Does anyone know if the new Bowhunter type rangefinders are any better or worth the extra money compared to a regular laser rangerfinder? I.E. Nikon's Archers Choice vs Nikon's Prostaff, Or Bushnell's Scout 1000 vs Scout 1000 w/ARC. The Bowhunting models usually run about $100- $150 more than a straight LOS model. I understand they do all the calculating for angles, but is the difference going to mean a missed or injured deer? Thanks in advance.
I have no experience with the Nikon Prostaff rangefinders, but I have the Archer's Choice and love them. I think they were worth the money, but you can probably find a better deal online then in a box store. I know I did.
Honestly, I wouldn't pay another dime for any of the new "True Distance" technology... this is why. Refer to the diagrams below :D If your horizontal distance from the animal (i.e. Both people on the ground) is "X", and you are "Y" up in the tree, then your rangefinder would read "Z". That's not nearly enough distance to make a difference for me. Is there something I'm missing here?
Personally I got them because I'm not good at judging distance. I mainly use mine pre-shot to mentally mark 20 and 30 yards. If you are good at judging distances then you wouldn't need them. Dubbya that's some mad paint skills.
lol, thanks man! Honestly what I do is range a tree at eye level from the treestand, then use that as a reference point for animals. It's worked so far!:d
Dubbya I know the geometry in triangles, that is why I was hopping someone had experience with both types, because like the example Bushnell gives in their ads: 20 feet up in a tree deer is at 32 yds line of site(Z in your example) but you should aim at 23 yds, because of the effect of gravity and aiming at a -44 degree angle at the ground. theroy wise if you aimed a LOS of 32 yds, you would shoot over. Anyone know this to be true or hype?
If you are going to buy one, might as well get the one with all the options...I do not think you will need them, but if you gotta buy one might as well get it all.
What I do know, is my own personal experience. On several occasions I've been in the neighborhood of 25 feet in the tree and the thee instances that I can remember exactly, my ranges were 27, 31, and 37 yards (by rangefinder to ground). I shot for those exact distances and had a clean quick kill all 3 times, may arrow hit where I wanted it to... it wasn't an "aim for the heart and get the lungs scenario." The thing about gravity is that it affects an arrow the same way no matter which angle it's released from. If you drop a ball and throw a ball perfectly horizontal to the ground... they hit at the same time, period.
Thanks Dubbya. Thats what I was wanting, real life experience and not Ad hype. By the way I see you are from Norman, where did you find a tree to climb 20 ft up? Just joking, I come up there every so often to attend school.I was there 2 weeks after the F5 went thru Moore and also was there for the worst snowfall in Norman's history, about 10" overnight.
Im kinda like Dubbya, other than being old and not having mad paint and math skills But i just dont see any more benifit to the angle calculating range finders. I do the same in the tree. Ill pre range objects at eye level and its worked very good for me to. IMO i think your wasting your money paying more for the angle calculaters range finders. I just use a basic Nicon 400.
Lol, I had to look extremely hard to find one. :D I was here for that 10" snow as well, I LOVED it. That's funny you were here for those disasters, I spent 2 months doing blue roofing in Baton Rouge after Gustav last fall.
dub you missed your calling! i dont worry about it either... not shooting far enough AND most bows are fast enough it doesnt matter
In treestand settings I'd have to agree they are worthless. IMO, they would shine through in the mountain settings. Another way to look at it, IMO the price difference is far less than that the last time I looked into it. If you are buying new anyway, why NOT get one with it?
I agree with Dubbya. I have never notice a difference of where my arrow hits when shooting from a treestand vs. ground level. Really, a person would have to be ridiculously higher than the animal for this to become an issue IMO.
That is mathmatically impossible. If you are 20 ft up & your line of sight is 32 yds, the deer is 31.3 yds on the horizontal.
Dubbya NAILED it.... thanks to him for the schematic detailing what I've been attempting to explain in words for the last several years... He also does exactly what I do as well: range a tree at the exact same height I'm hunting at, and use those trees as reference markers for when a deer enters my kill zone -- though his math shows it really doesn't make that much of a difference.
lol, same hold true. It doesn't matter if you drop a bullet and shoot one perfectly horizontal they both hit the ground at the same time. Hard to believe? Yes indeed, but proved through physics over and over again. :D
