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Poll - Rangefinders

How do you use a range finder

  • I don’t.

    Votes: 11 10.9%

  • I often range deer on the hoof before shooting.

    Votes: 2 2.0%

  • I sometimes range deer on the hoof before shooting, but often range objects around me for reference.

    Votes: 56 55.4%

  • I never range deer, I only range reference points.

    Votes: 32 31.7%
  • Total voters
    101
kyler1945

kyler1945

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
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Location
Willis, TX
Ok another poll. Interested to see how guys typically use rangefinders in the field.

I stopped carrying a range finder last season. I carried a range finder the prior 7 seasons where I recorded 20+ kills. I did not range a single deer in real time during that stretch. I would basically pick out trees or bushes and range them to use as reference points. For fun I would always guess first, then range. After 7 years of never pointing one at a critter, and pretty much always being right on my guesses, I stopped carrying it. Over that stretch I can recall 6 or 7 misses. Only a couple were because I completely misjudged distance. All others were me screwing something else up.

So, let’s hear your thoughts and opinions on how you use the ole rangefinder! If I didn’t capture your modus operandi, feel free to elaborate.

Is it deer season yet?
 
Love these polls. I like having a rangefinder, especially for public land and new spots. I always range landmarks or objects for distance. It’s not that I can’t judge distance, I just like Exact!!! If a deer is at a long distance and I’m rifle hunting I will range him, as the opportunity presents itself. Why not, great tool and doesn’t weigh much
 
fbwguy said:
Love these polls. I like having a rangefinder, especially for public land and new spots. I always range landmarks or objects for distance. It’s not that I can’t judge distance, I just like Exact!!! If a deer is at a long distance and I’m rifle hunting I will range him, as the opportunity presents itself. Why not, great tool and doesn’t weigh much
Click to expand...

You bring up a good point about rifle hunting. I never even considered using one with a gun.

Sorry gun folks - I left you out here in my thinking. Unfortunately I can’t change the poll, but I guess it applies to gun hunters just the same
 
I range reference points. Range finder lives on my bino harness. Typically I try to get good data out to 40 yards. After that, I don’t feel comfortable taking a poke.
 
Missed a giant this last season cuz I was too lazy to range everything before, thought he was at 40, but he was at 22. I can still see the arrow going exactly where my 0-30 pin was, 2" over his back.

I'm a terrible judge of yardage, I will never leave home without it. This is the only reason I'm considering the ez-v.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk
 
I don’t plan on carrying mine this year. Usually I don’t have an open shot over 25 yards with the bow. When I use it I just range reference points. That’s how I voted.
 
After working as a range master for a while, staring at targets set in 5 yards increments, and having my nikon arrow id 5000 fail in wet weather, I will not be taking a rangefinder ever again. No need.


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All 3 deer I shot last year never cooperated and presented me with enough time to get a range. And they were not in the areas I expected them to be either so my pre-ranges were not exactly useful. I'd feel ok not carrying a range finder. That said, I will keep carrying my Nikon and doing the pre ranging. It sorta calms me down and helps me feel prepared I guess.
 
I'm the same, I range live sometimes with rifle, never with bow. Even with rifle it is rare, as it has to be WAY out there before it matters. Of its under 300 yards I don't bother.
 
Years ago I received as Christmas presents when I was a teenager the old stadiametric (sp?) rangefinders from Ranging which require you to bring two images together. I never really used them in a hunting situation though. I bought one of the new laser rangefinders this year the Halo 450 (It was on sale at Lancaster Archery) for the first time this spring just to ensure that my bow set up and sighting in process was more exact and to actually confirm my maximum effective range with my one pin sighting system. I like to set up close and have never actually really found the need for one during hunting. Mind you, I'm an eastern tree stand and still hunter, so I set up close to sign and travel corridors and usually find that my one pin sighted from 0-32 yards works. Anything beyond that I typically can't get a clear shot at anyway. Where I do think they excel; however, is in learning how to judge distance. Newer bowhunters especially should invest in one and take one on your scouting and hunting forays to practice judging and then confirming the actual distance with the rangefinder. This builds confidence in your natural distance judging skills.
 
