Night vision scope - do i need a rangefinder?

[Donkey Basher]

Thinking about a night vision scope for deer. I haven't decided on which model but will be between hikmicro and dnt zulus.

Use will be on clearfell for the hour before dawn, hour after dusk, laying out rather than wandering round looking for a target. All shots likely to be well under 200m.

I know the ground pretty well so can I get away without the rangefinder function? I might have answered my own question

I don't have a rangefinder built into my thermal.

Does the rangefinder bring an element of flexibility or is it a function that seems useful but doesn't get used in the real world?

I have an Alpex LRF that I use in the same manner you are planning to - for those magic hours when you know the deer are there but a normal scope isn’t quite good enough.

I use mine for fallow & typically that means sitting up watching open fields & woodland edges with shots that often exceed 200 yards so I find the range finder a very useful function.

However, if I knew I would always be shooting no more than 200 yards I would simply zero at 200 & get on with it on a ‘point & shoot basis’. All my glass scopes are zeroed at 200 yards & over the years I’ve never had any issues with that causing problems if I take a shot at 100 yards or less - at 100 yards all that happens is the bullet hits 2” or so high. If you’re at all worried then simply aim a little lower if the deer is only half way across your 200 yard clearfell opening.

Hope this helps you decide.

 

[Suilven]

@Donkey Basher that really helpful thanks; current thinking is to future proof my set-up and get lrf.

For the difference in cost between the non lrf 4k hikmicro and the full fat model I might as well get the flexibility/resale value

 

[Donkey Basher]

@Donkey Basher that really helpful thanks; current thinking is to future proof my set-up and get lrf.

For the difference in cost between the non lrf 4k hikmicro and the full fat model I might as well get the flexibility/resale value

A sensible approach in my opinion

 

[Motard]

I think the best feature of lrf on board is for quarry recovery if you are not hunting in places that you know. Checking last distance before squeezing the trigger will lead you at the anschutz with less or none doubt..

 

[BLUEROLL]

Thanks @Merlyn, Pard Night Stalker wasn't on my shortlist, will have a look

I may be selling my Nightstalker if you are interested.

 

[Pellet Pinger]

@Donkey Basher that really helpful thanks; current thinking is to future proof my set-up and get lrf.

For the difference in cost between the non lrf 4k hikmicro and the full fat model I might as well get the flexibility/resale value

Ive got 2 4K non LRF Alpex’s as i have LRF in my thermal spotter and no need for ballistics.
Don’t know why but i had a look through an LRF version at the Stalking show a couple of months ago and the first thing i noticed was the LRF module really gets in the way when focusing, i can only assume thats why so many people have throw levers, certainly no need for mine.
Plus the other thing to be mindfull of is mounting the torch, you see some ridiculous set ups trying to clear the LRF module.

 

[Suilven]

I may be selling my Nightstalker if you are interested.

Thanks @BLUEROLL still to have a look at them, but let me know

 

[BLUEROLL]

Thanks @BLUEROLL still to have a look at them, but let me know

You have a DM.