Range Finders: How important is angle compensation?

[cjanak]

I’m planning to purchase a hunting range finder for use on deer in Western Washington. I’m thinking the Leica CRF 900 is the way to go, as it is compact and appears to be in a class of it’s own in terms of clarity and accuracy, the only draw back being that the some report that the display is hard to read in very bright light conditions (but excellent in low light conditions).

However, the Bushnell Elite 1500 is about $200 cheaper. It’s heavier and appears to be much less accurate and clear. However, it does have a feature that adjusts range to compensate for changes in elevation (if you’re shooting up or down at something). Nikon offers this feature as well.

How important/useful of a feature is angle compensation? My gut tells me I’m better off getting something simple but of very high quality, like the Leica. What good is angle compensation if the Bushnell is slow to read, inconsistent and doesn’t offer a very clear view? On the other hand, maybe when I miss high/low by several inches due to a failure to figure an angle, I’ll be kicking myself for paying more for a range finder with fewer features.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[Kingcreek]

angle compensation is useful for bowhunting and maybe for extreme shot angles like mountain sheep, etc with a rifle. It is probably not essential.

 

[jimbob86]

If you are shooting at long range, you need to know exactly how far to hold over. If the Range is long and the angle steep, it could be the difference between a hit and a miss. Or worse, a solid hit and a wounded animal.

Where are you hunting? How long are the shots?

 

[cjanak]

I will be in hilly terrain... foothills of the Cascades. Mostly timber but also some clear cuts. My equipment and skill level will keep my shots inside of 200 yards.

 

[rcmodel]

Then you for sure don't need an incline meter in your range-finder!

Sighted in properly, anything inside 200 yards level, up hill, or down hill is point blank range for most deer rifles, and bullet drop would not be a factor one way or the other.

A more important factor is your understanding of deer anatomy.
When viewing a game animal from acute angles above and below, the proper place to put the bullet changes slightly even at close range, but not because of bullet drop at the angle.
It's just that the kill zone has to be approached higher or lower to get the bullet to end up in the right place inside the deer.

rcmodel