Who uses a rangefinder while hunting?

[dixiearcher]

Who uses one, what features are a must have, and do you have a recommendation for a "budget" model? I am planning to get one for the first time this year, and am looking at the Halo series. This will be for target and hunting archery only so I don't need anything that will range 1000 yards lol...

[Huntschool]

I have a Leupold RX 1200i TBR that is several years old now.  I carry it when shooting 3D practice to check my range estimates.  I have carried it while hunting especially if I am moving around or hitting some "new" ground. 

Its a great little gadget.  It has helped me work on my visual ranging when there are not enough known reference points for me to work with.  I carry it all the time when rifle coyote hunting.  Some of those shots can be a bit "looooong" sometimes.

If I was buying again I would surely look for it or something very similar.

[GCook]

I have a Leupold RX 1200i TBR that is several years old now.  I carry it when shooting 3D practice to check my range estimates.  I have carried it while hunting especially if I am moving around or hitting some "new" ground. 

Its a great little gadget.  It has helped me work on my visual ranging when there are not enough known reference points for me to work with.  I carry it all the time when rifle coyote hunting.  Some of those shots can be a bit "looooong" sometimes.

If I was buying again I would surely look for it or something very similar.

That's a great unit.  I somehow lost one.  I replaced it with a lower end Vortex.  Other than short range and good lighting conditions I wouldn't recommend it.
I use a rifle to hunt coyotes and the Luepold was a great asset for making the longer range shots.
The Vortex not so much.

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

I use one all the time to train myself on range estimation. It's crazy how bad my range estimates are in the last 15 minutes of the day. Sig Sauer Kilo is what I use. The lower end models can be found pretty cheap.

[Trenton G.]

I carry one whenever I'm hunting new spots just to get a rough idea of how far certain trees and stuff are. I've never used one on an animal before, but I think I might after this past year. Had a big doe streaming out in a cut cornfield with nothing really to reference her to. Combine that with how big her body was and my range estimation was off by about 5 yards and I ended up just taking hair of the bottom of get chest. Had I taken the time to range her it may have been a different story.

[Burly]

Just the one I was born with.

[Sam McMichael]

Never really felt the need when bow hunting. I hunt almost exclusively in stands. When I put up a stand, I pace out distances to landmarks close by. If it's outside the marked range, hold fire. If within the marker, I try to set up the shot. So, even though I don't use a rangefinder per se, I do range my shots. If I did spot and stalk, I do think I would probably use one.

[Wudstix]

Never really felt the need, pretty good out to 20 and even 30 yards.  If I need more than that I’d have to be dreaming about hunting out West.
 

[Pine]

 

[Bowwild]

I use one if in a new stand to range 20 yard markers. I used to pace these but no need now.  I don't even attempt to range a beast that is approaching shooting range. Too much movement.

I've used a variety over the years.  I've used Leica and Vortex.

The keys for me are:
- lighted readings so I can see them in fading light
- a bit of magnification such as 6 or 7X
- I like the angle compensation so that's why I downgraded from Leica to the Vortex.

[Red Beastmaster]

I'm actually surprised to see this question here. The distance to a target/animal is means nothing to me. I get a feeling where to hold as I draw back.

I forget sometimes that there are many ways to skin a cat as well as aim a bow.

[Broken Arrows]

I am with Trumpkin same range finder and low light throughs me off. When I am out stump shooting I range after the shot to see how close my guess was.

[tracker12]

I always use one even if it is to range trees when I get in my stand. 

[Shane H]

 I use Vortex rangfinding binoculars, I started using them hunting with my kids but like the Idea now when hunting Hogs, Hogs are so many different sizes that I find it helpful. If you hunt out west like I almost always do they come in handy. I dont use them when I hunt stands over water as I know I'm close.

[BAK]

If I compound hunted I might feel the need, but not at all with my longbow.   Now I've taken 2 coyotes at over 600 yards with my .223 and they'd be pretty darned handy for that sort of shooting.   

[Gordon Jabben]

I didn't think a range finder would be something I needed shooting instinctively and I still don't use one for that.  I was hunting public in Oklahoma in thick cover, a long ways from any access.  I found a camo coat soaking wet on the ground and it was obvious someone had left it there and couldn't find it again a long time ago.  I found a range finder in the pocket and because the coat was soaking wet and a long ways from the truck, I left the coat for the next person.  This range finder is a lot of fun and I use it just playing around or for setting targets at certain distances.  I'm glad I have it.

[McDave]

Like most who have posted here, I use a rangefinder when I’m in a tree stand for the first time to get the range of different nearby terrain features, so I know when an animal is within 30 yards, 20 yards, etc.  I gap, so this information is helpful.  At the ranges we shoot, I can't imagine using it on an animal itself, unless it was just for curiosity on an animal way out there where it wouldn't be spooked.

[JAH518]

I use one the first time I hunt a stand or blind. I usually setup 3 or 4 stands or blinds each year, on my first sit I range a few spots so I have an idea of range when game walks in. I won't carry it to the stand again that year. I feel having it and ranging game as it approaches is distracting. I feel like it can cause more focus on yardage than executing the shot I worked on all off season. 

[Friend]

All of my hunting is from the ground as I hunt approximately 9 ground sets- all with meshed windows.

Yes, I use a rangefinder for assessing landmarks from the blind.

[dixiearcher]

Thanks for the info that is all super helpful! I usually step off various landmarks from the base of the tree or blind every time a place a new set (which is a couple times a year since I can't really leave any of mine for long). Seems like it would be handy to be able to slip into the stand the first sit or two and range landmarks to get an idea of distances, as well as to check my estimates. I do well on the ground, but I find it much to difficult to estimate from a stand...