Best archery range finder and why?
Equipment
New to compound and sights , been a recurve guy for about 30 yrs. Need advice on a good rangefinder. If you have time tell why you think your choice is best.
Thanks for the help Jack
You can shoot compound without a sight. No need for a rangefinder. Alternately please have a look at EZV Bow Sight; website linked above. No need for a rangefinder with EZV bow sight. BAM, just saved you $200+.
Any one that measures angle and has red read out much better for low light . I like the Leopold cost more . I also carrier the Leica for my guiding just because it's part of the binoculars
I love my Vortex Impact,,,, I got it on sale for 189.00 I have really put that thru some punishment since last August, and it works everytime.... It is waterproof, not water resistant, and has a life time warranty....... stay away from any 1 year warranties,,,,,,,
I had the cheap ones, which all failed at some time,,,,,, Check out the Vortex line, for me it is simple and accurate,,,,,,
SAme boat as you OP, back in 2010. After 30+ years of trad, my draw shoulder went "POP!" while shooting and that was about it for stickbows. Of course you can shoot a compound without sights.....just as you can shooting a recurve with an elevated rest, sights and stab for hunting. All personal preference and there is no shame in using what you want. I used a fixed single pin sight that first year and ended up buying a used Bushnell RF to try out.
What I discovered as an eastern treestand/ground bowhunter is that I don't frequently range animals because I hunt in thicker stuff. When I get to a new spot, I spend the first 10 minutes ranging landmarks so I have a mental picture in mind when a game animal comes into view. On the TV hunting shows, you see them playing with their rangefinder than resetting their sight....all kinds of time. In real life that is uncommon as things tend to happen much quicker.....at least in my 40+ years of experience.
After selling the Bushnell to a hunting friend, I bought a Leupold that has served me well for at least 6 seasons. Actually, it still has the original battery....but I noticed it was not as functional at longer distances this year and I plan on a new battery for 2019. Some of the newer versions have a red LED readout for easier low light viewing, but that hasn't been a big issue with me. On the second morning of the MI firearms season of 2018, I was on stand well before first light and saw a dark lump across a bean field. Grabbing my Leupold RF, I could pick out it was 3 deer feeding across the field. By the time I could make out they were all does, I could see the gray readout.
The Leupold’s with TBR and DNA are excellent archery rangefinders. Highly recommend them for mountain hunters. Red display, nearly infinite battery life, compact. Also has instant angle corrected yardage read out and gives angle corrected yardage in scan mode. Reliably reads about 80% of the name plate yardage....which might be important to a long range rifle shooter. Also angle corrects for short range archery shots. (Has archery mode).
I am in same boat. At least on needing a range finder. Currently using Nikon. Any thoughts on Sigs? I am currently leaning towards the Vortex just because of there rep of handling warranty issues. Anything electronic can break. Like have something if breaks in 366 days they will help me instead of saying ran out of warranty yesterday.
Leupold archery. Leica if binoc version.
I’m extremely pleased with my Vortex Ranger 1500. I actually went in with the intention of buying the SIG, but had a hard time seeing the display.
My Vortex flaked out on me after two or three years, sent it back for repair, got a no questions asked, free replacement in a week. Great customer service!
I’ve used the same Leupold for 10-15 years. Only remember changing the battery once. It is the version with the TBR and DNA mentioned above.
SIG is good but would explore Leupold if I was back on the market.
Leica makes great RF's but not so much for bowhunters in terms of features.
Leupold is the safest bet for the money. The new Sig gets good reviews too.
Ditto on the Leupold. I have 2 of the newer ones. Great customer service. I had an old one (8-10 years) just quit working-at all. Out of warranty. I sent it to Leupold for repair and bought the new archery range finder thinking that I would use the old one for backup. Low and behold Leupold sent me a brand new one of the same variety that I purchased. They are kind of pricey, but you can spend a lot more money on others. There is an old, but appropriate, adage: Buy nice or buy twice.
I've had the Nikon Archers Choice w/ case for about 8years. Its been a great unit for me for whitetail & turkey in the midwest. Easy to operate, very accurate, water proof, and accounts for elevation as well. S249 amazon https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Archers-Choice-Laser-Rangefinder/dp/B0014SN568
The Sig 2000 has worked well for me. No problems in any temps.
This past year was my first season with a Nikon 3000 stabilized and it's been amazing. The image stabilization that takes all the jitters out of the crosshair when you're ranging has been a game changer for me. I used to always hold my rangefinder 2 handed or brace it against my cam or a tree to get precise readings. Not necessary with the image stabilization. I can hit a telephone pole at 500 yards off hand with 1 hand every time no problem. I love it.
Guys thanks for all the advice , I'm the warranty king. If it doesn't have a good warranty I don't want it. I'm tired of companies that think their products are throw and replace after a few years . Thanks again Jack
I looked at the Vortex and liked it. Seems trivial, but I really like the belt clip.
I’ve had a Leica 900 for at least 10 years. It’s been flawless. They don’t make the 900 any more, but similar models are made.
Vortex red read out flawless- lifetime warranty.
