Laser Range Finders

[Jeff Higgins]

It might be hard to believe, but I have actually never owned such a device. Well, thanks to my oldest son (and Christmas), I can no longer say that. I guess I’ve always kind of questioned the real world application of these things. He knows that, so he started me out with a decent low end beginner’s model, one without many extra features. It’s from a company called Afar, and it’s their model HX-800H. Sounds impressive, and maybe it means something as far as describing what it does or where it falls in their lineup. Maybe it would be more impressive if it were the Binford HX-800H. I dunno…

Anyway, I’ve been ranging things up and down the road for a few days now. Might have blinded a few of the neighbor kids, at least in one eye. Doesn’t seem to bother them, though. Anyway, it’s been pretty revealing. I really, really suck at range guestimation, that much has been made obvious. Maybe my ultimate goal will be to use it to train myself to be better at that.

Where this is all going is that my son, and his brother in law, want me to accompany them for muzzle loading deer hunting next year. The brother in law lives in Spokane, and has access to an awful lot of private land in the area. It is, however, very open country, just rolling hills covered in sagebrush. I didn’t think I had any trouble shooting deer with a muzzle loader in years past in our North Okanogan (which I assume is pretty similar), but having seen both, my son assures me that where we will be hunting is much more open. So, o.k…. He’s convinced I need to be able to tell how far away they are, which is true, but I was convinced I was pretty good at that already. I just proved to myself that I’m not.

So, here I am, embracing a new, battery powered, whiz bang technology, all of which I've been pretty critical of (when it comes to hunting and shooting). I might feel kinda weird with my real Hawken, shooting patched round ball, using a laser range finder. Maybe I’ll wrap it in buckskin…

[SCadaddle]

I bought one made by Nikon several years ago just to scout corners in my Land Surveying business. Wasn't long until the neighbor saw I had it, asked to borrow it for "scouting purposes only" on his tract of land. So I handed it over to him.

He brought it back to me after a few days, and it was at that moment I remembered that every time he hits the woods he hoses down with bug repellent. Including his hands. The case of my Nikon rangefinder is all gooey sticky. The bug spray on his hands reacted with the rubberized-plastic case. I've found nothing to neutralize the damage. Bummer.

[Hugh R]

Got one for the RV, useful for measuring gas station canopies which don’t have their clearance posted and measuring Potential RV spots for parking length.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

It might be hard to believe, but I have actually never owned such a device. Well, thanks to my oldest son (and Christmas), I can no longer say that. I guess I’ve always kind of questioned the real world application of these things. He knows that, so he started me out with a decent low end beginner’s model, one without many extra features. It’s from a company called Afar, and it’s their model HX-800H. Sounds impressive, and maybe it means something as far as describing what it does or where it falls in their lineup. Maybe it would be more impressive if it were the Binford HX-800H. I dunno…

What you really need is the Ronco 2000!
And maybe a Popiel Pocket Fisherman.

I really, really suck at range guestimation, that much has been made obvious. Maybe my ultimate goal will be to use it to train myself to be better at that.

Hmm, maybe I need one too, because I know that I suck. If you were to ask me to compare 10', 100yds and 1/2 mile, I'm pretty sure that I'd nail which was which. If you gave me 3 landmarks that were within a mile of us and asked me to estimate their distance, I'd probably be really close ±1 mile. Yeah, I know I suck at it 100' - no clue, 100 yds - nope, 1/2 mile no idea, etc....

Where this is all going is that my son, and his brother in law, want me to accompany them for muzzle loading deer hunting next year. The brother in law lives in Spokane, and has access to an awful lot of private land in the area. It is, however, very open country, just rolling hills covered in sagebrush. I didn’t think I had any trouble shooting deer with a muzzle loader in years past in our North Okanogan (which I assume is pretty similar), but having seen both, my son assures me that where we will be hunting is much more open. So, o.k…. He’s convinced I need to be able to tell how far away they are, which is true, but I was convinced I was pretty good at that already. I just proved to myself that I’m not.

So, here I am, embracing a new, battery powered, whiz bang technology, all of which I've been pretty critical of (when it comes to hunting and shooting). I might feel kinda weird with my real Hawken, shooting patched round ball, using a laser range finder. Maybe I’ll wrap it in buckskin…

Hahah, it'll look great wrapped in buckskin!

[Superman]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I really, really suck at range guestimation…

Ah, so you admit it! I don't. I really really suck at range guestimation too but I pretend to be good at it and would never admit my weakness on a public forum.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Superman

Ah, so you admit it! I don't. I really really suck at range guestimation too but I pretend to be good at it and would never admit my weakness on a public forum.

I figure it's a good 12 inches .... give or take .

I have zero use for one, but that doesn't mean I won't get one ... just seems like a cool thing to have and play around with ...
A range finder

[Bill Douglas]

A friend bought one. Did lots of research to make sure he got the best one. Hasn't used it yet - but it's good to have around of course.

[Rusty Heap]

Geez Jeff, think about how much your golf game will improve!

