Is a rangefinder something you need and carry or do you find it's just another item taking up room in your vest / satchel?
What Brand do you like and why?
Do you use a chest rig / harness for your binoculars / rangefinder ?
OR just a stretchy adjustable binocular harness?
Binoculars on harness and yes to the range finder, on a lanyard tucked into my hunting vest. Vortex brand, it fits well in my hand, and in my vest pocket. Good eye relieve
I don't carry a rangefinder, don't hunt very much open country/fields where that might come in handy. I also don't bowhunt turkeys. I did once pass on a bird and later learned he was about 40 yards out, probably could have hammered him.. he just seemed super far. I think if you hunt open areas or bowhunt ranging could be real handy. The amount of gear can just get absurd though.
I do use a simple bino harness with a cover that keeps the eyepieces from getting debris in them. Its a basic cheapie harness made by tenzing, but works good. I switched from 8x40 to a smaller maybe 6x32 bino just bc its lighter and easier to haul around. Again open country could justify some bigger optics. Some folks are getting pretty tactical with chest rigs, seems handy but I'm still running a vest.
JT
I periodically carry the rangefinder in the kangaroo pouch of the North Mountain leafy pullover.
Shooting 3-D with my bow many years, got pretty good at judging 15 - 40 yards. So I'll take the rangefinder out on a slow and quiet morning, guesstimate trees and stumps from my position using my method, and verify with the rangefinder. Helps keep that skill sharp.
When I practice like that, and confident, the rangefinder usually stays in the truck, one less thing to carry.
I usually carry a rangefinder in my vest. At 6X it also allows me to leave the binos home. And it weighs less than binos. It has worked for me the last two seasons.
Vortex 10X40 in a Vortex Chest Harness--Comfortable, Easy Access, a little heavy but worth it IMO
Bushnell Rangefinder in a breast pocket--range various distances when setting up, if time
I like to carry one nice to range objects when you sit down to have an idea of distance. I've tried lots of range finders through the year for bowhunting deer and 3D. My advice stay from the vortex ranger series. There binos are fine but the rangefinders are subpar. The distances would be off +/- 3-5 yards it struggled the range past 300-400 yards and dark objects were almost impossible. I swapped to a leupold rx1600 and it's 100% better. Zero issues in three years and leupold also has a great warranty if needed.
My binoculars came with a magnetic closure chest pouch. It has just enough space to fit my range finder in it. I like to carry the range finder as I am terrible at judging distance, especially when hunting an open field. I will use it to get range on a few objects when I first sit in a spot to give myself a reference. Currently I am using the Bushnell Bone collector 850 range finder. I got it as a gift and it seems to work very well. I would stay away from any cheap range finders you might find on Amazon. I bought one for $50 thinking I got a deal only for it to die about 6 months later.
Is a rangefinder something I need and carry? No. When I'm shooting birds at 35 yds or less why bother. At that point its just something more I need to carry.
What Brand do I like and why? I do carry binoculars and I like Vortex.
Why: Vortex has the best warranty and return policy and they stand by their products. You can do something stupid like run over your rangefinder or binoculars with your truck and they will replace them no questions asked!
I use a simple stretchy adjustable binocular harness when turkey hunting.
When bow hunting my rangefinder which is a vortex is attached to my harness or to my belt.
Bino's and range finder for me.
I have hunted forever without a range finder, but hunting mountain country every year has me thinking about carrying it?
I do not carry a rangefinder.
I do carry a pair of binocs (very important to me) and prefer them on a stretchy chest strap.
If I'm going vestless, I'll wear a Nomad bino harness/chest pack and will keep them in that with a few other important items. Its a very small pack, doesn't get in the way too much and has enough room for what I consider the essentials.
I've never carried a rangefinder turkey hunting, but I'm considering doing it this year. Simply for after the fact and curiosity of confirming my estimates.
Leopold binos / and range finder . Nomad chest harness . Seldom hunt anything without em .
I carry a rangefinder sometimes very seldom do I ever carry binos to the turkey woods.
Alaska Guide Creations Kodiak Cub.
I don't know what I'd do without my rangefinder and Binoculars but I hunt a lot of open areas that I can scan fields etc. it's difficult to judge distances in some open areas. It looks much closer than it really is. I don't go in the woods without mine. I also use the Alaska Guide Creations Bino harness. It's great.
I always carry my vortex rangefinder, both for confirming distances and for magnification if needed in a pinch. Is it as good as my Steiner binoculars? Of course not, but it's good enough for a quick conformation peek and I love not having to wear the chest pack. I hunt mostly thick-ish cover.
I have considered upgrading my rangefinder for better quality optic and magnification.
I do scout with binos in an Alaskan Guide Creations Classic chest pack.
Always carry Vortex 10x32 with 1300 range finder in the new Cabelas Instinct Bino/Range finder case. It's almost half the price of the badlands and functions just as well.
Rangefinder yes - binoculars in the woods no - field situations yes
I don't see the need for a rangefinder while hunting with shotgun. I have that 40 yard range ingrained in my head and I'm pretty good at finding that distance from being a bow hunter. Even if I grossly misjudged that distance by 20 yards, that bird is still going to die. That's just a fact.
