range finders

[sagebrush]

oldman - I don't think you need a rangefinder if you're shooting 300 or less. As long as you know for a fact its less than 300. My rifles have a point blank range of 315 yards with a zero of 256 yards or 6" high at 150 yards. If I hold dead on, I know I have a spine at 150, a heart at 300 or a lung anywhere in between. But I still use my Leupold RX IV 'cause I am lousy a estimating ranges beyond 250 yards and I practice out to 600 at the range.

 

[bigeasygator]

If we don't know the range we are ranging how do we know if the reading is correct? also didn't know the smaller the target the less range it is accurate at. the Rx1000 has not been out long enough to tell how long it will last. i talked with a Nikon rep and he expects it to last 3-5 years. that's a lot of money for such a short time. i just might stay with my old tape and wheel one.

A Nikon rep said that the Leupold would only last 3-5 years? Who would've guessed that? Haha I feel fairly confident in saying that the accuracy and reliability of laser rangefinding technology has been pretty well established for many years. I agree that depending on how you zero a rifle it may not make much of a difference for shots 300 yards and under. However, if you are a bowhunter I don't know how this device isn't a must have. The only way I'd feel comfortable without my rangefinder is if I knew everyone of my archery shots would be under 20 yards -- they're not. I feel comfortable shooting out to 60 yards on game under the right conditions, and there is a big difference in arrow drop from 50 to 60 yards. Heck, even from 55 to 60 yards! For a bowhunter, a laser rangefinder is a must own piece of equipment in my opinion.