[vash]

i somehow ended up with two units.

rangefinders. i have a Vortex and a Nikon. both for shooting sports. i had mine because of archery stuff. those arrows really "rainbow" towards the target. range estimation is key.

i once used the Vortex to measure the distance up to some high KV power lines. just to make sure we stay clear with a crane. i couldnt believe it worked.

i do have a Bosch unit more suited for construction stuff.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Rusty Heap

Geez Jeff, think about how much your golf game will improve!

It won't hurt his golf game .... I ga-rone-tee .

[Superman]

It would help my golf game, but only AFTER I learn to put the club face on the ball.

[rusnak]

If they ever made laser hand held weapons, that would be the end of ballistics, as there would be no projectile, and no calculation of aerodynamic drag, wind direction, or gravity.

I was looking at rangefinding binoculars over the summer. It seems that most of the consumer ones are focused on hunting, because they also calculate elevation adjustment. Not sure if they also adjust for spin though.

[stevej37]

Lone Range Finders?

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by rusnak

If they ever made laser hand held weapons, that would be the end of ballistics, as there would be no projectile, and no calculation of aerodynamic drag, wind direction, or gravity.

I was looking at rangefinding binoculars over the summer. It seems that most of the consumer ones are focused on hunting, because they also calculate elevation adjustment. Not sure if they also adjust for spin though.

Oh hell Flatty want just because!

[gumby]

A friend that was in Viet Nam ( West Point engineer ) used this and said it worked very well...I guess if you were lobing morter rounds
https://blog.outdoorherbivore.com/wilderness/estimating-distance-with-your-thumb/#:~:text=To%20calculate%20the%20distance%3A,or%20a ligns)%20the%20distant%20object.&text=Do%20not%20move%20your%20head,the%20other%20e ye%20is%20open.

[porsche tech]

Had the watch for several years…got the laser gizmo for Christmas. Several of the guys in my club have this one and I like it. Works great and don’t have to have such a steady hand.

[cabmandone]

I've got a Sig Kilo2000 that I absolutely LOVE. When I get in a stand I typically range my four or five shooting lanes just to make sure I have my "eye adjusted". I used it this fall to harvest a decent eight point at 38 yards with my crossbow. I knew the trail on the shooting lane I cleared. I knew he was on that trail. I had ranged that trail when I first got in the stand. "I love it when a plan comes together".

My only complaint with the Sig is that I can't range through glass meaning if I'm in my truck I can't range with the windows rolled up. My friend's Halo can range through glass. But my clarity is WAY better than his when ranging.

[Jeff Higgins]

I was surprised to see that this company makes these things specifically for golfers. I would have never thought of such a thing. But, then again, I don’t golf. I’m not old enough yet. Yes, I’ve always seen golf as an “old man’s” game. I’ve always felt I had better things to do with my time, like bombing around a race track in a 50 year old 911, or freezing my ass off in some remote wilderness after that big bull. Or sweating it off in some Third World schitthole in the same pursuit.

Maybe because I grew up on a golf course, more or less. My dad, you see, was a pretty damn good golfer. A “scratch” golfer, with no handicap. Our walls in our family room were lined with his golf trophies (along with bowling trophies). He won all kinds of pro-am tournaments. So what did that have to do with me? Well, whichever kid had succeeded in annoying (or flat pissing off) my mom the most during the previous week got conscripted to going golfing with dad on Saturday.

“Harry, get that kid out of the house before I kill him!”. Well, even with two brothers and a sister, I usually “won”. Imagine that… Anyway, I would find myself with three other kids doing their penance in “golf purgatory”, and guess what? They had earned their sentences in the same manner in which I had earned mine. So, accompanied by three other young hooligans, there was no shortage of things we could dream up to entertain ourselves. None of which, of course, was appropriate on a golf course. The inevitable result was four dads constantly yelling at four kids to “knock that schitt off!!!”, along with the requisite death threats. I really learned to hate golf… All three of my siblings golf, though. But none of them would ever dream of driving a 50 year old 911 around a race track...

But, yes, I’m looking forward to playing with the range finder. It’s been fun so far, even if pretty humbling.

[rusnak]

^^ That was a pretty good read. Sort of Hunter S. Thompson-esque.

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by SCadaddle

I bought one made by Nikon several years ago just to scout corners in my Land Surveying business. Wasn't long until the neighbor saw I had it, asked to borrow it for "scouting purposes only" on his tract of land. So I handed it over to him.

He brought it back to me after a few days, and it was at that moment I remembered that every time he hits the woods he hoses down with bug repellent. Including his hands. The case of my Nikon rangefinder is all gooey sticky. The bug spray on his hands reacted with the rubberized-plastic case. I've found nothing to neutralize the damage. Bummer.

Your neighbor just sped up an inevitable process, at least here in Florida. All our rubber coated equipment turns in to a sticky mess in short time.

I never thought to use one of these for work. for as long as I can remember now all my Total stations have prism-less capacity. I just set one of those up and use it.

I was recently on a inter coastal waterfront job with my new fancy Hybrid GPS equipment. When I was finished shooting in the improvements on the property, I turned toward the water and experimented with the range on the prism-less.

If you pull up the cadd file you can see channel markers I shot in on the cadd file, I think I shot in a boat too. LOL!! I tried to shoot in a building across the inter coastal and it was too far.

Take a look at this Win10 Tablet, it is 3 years old.