I'm looking into getting a rangefinder for my dad for Christmas but can't decide which one to get. He just started bowhunting last year on my account and is still trying to get comfortable with the difference between archery and rifle hunting. I don't want to throw something at him that's overly complicated to use or hard to see through. I do want to get him one that calculates angles though so he doesn't have to in his head (like I said, he is new to shooting a bow and it doesn't come natural quite yet so he's got enough to think about). I've heard mixed reviews on the accuracy of these types though. I was looking at the Bushnell Bowhunter but Cabela's had some pretty bad reviews about it. Should this maybe be an item that he picks out to ensure he is comfortable with it and can see clearly through it? Any suggestions will be appreciated
I picked up a Nikon Archer's Choice rangefinder this year and love it! Rangefinders really all do the same thing, so at the end of the day what I really liked about this one was that it's vertically oriented and can be used with one hand more easily than a horizontal rangefinder, and it comes with a nice neoprene case/cover, and shoulder strap. And yes, it compensates for angles too. http://www.bowhunting.com/shopping/Products/Nikon-Archers-Choice-Rangefinder__8366.aspx
Thanks guys. Mine is one that you hold horizontal which I think is harder to use than the vertical ones but I don't have a problem with it. Maybe I will have him take a look at the Nikon and see what he thinks.
My big dislike w/the horizontal finders is that it usually takes 2 hands to use them. The AC finder is really nice b/c you can sling the strap around your chest and leave it at your side. When you need it, simply spin it around and raise it up to your eye, click, and then right back down. No fumbling around in your pockets. And the neoprene case keeps it protected from mud and the elements. It also has a removable flap/cover for that uses a magnet to keep it in place so it's silent. It truly was built for bowhunting, and provided it doesn't break will be the last one I own for awhile.
I also bought the archer's choice this year and love. Although the first one I bought was blurry and I had to send it back to cabelas they sent out a new one and it has been great.
My Leupold RX-II has been okay up here but is less than ideal. It's also very complicated until you play with it with some determination to learn it (and that still took me a year). The Archer's Choice/Nikon optics that my friends have had have not fared well up here due to being brutalized by the environment. If I was going to do it again I'd go back to the Bushnell Scout 1000 ARC I had before I dropped it off a cliff goat hunting. I replaced it with the RX II and have regretted it ever since.
I have the Leupoid RX1000 TBR It works great.It picks up anything from clumps of grass to dirt roads.
Another vote for the Nikon Archer's Choice rangefinder. I got mine last year for Christmas and love it. Easy to use, light weight, and it doesn't get in your way
I definitely want to leave the complicated part out of it. I'm not sure this late in the game my dad has the determination needed to learn it. He's not real tech savy and doesn't plan on getting that way at the ripe age of 69 haha. Looks like I will probably be leaning to the Archer's Choice. Thanks for the help! Oh, and congrats on the buffalo! I'm sorry I missed it
That's where I'm at with mine too. I can usually make it work with one hand but it's tricky. If I'm kickin it in a tree stand it's all good but it can get interesting when you're on a stalk. This sounds like something he can use very easily which is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
Sorry I missed meeting you this go 'round too. Thankfully I had Will there to console me, as you said. Hope to see you for elk in Sept.!
MJ, I know we had this conversation last week but one thing to keep in mind is that the archers choice range finder doesn't range beyond 100 yards, which in my opinion is absurd. I won an archer's choice at a 3D shoot was much happier with the Nikon Monarch that I had already. I sold the monarch and traded in the Nikon Archers Choice on the Leupold RX-1000. It's extremely simple to uses, calculates the angle and has a bright red LED display that is easy to see in all light conditions. Here is a review I did on that rangefinder... Leupold RX-1000 TBR
Thank ya! I'll check out the blog. At this rate I think he's getting one for his birthday in July anyway so I'll have time to do some more research
How is that absurd? Assume you're like me and you only bowhunt, I will NEVER have a need for anything beyond probably 40 yards, let alone 100. Now consider the rangefinder was designed SPECIFICALLY for bowhunters. Seems pretty reasonable to me. What's absurd here is your logic my friend. :D
That was my thinking when I bought mine. Little known fact is they will range out past 100 if given an optimum target. I have had mine out to 185 or so. Even so, that's just playin. A friend of mine has the Leupold and while it was cool to mess with the different fps setting and such, he has found that it didn't perform as well as the AC in fog conditions. I do wish the AC had the brighter readouts for low light.
I'll throw my $.02 in, and say that the Brunton Echo 440 I have is pretty much the same as a Nikon 550, 6x optics, decent view, easy to use, about the same size, but when I dropped mine back in early November, and JACKED IT UP, Brunton with no questions asked, sent me a replacement, and having a lifetime warranty on it, I don't expect to have to replace my replacement, but I was assured that if need be, it could be just as painless as the first replacement was. Just my $.02 on it. I've heard guys have issues with them, but some of them were user error, etc. You CANNOT push BOTH buttons at the same time or it will mess up the rangefinder, causing it to need to be reset by removing the battery. For me after my research, and having a LIFETIME WARRANTY, it was a good purchase, that I'd make again today if I needed to.
Feeble minds! :D I was using intellect to decipher the needs of the user. He's recently began bowhunting and the chances of him going to strictly archery are somewhat unlikely. Absurd is the fact that they cost the same amount ($259) as rangefinders that range to 800 yards and have the ARC/TBR capabilities. Not to mention the fact that if you ever wanted to upgrade to something else, it's a lot easier to unload a rangerfinder that will read beyond 100yards. Oh yeah, and because they live in the sage flats of wyoming (spot and stalk territory) ranging things like rock out croppings and brush patches are a must to know how far you need to go. The AC was designed specifically for bowhunters... right, but what does that include that isn't on any other standard rangefinder? It's the same size, weight, shape and has the same components as the other. I guess it does come with a neoprene case and a tether... Maybe that's the difference :D Ben, I can't speak about the fog readings, but it worked flawlessly in a very heavy rain... You two slackers need to venture out! :D :D :D
