laser rangefinder
- Thread starter swampshooter
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searcher
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As several have brought up, myself included, the lasers do skip a lot on dead-flat ground. I do find them indespensable regardless. I know they are not "worthless" at moderate ranges for small critters, as my drop charts are derived from having actually shot at 100 yard intervals out to 1,000 yards on some of the rifles. When ranging, then using that drop chart and making adjustments for temp, elevation and wind and firing at small critters many thousands of times, one does indeed get a good sense of whether the range finder was giving me a true "ping". I use them on ground squirrels which often build up a small mound of dirt - which both of my rangefinders will ping on at least 600 or more yards out. They work quite well when given reasonable substrate. They are only disadvantaged (NOT USELESS) when it is dead-flat with nothing to ping on. Mine will work exceptionally well on a disced or plowed field, as opposed to flat compacted earth. Thus, results might vary quite a bit for prarie dogs as opposed to groundhogs on a farm, etc. The texture of the earth makes a big difference. I'd like to try the optical type of ranging system for the longer ranges and give them a go.
I'm not saying a laser is worthless. I use them for alot of hunting. I also use them groundhog hunting. I use them to verify the coincidence rangefinder. To those who are die hard terrapin fans, have you tried a barr and stroud type coincidence rangefinder? If you are a praire dog hunter on the cheap a coincidence can be yours for less than 500.00 and you're setting up a shooting table and going to be in one spot for a while so, the size and weight shouldn't matter much. The coincidence type will also range an item through small trees and limbs where a laser would get caught up. They both have a purpose and in a flat field the laser is not the best option
I'm old. Really really old. I've been shooting prairie dogs and ground squirrels since the late 1950s. I'm also a retired Navy Ordnance Officer so I'm a bit familiar with shooting stuff a long way off. When it comes to shooting prairie dogs at long range, my retired status has allowed me the time to devote my energy to perfecting the craft. I'm still working on that because every time I go to the Dog towns I learn something new. One thing I learned a long time ago was if you don't know the exact range of a prairie dog you will miss. I also learned that Laser Range finders don't work worth spit on the prairie. Sometimes there is a nice open mound that you can range off or a nice fence post close to the dog you want or some other natural point you can use but for the most part, there is a flat sea of grass with a little brown head sticking up some place between you and the far mountain.
I picked up a Wild Optical Range Finder about 10 years ago and found that the small tripod that came with it was useless for my purpose so I modified a shooting table to mount it. Now we have a fire control center with a range finder, Ballistic program (Applied Ballistics) and Rifle data book. We don't need the range finder for every shot since I keep a record book for most of the dog mounds but when a dog pops up in the middle of that sea of grass, I can range him and get my data for that shot.
If you're young and spry and like to wander from town to town, this is probably not the solution for you. We park in one spot for a week or so and only wander a short distance from our camp.
Power supply for Notebook Ballistics app.
Some years the grass is a lot taller than others.
Life is good.
I picked up a Wild Optical Range Finder about 10 years ago and found that the small tripod that came with it was useless for my purpose so I modified a shooting table to mount it. Now we have a fire control center with a range finder, Ballistic program (Applied Ballistics) and Rifle data book. We don't need the range finder for every shot since I keep a record book for most of the dog mounds but when a dog pops up in the middle of that sea of grass, I can range him and get my data for that shot.
If you're young and spry and like to wander from town to town, this is probably not the solution for you. We park in one spot for a week or so and only wander a short distance from our camp.
Power supply for Notebook Ballistics app.
Some years the grass is a lot taller than others.
Life is good.
Catshooter you have very nice stuff. Very nice. I can not knock you for your kit at all.
I was referring to the range finders that are very low cost. You know the stuff that is not in your collection. There is a plateau effect at play here. Where no matter how much more cash you toss at the problem the problem remains.
As I said before I have two range finders a bushnell yardage pro compact 800 and a Swarovski and there is no comparison between the two besides they are both laser range finders. The bushnell as you said because of spill will range a clump of grass that is closer where the Swarovski will not. Please keep in mind there is clear air between me and the target.
So maybe the cost plateau starts at $750 the price I paid for my Swarovski.
I was referring to the range finders that are very low cost. You know the stuff that is not in your collection. There is a plateau effect at play here. Where no matter how much more cash you toss at the problem the problem remains.
As I said before I have two range finders a bushnell yardage pro compact 800 and a Swarovski and there is no comparison between the two besides they are both laser range finders. The bushnell as you said because of spill will range a clump of grass that is closer where the Swarovski will not. Please keep in mind there is clear air between me and the target.
So maybe the cost plateau starts at $750 the price I paid for my Swarovski.
CatShooter
people said:
Sorry... but you are still wrong - you do not know what you are talking about.
I have two Bushnells, one is the very first ssports laser, a Bushnell 400 (~25 years old) and it still works fine.
You should refrain from getting into things that you do not understand.
And I don't lie!
mshelton
Swiss Wilds are less than a basic laser model from Zeiss or Lieca, seems to count as low cost equipment to me but maybe I'm not understanding the scorekeeping here.
CatShooter
people said:
You constantly insult me and claim I said stuff that I never said, and now you expect me to teach you??
You're kidding
people said:
I don't know why you have these fantasies about me - I am not a politician, and I am not used to good stuff - anything good I have, came at the expense of not having other things. My choices.
You need let this obsession and fascination with me go, and move on in your empty life.
You still don't get it.
Gives a whole new meaning to the term 'black hole'.........snert said:
Despite all the childish behavior, I managed to glean a few tidbits to add to 'The Stuff That I Didn't Know' list, and for that I'm thankful.
Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
Plrf 10 is being discontinued as well. Vectronix is getting out of the civilian market. Get one while you can, Terrapins are probably worth double what they cost new.maxfly said:
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