Range Finder

Pom

New Member
It may be because I haven't been stalking long enough (10 years), but I've yet to meet anyone who uses a range finder.

Now most of my stalking is in woodland, but I've also been up to Scotland many times with friends and we all wonder just who it is that buys them.

Am I just mixing with the wrong crowd? Are they really good and I'm missing out. I'd be interested to hear from someone who uses one.

Just interested...

Cheers,

Pom
 
I borrowed one from a friend who has one and they are useful. Now thinging of buying one.

They do give you more confiendce in taking the shot as there is less of a chance of shooting to high or to low due to over or under estimating of how far they are away.

However if used on a regular piece of ground you'll probably use it three or four times as you will have worked out how far key features of your ground are and therefore estimate how far the animal is if it show's 10 ft away from hedge line you know is 150ft away from you etc.
 
Range finders

After a cool stalk in the borders I found my binoculars had ice inside them,
and having a closer look at the price you have to pay for a decent pair of binoculars I thought I would go for a good pair,
after a lot of sole searching I opted for a pair of Leica 8 x 42 Geovids, while out stalking in april found I could not see my muntjac through my 8 x 56 schmidt and bender scope but could still see enough to sex my animal,
countless times I have been proved wrong by my distance guessing as have most of my mates
Very expensive but worth every penny
Regards
scout308
 
Range Finders

I've had one of the Zeiss Diarange scopes since May and with the 6.5 mm rifle it's on have used over 200 bullets most on the range but a good number on Deer and vermin. Ultimately I want to make sure the bullet placement is spot on ensuring a clean humane kills every time. As for people saying you are likely to use the scope for all viewing, rubbish identification and suitability are all much easier with binoculars, just in the split second before the shot is taken check the distance, personally I will have made the decision to shot before the rifle comes to hand.
Yes lots of money, but you get what you pay.
Regards
Nick
 
Range finders

I'm using a .243 and 80grain bullets. It fires them out so flat Ive never seen any need for a range finder. It seems to me that if the deer is at 100 or 150 yrds, I'm going to put the cross hairs on roughly the same place.

Also, particularly when stalking in woodlands, I don't think there are that many times, when I would have time to use one of these gadgets.

I can see there may be a benefit on the hill or plain, but not for me. If you guys think they're invaluable that's fine, but I don't think you'd necessary achieve better shot placement.
 
Range Finders

Personally I have never used one.

From my experience down the range the amount of bullet drop over my "killing range" say up to 200 yards is small and would not make any difference to the point of aim. Foe information I use a 0.243" 80gr calibre rifle.

However, if it gives people extra confidence in their shot placement until they can gain more experience then I suppose it must be a good thing albeit expensive.

Willie
 
Do a google on "point blank range trajectory". If you sight your modern rifle properly, there is no need at all for range finding to more than 350 meters. It makes rangefinders obsolete for all my hunting, since I won't shoot past about 300 meters on anything. If I can't get closer than that, I need to work on my stalking, not my shooting.
 
Interesting thread.

I suspect that the degree of deviation from horizontal at which one is shooting, is MUCH more significant that significant than an exact knowledge of the range. To understand this, we all have to go back to our school-days (remember cosines?) Of course, those of us shooting slower bullets may need to consider this more than those with blood and thunder, light speed calibres.

But of course, getting the adjustment for shooting up or downhill, is an ADDITIONAL concern, not an ALTERNATIVE concern. If we get the range wrong by a bit, and the adjustment for inclination wrong by a bit, and they are both wrong in the same direction - then, we have a possible aggregate POI discrepancy that might prove to be significant.

I don't have a rangefinder at the present, but I'm thinking of ordering one - if only for an additional thrill of retail therapy.
 
