Range finders........

[kamlooky]

I know this has probably been discussed to no end.
What does one need for average hunting needs.
I don't sheep/goat hunt.
I'm more keen on that big buck/bull standing way off yonder
and trying to figure out how far the distance is.
One of my hunting chap uses a Bushnell of some sort and says it's
all you need.
The other chap brings out his Boone and Crockett RX IV with all
the fancy stuff. It will reach out to 1500 yards or so.
Out of touch for shooting for me.
My taste buds are demanding I get one.
Lot's of talk of brand X and what a deal they are, but no $$ is given.
For those with lots of zeros behind their account balance, a g-note is
not a big deal.
For the peasants such as myself, does one need to sell off Huey or Duey
for one of these fangdangled creatures?
What works for you?
Model and kerch$ing would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Looky.

 

[bearkilr]

I would keep my eyes open for one of the older Leica's on the EE, specifically the LRF 800 or 900. You should be able to pick one up for no more than $300. It's all you'd need, they work great.I've had one for many years, tried the newer "better" ones and still like this one. Its shape makes it easy to hold still, which is a major bonus unless you want to lug a tripod around with one of the newer more compact ones.

 

[Lex]

Canadian Tire Portage La Prairie had a Simmons on sale today for $100.00. I talked do a guy who was buying his second one and he said they were "adequate". I have a Bushnell Elite 1500 with ARC (very good) already or I would have bought the Simmons just because of the price.

 

[Mystic Precision]

You need to start with how far you want to range - not sometimes but first time EVERY time.

Then you need to decide under what light conditions this will happen.

ALL rangefinders will work at 100% of their listed range off a reflective surface like a highway sign on an overcast day.

Many will only go 50% on a furry object or on a reflective sign on a bright sunny day.

The less money you spend, the more fussy it will be to both surface and ambient light.

If ranging out to 300yds, I would suggest you take a look at the Tasco that Cdn tire has onsale for $100. Odds are it will work for shorter ranges under the type of light we see this time of year.

If you want to tell how far that ridgeline is, then you need to look at the upper end Bushnells, Leupolds, Nikons.

Best in this price range will be the Leicas. They are going to give you closer to 80% on a sunny day and typical grassland terrain. Given they are rated from 800m to 1200m, further then the vast majority will ever need.

BUT they will crap out at full distance on a sunny day. I am very impressed with the small size of the CRF variant. Optics in these are also very good in general.

The only handheld rangefinder that you don't need to enlist to use that will work whenever, whereever, what ever is the Swaro. I have handheld readings out to the max 2000yds on a sunny day ranging a clearing for shooting.

I am unaware of anything better under $1000.

So you need to be very specific in what you want to do and especially, how far you must range.

Then let your wallet decide.

Jerry

 

[kamlooky]

Thanks for the informative reply Jerry.
Muchly appreciated.
I was going to mention the $100 Tasco Canuck Buck special but
at the time of this post, other things were on my mind.
Cheers.

 

[mcp1]

I am very happy with my RX1000. They start around 400 right now from what I've seen. I was torn between this and a Nikon but the Nikon which gets great reviews was tough to find locally. I have found that if I want to be going light in my pack I leave the binos behind and just use this ultra light compact as my go to optic as well as rf.