Rangefinders

Crispy · Post by **Crispy** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:00 pm

Kinda in the market for a rangefinder,I never used one. How inportant is the angle feature on some? Does anybody use one? Not looking to break the bank but dont want a junker either. Is the bushnell(Chuck Adams edition) any good? Nikon(Archers Choice)? Any suggestions? Thanks for any info, Crispy

Fork Horn · Post by **Fork Horn** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:13 pm

I just picked up the Bushnell yardge pro 450 for about $200+tx
I find it doesn't pickup alot of things, Like Rocks, Black block target, Some trees at under 50yrds.
I had the chance to try a friends Bushnell and it seemed to work better. His could scan and range while moving. (Not sure the model though)
The yardagepro 450 is good enough to get your basic ranges out to a 100yds.

huntone · Post by **huntone** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:31 pm

I have the Bushnell Yardagepro Sport 450 and have no complaints what so ever.
Especially after it fell 16 ft. from my stand

and it still works fine.

ger34 · Post by **ger34** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 11:08 pm

Crispy wrote:Kinda in the market for a rangefinder,I never used one. How inportant is the angle feature on some? Does anybody use one? Not looking to break the bank but dont want a junker either. Is the bushnell(Chuck Adams edition) any good? Nikon(Archers Choice)? Any suggestions? Thanks for any info, Crispy

Crispy...just went through this same dilemna myself...and ended up with your standard run of the mill NON ANGLE COMPENSATING rangefinder...heres why

Basic Pythagoreum therom... A squared + B squared = C squared

A= distance from base of tree to target...we'll say 30 yds
B= height up tree... we'll say 20'

A= 90' (30 yds x 3'/yd)
B=20'

A squared = 8100'
B squared = 400'

so...C squared = 8500' or 92.195444...divide by 3 to get yards again....and you have 30.731 yds

I shoot an Exocet 200...415gr carbon express golt tip bolts...305 fps...with 5" plastic vanes....this ballistics calculator

http://home.att.net/~sajackson/ballistics.html

tells me that i have approx 14" drop between 30 and 40 yds...so approx .714" of vertical drop for each lineal yd to target

from base of tree to target =30 yds
from treestand 20' up to target 30.731yds...sooo...good old Pythagorus tells us we should aim as if the deer was 31 yds...so MAYBE the difference of 1" right?

Wrong....this is where it gets complicated....

Since gravity pulls straight down....Gravity...is only working on the arrow for the distance of 30yds.....not the 31yds...there is a whole mess of calculations at this point we could get into.....

but in all honesty....

The difference in drop of an arrow travelling approx 300 fps out 30yds or 31 yds....is in the neighbourhood of a 1 or 2 inches....not enough to miss the kill zone on a deer sized animal.....

Squirrels on the other hand.....are a different story

Save the money....it doesn't effect much at bow range....

My 2 cents

dick195252 · Post by **dick195252** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:42 am

My third year with the {Bushnell yardage pro sport 450} no problems at all

cop614 · Post by **cop614** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:25 am

just got a leupold rx 600 bass pro 149.00 plus shipping

bkisel · Post by **bkisel** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:30 am

Crispy,

IMHO, if you do a lot of tree stand hunting and especially if you don't often have other trees to range on then I believe the range finders with angle compensators are worth the investment.

ger34,

You were really scaring me until seeing the smileys near the end of your post.

Take care...

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:31 am

I owned a Bushnell (yardage pro 450) and sold it and bought a Nikon.
After a year or so I sold the Nikon and went back to a Bushnell (yardage pro 450).
The Bushnell is a "no frills" model, but it does everything I need for hunting and does it very well.
I wouldn't buy a model endorsed by anyone, why pay them a kickback for advertising?
Right now Cabela's has the 450 on sale for $119. - can't beat that!

Gobble! · Post by **Gobble!** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:11 am

Bushnell yardge pro 450

sumner4991 · Post by **sumner4991** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:13 am

I strongly suggest the use of a rangefinder. Can't tell you how many times I've misjudged yardage. On flat land, I'm pretty darn good. However, throw in some hills and valleys . . .gets tricky.

I'm actually a lot better at judging yardage now that I have a rangefinder(Nikon 440). I use it to pass the time while waiting. I also use it exclusively to zero in my scope.

I think I paid around $160 for mine . . .if I were buying today, I wouldn't spend over $125. Go to a store and look through them. The one that is easiest for you to use is the one to get.

That Bushnell deal sounds good wabi.

Missouri_Hunter · Post by **Missouri_Hunter** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:46 pm

Just a couple of comments and my 2 cents worth....

I used a Bushnell yardage pro for many years, it did a good job...I had a chance to get a Leupold RX-II with the True Ballistic Range feature...that does the angle compensating...I think it would have cost around 300.00 but I was working at Cabelas at the time and got it for under 200.00...I like it very much, but I believe the Bushnell Yardage Pro does just just fine for a bowhunter or crossbow hunter....I do some long range shooting with my AR-15 and I think the Leopold does a slightly better job at that type of thing...

Crispy · Post by **Crispy** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:14 pm

Thanks for the info, I dont need all the bells and whistles on a r-finder but if it will do double duty for cbow or rifle all the better. You guys gave me some good pointers, now i need to do some homework and find a good deal! Thanks, Crispy

Chuck Gravel · Post by **Chuck Gravel** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 9:37 pm

I have the nikon archers choice as i only hunt with a bow but it is very nice. for what i paid it is a very nice and the angle option is very nice. sure does show a large difference from the angle compared to the norm. I would highly recommend it

deer jamie · Post by **deer jamie** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:39 pm

i also have a nikon and it works great my model has incline? dont know how useful that feature is but if a range finder gets you withen a few feet that better the any human can guesstamate!!!!

bbbwb · Post by **bbbwb** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:56 pm

This is slight overkill at this point but I have had a Bushnell Yardage Pro 450 for 4 + years and I like it fine. Plan to buy my daughter one.

bbbwb

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