then they are a great tool.

tocs · 03-24-2005, 07:58 PM

I use a bushnell laser range finder when bowhunting,and wouldnt be without it.I don't use it while rifle hunting because it is very unlikely for me to have a shot beyond 200 yards.

rick_reno · 03-24-2005, 08:46 PM

I used to use the Leica, then my wife got me some Geovids. I like using a rangefinder - I spend a lot of time guesstimating how far away something is - then I point the rangefinder at it to see how good my guess was. I've gotten better. I've never used one to look at game - but I'll often map out shooting distances around where I'm standing.