Rangefinders

[hardi]

Hey,
I'm pretty new to hunting and shooting and was hoping I could get a few recommendations on rangefinders.
I'm not really looking for a high end one, but also not a cheap one either. I'm not really sure where the price points start, as I'm not sure which are overpriced for what you get. I'm even open to good used ones. I got this ultimate rangefinder guide and figure if I end up using it alot, I'll invest in a better one down the road.
Thanks for any help/advice you can give me.

 

[JimP]

Start out with how far you want to be able to range out to. Then you have to understand the differences in range finders. You also want one that has the angle commentator built into it, this will give you the shooting range when looking up or down hill, or if you are in a tree stand or level with the animal on the ground.

The best way to find the one that you like is to go down to a local sporting goods dealer and listen to their sales pitch. Look through a few and range a few spots in the store. If it is a small store ask if you can take it outside and check it out in some natural light.

Then once you decide on a make and model do some internet searches on the one that you like. You can usually beat store prices by doing this but remember to figure in shipping if it doesn't include free shipping.

As for brands, Vortex and Leupold both have good ones. I believe that Vortex will cover it for its lifetime where I think that I have read that Leopold has a limited warranty in that it is considered "electronic" and the electronics are only covered for what they list and is not a lifetime one. Granted there are others out there but those are the two that I am familiar with. My Vortex 1400 has served me well for quite a while.

As for price you can figure anywhere from $200 on up.

 

[hunter25]

I use a leica 1600 but they cost a bit.
Everyone I know that has a sig kilo loves them and cost is very reasonable in comparison

 

[Hilltop]

I have used several brands through the years. A good rule to follow is effective ranging on an animal will be about 30% shorter than the yardage listed. For example, a 1000 yard range finder will typically only be able to range an animal at 700 or so yards. If you go for one of the really cheap models with a 500 or less range, you likely will only be good to about 300 yards. I switched to Vortex last year and have been happy with it- it has been reliable so far and they have the best warranty currently.

 

[mallardsx2]

RX-1200i TBR with DNA

I like mine.

 

[Winchester]

Leica makes great rangefinders. I love mine.

 

[Timr245]

I’ve had the RX-1000 with TBR for several years now and can’t say enough good about it.

 

[archeranthony]

i used to have a RX1000 then the display started to fade (known issue) but i had it for many years so im not complaining. I have since bought a SIG Kilo 1200, i love it so far and it was about 1/2 the price of others with same features.

 

[bowrunner]

I was just in the market for a new one. I checked out several at Cabelas. I thought the leupold rx-1600 was the best of the bunch, but I bought the vortex ranger 1300 mostly because it had the lifetime warranty. it was only $20 cheaper than the leupold, but I like the idea of it being the last rangefinder I should need for quite some time knowing that I can send it in if something happens. My Nikon lasted me 12 years and just went out on me a month ago.

Also, I saw some awesome deals on used ones on facebook market place if you are patient.

 

[Catahoula12]

I bought the Vortex Ranger 1300 last year to replace a Nikon Prostaff 3....which by the way still works perfectly at around 10 years old.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Sig Sauer 2400 is my go to this year and I’ve been using it a lot so far and it works awesome. I’ve compared with a similar Leica and the ranges are the same.

These are high end and expensive but worth every penny IMO

 

[sneakypete]

X3 for Leica! Here's my theory buy once and be happy. Now I've bought three rangefinders to get to the Leica, but I've passed them on to my son and one as backup. Angle competition is a must!

 

[Prerylyon]

I finally had a little time to mess around a little bit with the Sig Sauer KILO2200 I won in the forum drawing this summer.

I was telling 'BC I was almost in tears after using it, as I don't think I've ever owned such a high end piece of gear!

Up til now, I used a Leupold 600 i DNA I bought in 2014. At the time, it was their lower end model, I believe, but the best I could afford. It has a Grey LCD reticle. On a good day, it can light a critter up at 450 yrds; with with my .280, that's been plenty good for my capabilities.

This SIG 2200 is a quantum leap for me. No joke, I ranged a deer at 1,100 yrds on some prairie behind my acreage here in Iowa at sunset last night. The reticle is red, LED?, and is super easy on the eyes and easier to find than the grey LCD in my old Leupold when acquiring a crriter in the field of view. The housing appears to be cast metal, sturdy, but not bulky.

I don't have a rifle or the skills ATTM to take full advantage of the SIG 2200, but am saving up for something with a little more reach.

I've just touched the tip of the iceberg on this rangefinder, it has lots of other bells and whistles and works with SIG's ballistic apps. So, far, I can't see why anyone wouldn't be thrilled to use one of these.