Bought one once, used it for about a week, and then sold it on,personally ranges @ which I shoot, a few yards mis estimation hasn`t made alot of difference, then again, I like the old fashioned thinking,use a good lump of lead ;) I use 30-06 with 180 grains. and I know my rifle, and am reasonable @ judging distances, roll of wire = 50 yrds, how many rolls of wire to the animal, is a bit old fashioned but thats the farmer coming out ;)
 
Black wolf interesting to here you use a zeiss diarrange firstly are they any good? Secondly I have the swarovski laser range finder scope on my .17hmr at present I was debating about moving it up to the 6.5x55 I am purchasing next do you think this would be worthwhile?
 
I have to say that currently use leica geovid 8x42 as my usual stalking binoculars and despite their weight they have consigned my zeiss 8x32's to the glove box. They have proved very effective and in situations where one tree looks very much like the next they can assist in the location of a bullet strike by taking a reading back to the high seat/firing point (providing you ranged the beast before you shot it)

remmy7
 
Useful to walk ground of your own and know that a shot across that valley is 190 metres and in range while you passed such shots in the past cos you thought it was more like 250!!
Useful to know distances to deer in open ground/big arable fields, moorland. Best thing is too borrow a set for a day or two and map your ground mentally otherwise they're like fondue sets or sandwich toasters.
 
reply

I like my laser range finder, I use it for new ground and any time I set up in a new high seat just to mentally prepare some range markers.
 
range finders

Bought one at the start of the doe season, found it on e-bay at a price I was willing to pay.

Used it to mark up a lot of my ground 100, 150, 200 yrds from my more used vantage points.
System used, send brother / stalking bud out with 3 tins of spray paint (red, yellow, blue) use poles left for birds of pray on clear fell areas as markers and use range finder for distance then mark up as required.

This has made us re-think our point of aim and move the point more to 200yrds than 100 yrds as large areas of clear fell are difficult to stalk over but not impossable.
Being constantly pressured by game dealer for low heart shots in order to reduce carcass damage, we have found resetting to 200 yrd, means, point, wait for broad side and bang.

We do not use many towers or high seats due to cost and time taken to build, so system works for us and £60 for second hand range finder has been money well spent.

Can understand why some people have had them and used it for a while only to run out of use for them. If you stalk over a lot of diffrent beats they are worth having to check what you have in your minds eye as 100 or 2ooyrds is 100 or 200yrds not 175 and 300yrds.

So if you do not have one and having bought one myself I would suggest you have loan of a friends for a wekend mark your beat up or check your distances then give him it back and say not bad but I'll wait till they come down in price.
 
I would guess that 1 out of 10 deer I shoot have been “lasered” but like Monty I have put up in our high seats and Low boxes small maps marking out ranges to prominent markers ie tree line, fallen trees ect. This helps the syndicate members that do not have a rangefinder.

I have also used it to plan stalks as follows, once I have spotted a deer that is too far away to shoot from my position, and I am required to stalk into it. I just take measurement to the deer say 500yrds then if there is a obvious point that I think will be a good position to shoot the deer from I take a measurement to that, say that it is the top of a ridge and it is 400yrds away. I then just stalk to the ridge, come over the top knowing that the deer will be 100yrds away job done. :D

Once the deer is shoot it is sometimes difficult to see were it has fallen this is often the case once the undergrowth has grown up. If you laser to were you think the deer has fallen say it is 105yrds put a marker were you shot from, a tissue on a tree branch works well. Then walk to were you think the deer has fell, laser back to your marker and once you get to 105yrds look for your deer or paint and pins :confused: (this were I find the rangefinder is really good.) now attend to your dead deer or follow up as appropriate to the paint and pins found.

In my case get my GWP.

B-b
 
Since buying my Leica 1200 in 2003, i take it with me no matter what shooting i am undertaking, whether it be Stalking or pigeon shooting.

When Stalking, i scan with the bins first, then if nothing is spotted i have a scan with the rangefinder, so i know if something appears, i don't have to think about the range, and can concentrate about the shot.
If i am in a high seat i have a good scan and decide if a deer comes out in a particular spot i may not take the shot. I don't like shooting past 300 yards max, this is a self imposed rule, and i am happy to pass up a animal rather than take a risky shot.

I love my Leica, and have had my moneys worth.

Also BB hit the nail on the head too :D
 
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