Range Finder Suggestions- Archery Treestand

Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
51
Looking for some suggestions for a new range finder for 2022. Archery tree stand hunter, looking for angle compensation, good in low light, clear, reliable.
 

laltaffer

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 7, 2017
Messages
233
Location
Richmond, VA
Looking for some suggestions for a new range finder for 2022. Archery tree stand hunter, looking for angle compensation, good in low light, clear, reliable.

I’ve always like Leupold and Vortex. Vortex has a lifetime no questions asked warranty on theirs which is unique.

Re:Angle compensation - they all have it but at 40 yards and in with the 30ft or less of stand height it won’t make much of a difference. Most shooters can’t shoot that difference. Go setup in a stand and mark your yardages from the base of the tree before hand and shoot to prove this to yourself. Angle comp comes in when it’s longer distance and steep angles. But again any of those brands will have it so you’ll get it regardless. The other thing to keep in mind is that they are all wrong if you are measuring 1-2in differences for extreme shots (think sheep hunting) so you’d need to have your own cut chart anyways. The stock angle comp is a starting point. But if you’re hunting whitetails and hunt like most people, myself included, it won’t do much for you simply because it’s not needed.


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Joined
May 6, 2018
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Shenandoah Valley
I’ve always like Leupold and Vortex. Vortex has a lifetime no questions asked warranty on theirs which is unique.

Re:Angle compensation - they all have it but at 40 yards and in with the 30ft or less of stand height it won’t make much of a difference. Most shooters can’t shoot that difference. Go setup in a stand and mark your yardages from the base of the tree before hand and shoot to prove this to yourself. Angle comp comes in when it’s longer distance and steep angles. But again any of those brands will have it so you’ll get it regardless. The other thing to keep in mind is that they are all wrong if you are measuring 1-2in differences for extreme shots (think sheep hunting) so you’d need to have your own cut chart anyways. The stock angle comp is a starting point. But if you’re hunting whitetails and hunt like most people, myself included, it won’t do much for you simply because it’s not needed.


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Angle compensation definitely matters at treestand distance.

Not uncommon at all to have a 10 yard cut inside of 40 yards with enough angle. 20 feet in a tree on a bit of a hill will easily do it.


I used Leopold. Had too many problems with their early models. My current archery hunting rangefinder is a Vortex ranger 1800, waiting for it to crap out, so far so good. Actually had really good service out if a nikon, but it was difficult to see out of. I like the red reticle in the Vortex, and I keep the display dim. Works well in low light.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2017
Messages
531
Leupold RX-1600i, but if I needed a new one, I’d definitely go with their Full Draw 4 because it used the Archer’s Advantage calculations and has arrow “flight path” warnings.


@StraightWayOutdoors
Straight Way Outdoors, Fulcrum Archery, Elite Archery, Upwind Odor Elimination, Wicked Twisted Bowstrings, Sevr Broadheads, Pine Ridge Archery, Bloodline Fibers
 

laltaffer

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 7, 2017
Messages
233
Location
Richmond, VA
Angle compensation definitely matters at treestand distance.

Not uncommon at all to have a 10 yard cut inside of 40 yards with enough angle. 20 feet in a tree on a bit of a hill will easily do it.


I used Leopold. Had too many problems with their early models. My current archery hunting rangefinder is a Vortex ranger 1800, waiting for it to crap out, so far so good. Actually had really good service out if a nikon, but it was difficult to see out of. I like the red reticle in the Vortex, and I keep the display dim. Works well in low light.

I think what I left out was stating specifically how high you are from your target. If you’re up 20ft and the animal is down a hill from you then you are more than 20ft above it.

Point being that if the distance isn’t much different than your straight away and you have what most would call a moderate setup than the angle comp isn’t gonna show you drastically different yardages. All depends on your triangle you are creating. In basically flat ground the difference I was trying to speak to are very little and your arrow impact will not change terribly. Again this is for hunting not competition where you may care a whole lot more about small changes to impact.


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Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
2,348
Location
hawai'i
With the vortex if it ever breaks it's replaced. Theoretically you should never have to buy another one in your life. I had a redfield made by Leupold and it broke right after the warranty was up and it didn't even break it told me the wrong yardages. I switched to vortex after, their first gen rangefinders we're slow but the improved them after
 
OP
B
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
51
Thanks for the feedback Laltaffer. I guess I need to do some testing since I hunt from 20+ feet and I have some sets with steep elevation changes.
I’ve always like Leupold and Vortex. Vortex has a lifetime no questions asked warranty on theirs which is unique.

Re:Angle compensation - they all have it but at 40 yards and in with the 30ft or less of stand height it won’t make much of a difference. Most shooters can’t shoot that difference. Go setup in a stand and mark your yardages from the base of the tree before hand and shoot to prove this to yourself. Angle comp comes in when it’s longer distance and steep angles. But again any of those brands will have it so you’ll get it regardless. The other thing to keep in mind is that they are all wrong if you are measuring 1-2in differences for extreme shots (think sheep hunting) so you’d need to have your own cut chart anyways. The stock angle comp is a starting point. But if you’re hunting whitetails and hunt like most people, myself included, it won’t do much for you simply because it’s not needed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OP
B
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
51
Angle compensation definitely matters at treestand distance.

Not uncommon at all to have a 10 yard cut inside of 40 yards with enough angle. 20 feet in a tree on a bit of a hill will easily do it.


I used Leopold. Had too many problems with their early models. My current archery hunting rangefinder is a Vortex ranger 1800, waiting for it to crap out, so far so good. Actually had really good service out if a nikon, but it was difficult to see out of. I like the red reticle in the Vortex, and I keep the display dim. Works well in low light.
Thanks for the reply Billy Goat. It seems some of my sets may require angle compensation and since it won't hurt to have that feature I will get a rangefinder that has it. I was looking at the Vortex 1800 and the Nikon so thanks for the feedback.
 
OP
B
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
51
Leupold RX-1600i, but if I needed a new one, I’d definitely go with their Full Draw 4 because it used the Archer’s Advantage calculations and has arrow “flight path” warnings.


@StraightWayOutdoors
Straight Way Outdoors, Fulcrum Archery, Elite Archery, Upwind Odor Elimination, Wicked Twisted Bowstrings, Sevr Broadheads, Pine Ridge Archery, Bloodline Fibers
Thank you Planopurist. I was not aware of AAC or "flight path" features so, I will definitely do some research on the Leupold Full Draw 4.
 
Joined
Mar 4, 2014
Messages
2,059
I am using the Leupold full draw right now and love it. The archers advantage software has been spot on. Sig, Vortex and even Bushnell all have good choices too.
 

laltaffer

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 7, 2017
Messages
233
Location
Richmond, VA
Thanks for the feedback Laltaffer. I guess I need to do some testing since I hunt from 20+ feet and I have some sets with steep elevation changes.

Yeah any rangefinder worth the money will have it. I am currently using the Leupold Full Draw. Having the bit of ballistic info in there can be really useful.


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