Range Finder

[boxhitch]

My rangefinder is a Leica 800. Size does matter, this one is with me all the time, though I use it less and less. They are a great learning tool, test yourself and friends all the time, soon you will relie on it less. Now I use it more to settle a disagreement about range.
Foxer - Very true about PBR. Most flat shooters can be zeroed at 300 yds. and get 99% of the shots in the KZ. Just remember the POI at 150 is high. Most hunters like to have their rifles 0'd at 200, so their is no correcting at shorter distances, knowing that this is good for most occasions. Thus the adjustment (holdover) for the rare long shot.
I think alot of the error occurs because lots of hunters don't realize the correct distance in the field (even on 200-300 yd ) Try judging a moose when you can only see 12" of the back, or a buck wwwwaaayyyy across an open cutblock which has as much vertical as horizontal ground. Rangefinders tend to make liers of us all, sometime or another.

[Thunderstix]

I bought a Yardage Pro Compact 800 in the Fall of 2000 after a moose hunting trip on the south side of the Skeena. There was myself, my buddy, and his uncle. We split up at the convergence of 3 logging roads. I went down, my buddy went up, and the uncle went horizontal. I had walked mybe 1/2 KM down the hill when I heard BANG......BANG......BANG......BANG................ ....BANG.......BANG! Holy smokes! How many moose did these guys shoot?! I ran back up the hill, pack and all on my back as I was excited. I got to the top to find the uncle standing there also excited. "I have a moose down" he exclaims! We go where the spent cases are laying on the ground and he proceeds to point at a tree down a nasty steep slash and tells me the moose is laying at the bottom of it or there-abouts. What was all the shooting about I ask. Well, he says, the dang moose was 300 yards plus. I look at the tree and say that it is at the most 170 yards. Not a dang chance he says. I climb down to the moose (10 ugly minutes), gut it, and come back up as it is now getting dark. We will come back tomorrow to pack it out and also to bring the uncles range finder which was in camp. That night we talk about the shot and continue to disagree about the distance, but in a friendly way. The next day we go back, he puts the range finder up and then looks at me sheepishly and says, "154 yards". Yikes! He had been holding just over the mooses back and had in fact only hit it once out of 6 shots. After that trip I thought man I have to get a range finder. After getting one, I would test myself on distances and found that I failed miserably at times, especially over water. I am a lot better now at judging but nowhere near as accurate as my range finder.

[Fred]

I found the same thing after I got my Yardage Pro T,Stix! I showed it to quite a few people and sort of challanged them to guess a distance of their choosing. Only 1 guy in about 20 or so challanged was even close and he was almost dead on but that was only at about 150 yards. The ownership of a rangefinder can be a real eyeopener! Fred

[Thunderstix]

And an income provider if you are a betting man

[barehunter]

I have a yardage pro sport and have used it for a few years with good results in almost all conditions ( it's less effective at long range in heavy rain and fog ). It has been a great tool for learning and practicing yardages.

[hoochie]

Have you thought about a Mil Dot scope? fairly pricey, but it lets you do all the calculations based on how many mils the object takes up in your reticle.

object in yards x1000 divided by the number of mils.... easy

[oldtimer]

Foxer... As a bowhunter only willy has taught me well. don't leave home without your range finder !! I borrow his, a bushnell yardage pro I believe. for a novice bowhunter a 5 yard miscalculation will lead to frustration. I find a nice spot to sit and wait, get the yardages of objects around me and then wait. This makes me much more confident than my guesses would. Mike

[Ryan's A Mess]

I have a Swavorski?? Did I spell that right?? I have read distance on deer up 1600 yards, too far to shoot but nice to know how far you have to get to get a good close shot. Works fairly well in the rain, but craps out over 450 yards in the fog.

[huntersdad]

Hey
I had a poor mans range finder on Van Isle. The logging slashes would only be 1000ft. max from the spur line. Easy ranging 333yrds max. Now with the invention of the longline, they yard from one side of the valley to the other. I guess I will have to buy one of those new fangled lasers.

[Bow Walker]

I'm waiting on my Yardage Pro Trophy in camo right now. Waiting a bit impatiently I might add.

Bought it from Canadian Camo - online - $275.00 I have been looking and pricing for a couple of months now and finally decided on the one from Can. Camo.

After reading all the specs, weighing one against another, and finally coming to a decision, I bit-the-bullet and put up the cash. It should be here this coming week, I hope.

They are a MUST (in my opinion) for bowhunters. A slight miscalculation in yardage estimation (only 5 - 8 yards) will mean the differnce between eating venison steak or having to making soup from the tracks and poop.