Range Finder Info?

H

HandCannon32x

Moderator
Im looking for info on a good working range finder. I will be using it for hunting and target shooting. I want a good one but dont want to give an arm and leg for it. Thanks
 
First you need to say how far you're going to be shooting or ranging. Then take that number, say it's 400 yards, and double that. You'll then need a rangefinder that is rated for 800 yards. I have a Nikon 600, and it's barely adequate. It'll sometimes read a critter to about 400, but that's the best I'm going to be able to do. Next Christmas I want a better rangefinder, if my patience will last that long.
 
I have the Swarovski and the Leica 1600,,,both will range to 1200-1400 yards on reflective targets,,,$999 for the Swarovski and $799 for the Leica,,,I have read that the Zeiss will also range past 1000 yards and is $599.
 
hc, 1/22/12

A few years ago I was looking for an easy to use, durable rangefinder for mid range distances. I ended up buying the Leupold RX-600. I've only used it out to approx. 300 yards but it is reliable and simple enough for me to use(only one button to press to get the distance). It was $199 and well worth the money to me. Good luck.

best wishes- oldandslow
 
I have read that the Zeiss will also range past 1000 yards and is $599.
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You have read correctly. I have a Zeiss and it will range past 1000 yds.....and the target doesn't have to be as big as a house either. :cool:
 
Have a Bushnell 1000yd/meter rangefinder. Bought it when they first came out 12yrs???? ago. Had a friend that owned a sportings goods/gun store, anyway I was one of his field testers. When he recieved new stuff like the 1000yd rangefinder he would ask me to go test it for him( I purchased about half the stuff I tested, at cost of course). We checked it at the local football field, police range, and local hydroelectric dam(the power boys can tell you to the inch how long that dam is). It was exactly right every time. I check it every year at the club rifle range. It is 100yds/300ft to the inch from the front edge of the #1 shooting bench to the first backboard. Still works perfectly after 12 or 13 yrs (wish I worked as well as I did 13 yrs ago). Have checked the range on a couple things over the years I knew were further than 1000yds, the longest was about 1487yds or something like that. The other brands as well as the new ones ought to work just as well...:D
 
I have the Leica CRF 1600 and CRF 1000.

I really like them.

I could point blank shoot to 300 yards.
I can't reliably kill at 600 yards.
So the rangefinders are used to shoot from 300 to 500 yards.
But they are also used to stalk. How much closer do I need to get?
If the animals spook at 1000 yards, better come back tomorrow before full light.
 
I have the Bushnell Ledgend 1200 and love it. Got it for bow and target but have used it extensively for all sorts of stuff. Great for the price. Plus it has the ARC feature if your into that stuff.
 
ever try a mil-dot scope? they work just as well and will never run out of batteries
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Well ... they don't run out of batteries, this is true. But they DO NOT work as well as a laser if "well" implies accuracy.

Most laser range finders have a resolution of 1 yard ... now that probably doesn't mean that they are accurate to 1 yard, but they do seem to be repeatable to +/- 2 yards even at extended ranges and mine routinely reads the same value (either 99 or 100 yds) to the 100 yd line at the range. The closeness of the numbers we see when many of us are using different rangefinders to range the same object make me comfortable saying that it is likely to be accurate to +/- 2 percent. We've never disagreed by as much as 10 yds at 500yds.

With a mil-dot, if you are off in your estimation of the size of a 40 inch target by only 2 inches, that will already contribute 5% to your distance error. Add to that the error in estimating just how many mils are subtended by the target in your scope and you can EASILY add another 5% to your error. Sometimes these will cancel and you'll get lucky, but other times the errors will add and you will be 10% off. If you are trying to determine, like Clark mentioned, if you are spooking your game at 1000 or 700 yds ... and you are off by 70 or 100 yds, this may not matter too much, but if you are dialing in dope on your scope, 50 yds at 500 is a BIG deal ... that's 2MOA (or 10 inches) of error on my 7mm-08 ... and remember, that is if you are only off by 2 inches on your target size estimate. I know that I, for one, am not THAT good at estimating target sizes. And the sensitivity gets worse as the distances go out from there.

That being said, I have an old Nikon 800 and it seems to range pretty well all the way out to 800 yds ... and has given me accurate readings past 950 on occasion.

Saands
 
Why do you think they call it; dope?....

I saw some neato-whiz bang units here; www.NatchezSS.com .
They have a cool set of binos/range finders in 2 sizes. They are not cheap but have protected lenses(fog rain gunshots-shock).
They have another "demo" Bushnell model with all the bells & gizmos built in.
It's a rifle scope but it's built for rough use/outdoor/hunting.

Natchez Shooting Supplies also sells a few laser rangefinders & optics for target/hunting use.
Clyde
 
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