I have been thinking about buying a LRF...

One side of me says it would be a great toy to play with etc..

Other side says why bother...you have successfully hunted for years and don't shoot past 300 yds anyways...

So...LRF's a must have or just a nice toy?

Any thoughts/recommendations would be valued. Thanks.

Depends on what kind of hunting you do do as well as the terrain/areas that you hunt. I always carry a range finder while bowhunting, but rarely bother to take one with me during rifle season because, like you, I rarely have a shot opportunity over 300 yards. On the other hand, it's a nice piece of equipment to own, because you never know when you might get a chance to hunt somewhere that a longer shot might be possible. After all, we can never have too many "toys"

Typo alert...Just noticed I typed in "do do" in my previous post

Proof positive that it's always a good idea to proof read these suckers before you post

I carry my leica 1200 crf out while bowhunting and when I go out varminting out for yotes and especially in a field full of grass maggots. It's small enough to fit in my shirt pocket, and I can pick out gopher mounds and yotes out to 500+ yds.

I have a Leica rangefinder. But, hunting the swamps up here there is no need owning it. I consider it a nice to have toy to play with.
Like the guy from Georgia, we don't get shots past 300 yards.
I can see a use for one if you are ground hog hunting where shots do come along at some distances out to 500 yards, but for Deer huniting here, they are not required.
Put your money into a great set of binoculars. They are worth their weight in gold.

Don

i had the chance to compare 10x42 leica geovid ranging binos next to reg leica, bushnell and leupold and i could not hold the 3 regular rangefinders on a baboon at 400 yds plus but with the binos man it was sweet on an animal that small all the way ou to 840 yds it was easy to get a reading. alot of money but i got rid of the three and am going with the binos

i dunno - i've got 3 or 4 of them and about the only time i use them is PD shooting, and then its very little. most of the time game doesn't give the time to fiddle around with a range finder. PD's do, but even then all the things range for me is a rock or something in the vicinity. Even then if i take a shot at the rock I know where to hold. Fun toys, but i think the money they cost would be better spent on ammo and going to the range and becoming a better shot and range estimator just my 2 cents worth

For me, a must have for long range shooting; but I only have one eye and no depth perception!! However, guys I hunt with out West that have two eyes are not much better on estimating ranges!!! Here in Michigan, definately no need; although I carry my Swaro's just for the optics.

Hmmmm...an interesting mix of responses...

Thanks to all for your inputs...I think I will save my $$$ for now.

Cheers.

If you want to spend in the $900 range, the best is the Swaro 8 x 30 next is the leica CRF 1200 followed by the Bushnell 1500 and the Nikon 1200 monarch. Newcon doesn't even compete with these unless you get into the 2000 yard model but their glass isn't nearly as good as Leica or Swaro's. Nikon has very good ranging ability (about the same as the Leica's) but their black reticle is a negative and they just don't bring in much light.

They all need to be held rock solid inorder to make long ranges. The Nikon and the Swaro have tripod mounts, but you can easily rig something up for the Leica too.

I hunt in Cn Mn and there isn't much call for the long shots, but I purposely place my stands to allow for them so I won't go out w/out a rangefinder (currently have a Nikon buckmasters 800 and plan on upgrading to the Lieca CRF 1200 fro $600).

IMO anyone hunting Big game and expecting to take shots past 300 yards needs to get some sort of range finder and anyone who expects to take shots over 500 needs a good LRF. The animal you are shooting deserves a humain quick kill.

If you can beg, borrow, or steal the money, buy the Leica Geovid binoculars. They are out of this world as a range finder as well as a binocular. I went the range finder route first and sold them all to get the Leicas.

I think I'd like to have one of these!!

LRB 25,000

quote:

Originally posted by LJS:
If you can beg, borrow, or steal the money, buy the Leica Geovid binoculars. They are out of this world as a range finder as well as a binocular. I went the range finder route first and sold them all to get the Leicas.

The Leica Geovid has the same rangefinder as the CRF and you pay the extra $1300 or so for better glass, FOV and binocular.

Must have IMO. I have ballistic charts printed on the side of my rifles. I haven't had to make a long poke in a while, but the LRF was nice on my Iowa buck with MLer at 120 yards, My Mulie at 312 and my elk at 325. Without it and being out of my usual element, my range guesstimates would have been off a good bit. Don't hunt away from home without mine.

Had a Bushnell 400, it was only good out to around 130-150 on a deer, moved to a Monarch 800 and haven't had a problem on game out past 500.

good luck

Reloader

welcome to our forum,buy one and no more guessing........a good hunter knows the range to his target or game animal.i own a older bushnell rangeing 1,000 it goes where i go!!!
the new ones are faster and better all around how can you go wrong? shooting builds confidence that goes hand and with experience and makes use better hunters.
regards