Rangefinders - For Hunting and Golf
While the same rangefinder can be used in both situations, we are finding more and more that the hunter and the golfer are being more selective in the type of rangefinder that they want.
Typically hunters (who may be in a blind or sitting in a tree stand) prefer the type range finder that ignores close up items such as tree limbs or brush and concentrates only on the more distant game.
Golfers on the other hand generally have nothing between them and the green and hole, so they tend to select the type rangefinder that reads the first object in its sight.
Your success rate in either field will greatly improve if you know the precise distance to your game or to the flag.
The vast majority of rangefinders have an accuracy rating of plus or minus one yard.
Yardage guesses by humans, without prior mark-offs, may be off by as much as 10 yards for every 100 yards being evaluated.
While range finders are a valuable assist, one must understand their limitations and the conditions that affect their readings.
The capabilities of rangefinders are affected by three major items; the size of the target, the color or texture of the target, and the atmospheric condition where the rangefinder is being used.
A large white building will reflect an accurate reading at a greater distance than it will on a small animal.
A bright colored object will reflect much better than a dark colored one.
A solid object generally reflects from further away than does a living body.
And cool overcast days will generally produce better and more distant readings than those taken on a hot hazy day.
Under perfect atmospheric conditions, a range finder rated at 1000 yards, may accurately reflect the distance measurements of a large white building 1000 yards away, but only return the distance on a black vehicle 700 yards away, or a tree in the field 500 yards distant, a deer standing in the meadow 350 yards in the distance, or the flag on a golf green 200 yards away.
Rangefinders have their distance limitations based on the shape, the color, and the texture of the object being ranged.
For hunters it is especially important to know the general distance that they will be viewing their game, and to understand that rangefinders typically are accurate against game out to only one-third of the rangefinder's maximum listed distance.
A hunter interested in ranging game 200 yards out and closer should have a range finder with a maximum rating of at least 600 yards.
Most rangefiner manufacturers already provide rating distances such as reflective surfaces, tree, deer, and flag as features of their models.
Do not let yourself be short in distance ratings.
You will have wasted money and receive limited range finder performance if you purchase a rangefinder rated at 500 yards and you expect to range game out to 300 yards.
Remember the one-third rule (500 / 3 = 167 yards effective range).
Rangefinders come with a number of different targeting modes, generally scan mode, bulls eye mode, brush mode, and/or rain mode.
Any combination of these modes may be present on a rangefinder.
Scan mode is useful for both the hunter and the golfer as you can scan left to right over a distance and receive different reading as the rangefinder passes over different objects.
As an example, the golfer could scan left to right over the green area, get a reading on the trees just beyond the green, then have the scan jump to a closer measurement as the scan hits the flag, and drop back to a longer reading again as the scan passes by.
Bulls eye mode is generally used for up close ranging, target shooting, or when rangin smaller objects or smaller game.
Brush is normally a feature of hunting range finders as it ignores hits on close up objects as tree branches, brush, or rocks and returns measurements only against background objects such as deer or bear.
Rain mode is a feature that most hunters will require as it compensates for moisture in the air (rain or snow) and still returns an accurate distance reading.
Waterproof rangefinders are also a requirement often demanded by hunters as they will encounter wet weather much more often than a golfer.
Size of the rangefinder is more important to the hunter than it is for the golfer.
The hunter wants a compact range finer that can be put into a jacket pocket, but is still readily available at a moments notice.
As the game steps into view the hunter wants to be able to immediately pull out the range finder and range the distance to the animal.
Size and time sensitivity is not as critical to the golfer.
Generally rangefinders are placed in the golf bag or on the golf cart and used only when over the ball to determine the yardage remaining to the green and the flag.
Be confident in your range estimations.
Rangefinders will immediately return a true yardage measurement to your game, to a specific object, or provide the distance remaining to the green or the flag.
Eliminate the guessing.
Typically hunters (who may be in a blind or sitting in a tree stand) prefer the type range finder that ignores close up items such as tree limbs or brush and concentrates only on the more distant game.
Golfers on the other hand generally have nothing between them and the green and hole, so they tend to select the type rangefinder that reads the first object in its sight.
Your success rate in either field will greatly improve if you know the precise distance to your game or to the flag.
The vast majority of rangefinders have an accuracy rating of plus or minus one yard.
Yardage guesses by humans, without prior mark-offs, may be off by as much as 10 yards for every 100 yards being evaluated.
While range finders are a valuable assist, one must understand their limitations and the conditions that affect their readings.
The capabilities of rangefinders are affected by three major items; the size of the target, the color or texture of the target, and the atmospheric condition where the rangefinder is being used.
A large white building will reflect an accurate reading at a greater distance than it will on a small animal.
A bright colored object will reflect much better than a dark colored one.
A solid object generally reflects from further away than does a living body.
And cool overcast days will generally produce better and more distant readings than those taken on a hot hazy day.
Under perfect atmospheric conditions, a range finder rated at 1000 yards, may accurately reflect the distance measurements of a large white building 1000 yards away, but only return the distance on a black vehicle 700 yards away, or a tree in the field 500 yards distant, a deer standing in the meadow 350 yards in the distance, or the flag on a golf green 200 yards away.
Rangefinders have their distance limitations based on the shape, the color, and the texture of the object being ranged.
For hunters it is especially important to know the general distance that they will be viewing their game, and to understand that rangefinders typically are accurate against game out to only one-third of the rangefinder's maximum listed distance.
A hunter interested in ranging game 200 yards out and closer should have a range finder with a maximum rating of at least 600 yards.
Most rangefiner manufacturers already provide rating distances such as reflective surfaces, tree, deer, and flag as features of their models.
Do not let yourself be short in distance ratings.
You will have wasted money and receive limited range finder performance if you purchase a rangefinder rated at 500 yards and you expect to range game out to 300 yards.
Remember the one-third rule (500 / 3 = 167 yards effective range).
Rangefinders come with a number of different targeting modes, generally scan mode, bulls eye mode, brush mode, and/or rain mode.
Any combination of these modes may be present on a rangefinder.
Scan mode is useful for both the hunter and the golfer as you can scan left to right over a distance and receive different reading as the rangefinder passes over different objects.
As an example, the golfer could scan left to right over the green area, get a reading on the trees just beyond the green, then have the scan jump to a closer measurement as the scan hits the flag, and drop back to a longer reading again as the scan passes by.
Bulls eye mode is generally used for up close ranging, target shooting, or when rangin smaller objects or smaller game.
Brush is normally a feature of hunting range finders as it ignores hits on close up objects as tree branches, brush, or rocks and returns measurements only against background objects such as deer or bear.
Rain mode is a feature that most hunters will require as it compensates for moisture in the air (rain or snow) and still returns an accurate distance reading.
Waterproof rangefinders are also a requirement often demanded by hunters as they will encounter wet weather much more often than a golfer.
Size of the rangefinder is more important to the hunter than it is for the golfer.
The hunter wants a compact range finer that can be put into a jacket pocket, but is still readily available at a moments notice.
As the game steps into view the hunter wants to be able to immediately pull out the range finder and range the distance to the animal.
Size and time sensitivity is not as critical to the golfer.
Generally rangefinders are placed in the golf bag or on the golf cart and used only when over the ball to determine the yardage remaining to the green and the flag.
Be confident in your range estimations.
Rangefinders will immediately return a true yardage measurement to your game, to a specific object, or provide the distance remaining to the green or the flag.
Eliminate the guessing.
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