Range Finder or Night Vision

Mighty Mooser · Post by **Mighty Mooser** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 5:02 pm

My wife asked what I would like for my Birthday, and I gave her these 2 choices, I can't decide which is best to get around $200 to $300?
I hunt Deer Crossbow, Shotgun, muzzleloader, I hunt moose with rifle.

On the one hand the night vision would be good scouting at night for those nocturnal buggers, but the rangefinder can be used durring hunting situations.

Any thoughts on which one and why?

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 5:14 pm

If it is of any value to you the Bushnell range finder is on sale at Canadian Tire right now. I couldn't imagine hunting without one.

Boo · Post by **Boo** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 7:28 pm

You don't need either. I have one but rarely use it. A range finder is nice when hunting in unfamiliar areas. I know a guy how shot a fox at almost 100 yards without a range finder! It was his first time using the thing but managed a perfect shot!
Pass on the night vision. Save that for the wish list after you have everything and you become a true head hunter.

awshucks · Post by **awshucks** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 7:29 pm

rf for me. It's legal here to hunt yote at night and hogs at night in Tx so I got a red lens light that mounts on my scope from Cabelas for around $70. Does the job just fine at a fraction of the cost of night vision.

Horizontal Hunter · Post by **Horizontal Hunter** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 7:52 pm

I am not good at judging yardage and I know it, so I have a Bushnell Yardage Pro 450 and I can't imagine hunting without it.

Bob

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:02 pm

Unless you're going to spend really big $$$$$ on nightvision it isn't really much good. I have a low-priced night vision monocular made in Russia and it's very limited on range with poor clarity. You can tell it's a deer at 80 or 100 yards, but forget counting points on the antlers. It's fun to take along at dusk to see how many are waiting for full darkness to come out into the fields, but isn't really of any use for hunting unless you plan to poach them.
The rangefinder is useful with a crossbow. It's good to range various landmarks around your stand or blind so you know the approximate range if a deer shows up. I like to range landmarks near my maximum range then I can know if a deer is "shootable" or not. I hunt a lot at one location (food plot) and I even drive stakes for markers at my maximum range. You can do it without a rangefinder, but it is easier with one, and it's fun to guess ranges then read the real distance to improve your skill.

ranger · Post by **ranger** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:28 pm

I have a pair of type 2 N V ,they were fun when I got them(1,200.00)but the novilty has worn off, I used them to watch the beaver at night in the pond,it made it easyer to trap them.
Anyway I have a pair of yardage pro's that I use when I move my stand or change ground blind set up.....

Rick Teal · Post by **Rick Teal** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:42 pm

I'd go range finder all the way. The night vision is a nice toy to play with, but the range finder has an immediate and practical application - both in hunting and target shooting.

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 10:25 am

Boo wrote:I know a guy how shot a fox at almost 100 yards without a range finder! It was his first time using the thing but managed a perfect shot!

A fox? I am surprised he hasn't mentioned it..

LV2HNT · Post by **LV2HNT** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:49 am

I agree that a range finder is more practical. I have a night vision monocular, and it is fun to play with but not usefull because by law I can't have one with me while hunting. I would sugest checking your local regulations if you allready havn't.

Sierra · Post by **Sierra** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 11:57 am

Go with the range finder.

I've had a Lecia for 5 years and it has paid off during big game hunts, bow & gun, and also for taking varmints & smaller game out past 500 yards. The range finder has also helped me judge distances when without it.

My son and I have made a game out of quessing distance to an object then using the laser to verify the distance. My son usually bests me at quessing.

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 3:54 pm

To muddy the waters a little more, I just seen the mono night vision on sale at Wall-Mart for $200..

A rangefinder is synonymous with archery..