Rangefinders

[Guest TNcumminsGUY]

Needing a new range finder because my nikon prostaff 3 was lost in the multiple moves I have done since purchase. While I really liked the prostaff 3 i'm sure better technology has come out in the last 3-4 years so any suggestions would be great.   I'm gonna be using this for hunting and shooting, especially for bow season and trying to get my bow redialed in.  Right now the Nikon prostaff 5 looks like a good buy at under 200 for the black one and 200 for the camo, always liked the one handed operation of the nikon but haven't really played with other models and brands

[jphillips63]

Only range finder i'd ever own is the terripen by vextronics sent from my Droid RAZR Maxx HD using Tapatalk 2 Edited September 16, 2013 by jphillips63

[EastHipster]

I have the Simmons LRF 600.

Got it used on ebay for $65.

Works great for me.

 

I won't likely be carrying it for Bow Season as I am limiting myself to 20 yards and under (Recurve no sights) and I know pretty well what that looks like.

 

I do like having it for Turkey/Shotgun hunting though.

Finding the sweet spot range for my Pattern is hard for me to 'eyeball' in the woods.

[Hozzie]

I did a lot of research before I bought mine and ended up with the Nikon RifleHunter 550.  I forget where I found the comparisons but it was a very well known publication.  They tested Zeiss, Leupold, Nikon, and a few other higher end rangefinders.

 

They did say the Zeiss had the best optics, but it wasn't the highest recommended.  Believe it or not, for various reasons, the Nikon was selected and the best value rangefinder out of all of them.  I don't have a single thing bad to say about mine.  It's a bit more than the $200 for the ProStaff, but it may be worth looking into.  

[Slappy]

I wish I knew more to try and help you but all I can share is my experience with my range finder.

I have a Wildgame Innovations Range Finder. It has worked great for me and it also compensates for the height and angle of hunting from a treestand which is important for bow hunting. The only thing I don't like about it are the optics. It is very dark in early and late hunts.

[Timestepper]

My Rangefinder was my dad.  From the time I was about six years old on, while hunting, fishing or just out walking he'd routinely ask me the specific distance to a particular object or objects (mulberry tree, fire hydrant, fence post, pasture fence, treeline, ect...) at distances from 10 to 500 or so yards, and then we'd pace it off to see how close my guess was. By the time I was in my mid-teens I'd gotten pretty good at judging distance. In my mid-twenties I was winning bets at it. Kept the practice up off and on until my accident earlier this year.

 

Certainly not a subsitute for the high accuracy, high tech gizmos we have today, but it served me well for many years and I didn't have to worry about it getting fouled by weather or losing it, or someone stealing it or the batteries going dead...

[EastHipster]

Timestepper,

 

Actually THAT is how I use my Rangefinder.

I take it out Scouting/Hiking and guess distances and then check them with my Rangefinder.

 

Do that a few times and you don't need your Rangefinder with you when you hunt.

 

I did the same thing with a Lightmeter for Photography (using Vintage cameras)