What are some good range finders?

[willypete]

I am looking to get a range finder to use for ranging deer distance obviously, but i am also looking to use it as a scouting tool also. Any recommendations on one you might have that is fairly cheap.

[mhouck06]

there are many options. i personally have the bushnell arc 1000 and the nikon archers choice range finders. For achery, the nikon is by far my first choice because of its nice display of the yardage... the nikon is limited to 100 yards tho, the bushnell has various options for rifle and archery hunting.. i love it, but the actual yardage you are supposed to shoot is sometimes hard to see in the display. A fairly priced range finder that has surprised me is the redfield raider 550. My father just purchased one and so far its been great. The clarity is nice and its a compact unit, which is also very nice. It does not compensate for angle tho, but other than that, its a great item. As far as scouting with one goes.. none of the ones we have come with good optical zoom. Your best bet may be to look at package deals. I know bushnell has put 10x42 binos packaged with the scout series rangefinders before for a pretty decent price. your best bet is to head to a store that sells them and try them out to see what you like. My dad picked up that redfield because of its compact size and like I said, we were both amazed at its quality and he ended up getting it. So head to the store with an open mind and try every model you can.

All of this is said tho, never ranging an actual animal... i use my range finder before I hunt a set, to pick yardage markers, such as trees, rocks or stumps.. that way when the moment of thruth presents itself, you are ready.

[ranwin33]

I bought a Bushnell Scout 6-7 years ago. Thing still works and does what it needs to do. Doesn't have any of the fancy features the new ones do, but it meets my needs. And is a miser when it comes to batteries. Have only changed them once.

[kellory]

You might try something like this. I don't use a range finder, but there are lots of manufacturers making these. ATN DTBNOMGA0836RF Binoculars 8X36RF Omega Class Binoculars
Overview - Online stores - Related items - Details

$109 online


ATN - 8 x - 36 mm - Night Vision - Waterproof - With Rangefinder - Manual Focus
The ATN Omega 8.36 binocular is a tough, solid, compact binocular that offers plenty of magnification, waterproof construction, and built-in range finder reticle. Powerful magnification and crystal clear optics deliver a full range of color and clarity. The 8x36 delivers excellent light transmission for bright, high-contrast images.

[willypete]

there are many options. i personally have the bushnell arc 1000 and the nikon archers choice range finders. For achery, the nikon is by far my first choice because of its nice display of the yardage... the nikon is limited to 100 yards tho, the bushnell has various options for rifle and archery hunting.. i love it, but the actual yardage you are supposed to shoot is sometimes hard to see in the display. A fairly priced range finder that has surprised me is the redfield raider 550. My father just purchased one and so far its been great. The clarity is nice and its a compact unit, which is also very nice. It does not compensate for angle tho, but other than that, its a great item. As far as scouting with one goes.. none of the ones we have come with good optical zoom. Your best bet may be to look at package deals. I know bushnell has put 10x42 binos packaged with the scout series rangefinders before for a pretty decent price. your best bet is to head to a store that sells them and try them out to see what you like. My dad picked up that redfield because of its compact size and like I said, we were both amazed at its quality and he ended up getting it. So head to the store with an open mind and try every model you can.

All of this is said tho, never ranging an actual animal... i use my range finder before I hunt a set, to pick yardage markers, such as trees, rocks or stumps.. that way when the moment of thruth presents itself, you are ready.

Yah I have looked at the Nikons and they have enough range for me. I am in some pretty thick woods so I probably would only need it to go up to 75.