Value of angle compensation in a rangefinder

T

the_blacksmith

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I am wanting to buy a new (to me) rangefinder (the old style leica geovids), that have no angle compensation if you buy the older ones. They have incredible glass, and I have looked through the new HD-B for comparison and actually like the old style better. Just fit my face and hands better, I find that I can get full FOV much easier. But I digress. What I am currently wrestling with is; is there real value in having a true ballistic range function for hunting? I am not interested in a Best of the West kind of hunting, and, though (because?) I have had formal long range shooting training and experience, I am very hesitant to shoot past 400yds, and have a hard line of 500 for the most extreme distance I will shoot at game under perfect conditions. I know that these are actually pretty long shots, and I live and hunt terrain that is steep on occasion, although not all the time. To the point: what are your thoughts and experiences with/without TBR functions? Is it worth having in a lesser optic vs better glass without it? (like the older leica geovids. Not that keen on 3500+ tax and then dragging them upriver in a boat...). I really, really like good glass, but I also hate not having the best gear that equivalent money can buy. I am looking for insight on the best place to spend my money on good rangefinder binos.
 
Well what is the difference in your bullet drop from 500 yards to 350? This is the range difference for a 45 degree slope. If the drop compensation would put you out of the boiler room of your game and you shoot at 45 degree angles, then angle compensation might be worthwhile.

I'd like to see the territory where 500 yard, 45 degree shooting is a regular occurrence.
 
Pr589

How about here:

IMG_20150225_115003_zps4yt9hh9t.jpg


Or here:

1f50ae04-e7bc-48ed-a6a0-6647f1710d60_zpsl60o85u5.jpg


My 7-08 will hit 7" high at 400yds with a 30 degree angle 15" at 45 degrees

My daughter(in the first pic) ended up shooting her elk straight downhill at about 45degrees at 264yds with a 200yd zero on the level she held dead on at 264 for a perfect heart shot would've been 5" high at that distance and slope. I think it may have even been steeper, it was a hell of a job just getting down to the elk...pretty close to stand straight up with your arm straight out and touch the hill steep.

I shot a mulie doe in the area of the second pic at 380yds uphill without angle compensation and hit 8" high but luckily broke major bone and severed an artery. I've been much more careful since then.

If the HD-B's arent your thing then consider a separate range finder and bino combo...there isn't a huge weight savings in the all in one units

Willy
 
Great location and fabulous scenery. Can't imagine how painful it must have been truckin' the meat out would have been.

There are relatively few geographies that have this kind of challenge and fewer folks willing to go there.
 
What sort of shooting do you do? If you're set up for "maximum point blank range" type shooting where you just aim dead-on out to your maximum range, then steep slopes basically just extend your range.

If you dial in distance compensation and actually try to hit dead center on target, you may find it useful to have angle compensation if you shoot in conditions like wilbar in the post above.
 
If you're dialling your elevation you could also put an angle cosign indicator on your rifle and carry a range card that has your come-ups for different angles or in a pinch do a lil math (angle cosign x range = angle corrected range)
 
Have a look at the Leica Geovid HD-R instead of the HD-B. You can have what you seek.
 
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Fantastic pics, looks like some great hunting spots. I currently have some decent binos and a bushnell rangefinder (its pretty crap glass, but it seems to be able to rangefind acceptably well), but I would like an upgrade in the glass department (hence the leicas), and I have, on more than one occasion left the rangefinder in the truck and hiked into some hunting ground or other, and only noticed an hours hike or more from the truck. I am not really looking to cut down on weight per se; I have yet to forget my binos: Im more looking to cut down on item count. I live near the peace river, and there is some fantastic hunting along its banks, but they are steep. I dont want to regret buying a set of binos that expensive, or worse, have them and then bring my old crummy bushnell along anyway. I suppose, though, that perhaps the simplest solution is to think of the older geovids as trinovids (about the same price for used geovids as new trinovids) with a bonus rangefinder. If I plan to hunt steep terrain, bring the bushnells.
 
rugbydave said:
If you're dialling your elevation you could also put an angle cosign indicator on your rifle and carry a range card that has your come-ups for different angles or in a pinch do a lil math (angle cosign x range = angle corrected range)
Click to expand...

This. The Defensive Edge ACI/ACD device is real thing of beauty for that job.
 
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