Range finders & Angle Compensation

[DaNewb]

This is driving me crazy, not because I really need a range finder for what I'm doing, but because the prices are so damned different.

So in researching range finders I see there are a couple main price categories, but I just don't see the difference.

There are 'hunting' range finders with angle compensation...very pricey, in the $100+ range...a good Leopold can be several hundred dollars.

Then there are "golf' range finders with angle compensation...you can pick a decent one up for sub-$100 all day long.

Is there some difference between angles in golf & hunting that I've missed that hunting requires more expensive angle compensation? If all we're talking about is the angle compensation aspect...disregarding all the various other features one might offer...what is the difference?

[kentrek]

This gets extremely complicated

Id highly recommend just dropping the money on the expensive leopold if you plan on shooting any kind of distance at heavy angles and even then its not perfect....sell fire wood if you have too

You can also use any standard angle comp rangefinder and then use a cut/add chart from precision cut archery and that works decent but theres isnt any great rangefinders that provide the angle while in angle comp mode in the view screen so you then  have to pack an inclinometer velcrod to your range finder it works very well but its janky...if you dont use the angle comp mode your cut chart gets overly complicated and slow

Again the best thing to do is just drop the coin and get the latest full draw leopold ...when one of the optics companys pick up precision cut archery il will buy what ever range finder that is

Good luck

[Stein]

A golf shot that misses by 4' or even 10' vertical on an angle shot will not be noticed.  Building that kind of accuracy is much less expensive.

[EnglishSetter]

It's just trigonometry.

Factor in significant figures.  The more resolution on the input results in greater resolution on the output.

Range finders with much less capability used to cost much more. 

[Fidelk]

Golf is usually played on a relatively level course......hunting often involves steep elevation differences.

In golf, a par 3 is usually less than 200 yards, a par 4 is around 400 yards and a par 5 is around 500 yards. From the tee, you know the distance to the hole.......so you don't need a range finder for your tee shot. Golf courses also place stakes at certain distances to indicate how far to the hole. You might need a range finder to determine distance for a final shot to the green. A golf range finder doesn't need to do much.

Completely different with hunting......you need to determine an accurate distance to your target and you aren't getting any help other than what your range finder indicates. And it needs to give a correct distance for elevation differences. If you never plan to shoot beyond a certain distance, you don't need to pay for higher priced range finders with double or triple the range capability.

Just a few simple minded observations. Other than that, it's all magic to me.