Originally Posted by
Topgun 3006
I've never had one, as I'm pretty good at judging an animals distance out to the 300 yards that I limit myself to because of my bad eyes. With the known drop of the bullet with my rifles zeroed at 200 yards, I can hold on the animal and get the job done. I do think that they are very important in archery or for anyone shooting at what people call "long range" because then the exact distance to the target is much more critical in both instances.
My opinion, don't leave home without a range finder. I've made the mistake of judging the distance wrong and ended up taking out the two front legs of a deer. Never again will I allow myself to cause an animal to suffer like that. It does help you get better at estimating but I'd rather know I am correct to the yard.