so what about rangefinders?

[Dbax129]

So I'm looking for a range finder, and do t know much about them.  I do know I want it to have the built in inclinometer feature. I may have just mad up that word, not sure. Anyways, I decided to hunt archery elk this year and want that option for shooting up/down hills.  I dont have much, and might have to do without this year. But just in case, I was thinking I should do some looking. I did find this one for about $150 on Amazon. Has good reviews too, but thought I would ask if there is somethingelse in a similar price range that others would recommend. Luke the vortex Binos people have been talking about. I would have never found them, but they seem to be the best for that under$250 range...
Any tips on what matters in making a rangefinder good would be helpful.

[270Shooter]

I have a bushnell gforce 1300. Got it last year and I got a good deal on it. I liked the vortex but it didn't seem as easy to use as the bushnell and the leupolds seemed to be more expensive but not all that much better than the bushnell. My main things I like in them is 1. Simplicity 2. Weight 3. Speed.

[follow maggie]

Looking at amazon it looks like you're thinking pf a bushnell. It's a good choice for your budget.  Have a leupold. It's a god range finder, accurae, reliable tough, good battery life. But it's a bit overly complex to use, I think. So I just set it to how I use it the most and leave it there. Maybe I'm just not smart enough for it.

[bankwalker]

I have a cheap Bushnell bow hunter model. It has angle compensation out to 100 yards. But still shows the angle at farther ranges for entering into a ballistic app.
It is only supposed to range out to 600 yards +/- a few. But mine constantly ranges out to 800-1000 yards accurately on sunny days. Compared side by side to expensive leica and swaros it's within 1-2 yards. Not bad for a $109 cabelas bargain cave steal.
I only bought it cause it was cheap. And I've been extremely happy with it especially for the price. I'll eventually upgrade to something that will range 1500 yards or more. But for now and my shooting ability I'm happy.

[gonehuntin68]

My cousin and I have both had Nikons that have went tits up.

[Pathfinder101]

I was looking to upgrade mine (a Redfield 550) to something with longer yardage.  I almost bought the Bushnell 1000 ARC but started reading reviews and a lot of people were really disappointed at the actual yardage (seems 5-600 yards is about max).  Much better reviews on the Leupold 1000TBR , so when they went on sale at Cabelas a couple of weeks ago I ordered one ($300).  It hasn't arrived yet, but I was shooting over the weekend with a buddy who just got one and he loves it.  We were archery shooting and I didn't get to test the yardage past 100 yards though.

[cdriver]

I just bought the Leupold RS-1000i TBR today at Sportsman Warehouse, 100 bucks off the 399 price. Seems easy to use, There are times with some longer shots I do want more than just my eyeballing of the distance.

[Pathfinder101]

Got mine in the mail yesterday.  Haven't had a chance to test it out for distance yet. 

[Boss .300 winmag]

I have the Vortex Ranger and they stand behind their warrenty, had it two years and it quite working sent off and less than a week later brand new one shows up in mail. 

Nikons are easier to operate, but do they have a lifetime warranty?   

[Pathfinder101]

Tested out my Leupy RX1000 TBR yesterday while scouting my deer area.  Max range on an open hillside seemed to be about 750 yards.  That was the farthest reading I could get (I was not looking for reflective targets, which seems pointless to me since deer rarely stand next to pole buildings with metal sheeting..).  I am fine with that.  My VXIII scope has target knobs that top out at 800 yards, so I'll never be taking a longer shot than that anyway. 

[CastleRocker]

I've had a LOT of different rangefinders.  I bought a Leica 1600B on one of the predator hunting forums for $300 shipped, and it will be my rangefinder until it quits completely.  I still had a B&C Leupold, an older Bushnell, and a Nikon 800 when I got it, so I was able to compare them side by side in every bad condition.  It out performs all the other ones I had by a long ways.  It's not even in the same class.  In fact it's so clear, that I catch myself using it instead of my binoculars sometimes when looking for Rock Chucks.   (My binos aren't very good ones though).

My wife still uses the Leupold as it matches her Boone & Crockett addition scope, and I have the ballistics for her 6.5 Grendel load programmed into it. 

Watch all the forum classifieds when the "next great thing" comes out.  Folks with a lot more money than I have usually sell them fairly cheap.  The guy I bought my Leica from had just ordered a Vectronix PLRF 10. 

[Ghost Hunter]

  for Leica.    I've had my Leica LRF 1200 since 2002.  All I'll ever need and hope it never fails.  I have ranged beyond 1200 yards with it.
GH

[Bob33]

I'm a fan of the Leicas. They're small, bright, and range well. I've owned every iteration and currently use the 1600.

"Maximum distance" for all laser rangefinders depends on many variables. I've ranged over 2000 yards with mine but under some conditions haven't been able to range at distances under 1000 yards. That's one reason the extra ranging ability is nice.

I often use mine for not just shooting, but plotting an approach. If the animal is 1200 yards away, and that ridge between us is 900 yards away, then I'll be about 300 yards away when I get there.

A quality rangefinder is an investment that I don't mind making.

[brew]

Ive been using the leupold for the last couple years and what I really like about it is the "crosshairs" and the yardage are in red so it makes it easier for my old eyes to see it in lower light conditions..shows up well in sunlight as well....good luck

[actionshooter]

Leica 1600B

[1J04]

Ya, the couple hundred dollar range ain't gonna do it for you.  You will definitely want the best you can afford, then spend a bit more.  Buy once, cry once right. 

Leica or Zeiss and you will not be disappointed.  When you can get to 1k or beyond you're golden.  If it says 1200 or 1600 and you can't read a stump at 648 you've got a paper weight. 

[sirmissalot]

What's funny to me lately is all the talk about the new fancy G7 rangefinders. I have a Leica and it's sweet, I'll never buy anything else.

[Boss .300 winmag]

I got my Vortex to range at 1268 yds this fall dinking around with it. 

[1J04]

I got my Vortex to range at 1268 yds this fall dinking around with it. 

That's great !!!!  What I'm saying is it's gotta do it today and everyday for my purposes.  A buddy's got a Bushnell 1600 ARC and it is by far the largest paper weight I've seen.  Absolutely useless on a daily basis.  Oh, it'll read from "time to time", but that just doesn't work.  And usually when ya really need it, ya know.  Crappy reading, and light sensitive.  Focus knobs are crud too.