Rangefinding Binocs are SO MUCH BETTER than a rangefinder. The binocular vision makes it much easier to spot the dogs, and you don't have to keep switching between rangefinder and binocs.
However.... if this is your first PD trip, see if you can borrow a rangefinder or range finder binocs. You can mount an extendable antenna with a piece of yarn for wind direction, and buy a low cost wind meter for wind speed. If you find you are getting serious about PD hunting, and want or NEED those first shot hits, you will need more equipment, and a ballistics program, and it is easy to spend a lot on incompatible items.
I started out with a piece of yarn for direction and a cheap wind meter, and no thoughts of bullet velocity, ballistic coefficients, or other stuff. I had LOTS O FUN, and really loved it. You will as well.
I just want to keep you from spending a ton of money before your first trip, and then find you have to spend another ton to get what you really want.
Eventually, a set of range finding binoculars, a Kestrel weather meter, and a ballistics program are needed. The problem is now which binoculars will wirelessly connect with the ballistics program, the weather (wind) meter, and the readout of windage and elevation. Different manufacturers binocs interface to different pieces of equipment.
For example, I have the older Leica Geovid ranging only binoculars, and a Kestrel 5700 Elite running Applied Ballistics on a mast with a wind vane (giving wind speed and direction), and an iphone on my table. I input the range and the DOF (direction of fire) on the iphone, and it reads out the windage and elevation clicks. I input these to the scope and fire.
My buddy has the latest Leica Geovid Pro binocs , the Kestrel 5700 Elite on a mast with vane, and a Kestrel HUD (heads up display) mounted on the picatinny rail of his gun. The binocs feed both the range and direction of fire to the 5700, and the HUD gives him the windage and elevation clicks which he puts on the scope and fires.
My older binocs will not interface with anything, just a yardage readout in the view. I have to manually input range and DOFire.
My buddy's new model binocs will interface to the 5700 and the HUD, and automatically inputs everything.
The fewer things you have to do makes for a better experience shooting. It is the switching between rangefinder, binocs, wind meter, looking at the yarn for direction, inputting data to the ballistics computer, adjusting the scope etc, that distract from aiming and hitting.
