Western Hunting Journal, Premiere Issue whj001_premiere | Page 34

GEAR REVIEW
Multiple Readings
Many modern units will emit a pulse of readings, which the
processor then analyzes and corrects for erroneous data,
such as returned readings from brush in front of a target, or
a distant hillside behind a target.
Angle Correction
Steep inclines or declines to a target significantly impact the
true, shoot-to range. Models which correct for angle should
be a top priority for anyone hunting out of an elevated
stand, or in terrain with varying topography.
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with a large, highly reflective target. You may get peak
readings on a white barn on a clear day, but I guaran-
tee you won’t get the same reading on a black bear
in the rain at dusk. Because the units calculate based
off the speed of light (in a vacuum), environmental
factors such as dust, smoke, heat waves and humidity
can slow and disrupt the laser beam, hindering per-
formance.
Last year I watched two bucks fighting in a coast-
al clear cut in thick fog for over five minutes before
the fog blew out and I could get a reading on the deer.
In real world hunting scenarios, plan on a unit pro-
ducing accurate readings at about 60 to 70 percent of
the rated distance. If you plan on shooting 600 yards,
don’t buy a 600-yard unit; buy a rangefinder capable
of 1,000 yards so you will be sure to get good readings
out to your effective range.
Angle Adjustment
EXAMPLE:
LOS RANGE OF 500 YARDS
30˚ DECLINE IS EQUAL TO
AN AMR OF 433 YARDS.
ANGLE MODIFIED RANGE (AMR) IS 433 YARDS
cult to hold the unit steady enough to get a solid read-
ing on the target.
Generally, higher quality units have sensors and
processors that can filter such readings and eliminate
data which doesn’t fall in line with the majority of the
returning signal. Another trick is to adjust your target
for the clearest or largest alternate target. A deer at
the base of a rim rock may be shielded by brush or
trees in the foreground, but by focusing your range-
finder on the rock face just above and behind the
deer, you may get a cleaner signal and quicker reading
as to the general distance to the deer.
Distance Capability
Speaking of distance, the first thing many people no-
tice about rangefinders is they seem to be classed by
the distance they’re capable of reading, which results
in many people buying a unit ‘rated’ for distances
they may not choose to shoot farther than. This isn’t
really accurate. A 600-yard unit may only read to that
distance under perfect weather conditions, and only
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WESTERN HUNTING JOURNAL
Another key feature to look for is a rangefinder that
calculates and adjusts for angles. If a deer is 400 yards
away on flat ground, you shoot for that range. But
what if that same deer is 400 yards in front of you,
and you are 600 feet up a canyon wall looking down
at him? How far do you shoot now? The Pythagorean
Theorem says the distance to the deer is 447 yards.
Gravity, however, never took a math class. Gravity
only acts on an object over the horizontal distance it
travels. A non-angle compensating rangefinder would
read the actual distance at 447, and you would miss
high; the horizontal distance over ground from you
to the deer, as read by an angle compensating range-
finder, would be 400 yards. Because gravity only acts
on your bullet or arrow for the horizontal distance it
travels, it is imperative you shoot for this distance,
and not the actual line of site distance. If you plan on
hunting areas where steep angle shots are a possibili-
ty, be sure to select a model with angle compensation.
Customize Options
Another thing to look for is models that have vari-
ous modes or settings which allow customizing the
performance based on the conditions being encoun-
tered. Such modes may allow scanning; allowing the