How important is a range finder?

[xsn10s]

If I'm hunting in dense wooded areas I haven't needed a rangefinder. But there are clear cuts that can be 400 yards or you may spot something across a canyon. Then a rangefinder is invaluable. I always hunt with one now.

 

[Justin Crossley]

I said it isn't necessary because of the way the question was asked. He asked if it can't be done without a rangefinder (paraphrasing). Twenty years or so ago virtually nobody carried a rangefinder. I wouldn't necessarily advise against a rangefinder, but for 200 and in give or take, you can be plenty deadly without one.

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I understand that people can and do hunt without a rangefinder. I don't think it's good advice for someone who says they're new to Western hunting. It's not the best way for anyone.

You're right that few people had them 20 years ago. And many people would "hold at the top of his back" or "hold at the top of his antlers" without a real clue what the distance was. Thank goodness we now have accessible/affordable rangefinders and scopes that dial.

Archery and muzzleloader seasons were wounding seasons in those days too. Yes, some guys practiced judging distance and were good at it, but most were not.

 

[xsn10s]

I understand that people can and do hunt without a rangefinder. I don't think it's good advice for someone who says they're new to Western hunting. It's not the best way for anyone.

You're right that few people had them 20 years ago. And many people would "hold at the top of his back" or "hold at the top of his antlers" without a real clue what the distance was. Thank goodness we now have accessible/affordable rangefinders and scopes that dial.

Archery and muzzleloader seasons were wounding seasons in those days too. Yes, some guys practiced judging distance and were good at it, but most were not.

I used to be great at judging distances. Shooting competitions and my time in the Army honed those skills. But my eyes got older and my ranging abilities diminished once I went from sea level to higher elevations. Things looked closer than they really were when I went up in elevation. I got a range finder soon after I noticed that.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

They are so inexpensive now days, just get one. OP did, for less than $200. If $200 is too much, get the $79 one.

 

[Danny Hoey]

That's not true at all. Most the places you'll see animals in Western WA will be clear cuts and they can be huge.

To the guys giving the advice against a rangefinder. I don't get it. Why in the world would you rather guess yardage when you can be certain? The OP isn't talking about sitting in a tree stand in thick cover where shots are 50 yards. He's talking about bear hunting in Western WA where shots could be 20 yards or 500 yards.

I've been around a lot of shooters and hunters in a lot of states and very, very few can estimate yardage well enough to skip a rangefinder. That is true of most bowhunters too. I can't count the times archery hunters have missed high or low due to not ranging or even the animal moving after being ranged. I wouldn't even consider taking my bow out and not bringing a rangefinder.

I gave him advice based of two things.

1. He said he is just starting out, going on his first western hunt. Is a rangefinder integral to success? Maybe he has all the other stuff he needs or he has extra money to spend but I don't want people to feel like they need every "extra" piece of equipment to head out in the woods and be successful.

2. He didn't seem very confident shooting at a distance. Just because you know an animal is at 500 yards, and your rifle is lethal at that distance, doesn't mean it's a good shot to take.

I would rather head into the woods with the mindset of only taking shots under 200 yards, then having a false sense of confidence to send one that I shouldn't.

 

[stanginthe11s]

rangefinders come in handy when you need to know how far you'll have to run after taking that bad shot on a bear.

are they needed? no. are they useful? yes. everyone will have a different opinion because everyone is different. the argument of it being needed to take good shots is scary. if you feel you must have a rangefinder to make good shots then you are just using it to take shortcuts in hunting. if an animal is too far to judge, then you might just try walking instead of ranging. if the OP is limiting himself to 300 yds as he should then a rangefinder is not necessary, if someone struggles with any shot out to that distance, then the range is not the problem.
I will say, if your plan involves you sitting on a mountain top playing sniper, then yes you will need a rangefinder. if you do or plan to do long range shooting, then buy a quality rangefinder.

 

[Dmoua]

I use it for archery and modern rifle. Use any legal tool that will help aid in making a good shot.

 

[venado mula]

I would highly recommend one, far too many hunters are wounding animals these days long range hunting or not knowing their distances with any weapon. You're going to be more successful with a rangefinder.

 

[Elkangle]

I'm pretty blown away people saying they arnt needed...

I typically range before I even glass just so I know how far I'm looking...let alone looking at a freaking bear. Idc who you are you will "guess" yardages wrong esp when looking at a cub vs a 300#r...

Don't waist your time, buy what ever rangefinder you can afford...range every time you glass

 

[doc holiday13]

Rangefinders allowed us to move away from the 3500+ fps cartridges. Now we can shoot at a more reasonable 2800-3000 fps and not burn out our barrels

 

[gabenzeke]

I understand that people can and do hunt without a rangefinder. I don't think it's good advice for someone who says they're new to Western hunting. It's not the best way for anyone.

You're right that few people had them 20 years ago. And many people would "hold at the top of his back" or "hold at the top of his antlers" without a real clue what the distance was. Thank goodness we now have accessible/affordable rangefinders and scopes that dial.

Archery and muzzleloader seasons were wounding seasons in those days too. Yes, some guys practiced judging distance and were good at it, but most were not.

For the record, I'm not disagreeing. Just basically saying that if it comes down to being able to afford a tag or not, I'm buying the tag.

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[Justin Crossley]

For the record, I'm not disagreeing. Just basically saying that if it comes down to being able to afford a tag or not, I'm buying the tag.

Absolutely!

 

[GAHunterJim]

I'm a big advocate of using range finders, especially when you are hunting somewhere new. When I get to a stand location I've never hunted, I range as many distances as I can to get an idea of the range as it can often be deceiving. This way, I know in advance what my hold should be on a deer for example without having to range or guess.

I you live in the east but hunt the west from time to time, it's really hard to guess distance, a range finder takes the guess work out of distancing and helps you make shot decisions based on your comfort level and more accurate shots knowing distance. Would not hunt without one!

 

[black dawg]

Always thought I was pretty good at judging distances, until I bought a range finder.

 

[kwackkillncrew]

Sight your ‘06 in with a good 165 grain bullet, 2” high at 100 yards. Hold in the kill zone out to 300. And get a rangefinder to verify you aren’t over 300 yards.

bingo. same thing we do

 

[Rich M]

It is like a cell phone these days - good technology.

Get one and get out shooting. It tells you how to aim - which line on a BDC scope, what to "dial", if the animal is in your maximum dead aim range.

You are good for about 350 yards while aiming on hair out west with 3006 and 150 gr bullet. Zero for 275 and you'll be within about 4 inch high/low out to about 300 and 12 inches at 350. Give or take.