Rangefinders for a Rifle Hunt

NMGUY · Jun 22, 2006

How many of you guys think rangefinders are worth investing in? My pops drew a resident rifle elk tag in NM and I am thinking a rangefinder may be a good investment so he doesn't have to guess how far an animal is. He is 63 and will not shoot anything but a 30-06 and I want to make every chance count for him. I am looking at the Leupold RX II. Any opinions are appreciated.

larrbo · Jun 22, 2006

There are alot of good rangefinders out there, he should pick the one that best meets his needs, (range, size....).
After he gets his rangefinder he may want to do what I did. I print out the trajectory chart for the rifle I am using and tape it to the rangefinder. It really works well, and you don't have to think too much in the heat of seeing an animal to shoot at.

noharleyyet · Jun 22, 2006

LAST EDITED ON Jun-22-06 AT 03:20PM (MST)[p]Have been thinking about getting a Lupe RX...the II is the one I think I'd get.

coyote13home · Jun 22, 2006

Check out the LD Vari-X II it has 2 mil dot for hold over and you can adjust them for individual caliber specs I looked through a 4-12x 40 last weekend and liked it very much I'm thinking adout buying one

Good luck , Jon

JACKELOPE · Jun 22, 2006

I believe they are worth it. i bought a less expensive one to try out for a couple seasons, may eventually upgrade. last year was the first year and it added a lot of confidence to my shot.
186yds last season to be exact!!
i am not good at all at judging distance and thought that the shot would have been a lot further than it actually was.

NMHUNTNUTT1 · Jun 22, 2006

I like them and would advice more people to use them , whether it be for bow , muzzle loader or rifle hunts .

mtmuley · Jun 22, 2006

I would advise you to get one. Out of all the gear I have, my rangefinder has become a must have. mtmuley

D13er · Jun 22, 2006

I would just hunt like you've always hunted and leave the extra crap at the store. Have fun hunting, get close enough to make the shot and be happy even if you don't get one.

JB

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
--Benjamin Franklin 1759

lone_hunter · Jun 23, 2006

I have had a range finder for a couple of years, and just upgraded to a Leica 1200 CRF. I would advise to buy the best you can. Readout speeds and clarity of the optics can make a difference. I hunt with about any weapon. It is most critical for archery and then muzzleload. For a rifle, it is most useful to me to realize what shots not to even attempt. I think that most people don't realize how far away some shots are and/or don't understand thier personal limitations I usually don't range the animal I shoot at but range landmarks in advance and know what is within my limitations. It has certainly made be better at calculating ranges without using the rangefinder.

However, I think most of all I find it entertaining. I actually enjoy estimating the distance of an object and then range it to see if I am right.

NMGUY · Jun 23, 2006

Thanks guys. I don't need to have tons of gadgets but I to think the rangefinder will increase my skills to range animals and actually think it would be worth the investment. I have some Cabela's cash begging me to use them and thought this might be a good use. Thanks again for your responses.

NMRaptor · Jun 23, 2006

Rangefinders can be very helpful. Not only for ranging animals at the time of the shot, but also for closing the gap on distant animals. For example, say you range an animal at 1000+ yards and then ranged landmarks close to the animal that are 700-800 yards. You can plan your stalk by getting to a particular landmark in order to make a 200-300 yd shot.
-Raptor

sagebrush · Jun 23, 2006

LAST EDITED ON Jun-23-06 AT 03:21PM (MST)[p]Things I must have on my hunt in order of importance.
1. Weapon (rifle or bow)
2. Rangefinder
3. Binoculars
4. Spotting scope
I never want to wonder if I'm right. There are so many skills to work on, why not eliminate free hand ranging and replace it with science. A range finder doesn't make it any easier to stalk within range or make you a better shot, but it does eliminate the chance of a poor hit. I use a rangefinder that will read targets out to 450 yds. If it's farther than that, I have no business attempting that shot. 0-350, it's a dead animal. 351-425, I can do on a stationary target, with a steady rest and no wind. To me, a stationary target is an animal that is bedded or feeding. With a walking animal that stops, there is no guarantee it will stay in position through the shot sequence. Without my range finder, I would have to get within 100 yards to be that confident with my rifle and I would have to leave my bow to the backyard buck! Twenty-five yards makes a big difference with my rifle out past 250 yards. A difference that could change a clean kill into a nightmare. I don't think there are very many people, none that I know, that can look at a deer or elk and tell me if it's 250 or 275, or 325 or 350 and be absolutely certain.

boomhand · Jun 23, 2006

I've been practicing with my RX2 all spring. Good quality just what you would expect from Leupold. I've ranged slightly over 600 yds with it. It has some different settings that take a little time to learn how to use and require you to know how your rifle shoots but will give you the basic range easy enough. I don't think you need one under 300 yds with at flat shooting rifle but you need to be able to know where 300yds is. It'll be in my pack when I start hunting to see if I'm as good at guessing as knowing for sure but it might be one of the things I take out of my pack to lighten it about the 3rd time I start up the mountain!

lth · Jun 23, 2006

Rangefinders are worth every penny. Anything of quality that you can use to improve your sucess during your hunt is money well spent. Having your dad getting familar with one and ranging different distances before he hunts and during his hunt will only add to his confidence level,(Im sure he is a fine hunter,but we all need help when it comes to hunting) distances are very decieving as we all know. I know I certainly have missjudged my fair share of shots that have cost me tagging an animal on more than one occasion. Stay with top quality, there is a difference!!!

AWHOLELOTTABULL · Jun 25, 2006

No question a worthwhile investment. There are a lot of good range finders out there but for the money you can't beat that Nikon Monarch. Factory specs say it will range effectively out to 800 yards but I have only ranged an animal out to 600 yards. I wouldn't hunt squirls without one. As a guide it is really handy to be able to tell your hunters the exact yardage.

www.awholelottabull.com