I am looking for feedback on rangefinders. I misjudged a field shot last year and I don't want to do it again( the story does end well, clean kill but at 52 yards) Thanks, Al Baker
I have and use the Scout by bushnell and its a good one, but I got my son a Halo for christmas and he says he likes it better than my Scout, and it was half the money ..
I have an older nikon monarch 800 that ive had for years. It has always worked great for me and it seems very durable. I have dropped it out of treestands more times than id like to admit and its never skipped a beat. The newer wildgame rangefinder that my buddy has seems to work great too but im not sure about its durability. IMO, i would get one from a proven optics company(Nikon,Bushnell, Etc.) and i wouldnt get one with any of that angle compensating stuff because i think those are mostly just a gimmick.
Depends on how you want to use it. For turkey ranges, any will do.
What's the budget? Are you going to use it only for turkey hunting or other game as well?
I may use it for big game but primarily for turkey hunting. I almost made the ultimate mistake and shot a bird at a long distance in a field, I never would have shot if I knew it was over 50 yards. I can sleep, it was a clean kill. Actually it was the fastest kill ever for me. I still don't like the idea of taking a chance on wounding a bird, That is why I want to start using a range finder. I would like to keep it under $200. Thanks, Al Baker
IMO!! Nikon makes quality products and there is a company here in Middle TN called Opti Logic that makes some really nice rangefinders, binoculars, and flashlights.
For bow and turkey hunting get one of the cheapest, they all work great inside 75 yards.
I used a Bushnell Scout for several years. The first one went bad before the warranty went out & they replaced it with a new one. I sold the replacement to a friend & bought a newer version. It was a great rangefinder especially for the money. I would buy the Bushnell Scout if you only want to use it for turkey hunting. Mine had 3 different modes for ranging. One was a brush mode that really came in handy. Now I have the one below & I couldn't be more happy with it. Better optics & better for ranging farther distances. It may be more than you want to pay but if you are going to be using it for other types of hunting at longer ranges you'll be glad you got a better one. Good luck with your choice.
Well after replying to this thread I see the newer Bushnell Scouts are waaay more expensive than the one I had so it may be out of your price range as well. Christmas of 2013 I ordered a Nikon Prostaff 3 Rangefinder from Cabela's on sale for $120 for my step-dad to bowhunt with. It would work well for you for turkey hunting. It should be in your price range.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Leupold-reg-RX-i-TBR-Compact-Rangefinder-with-DNA/1161086.uts
Sounds like you don't bells and whistles, Nikon, Bushnell or leupold would work
I use a a leupold and it's the best I've owned.
I use a Leopold RX 600 works great for turkey and bowhunting.
I have a Nikon rifleman 550, its about 5 years old, I use it for bow, turkey, and rifle hunting. It works great and have had no issues at all with it. You can't go wrong with it!
I would like to have one, but I refuse to buy anything by Bushnell. I sent my Bushnell Holosight back to them for repair. I suspected that all it needed was a replacement battery cap (one of the connections had broken off in the cap). They replied that it was beyond repair and offered to sell me an inferior sight for more than I could buy it for on the net. They returned my sight and a little solder has it running as good as it ran when I bought it back in the 90s.
Thanks for the feedback. I will try a few mentioned here and go from there. Thanks again, Al Baker
I'd go with a Leupold. I recently bought the RX800 I believe it was and it's awesome. The image is really clear and it gathers light much better than the bushnell and nikon I have owned (comes in handy when ranging objects right at sunup before your bird pitches from the roost). It's also very quick at giving you a reading, there is no 'lag' time you may get from lesser optics. I think leupold calls it DNA something another. The angle compensation deal is not a gimmick but it's normally not a big issue turkey hunting. If you bow hunt it is very useful though.
It's like anything else. You can buy a less expensive product to get by and it may perform well enough for your applications. All just depends on how you plan to use it. . .
i personaly love my nikon archers choice works great for all seasons, it is a bit pricy. I bought my younger cousin a halo that for turkey hunting works great as well and wasnt near as exspensive its very durable as well!
As mentioned previously, if you're looking for something strictly for turkey hunting, anything out there will work for you...if you're wanting something that can work in a variety of situations, then pay up and get the best that you can afford. I currently own a Leupold 1000i TBR that I can use turkey and deer hunting here in SC, and take out west for longer range hunting when need be. It was a great hunting purchase and one I don't regret in the least bit...figure out your needs and go from there...
Nikon fan here, gotta 550 that has travled many steps with me. Simple and well built.
I have a Nikon 440 that I have had for a long, long time and it still functions great. When the time comes I will get another Nikon.