Laser Range Finders

[David B Allen 0]

I've seen a few articles where shooter have give very accurate shot ranges so I'll hazard a guess there are a few shooter here that use Laser Range Finders.

 

• What do you use ?
• How accurate do you find them ?

 

I know there will be a few shooter who think it's removing an element of shooting using a Laser Range Finder; some of us need all the help we can get.

[mangy1983 51]

I've seen a few articles where shooter have give very accurate shot ranges so I'll hazard a guess there are a few shooter here that use Laser Range Finders.

 

• What do you use ?
• How accurate do you find them ?

 

I know there will be a few shooter who think it's removing an element of shooting using a Laser Range Finder; some of us need all the help we can get.

 

I use one a Nikon l got on an eBay auction for £110 last year and find my one very accurate. To emphasize l used to use a lot of zero and bullet drop / wind drift calculators and when l used to use the zeroing guides for my rimmy l bought a 100 yard measuring tape reel so that l could measure out the advised measurements which was 53 yards in my case. When l bought my centre-fire l knew that measuring 200 yards etc. would not be practical hence my buying a range-finder and l checked its accuracy against my target which l had measured out previously with my tape reel and its distance was exactly to the yard as that of the tape reel.

 

I also use an anemometer to calculate wind speeds and am trying to calculate my own ballistics table as l find the bullet manufacturers ones to be a bit inaccurate.

cheers Callum

Edited June 13, 2011 by mangy1983

[andyf 144]

I've seen a few articles where shooter have give very accurate shot ranges so I'll hazard a guess there are a few shooter here that use Laser Range Finders.

 

• What do you use ?
• How accurate do you find them ?

 

I know there will be a few shooter who think it's removing an element of shooting using a Laser Range Finder; some of us need all the help we can get.

I've got a Leupold RX-1, it's really useful for all sorts of reasons, Yes you can range anything you are going to take a shot at, but in reality I rarely use it

that way, for Zeroing it's a doddle to carry the target out and range back to my truck, also for pigeon decoying takes the guessing out of setting the decoys

35 yards out from the hide for optimum pattern range.

But mostly when I set my portable highseat up in a new or different location, I use the first hour or so when I have disturbed the place to range all and any of

the local features, i.e. trees, fence posts, or anything else that stands out so that I know exactly how far they are from me and can use them to estimate a 'deer'

distance without moving around potentially making a noise or movement to alert the Deer (Simples).

So if you can justify the £200 or so it's a useful but not essential piece of kit, I wouldn't like to do without mine now anyway! AF

[Rake aboot 4,935]

I use an Opticron and find it mega usefull for the air rifle.

 

ATB

[jackinbox99 41]

Ive got a Hawke LR600 laser range finder and find its very easy to use. You litterally look through the view finder like you do on a scope, make sure the target is in the cross hairs and press the button. The distance pops up instantly. Ive found it 100% accurate and it even manages to "see" pigeons sat on the top of trees and things which you think it may have difficulty focusing on.

 

It does kinda spoil the fun and skill of shooting I find as no longer do I have to try and guess the distance etc.. And on permissions which you frequent a lot you tend not to use it as much. It has saved me lots of dodgy shots though, where upon lasering ive discovered im actually 20 yards further away from the target than I thought and things like that.

 

Whether or not it was worth the £150 it cost me im still in 2 minds however.

[blackfox 9]

Horses for courses and all that carp

 

Personally.... If your shooting with rifle.. a good quality rangefinder is a essential part of the kit.. If your serious about shooting & want to be able to use your chosen set-up to its full potential.

 

All you need to do then is to put your bullet/load of choice over a chronograph and work out your average FPS, then input all the relevant information into a ballistics calculator (i use one on my i-phone) that coupled with a range finder you can then "dial" shots. At any range that you are comfortable to shoot at, if it 100yrds to 1000yrds

[vitalspark 4]

 

I also use an anemometer to calculate wind speeds and am trying to calculate my own ballistics table as l find the bullet manufacturers ones to be a bit inaccurate.

cheers Callum

Sorry to go off on a slight tangent but I used the ballistics software download from Hawkeoptics.com and tweeked the parameters to suit what I was finding in the field to produce a table.

 

Apologies

Bob

[David B Allen 0]

Horses for courses and all that carp

 

Personally.... If your shooting with rifle.. a good quality rangefinder is a essential part of the kit.. If your serious about shooting & want to be able to use your chosen set-up to its full potential.

 

All you need to do then is to put your bullet/load of choice over a chronograph and work out your average FPS, then input all the relevant information into a ballistics calculator (i use one on my i-phone) that coupled with a range finder you can then "dial" shots. At any range that you are comfortable to shoot at, if it 100yrds to 1000yrds

 

 

I like the idea of the ballistics calculator on the IPhone; ITunes Apps here I come.

[mangy1983 51]

I also use an anemometer to calculate wind speeds and am trying to calculate my own ballistics table as l find the bullet manufacturers ones to be a bit inaccurate.

cheers Callum

Sorry to go off on a slight tangent but I used the ballistics software download from Hawkeoptics.com and tweeked the parameters to suit what I was finding in the field to produce a table.

 

Apologies

Bob

 

Thanks for the info Bob,

I will certainly give the software a bash and compare my findings

 

ta Callum

[vitalspark 4]

 

Thanks for the info Bob,

I will certainly give the software a bash and compare my findings

 

ta Callum

Callum

Chaigunpro is really for airgunners I think but the trick is to calculate a BC value (see their help index) from testing. This is actually entered in the box questionably marked as 'ED @NTP'.

Sorry again all for hijacking the thread. Presumably I can reply outwith the forum somehow?

 

Good luck

BoB

[mangy1983 51]

...

Edited June 14, 2011 by mangy1983

[mangy1983 51]

I also use an anemometer to calculate wind speeds and am trying to calculate my own ballistics table as l find the bullet manufacturers ones to be a bit inaccurate.

 

cheers Callum

Sorry to go off on a slight tangent but I used the ballistics software download from Hawkeoptics.com and tweeked the parameters to suit what I was finding in the field to produce a table.

 

Apologies

Bob

 

Thanks for the info Bob,

I will certainly give the software a bash and compare my findings

 

ta Callum

Callum

Chaigunpro is really for airgunners I think but the trick is to calculate a BC value (see their help index) from testing. This is actually entered in the box questionably marked as 'ED @NTP'.

Sorry again all for hijacking the thread. Presumably I can reply outwith the forum somehow?

 

Good luck

BoB

 

Yes mate

I have downloaded it and given it a bash. I was wondering what the ED value was. To Private Message members mate just click on the envelope in the profile area next to a members post

 

cheers Callum

[cameroncharles 2]

[bANNED TEXT] oh brother, SIMPLY GET ONE!

I finally got a hawke lrf400 at the weekend(ottomers deddington/£95) and what a difference it made on the first night. Quite simply makes the difference between a good head shoot or either a miss or worse wounding. Certainly I felt more confident with itas I found that my guesstimates were out, what I thought was say 60yds was near 50 and explains why I miss occassionally when rabbiting.

I would say that only using a scopes a/o adjustment is a poor comprimise for range finding, I can't stress enough how good they are, cheap as, reliable and will provide so much more food for the freezer!

Thanks for the ramble,

Cameron