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Range Finder?

muddy

muddy

Well-Known Member
What is available for range finders any more? What's good? What's junk? I'm in the market, need to get some fairly unbiased info. Thanks.
 
What do ya plan on using it for? Bow? gun?
How far out are you needing to rage a target?
 
Muddy:

I bought a Nikon Prostaff 550 last season (no arch tech just plain). It is a definate step up from the Bushnell Sport 600 I had before. I am not a big high dollar gear guy but I am happy with it.
 
BJohnson said:
Muddy:

I bought a Nikon Prostaff 550 last season (no arch tech just plain). It is a definate step up from the Bushnell Sport 600 I had before. I am not a big high dollar gear guy but I am happy with it.
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I would say they are a good value. I got rid of a older Lieca to upgrade to an arch technology range finder and really miss the red LED range readout. I was hunting west and believed I needed the arch. No need for it in Iowa IMO. Lieca gets my VOTE.
 
Nikon Riflehunter 550. Reads in 0.2 yard increments out to 100 yards just like the archers choice and then reads out to 550 with the Arc technology if you want it. I love it. I have never not had it pick anything up.
 
Mostly bowhunting, some gun hunting. I don't think I need anything that ranges beyond 200 yards.
 
Mud, I got a bushnell range finder and it does a great job for bowhunting. I rarely use it ML hunting. It does fine from 5 yards to 45 yards, and they are pretty dang cheap.
 
I have the Nikon Prostaff 550. Great range finder for the $$. I mostly bowhunt with a little gun hunting.
 
I have laid out several different shot angles in my CAD software and the only need I can see for the arc is super steep angles. When I laid out a 20 ft stand height and a checked the actual shot angles from that height, at 40 yrds it made less than foot difference than from the base of the tree, 30 yards just under 2 feet diff, 20 yards 1 yard diff, and here is the kicker at 10 yards it made a 6 foot or 2 yard difference. If your stand is at a lower height the difference will decrease, and of course increase if your stand is higher. I used 20 ft as that is the average height of my stands. With the speeds of todays bows, in my opinion the arc technology is a wasted cost. I have shot at 3D tourneys with a buddy that has one and we would often get the same reading because of the rounding of the yards.
 
deeraddict said:
I have laid out several different shot angles in my CAD software and the only need I can see for the arc is super steep angles. When I laid out a 20 ft stand height and a checked the actual shot angles from that height, at 40 yrds it made less than foot difference than from the base of the tree, 30 yards just under 2 feet diff, 20 yards 1 yard diff, and here is the kicker at 10 yards it made a 6 foot or 2 yard difference. If your stand is at a lower height the difference will decrease, and of course increase if your stand is higher. I used 20 ft as that is the average height of my stands. With the speeds of todays bows, in my opinion the arc technology is a wasted cost. I have shot at 3D tourneys with a buddy that has one and we would often get the same reading because of the rounding of the yards.
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What's the difference with a 30ft stand?
I got a couple of them :way:
 
Thanks for the replies, I looked at the Leica 1200, a couple Bushnells, and the Nikons. In the end I felt the Nikon 550 Riflehunter was the best one for me. It read quicker than the Leica (Surprised me) and was easiest to read, even though it reads in black the numbers are twice the size of any of the other range finders and they're right in the middle of the read out.

And it was on sale!
 
I have the Nikon Prostaff 550. Great range finder for the $$. I mostly bowhunt with a little gun hunting. I would agree.
 
revup said:
What's the difference with a 30ft stand?
I got a couple of them :way:
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At 30 feet the angle gets steeper, so the difference is more. with a 30 ft stand, at 40 yrds there is just over a yard difference, at 30 yrds 4.5 feet difference, at 20 yards 7 feet difference and at 10 yards a 12 foot difference. So even at 30 feet up and a 10 yrd shot, you are talking about a 4 yard difference. I guess with this close of a shot, that could be alot, and mean the difference in going through a lung or just nicking it.
 
I didn't see one with orange LED when out shopping, oh well. There were 2 with red LED, the Leica and a Leuopold, both of which seemed to have a halo around the red LED. Sorta weird, but it was what it was.
 
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