Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

How many of you use on e.I am thinking about getting one,and wonder how you all feel about them?Do you find them a over priced gimmick,or a usefull tool.Ive been wanting one for a long time now and am somewhat of a gadget man:DThank's fror any replies.Bill D>

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

Absolutely 100% a useful tool for bowhunting.......

I'll tell ya, I'm pretty darn good at judging yardage on the ground, but sometimes when I get 20' in a tree I just look at a landmark and can't figure out how far it is????? Things just look different in a stand......so what I do first is practice what I THINK the yardage is to landmarks, then I zip them quick with the rangefinder. Keeps me sharp and gives me concrete references.

I create a 30 yard "Circle of Death";) with my rangefinder, then find a few 20's for further reference and sort of form a mental "Bullseye" on the ground with me in the center.........when a deer passes this tree/line he's under 30.........when he reaches this tree he's 20 and so on.
Not being sure of yardages is something I don't want to add to my list of concerns while hunting.
Just like in Golf, if you are unsure of yardage or club selection your in big trouble. If you can pick the right club and know the yardage you can aim small, miss small with confidence.

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I agree they are a great tool. And not only for bowhunting, I find many uses for mine... they are great!!

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I hunted for years without a rangefinder and now I'd go crazy without it. :)

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I think it's a useful tool as well. It has definitely helped my bowhunting. I am soso when it comes to judging distance I got along fine for years without one but now it is so much easier now. I feel it could become a serious crutch though!!:eek:

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

A very useful tool, and also can help pass some time on those all day hunts. I would make sure to get a quality and compact rangefinder. I have the Nikon Laser 440 and love it. I feel almost naked when I don't have it with me on stand.

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I'm with matt/pa and the others been using one for the last 2 years.
If you do get one make sure it is able to messure down to 5yards or so, some don't get any closer than 40yards or more.


silbowhunter

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

Walmart just recently put a rangefinder on clearance for $5 and I swiped it up QUICK. I'd been eyeballing this model for 2 years waiting for the price to come down enough. It started at $75 and was last at $45 - before the clearance. Call me cheap but I've spent enough money on bowhunting to last a lifetime so I don't necessarily need the latest "gimmick"

Since I've started ranging (my targets) I found the rangefinder to be a very handy tool and definately adds more precision to my practice routine. For example I hit a 1/2" square piece of tape I put on my block target, from a treestand 20 feet up at 33 yards into a strong crosswind with a broadhead. Without that range finder I would surely have over or underestimated the distance. Probably would have only been off an inch or two but it is a great feeling to hit the exact spot you're aiming at!

This one is kind of a cheap no frills rangefinder but after calibrating it it seems pretty accurate. Can't wait to try it out in the field.

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I find them very useful.

setting up the range

in the woods I use them the first few times to get distances, and if it's that time of season, I'll just put some scent bombs close to those trees that I know the range of.

on a field, I can't tell squat for distances, the fields I hand at are huge, so they are very handy. My brother actually uses them on deer when he's hunting on the field. I mean at 30-35 yards! I could never do that, I'd be to worried about getting busted.

At home, I'll go out on the top deck, to simulate the stand the best I can, and use it to help judge distances (kids are great for running around and helping without knowing it)

plus, they are just plain cool!

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I have been using a rangefinder for years I bought one of the first one ever made then when they made the lazer I got one and I would not be without mine. It does help to pass the time and gives me that little edge I need. I also use mine during muzzleloader season.

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I have one of the older models. It's not a laser one. I thought about building my own oneday just for fun. drstalker, I know mine is old but your welcome to it if you want to try it. Just PM. I didn't find it very useful. I've just made myself get better at judging my ten yrd increments. One thing I have found very helpful is my red dot scope. Not that it's a scope but it's one dot for everything. 10-15 yrds dead on. 20 - 25 remember you have a 4inch drop. 30 yrds, 8", 40 yrds 12". If I ever went back to pins I would only have 1 now. It really seems to be easier.

Good luck

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

Definitely a useful tool when bow hunting!

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I use the bushnell sport... lazer , i love it and would be lost without it up my tree...
i always make sure i have it and my fold up saw..... i just hit some landmarks so i have a reference point from where a deer may come in and stand at....

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I also find it to be a very useful tool. I really like it when I am hunting on the edge of a field. That is where I tend to think the deer are closer then they really are. I mark off some spots at 30 yards and then wait for the deer to come into that circle. Mine only reads down to 19 or 20 yards but that is not a problem as my first pin is set to 20.

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

After more than 20 years of shooting unmarked yardage tournaments - cardboard cutouts, 2D and now 3D; plus all the time I've spent in the woods stump shooting; plus my early work experience as an instrument man on a land surveying crew; plus the fact I limit my shooting distance on hunting shots to 30 yards and less; plus the fact I don't use sights, so I don't have to know exactly which pin to use...

I don't need a rangefinder.[&:]

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I use one. A Bushnell yardage pro. I got it from JC Penny's after a member here posted and told us that there was a misprint on their website. I got it for $99. Before that I used a 40 yard manual focus type that also worked good enough.

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I wouldn't go in the woods without one.

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I wouldn't be without mine for all the reasons Matt/PA mentioned.

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I love mine, I too try to mark off a circle around me at 30 yds, and then try to find some lanmarks at 20. I have the Bushnell yardage pro.

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

I wouldnt dream of not using one. Sitting in your stand and taking yardage measurements to various open areas near your stand will do a few things.

1. Lower the chances that you will use the wrong pin based on yardage -or eliminate it.

2. Keep your scent to a minimum in the stand area because you do not have to step off yardage

3. Give you a confidence boost because thinking about yardage is one thing you will not have to do when a Whitetail comes along....

RE: Who bowhunt's using a rangefinder?
 

Definitely useful here as well. I don't go out without taking one with me...unless ofcourse it is to stand location that I use frequently and already have several distances determined from prior hunts.

I have owned by the "dial-in" rangefinders and the laser models. Both have been incredibly helpful in not only determining physical distances but also in providing the mental confidence needed to execute some shots.