Another thing I use my rangefinder for, not directly hunting, but keeping me sharp for hunting... Long Range shooting. I use the rangefinder out to 1ooo yards to confirm my Dope. Every MIL counts
 
Bowhunting I reference objects at 30-40 yards. I do a lot of guess-and-range for practice. Out to 30ish I am money, usually within a yard either way. My absolute max, perfect scenario I'd shoot a deer is somewhere around 50 and I do keep it handy in the event I would need to range an animal out that far. But, in the 6 years since I started hunting out West and getting comfortable shooting farther ranges, I've yet to shoot at a deer beyond 30. I think if you can accurately tell yardage out to 30 you're good to go for 99% of deer hunting scenarios in the woods. Field edges and open areas, maybe some of the longer shots come into play.

Gun hunting I do not carry one, all the shots where I hunt are close enough not to need one.
 
I use a Bushnell Scout 1000 Arc Rangefinder. I like it a lot. I usually range as many objects as I can initially so that I do not have to make that movement in the moment. If it's inside 25yds, I will never need to take a range on the animal. It is the 30-45 yd range that is tricky. Being 5 yds off in that range could end up in a missed deer or injured animal. My max range in hunting conditions is 45 yds if conditions are right. My furthest shot on a deer has only been 35 yds. I practice out to 80-90 yds at the range so 45 is a comfortable max hunting range. I would prefer them to be inside 25 yds though.
 
My vortex is normally with me ...for the record, every deer I've shot with a bow (except 1) was between 13-21 yards. My hunting style/setups don't allow for longer shots (but I wish they did). This poses the question - Do I even need to carry a rangefinder? I do seem to be in the norm of ranging objects more than deer!
 
I range reference points, very very rarely do I range an animal. I shoot a single pin set to 27 yards and can hit anything from 0-32 yards without changing my point of aim and I hardly ever shoot that far in the timber. I am also pretty good at judging distance so most times I just range a few points where deer may appear and that's it. I don't really need to carry it but I feel lost without it lol.
 
There are 2 kinds of deer according to my bow. Those within 30 yards, and those outside. Inside of 30 yards with my rig and they are getting an arrow in the ribcage. Outside of that and they might as well not even exist.

I don't need a rangefinder for that. My wife washed mine the first month we were married (had to have a loving talk about how washing my hunting jacket that was hanging next to my bow by the door wasn't "helping") and I never bothered replacing it. Don't miss it.
 
I have a range finder but I do not take is hunting. I carry it when I go for a walk and guess the distance to different objects then see how close I am to getting it right. After a few sessions of doing this I am good out to 30 and that would be a long shot where I hunt. One less thing to carry and one thing less thing to get caught using.
 
Unlike most of you I always have out of bow range areas with clear shots. I spend the first 30 min or so in any stand ranging and memorizing different ranges. I always have the rangefinder with me.
 
flinginairos said:
I range reference points, very very rarely do I range an animal. I shoot a single pin set to 27 yards and can hit anything from 0-32 yards without changing my point of aim and I hardly ever shoot that far in the timber. I am also pretty good at judging distance so most times I just range a few points where deer may appear and that's it. I don't really need to carry it but I feel lost without it lol.
Click to expand...


Was thinking of switching to an EZV, and then I read your post and something clicked for me. I’m a huge fan of Chuck Hawks and the MPBR concept in rifle shooting. I use this so I don’t have to range my rifle, so why wouldn’t I do the same for my bow?

Ran down to the basement and grabbed the cheap (also nearly indestructible and few moving parts) 5-pin Fuse that came with my bow. Four screws off, remove pins, and now I have a fixed one pin sight that I’ll sight in at 27 and then leave the rangefinder at home this fall. One less piece of equipment to carry in.

Wouldn’t have gone down that road were it not for this thread.
 
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NDH said:
Was thinking of switching to an EZV, and then I read your post and something clicked for me. I’m a huge fan of Chuck Hawks and the MPBR concept in rifle shooting. I use this so I don’t have to range my rifle, so why wouldn’t I do the same for my bow?

Ran down to the basement and grabbed the cheap (also nearly indestructible and few moving parts) 5-pin Fuse that came with my bow. Four screws off, remove pins, and now I have a fixed one pin sight that I’ll sight in at 27 and then leave the rangefinder at home this fall. One less piece of equipment to carry in.

Wouldn’t have gone down that road were it not for this thread.
Click to expand...

Atta boy! I'm a big fan of simple things in the woods. Less stuff to go wrong. If you practice a bit you will be able to shoot 40 yards on a deer no issue. I shot my biggest buck with a single pin set to 27 and he was 41. He stepped out broadside and I held the pin top of his back and dropped it right into his heart!
 
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