Red-Green Colorblind Rangefinder Solution

[Cole]

I’m red green colorblind and it’s always been difficult for me to see the red LED of a rangefinder in bright sunlight. The last thing you want after a long stalk is a rangefinder readout you can’t see. After years of searching for a solution I found one that will work with virtually any red LED rangefinder.

If you put a red filter in front of the eyepiece lens of your rangefinder the contrast of the image will increase and the LED will become easily viewable.

My current setup is Leica Rangemaster 2800.com with a Helistar Red filter made for the DJI Osmo Action Camera (any other small red filter should work) and a rubber band. The rubber band makes it easy to remove the filter at first and last light when it’s not needed.

Other solutions:

1.) Use a rangefinder with a black readout like the Leupold RX-1300i TBD.

2.) With a red LED rangefinder range your target and then quickly cover the lens with your hand to blackout the image and see the readout. This technique is less than ideal and I only use it if I have no other options.

I hope this helps some of you. Below are some photos of my setup. If you have any questions let me know.

 

[Brianb3]

What do you do for a blood trail?


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[WJAadams]

Im also R/G color blind. I usually have to lower it to the ground and hope I can see the reading. It’s not ideal. This is a good idea.

 

[Cole]

What do you do for a blood trail?


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I don’t have any good solutions for blood trailing but this what I do. First I focus on shot placement so I don’t have to track them far. If it’s a smaller animal you can shoot them in the shoulder first, they won’t go far but you’ll lose some meat. On mule deer the upper lung normally drops them in place. If I have the opportunity to shoot twice I normally shoot in the lungs first and then right behind the head in the spine. That drops them every time if you hit your mark.

When I do track I go slow and follow the prints. If I go slow I am able to follow the blood but it definitely doesn’t standout. If I lose the trail I grid the area. If all else fails ask a friend who isn’t colorblind for help.

If anyone has any other technics I’d love to hear them.

 

[cubdriver84d]

I don’t have any good solutions for blood trailing but this what I do. First I focus on shot placement so I don’t have to track them far. If it’s a smaller animal you can shoot them in the shoulder first, they won’t go far but you’ll lose some meat. On mule deer the upper lung normally drops them in place. If I have the opportunity to shoot twice I normally shoot in the lungs first and then right behind the head in the spine. That drops them every time if you hit your mark.

When I do track I go slow and follow the prints. If I go slow I am able to follow the blood but it definitely doesn’t standout. If I lose the trail I grid the area. If all else fails ask a friend who isn’t colorblind for help.

If anyone has any other technics I’d love to hear them.

I just close my eyes and sniff em out! In all honesty, I’m not sure what I’d do if I had to trail something on my own. I have some enchroma glasses that I haven’t tried on blood but they might work okay. I have some smith chromapop shades that increase contrast quite well too. Actually, I haven’t noticed any issues with my Leica rangefinder but I’m usually wearing my smiths so that might be part of it.

 

[Cole]

I just close my eyes and sniff em out! In all honesty, I’m not sure what I’d do if I had to trail something on my own. I have some enchroma glasses that I haven’t tried on blood but they might work okay. I have some smith chromapop shades that increase contrast quite well too. Actually, I haven’t noticed any issues with my Leica rangefinder but I’m usually wearing my smiths so that might be part of it.

Closing your eyes and sniffing them out is always a good option

 

[5MilesBack]

So what exactly do you see through the RF without that filter? I always thought that colorblind folks still saw everything, but colors were just well........"without color". So what does the red readout appear as on your Leica? I have a Leica CRF and that readout is so bright that it could be any color.......even gray or black and I'd still see it. As opposed to my Sig where it dims as the sunlight gets brighter. There are times where I can't see that red at all because it's so dim.

 

[Cole]

So what exactly do you see through the RF without that filter? I always thought that colorblind folks still saw everything, but colors were just well........"without color". So what does the red readout appear as on your Leica? I have a Leica CRF and that readout is so bright that it could be any color.......even gray or black and I'd still see it. As opposed to my Sig where it dims as the sunlight gets brighter. There are times where I can't see that red at all because it's so dim.

For me personally I can see some reds but they look more muted than they would for other people. So inside the rangefinder, in low light, I can see it just fine but in bright conditions it blends in to the background. Think of it as less contrast.

 

[CorbLand]

Where can you buy the filters? I am color blind as shit and have been stuck using black readout rangefinders for 7 years. I have a Leica that I would like to be able to use.


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[Cole]

Where can you buy the filters? I am color blind as shit and have been stuck using black readout rangefinders for 7 years. I have a Leica that I would like to be able to use.


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It looks like the model that I’m using is sold out. Google search for “DJI Osmo Action Camera Red Filter” there should be some other brands that will work.

 

[cubdriver84d]

I was just messing with my RF. It's a Leica 2700-B, and it has a really bright green(?) read out. Sounds like that's different than some of the other Leica models, but I guess that's why I haven't had any issues with it.

 

[Cole]

I was just messing with my RF. It's a Leica 2700-B, and it has a really bright green(?) read out. Sounds like that's different than some of the other Leica models, but I guess that's why I haven't had any issues with it.

Interesting! I haven’t found any with green readouts. It looks like they don’t make the 2700-B anymore.

 

[sro914]

Thank you for this post. As a fellow color blind hunter in the market for a new range finder I have been pretty disappointed in not being able to see the read outs so I was going to compromise on a lower grade RF to get a black reticle I could see. This may be a game changer. As for the blood tracking it is very difficult for me as well. One thing that helps me is on a sunny day I get close to the ground and try to see the reflection on wet blood. In low light I do the same thing but with a flashlight. Other then that I pretty much do everything as you do.

 

[LongWayAround]

I use a black reticle and readout. I suck at blood trailing too. I have to rub suspected blood specks between my fingers and hope. I've failed to recover a few times and it's a terrible feeling.

On a lighter note, a buddy and I stopped to eat some berries one day by a creek. He later told me he wasn't sure why I was so selective. He was smashing berries while I struggled to pick them out.

 

[Cliffy65]

I think the red/green made me a better hunter. I can’t see blood on grass at all...AT ALL. I respect the game I chase enough to hate myself if I wound an animal. I also hunt 99% of the time alone, so I can’t get assistance that way. This made me want to get in close. I want to put the arrow through the heart every time so there’s no tracking. I’ve taken 10 times more deer under 10 than over 30 and I credit a lot of that to not being able to see a blood trail.