Rangefinder recommendation

[charlz]

My son is old enough now to start hunting and is real keen on it. I am thinking of getting him set up with a rifle for next year and we could give antelope and deer a try. We will need to do some scouting and I am thinking of getting a range finder to help teach him how to judge distances as well as use it while hunting.

I figure we won't be taking shots past 300 yards or so on antelope if that far. Is there any reason to get one that does 750 or a 1000 yards? I see some do ballistics calculations for you but I don't think we really need that. I am thinking Leupold but is there that much difference between the brands? Features to look for?

Thanks!

 

[Armed in Utah]

Buy it once.......cry once.....

Leica is one of the best LR's out there......

 

[beersngars]

Buy it once.......cry once.....

Leica is one of the best LR's out there......

^^^THIS^^^

But I also have used a Bushnell for many years before it crapped out. I bought it maybe 15 years ago for banging around in bow season and it worked fine until this year when it just won't lock on and read. Think I paid around $150 for it back then and would buy another.

 

[Andy in Gap]

I am someone who doesn't mind spending more and getting a well made product. I have used Leupold scopes and binocs and would recommend their products to anyone. It is the best domestic glassware you can buy and they stand behind their products. I once broke an eyepiece on a pair of binoculars, my fault, but we sent them in to be repaired. They repaired them free of charge, no questions asked.
However, as a young hunter I can remember misplacing gear, leaving stuff in the woods, putting stuff on the car roof and driving off, etc. In other words, I would buy something entry level in this situation. By the time your son is ready to replace it, he will have a better understanding on the value of money and can replace it with something that will last the rest of his life. Around here, not all young hunters become old hunters, lots of them give it up. Best of Luck.

 

[czechsonofagun]

If I was shopping for a rangefinder - which I am not, since in Virginia long shot is 50 yards:thumbsup: - I would go gor the longest distance since I think it is cool (maybe not practical) to be able to meassure all the way to yonder.

 

[Redbug]

I have an older Bushnell. It's been a good companion, although not waterproof and a bit on the large side. Santa has ordered me a new one...A Nikon rangefinder that calculates heights, etc., I have wanted one of these since I first saw one. I cut a lot of firewood and occasionally take a tree down in backyards, etc. You can measure and compare tree heights, building heights, etc. Waterproof, you take a shot of the base and a shot of the top and it will calculate. Why not get one of these that both of you can use for multiple uses? It cost Santa $300, (free shipping), shopping around on the internet...
Forestry 550/ Hypsometer from Nikon
http://www.optics4birding.com/item.aspx?cid=20824

 

[jlsmith]

I have the nicon scout and it has been great. I just won a Leupold RX-1000 this year and it also is a great RF. Ill be using it for hunting in West Tx.
I looked it up and it is on sale at Cabelas for $350 or they have the RX600 for $200. I think any of these would work great for you.:thumbsup:

 

[skipmarcy]

If you'll just do some searching and read a bunch of customer reviews like I did before buying you'll find that overall Bushnell has the best reviews and Leupold has some of the worst for rangefinders. Nikon was middle-of-the-road and of course the Leica was near/on top. I got a brand new/old stock Bushnell on Gunbroker for $100 and it works fantastic and if it craps in a few years I won't feel bad. Mine does not have the ARC/ballistic calculator so I can't comment on that from experience. You would think Leupold would be a good choice - I own several rifle scopes and a spotter scope from them and am very happy with them but too many bad reviews that I found on their rangefinders.

 

[Toyboy]

I have the basic Bushnell Yardage Pro Sport that ranges to....600yd maybe....can't remember, but it's been fine for me over the last 7 years. I really don't need all that fancy stuff they put on them and will hardly use. I just want to snap several markers so I'll know when the animal is in my shooting comfort zone (325yd is about all I care to shoot). Most shots taken are under 125yd anyway for me. Once I know that, I rarely get it out again that day unless things are slow and I want to play around w/it.

 

[srossman]

not mentioning any specific brand, but you may also want to think about the way that you hold the range finder. I have one that is like a pair of Binoculars, and now that I've used it for about three years, I wish I would have gotten one that only covered one eye like a rifle scope.

 

[Car Doc]

I have an older Bushnell 850 and its been great. I have my doubts about how accurate it is on a prairie dog patch at over 600 yds but anything out to 400 yds has been pretty much spot on and repeatable, the reflectivity of whats being ranged is a huge factor ymmv.

I know how tricky it is even with a good scope to judge distance as is but other than that its something I would buy again and recommend the brand to others.

 

[mojoinco]

I had good pricing at cameraland. Bought a Leica being discontinued. Good folks to deal with. I waited so long I decided to get a one time machine versus my usual upgrade path (start small and cheap). Long distance is usually measured on best conditions, so not so perfect conditions should still give you a good response.

Leica supposedly has a different shape to the beam/target input.

 

[radman1]

I have a Leupold RX-1000 TBR. Used it for 2 seasons. It has performed as advertised. It is amazing how compact rangefinders have become over the years and more feature laden. Leica is top notch but I am just a casual, seasonal, weekend hunter. I have Leupold scopes on my hunting rifles and just hard not to go with Leupold. The Leupold is still nearly $400 and few shots are easily made that far or should be made that far. If shooting under 200 yards, don't need a range finder and the vast majority of shots are under that. Didn't think I needed to buy one. However, had a weak moment with some discounts in my hand and bought one. I did a 430 yard shot this year that I would not have done without the rangefinder. 0 wind. My gun was really on at 200 yards where I sight it in. You need to know your ballistics for those longer shots and I write them down on paper under my flip up scope lense cap for reference if I need them. Nice 5x5 buck. I would have definitely passed on that shot in prior years. Get a rangefinder that has more range than you will shoot. A 1000 yards on my Leupold is under ideal conditions with a big reflective target. It picks up small trees easily at 500 yards. I would get a finder rated for at least 750 yards, knowing the practical range on a small target will be half that.
Range finders are also nice for target practice. Set up target, walk back until you find the right distance and set up the table.

 

[forgeblast]

Before you buy one from a catalog, go to a store and see and try to use them. I would take a pair of gloves too to see how easy it is to use/fumble with.
Also look at the modes, point and shoot is the easiest, there was one i looked at that you had to take three reading to compensate for the arrow drop, big pain.
for the rifle ones, i would look at the all inone scope combos.

 

[zaynkarim]

I have a Halo XRT62 Rangefinder. It's 105 on Amazon. It grabs ranges fast, and so far has been accurate at known ranges.

 

[skipperbrown]

I have a Leica 1200 I bought around 2005. Works great and fits nicely in my front shirt pocket. It sometimes doesn't range well in a fog but I don't think any of them do. There is a new 1600 model that all the long range precision shooters think is the bees knees. You can get one from Cameraland in NY which is a reputable company. I have bought several optics from them. Ask for Doug and see if you can get a discount on a new demo.