range finders - any advice?

[gab]

Hello all, I am new to this forum and relatively new to crossbows. Two months ago I bought an Excalibur Exomax for hunting deer, moose and elk, after several months of research. I find that I am having trouble estimating distance. I noticed that a range finder can be attached to the Exomax. Can anyone here recommend a range finder? I have never used one before.

I am looking forward to the opening of archery season for deer here on Vancouver Island - opens August 25 and goes to December 10. We are fortunate in British Columbia in that the regulations consider a crossbow the same as a traditional or compound bow.

[gendoc]

once you get one and get used to its thinking, you might not need it anymore.
we have had several and they all have been great. i just use mine now for judging target placement with rifles, shotguns and +bows.
and i get a refresher course at the beginning of whitetail season
my favorite one is a few years old but it is very compact and waterproof.
the lithium battery has lasted me since i bought the finder new... 4-5 years ago.
it is a...... bushnell yardage pro its not by far the most expensive, but it gets the job done time after time.
like i mentioned, once you get one and learn the distances... you might not need it. so you don't have to get a very expensive one and you really don't need one that can range to 1000yrds
good luck and welcome !!!

[OkXbowHunter]

I have a Leupold RX-750 that is a few years old and I love it. But I would not pay $300 for it! I got it off a buddy that needed some cash and gave me a good deal on it.

If I ever need another one, I'll go down to Wal-Mart and buy a Bushnell or whatever they have. For bowhunting, most people will only need to know the distance up to 50 yards, less for a lot of others. You don't need a $300 rangefinder to tell you that a Deer is 27 yards away!

Once I put my stand up, I range out different landmarks around my tree so I'll know how far they are in advance. I don't want to be fiddling with a range finder when a Deer is walking in.

I'd also not attach the range finder to the scope on my xbow. It'll just add weight. Get one of the small ones and keep in your pocket!

[Raymond]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I have a Bushnell ARC 1000 that I bought a few years ago also, and I don't regret buying it for a minute.
Raymond

[da7703]

Cabela's has one on sale, with angle compensation for tree stand hunting:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Bushnell ... l+Products

I haven't used it, but got one on order. It's vertical oriented, so not sure about the bow mount, but I'd imagine you can come up with something that'd work.

Copy & paste the link into your browser's address bar.

[roly]

Welcome to the forum

Bushnel Yardage pro 450

[blackjack]

g'day & welcome, mate stay away from the leupold r 1 they work ok but the trigger button is suss, l own one & had l read the reviews first l would not have brought it. best regards frank

[new2xbow]

I have the one from cabela's on order myself, along with my S-5 and a spare string. It looks to be a good deal but is on about a week back order, expected delivery to cabelas is 8/12

[nc crossbow]

I personally used to have the bushnell yardage pro but I upgraded to the Leupold RX750 since I like the added benefit of the angle compensation. Plus I also muzzleload and rifle hunt both in NC and NY so I have some extra yardage compared to my Hoyt and Exomax. If you just want something archery specific the Archers Choice is a great one and has angle compensation. I'll have to agree about NOT mounting it on the x-bow since it's just more added weight and they've gotten smaller and smaller every year.

[gab]

Thanks for the suggestions on range finders. I will start shopping around.

I probably will not mount the range finder on my Exomax. Our local fish and game club has a series of archery targets through the woods. Yesterday, after an hour and a half of carrying the crossbow I noticed it was already plenty heavy enough.

[Joystyx]

You can find sweet deals on rangefinders everywhere, but especially at Danny Miller's =) This is where I got mine.

I positively love my Leupold RX 100 TBR. It has a really bright optic system and is back-lit (and hence can be read in dust or dawn or even with a dark background).

It's a tad more expensive than a Bushnell but the polishing level of this gizmo (compact, good weight, great handling, really nice optics, quick and easy battery change) make it worth every cent. Plus, it is a good monoscope to carry around if you go hiking !

I tried to mount it on the bow but I was not impressed by the ergonomics. It's quicker and more intuitive to point and shoot with the Rangefinder, then aim the bow, rather than twisting your neck sideways... I carry it around my neck.

[FLA-XBOW]

Nikon Archers Choice is a great range finder, and they are doing a 60 dollar rebate right now.

[da7703]

I have the one from cabela's on order myself, along with my S-5 and a spare string. It looks to be a good deal but is on about a week back order, expected delivery to cabelas is 8/12

Got mine this morning. Other than some spots on the lens internally , it works easy-peasey. Couldn't see myself needing anything more. The lanyard it came with seemed screwy...I had to cut a loop off of it, but no biggie.

[new2xbow]

well mine probably wont get used much at my major hunting grounds. I have permanent deer "condos" that i will go preseason and range trees and such around them and put color coded paint dots on them. When i hunt on the military base here where i work it may get more use but probably range a handful of trees around me and do my best to remember the yardage.

[Deaf jeff]

bushnell gets my vote. priced right accurate and durable