Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

Do any of you use a laser or thumbwheel type rangefinder? If so, which type/brand and does it really help that much in hunting situations?

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

I use the Bushnell sport and yes it comes in very handy when I am hunting.When in the stand I range everything I can so I know what distance i am going to be shooting.

Aussie by birth Texan by choice

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

Yes, I use a Bushnell Yardage Pro 500. I don't really use it that much while actually hunting, but when I set up a stand site I range several objects so I have a mental reference point to go by.

SHOOT STRAIGHT,SHOOT OFTEN&SHOOT A MATHEWS

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

Coming into my second season using a Bushnell Yardage Pro 500,

Love it even if it can't read much under 20 yards.

Bowhunter

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

Bushnell Scout, works very well. Like others I use it mostly when setting up, but have used it when hunting.

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

Bushnell Yard Pro 500-Won't leave home without it!

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

I have a Bushnell Yrd pro 600.My best friend has a Leica though, that kicks my yardage pro's butt!! It's about twice as fast on a reading and it has a red display,so in low light when you can't see #@^* on a Yrd Pro the Leica is crystal clear. I think it's waterproof too, my 600 is currently down due to getting wet!! Wonder what that's going to cost ??

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

What about the Nikon 400? I hear they are good.

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

I use a Bushnell Scout, it works very well. I use it for setting up stands, and for stalking.

NRA,UBP,BASS Member
New Stanton,PA

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

I use a Nikon 400. Got it on Ebay for $205 plus shipping. It works great. I went for the Nikon instead of the Bushnell Scout because the Nikon was smaller (marginally) and cheaper AND it measures in half yard increments at ranges <100 yards.

The first time I got in a treestand with it was this last season during the rut in WV. I got settled in and shot several places I could shoot to check yardage. Then I tried to remember what they were. I was suddenly very confused because I couldnt remember if that little rock was 27yds or the forked branch on the ground was 27 yds. The technique I've adopted now is to sit in the stand, and evaluate my shooting lanes. Then I guess at the yardage before I shoot it with the RF. If my guess is within 2 yards of what the RF said I forget it and move on, if I guessed wrong then I give that area further study and figure out why I missjudged the yardage and remember what the correct yardage was.
I dont keep it in my hand or on my side when on stand because I dont plan on using it to range the deer I'm going to shoot I'll just wait till he's in one of the shooting lanes I've already evaluated.
It does have 8x magnification but it's a monocular so using it to glass ridges for long periods of time isnt a good idea. So far it has been durable and dependable. The most usefull thing I've done with it is to walk around guessing yardages and then zap them to check my accuracy. It has tightened up my range estimation at yardages >35yds.
I'd go with the Nikon again over the Scout if I had it to do over and dont waste your money on getting a camo finish on it, really are you going to show it to the deer?



Cargo

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

I too don't leave home without out my Bushnell Yardage Pro 500. I had a thumb wheel type, ok until lazer rangefinders came out. Spend the extra and get the laser.

I kill it, I grill it.

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

I've had my Yardage Pro 400 since they came out
several years back...can't imagine hunting w/o
it.

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

I love my Leica LRF. The red LED display works much better in low light. This unit is extremely light weight and features surprisinly good 7x optics.

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

I have a yardarge pro 400 and am pleased with it. I do the same thing the rest of the guys do. I range a perimeter around my stand and wait for a deer to step into it. It also comes in handy for practicing in the yard. I even use it on 3-d (I don't score). It is good way to learn to judge yardarge a little better, which I suck at. Look the target over, guess the yardarge, then check it with the rangefinder. Much better than guessing wrong and losing an arrrow. Besides, how will you know if you guessed the yardage wrong, or just made a bad shot?

It also works pretty well during shotgun and muzzle loader season. If you know the ballistics of your weapon, a good range finder can let you know if the target is in your acceptable range and how much you need to adjust, if any. It came very handy for me this year, my muzzle loader broke the day before season started, well I broke it actually. Any way, I had to use my shotgun for the first few days of the season. I bought this gun for turkey and small game, not deer, so all I had was smooth bore barrel for it. I didn't really trust it much past 60 yards. I saw a pretty nice buck on the second day and had a perfect shot at 50 yards, but it was not on the property I was hunting on yet. It was right on the other side of the fence. I was specifically asked not to shoot over the fence, so I waited. When the deer did hop the fence I ranged it and it was at around 75 yards away. Had I not had the range finder, I would have most likely taken the shot, thinking it was closer to 60 yards or so, and most likely missed or wounded a deer. Too bad I didn't have the ML, would have been a perfect shot for that set up, oh well.

I also agree with the guy above, the leica is a much better unit, and only 100 bucks more than the one I bought. I looked at it and opted for the cheaper one instead, I am still kicking myself in the butt for that one. If I decide to get another one, that will be the one I get, unless something better comes along for the same or less money.

Good luck,
Paul

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

I don't use one. If the animal is far enough away that I can't tell how far away he is, I know I have to get closer.

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

Laser..... Leica, I LOVE it!

"Semper Fi"

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

I use the Bushnell Scout, Love the darn thing.

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

I don't use one because they are just another piece of equipment to haul into the woods and because they detract from fundemantal woodsmanship skills and gritty personal hunting involvement.

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

AK has an interesting and valid point, although it is one that I disagree with to a certain extent. With all the gear and tech gadgets out there, it is easy to get bogged with excess equipment and subsequently lose out on the pure experience of hunting.

However, I think that using a range finder to develop mental range estimation skills is a very efficient way to learn. You can walk through the woods guessing ranges and then verify the exact range with the rangefinder. But, if you only use the range finder as a crutch and never learn to mentally estimate yardage, then I think that you are missing out on a vital part of the original bowhunting experience.

I have a Leica LRF800 and it is a wonderful tool. Very good optics and very compact. I haven't ranged an animal while hunting (no time to do so) and I generally use it to verify and define a maximum range perimeter around me when I stop to rest during still hunts.

HuntingNet Member since Spring 2001

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

Yeah, you're probably right...lost animals due to less than accurate shots are great woodsmanship skills. By the sounds of it, you haven't missed a single animal to this point due to your exceptional estimation skills and gritty personal hunting involvement.

Just my two cents.

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

--Albert Einstein

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

I was waiting for someone to take that out of context. <img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle> Rangefinder use or non-use has nothing to do with wounding. Rather than being lured into taking longer shots because I can pinpoint some distance (38.5 yds perhaps) with a mechanical device, I prefer to be more selective in my ambush location so I'm afforded ideal shots under 25 yds...ranges I can estimate well and where a rangefinder becomes little more than expensive excess baggage. If a deer is farther and I don't know the yardage, I either try to sneak closer or the deer simply walks...it's part of the game to me. I know they are poplular, but I enjoy hunting &quot;light&quot; with a bow, some arrows, and my own abilities. To each his own.

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

I use the Bushnell 800 compact and just love it

RE: Do you use a rangefinder and which type?
 

i use the bushenell sport it is pretty good but i have been in fog or a drizzel and not been able to get a range. before going lazer i used a thumb wheel the zxt75 or whatever it was called, and to tell ya the truth once you become familiar with it, for bow hunting ranges, it is all ya need and it is pretty accurate. In fact some times i wish i would of never gave it to my buddy especially during the fog and rainy conditions. If you do buy a lazer, spend the extra money and get one that is capable of working during these conditions. it probably dose not seem like it happens often, but you would be supprised and you do not want to put a bad shoot on a big buck because you were a tight wad.