how mant people use range finders?
im thinking of getting a laser range finder, but im not sure if i really need it. how helpful is it to anyone that uses one?
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I use one all the time!
Now when I go air gun shooting/ plinking I drag a box of 24 squirrel simulator targets with me. I scatter them and stand them up at various ranges. I set some up close at 20 yards then all the way out to 100 yards. This gives me a great realistic shooting scenario to hone my air gun skills.
Before I shoot each one I use a range finder to range it. Then I guess the holdover or hold under required for a head shot hit. I then double check the trajectory chart I have mounted on my air gun to verify I have the right holdover. Then I take the shot!
The onse I stand up past 70 yards are fun targets, I am not so concerned where I hit them (for Now)
yesterday I was with my fathers friends, they were sighting in their powder burners at 200yards. for fun I scattered my squirrel simulators downreange. imagine the look ontheir faces to see a guy with an airgun go into the prone position and start talking to himself:
“Squirrel Range 88 is yards.”
pause (as I look at my chart mounted to the gun)
“So I need 4 and a half dots holdover for 85 yards with my scope set at 16x”
Bang!
Hit, then the squirrel simulator falls over.
It is easy if you take the time to learn the gun.
Whith out the range finder I would of thought it was only 65-70 yards and I would of hit way low.
😥
I use bushnell yardage pro rangefinder binocs. 46 yards? turn the elevation knob the correct amount of clicks and shoot. Dead game. I have used thison everything from squirrels and gophers to starlings, pigeons, crows and more I better not mention here. Works well.
If it took to long to get the shot off I don’t worry. I would have missed with incorrect elevation anyways. Highly recommended.
got one too, use it to measure plinking ranges, kill ranges…its has 6x zoom so i use it as a monocular too when my eyes have a hard time seing whats going on….i whish they had put better optics in the gadget though
thanx for all the input, and thats the 1 i was looking at, the bushnell 450. i went and orderd it from opticsplanet since im still a newbie i guess whenever i estimate a range it is probably wayy off
I have the Bushnell 450 and it works like a champ.
I use a cheap Bushnell 450, and I wouldnt go hunting without it.
I squirrel hunt a lot on private property, and have access to a long wooded parcel that has a lot of limb piles from when the owner logged the larger trees.
I like to find a place to shoot from, and I laser out all the surrounding piles that have legged targets running around. I then make a crude drawing in a small tablet, and write down the range to each shot.
The first time I made this walk, I didnt carry the rangefinder. I had many frustrating misses. The next walk I had the 450 with me, and I only missed one out of 24 shots.
Carrying the RF, what surprised me more than anything is how often I would guess wrong at a range, particularly past 70 yards. I’ve heard the term here, “ballistically challenged”, that must be referring to me.
I had one pile I did not laser, and I guessed the range to be around 80 yards. I shot twice at a standing squirrel, the first shot he didnt even move, on the second he “sat down” but stayed put. I could hear the pellet hitting wood, and it seemed like a long wait for the sound of the impact.
I brought out the RF and ranged the pile at 115yards. I was hitting over 20″ low. That limb-pile sure looked to be closer.
I have since learned a bit more about how to use the mil-dot, but the laser is very quick and is accurate enough to trust it.
Long story… get to the point… I have taken this hunt around 15 times now, and I always run out of air before I reach the end of the plot. After using the RF I miss very few shots. If you hunt the way I do, its the most valuable tool you can take afeild.
I use mine to set up distances and sight in.
I also use it if I am set up in a blind or hunting from a hidden spot. I will use it on several objects just to know before hand if I take a shot in that area.
wow…7 years it lasted? that k00L
I use one also, but like Y, I use it mainly for archery also. Speaking of this little device, it really pissed me off just today as a matter of fact. Was out back shooting the bow and the damned 9 volt battery in it played out. You’d think they could make one that lasts more than 7 years……. 😆 😆 😆
Same battery that came with it when I bought it 7 years ago. That damned little pink bunny knows what he’s beating that drum for….They keep going, and going and going…..
I have one, but I use it for archery mainly and haven’t really used it with my Airguns, except to check distances after I’ve taken a shot or if I’m out plinking and want to set a can at say 50 yards to make sure its actually 50.
I wouldn’t miss it if I didn’t have one if I purely shot airguns.
If your hunting it’s a great gadget if you know your rifles trajectory inside and out. If punching paper at a set distance it’s not worth the cash!
Cheers
Marc
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I use one. Nikon ProStaff 550. Really helps to know the exact yardage when shooting birds. 10 yards off (out past 70 yards) on a guess and you totally miss one of the little bastards (and all his friends leave too :evil:).