Ranging Game in the Field Can be Tough

[Q_Sertorius]

Meh, it's more of a logic and trust sort of thing. Once a person starts to understand trajectory and blend that with how far they can see, it makes the process simple.

Like @nm.otter said, plainly knowing shots are from X-Z, then adding in if you shoot X at Z what happens and vice versa can take the RF out of the equation when the animal poops up.

For me, it’s more that I am used to constantly trying non-technological range estimation. I am used to using the standalone rangefinder just to confirm estimates. I also never owned decent binoculars before, so I usually relied on the Mark 1 eyeball for spotting deer and used my scope to confirm whether I wanted to shoot the deer. This is the first deer season where I have carried the Leicas. They are a game changer, but I am still getting used to them.

 

[TaperPin]

I started always guessing the yardage the moment before ranging it and the two have to roughly match up or I’ll spend more time getting a better reading. This also keeps the naked eye calibrated.

I naturally don’t have a lot of depth perception, so animals will sometimes be on a slight rise or there is a slight rise in front of the animal that doesn’t seem obvious and I’ve made some really bad measurements. Lol

 

[nm.otter]

I started always guessing the yardage the moment before ranging it and the two have to roughly match up or I’ll spend more time getting a better reading. This also keeps the naked eye calibrated.

Yes -- just like using a wind meter to train. It can be a fun game, actually.

 

[JGRaider]

Believe it or not it is in spec , almost every LRF isn’t centered and needs to be figured out where the sweet spot is

Well, I"ve had at 8-9 of them and it was the only one like that. I check every one, first thing. My Fury AB is perfectly aligned.

 

[HuntHarder]

Ranging animals is very easy. Always use scan mode and hold the button down. Move all around the animal and it is really easy and quick to determine if you are hitting something before or after the intended target.

 

[Sled]

You saw a hit that was high and knew you had a wounded elk and just watched her feed off?
You didn’t just rack another one in hold low and get her killed?
What in the actual heck

I wasn't too clear but I did not see the hit until after she was feeding a bit. I thought it was a clean miss at the time. I didn't want to send another one until I figured out what happened. Wasn't shooting to wound and I did not know where my bullet went as it was a moderately steep downhill angle.

 

[Choupique]

range the top of a telephone pole

My dmbass has been doing it with a barn wall and turning the rangefinder sideways and upside down and doing complicated brain trig to figure out where it was.

Quite ashamed of myself for not thinking of this method.

 

[Chris in TN]

Believe it or not it is in spec , almost every LRF isn’t centered and needs to be figured out where the sweet spot is

Same.

An open garage door is handy for that. Stand at a distance and you can check both up/down and left/right.

Also, the calibration can be knocked off. A lot. I have one rangefinder that’s unusable because of a fall. You have to aim it several degrees low to get good readings. Useless until I try to randomly knock it back into alignment.

 

[nm.otter]

There's got to be a way to get in there and realign the laser.

I've never taken one apart -- don't know if the laser lives inside or outside of the nitrogen seal.

 

[General RE LEE]

This is going to sound crazy but I might bring one of my golf range finders out sometime. The way they work is they cancel out the furthest of two distances. That allows ranging the flag vs everything in the background.

 

[BRTreedogs]

This is going to sound crazy but I might bring one of my golf range finders out sometime. The way they work is they cancel out the furthest of two distances. That allows ranging the flag vs everything in the background.

I’m sure you’re RF has a near mode.

 

[hibernation]

This is going to sound crazy but I might bring one of my golf range finders out sometime. The way they work is they cancel out the furthest of two distances. That allows ranging the flag vs everything in the background.

Most rangefinders I've used have a setting where you can control this. Manufacturers call it different things, something like "first hit" vs "last hit", field vs forest, etc. If you're in wide open country, you can set it to display the closer reading so you're picking up the animal and not shooting past it in a flat meadow. In timber, displaying the farthest reading helps avoid picking up random branches between you and the target.

 

[General RE LEE]

I’m sure you’re RF has a near mode.

I have a Leica. I will check the manual. Thank You.

 

[General RE LEE]

Most rangefinders I've used have a setting where you can control this. Manufacturers call it different things, something like "first hit" vs "last hit", field vs forest, etc. If you're in wide open country, you can set it to display the closer reading so you're picking up the animal and not shooting past it in a flat meadow. In timber, displaying the farthest reading helps avoid picking up random branches between you and the target.

I checked my Leica manual. They actually do not have this feature. The best option is scan mode. I’ll need to take a little bit more time ranging to make sure I have an accurate reading.

 

[Maxhunter]

Here’s a good video of how to range animals.

 

[Lawnboi]

I have a Leica. I will check the manual. Thank You.

Is your rangefinder a hand held monocular or binos?

 

[83cj-7]

I practice estimating range and wind in the field all the time. I have used my Leica Geovids for many years to verify range and identify game in the field. Now I have the Geovid pro which gives me range and corrections. The Leicas work great but just as people have mentioned there can be times that I don’t trust the range. I have found that the laser actually ranges at the bottom of the aiming circle instead of the center. I love the Geovids and the glass is superb, BUT… for ranging an animal in the field, nothing beats a WMLRF (weapon mounted laser range finder). Put the crosshairs on the animal, press the button and instantly get the range to target and corrections. This was an absolute necessity for the type of night hunting I do, but it has become indispensable for general hunting as well.