Thanks, rybo.....and I'm still AS impressed.

Good shooting.

My wife tells me that all the time!
I just got my rangefinder this past weekend. I'm glad to see this post and the responses. I had no intention of trying to range an actual deer. My plan all along was to range structure and be ready when they show up. I'm terrible at judging distance.
I like Rick's post, and I hadn't considered that. Perfect situation... no wind, no obstructions and he's looking at something else... I'd take a longer shot. Maybe not 50 yards yet, but 40? Yep. The only problem I see is that if there's no obstructions, there's no cover. Getting that rangefinder out, using it, putting it down, hooking the release and getting to full draw seems like a lot of movement with nothing between the deer and me at 50 yards. I'd get busted.

Another reason i use one is for turkeys especially, im not nearly as good at judging distance on the ground as i am from the tree

I use one for the simple reason that there is no good reason not to use one (unless you can't afford it).

I use one as stated above to pre check yardages, but also because we hunt alot of picked corn and bean fields in ILL and if you have ever hunted one you will see that is hard to judge distance on these fields so I like to know ahead of time!! Walt

rybo I am with you. I have a Leica 900 scan I have never used here in MI or Ohio. I will not use in KY either.

Like Rybo I work hard on my setups on my farm and public land to get the deer inside 20 yds. I have not shot 1 outside of 20 yds. Turkeys I will only shoot inside my 20 yds radius also. I set it up and mark it off so I know.

When I head west that is a whole different ball game.

I use one because I need it. At age 55 and extremely far-sighted, I have very poor depth perception. What I think is 25 yards could be anywhere from 18 to 32 yards, depending on the light and perspective. Some of my hunting companions can nail yardage estimates within one or two yards consistently.

Then you either didn't read the thread....or you don't lend credence to what the other members have said regarding this.

I feel confident in my ranging abilities out to 40 yards. In RJs example I couldn't imagine someone guessing a 9 yard difference at 24 yards but I guess it could happen. I usually hunt from the ground and feel it is easier to range distance from the ground than in the tree. Last years deer was at 36 yards and I guessed 35 before I shot.

My 30 to 40 yard pin is not very far apart so I held in the middle of the two and sent the arrow to watch it hit perfectly. Then I watched the deer fall over in sight.

If I had a range finder it would just be another thing I had to carry and I like to keep my pack light and small. I really don't see the need for one for myself.

I do that as well. I also carry it with me on my belt for whitetails and arround my neck for game out west or for caribou for quicker access. I just leave it on my belt in case I forget how far that marker tree was, or how far that marker bush was or whatever. That way, when a buck is on his way in I do not have to do any ranging. I memorize markers every five yards from 30 yards out to 45 yards in all of my shooting lanes (if they go that far).