How useful do you find a laser rangefinder?

[dave3006]

For hunting purposes, do you use a laser rangefinder? I realize most game will not give you the chance to range it before you shoot. It seems like most people use it for ranging landmarks in setting up a stand or hide.

Do you find them useful? Or are they just another gadget to weigh you down in the field?

-Dave

 

[WYO]

It depends on where you hunt. If you hunt woods where a long shot would be under 250 yards, it doesn't matter if you are using a high powered round. If you get into an open area and have to debate whether the aninal is 285, 300 or 400 yards away, it's good to have a rangefinder. They sure are handy for antelope hunting.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Rangefinder use

RF's are also VERY handy for bow hunters, for whom exact range is a great deal more critical.

IMHO, you oughta get one that can "see through" the brush, and ignore raindrops.

 

[Byron Quick]

I like ranging landmarks in the areas I hunt.

 

[JGReed]

I bought one last year primarily for bowhunting. Use it to figure the range to various points around my stand. As Smokey Joe said, 7 yards makes a big difference when you're shooting a bow.

I brought it out west with me as well and it could be VERY useful out there. The year before I plowed a round from my .30-06 into the dirt in front of an antelope I estimated to be 275 yards out. Turned out it was closer to 400. (Being from the Northeast where 120 yards is a long shot I find I can't figure range out there at all. Apparently I can only estimate 100, 200, and "way out there.") Didn't need it last year cuz I shot my elk at 10 yards!

 

[esheato]

I was skeptical but curious for a long time. Eventually, I broke the bank and purchased a Leica and I couldn't be happier. I use it all the time for hunting and non-hunting endeavors.

For hunting, I find it indispensible. I'm a gadget guy though.

Ed

 

[Harve Curry]

I guess I like quality equipments, my reloading stuff, chronograph..........

My Leica 800 range finder. One day I used it on a bow mule deer hunt I guided. We saw to large 4x4's across the canyon and up aways with does during the January rut. There was about 2 feet of snow. real steep sided canyon. I decided to go up the bottom , then climb straight up to a large round cedar. First I range finded it at 400 yards to the cedar, then 435 yards to the buck. So we knew that it was bow range of 35 yards if we got the big round cedar with a dead fall near it. When we got where we thought we were right below the deer it was decided just the hunter would go up. I waited in the bottom freezing. He climbed up quite in the snow, in white camo I couldn't see him. Fired and missed at 30-35yards. Deer runs and then takes one last look back again. 68 yards , the buck is broad side but he jumps the string and the arrow goes right up his ????. We tracked him 4 miles and 4-1/2 hours later we finally found him with just the green nock showing. It was the smaller of the 2 bucks and he scored 178". That was a hard day but it was fun to.

So I'd say they are pretty useful, or I might not have thought of that plan in the first place. Plus long range it's better then the alternatives.

 

[04SilverSCFX4]

Don't worry about ranging the game, just set yourself up a range card and use the RF to determine the varying ranges. Like you said, range landmarks that are easily recognizable and vary in distance/direction. In the military we use these for all DFP's but it's the same principle that can be applied for a static hunting spot.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Well worth the money out west.

I use it for bow and rifle hunts.

 

[TIMC]

I have a decent one I bought several years ago. It has been back in the box for a long time. I have been hunting the same place for 16 years. I pretty much know how far every rock and bush is from my blind so I really have no need for it now. If I ever decide to hunt somewhere new I think it will be very useful.

 

[Cindog]

Very worthwhile for bowhunting. As others have said, first thing I do when I climb a tree is pick some landmarks and range them to find my max shooting distance.

 

[El Tejon]

Not where I am. Lots of trees, rocks and hills. Don't get a shot past 100 yards.

Way out in the hairy-chested West where Hayzeus left his zapatos I can see an advantage. Nothing wrong with technology, dave'06. Embrace your inner mall ninja.

 

[GunGoBoom]

It seems like most people use it for ranging landmarks in setting up a stand or hide.

Right. Especially bowhunting, where I pre-range all likely places a game animal may walk through - it's funny how something to your left that looks 20 yards away is 20 yards away, but something to your right that looks 20 yards away is 25 or 30 yards away. As for muzzleloaders and rifles, I depend on the PBR & MPBR concepts - but if something is quite far away, you may need to range it to see if it's beyond your max PBR. I do NOT want to wound an animal, so it's worth it in possibly letting the game get away by taking the time to range it, in order to prevent a bad shot. And if you can actually see the game at such a distance, then it's quite likely that the reason you can see it is because the game is in an open area, in which case it's probably meandering along, and will give you time to range it, then wait for it to stop before it disappears into the woods (not always though). In addition, if your concern is the game possibly being beyond your MPBR, then it's far enough away that it likely won't see you move when you use your range finder.

 

[Guyon]

I'd like to get one for what some folks here have mentioned--ranging landmarks. I hunt some cutovers at one farm, and I'm always curious how long some of the shots might be.

Might come in handy for turkey in certain circumstances. I missed an old tom last year because I totally misjudged distance out into an open pasture. Thought it was about a 40 yard shot. When I walked it off, it was more like 60. Open space like that can fool you, especially when you're sighting down open sights at a turkey's head.

 

[killzone]

its a must have

It really helps if I m using my Gps and if im hunting in an area where I never hunted before,,, I tent to take long shot if I hadnt have any luck finding an animal in close range after a long day --so it helps...