Binos I carry all the time no matter how thick or open the terrain is. I've used binos to glass a group of toms that were within 15 yards of me in super heavy cover to see which one had the spurs I was looking for. I glass for spurs all the time. I passed up 3 2year olds last season one morning and killed one with a set of 1 3/8" hooks later in the day. He was in another group of 3 gobblers and they all had monster hooks.
nikon 10x42 monarchs
nikon ranger finder
marsupial gear bino pack with the range finder in its own case strapped to the bottom of chest pack
Rangefinder: no, unless I'm hunting an area with a lot of open fields
Binoc: FHF chest harness. It has a rangefinder pouch attachment
I used to use a Rick Young harness, very lightweight, but the binocs just hang there with no protection and fall forward when bending over.
I've ditched the vest and carry a Bino harness (Alaska Guide Creation Denali) and use a Glenda Green butt cushion. I do carry binoculars like a preacher carries a Bible.
the new cabelas chest rig actually has a pocket made for the rangefinder as well as box call pot call....and numerous accessories pockets....but prolly wont carry it anyways....i like the binos for turkeys....dont really need the rangefinder for mountain turkeys though
I pretty much always have a rangefinder in my vest or bag. If I'm not doing a ton of walking or hunting a lot of open areas or fields I'll bring binos but not if I am hunting in the woods. My binos are on a long strap and I just loop them over my head and have them hanging under my left side arm.
I like a rangefinder so I have a definite range I know I can kill. A chest harness is a must for carrying binos and rangefinder
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I always carry a rangefinder.
Kuiu PRO bino harness with pack attachment and rangefinder pouch.
Leupold BX-3 8x42 binos.
Leupold RX 1000 rangefinder.
Harness carries those and mouth calls.
Pack attachment holds a 3L hydration bladder, slates, box call, food, and rain gear.
I hunt the big mountains for turkeys so it's nice to glass open hillsides far away.
Bear season also coincides with turkey season here so my buddy carries a bear tag and rifle.
Rangefinder is built in to my scope, at least enough that it tells me under 40 yards, Bino Harness no, I have a hip pack and it has an open pocket for that, but I carry them.
MK M GOBL
Leica 8x32 binocular and Leica rangefinder carried in a Marsupial Bino pack & rangefinder pouch.
Won't hunt without my Binos! The rangefinder... don't use it often, nice to have when I do want to
check ranges in more open areas. It's so small and light why NOT carry it?
I own a pair of range finding binoculars. The bino case with harness i use is Alaska Guide creations XL they hold my 10 x42 leica geovids real well. With that said i bit on the new DSD harness because I liked the idea of how it held calls as well. It came today and my Leica fit in it fine. I put some calls in it and i think It's going be great. I will hunt it hard this year and we shall see how it holds up.
I will still always use the alaskan guide harness for deer, Elk, etc.
I like my marsupial bino harness
RF...no
Bins.. 7x28 Maven on simple strap. I hunt flat and thick mainly. Rarely open.
I don't use a range finder, the way I set up, when he steps out and I first see him, I know he's close enough to shoot. I will sometimes, very rarely, carry binoculars. They have helped me on occasion but not enough to justify carrying them with me all the time. I have tried to chest pouch deals and I just don't like the things. I have a very nice, and expensive to me one from badlands that has been collecting dust since the day I got it. When I do carry them, I use a Rick Young Outdoors ultra light harness. I use vortex, I don't remember the model but they're 12x50. Also have a pair of 10x42 from a brand called bresser. They're just as nice as the vortex and typically if I do carry any, those are what gets carried.
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I carry a rangefinder. I keep it in a pocket of my pants or my satchel. I actually reach for it before binos. The finder I use is a cheap one, that just keeps on working. I keep saying I'm going to upgrade but haven't.
Leica range finders for me. The glass is excellent and they fit in a vest pocket. I don't carry binos in the field.
Guess I am a creature of habit, have carried a rangefinder turkey hunting for right at thirty years. Been carrying the same Bushnell for all those years and it has only needed three batteries the whole time and never failed me. So old, it uses a 9 volt battery. I don't care how good I get at estimating range, on the side of a steep drop off, or a rolling mtn ridge, it is very easy to misjudge distance. Using a range finder, I have only shot one bird in 33 years over forty yards. Most are shot at around 28-32 yards.
But, starting shooting TSS just two years ago, and I wonder if I really need it now. Unlike it was all the years I used lead, even if I misjudge the range now by ten to twelve steps in steep terrain and he is at say 50 yards, - with TSS, he is still dead. But old habits are hard to break and the range finder may go back into the satchel again this year.
Main time I use a rangefinder is before the trees leaf out. Once the woods are fully green, there are not many places you can see over 40-45 yards where I hunt anyway. But it is a safety blanket as I do not want to wound or mis a turkey as that is the worst thing in the world as far as spring hunting. I never use the rangefinder during the heat of the hunt, but just always range a few trees with it as I sit down to know exactly where the 40 yard cut off is at.
As to the other part of your question - I do not carry Bino's.
I carry a vintage(1988, made by Leica) Leupold Gold Ring green armored 7x20mm binocular. It's very compact, I carry it in my vest. I also carry a more recent manufactured Leupold RX1400i TBR/W rangefinder. I wear that around my neck and tucked into my left front pocket. If forced to leave one at home it would be binocular as the rangefinder also has 5X magnification.