Ranging binoculars allow hunters to quickly run a deer or other target and display its distance on their screen, eliminating the need for a separate rangefinder and binoculars and saving space and weight when moving.
Optic quality should always come first when purchasing rangefinder binoculars, so make sure your unit offers exceptional color contrast and image clarity, along with a respectable field of view and ballistics calculations onboard. Some models even include this functionality.
Rangefinders
If you’ve ever wished your camera could show how far away that tree or how high that ridgeline was, try using a rangefinder. They’re compact, simple to use, and quiet – three reasons they have such a cult following among street photographers and theater photographers (Henri Cartier-Bresson used one; Pablo Picasso, too!) They bring photography back to its core fundamentals by forcing photographers to concentrate on what’s happening outside their frame so they can get shots like Henri Cartier-Bresson did while getting around the essential shots
Rangefinders are monoculars with smaller objective lenses than binoculars or spotting scopes, allowing them to provide greater peripheral visibility and narrow viewing. Their objective lenses determine your field of view – typically 20-25 millimeter lenses coated to produce clear images with sharp details.
Rangefinders are built to operate reliably under any condition, but their key strength lies in pinpointing targets. You must ensure the unit is pointed directly at your target without being obscured by vegetation or objects; be mindful when shooting reflective surfaces, as this could give an inaccurate reading. Some rangefinders emit hundreds or even thousands of laser pulses in bursts to collect multiple samples and analyze their results, eliminating outliers for an accurate reading.
The best rangefinders feature an integrated compass that shows the direction of a target, making them especially beneficial when hunting or golfing. Furthermore, many rangefinders come equipped with slope and weather modes to account for terrain or wind when shooting.
As with any device, rangefinders require practiced adjustment to achieve accurate elevation readings. Most models feature either a slider or button to increase or decrease target height, as well as an onscreen inclinometer that calculates your altitude. Some may even provide menus to calibrate their device for specific environments.
Top rangefinders will also give you multiple modes, such as line-of-sight ranging, angle-adjusted ranging and close vs long running. Additionally, many come equipped with digital readouts and preloaded ballistics software, which offers bullet-specific drop data.
Spot & Stalk
Spot and stalk hunting, also known as shadow-box hunting, involves searching for and tracking down game animals without using stands or blinds. It is trendy among Western hunters pursuing big game like mule deer and pronghorns, though more time-consuming than sitting still in a stand blind. Many hunters find this method a more thrilling and ethical way of hunting.
Locating and finding targets are two of the biggest challenges to spot-and-stalk hunting, and binoculars and spotting scopes are invaluable tools in helping with this. To spot an animal, survey an expansive area from a high vantage point, looking out for grassy meadows or rocks from which you can explore its surroundings before looking out for any signs of movement from above. Once an animal has been located, you can move into position for a shot.
Remember that animals can see and hear you far away, making a slow approach essential. Make your movements so as not to cross terrain features that may attract the target animal.
Additionally, you should carefully plan the timing of your stalk. For instance, when stalking pronghorn herds, it is wise to wait until they have finished eating and bedded down for the night before approaching them, as awake herds feeding in open fields will be much more challenging to follow than sleeping ones.
Spot-and-stalk hunting can be an incredible way to bring the game closer. Executing successfully can be an exhilarating and immensely satisfying experience – though initially tricky. Persistence will pay off; with practice comes success, and you will eventually develop more proficiency in this hunting technique.
Hunting
Range-finding binoculars can help you pinpoint your target, even when out of sight. Hunting from a stand, these binoculars allow you to scan the surrounding terrain in search of low spots where you can conceal yourself to avoid scaring away prey. Plus, their rangefinder feature lets you ensure you are within your effective shooting range before firing away your shot!
Laser rangefinders operate by emitting an invisible yet safe laser beam that bounces off observed objects before returning to their sensor in a binocular and is displayed on an LCD (liquid crystal display) screen as distance information. Some binoculars that feature laser rangefinders also include an image overlay resembling crosshairs or MOA marks of rifle scopes, making these ideal hunting companions by providing instant ballistic info.
One of the top rangefinding binoculars for hunting is the Sig Kilo 10K, featuring excellent optical performance and a built-in laser rangefinder that works up to 1600 yards. However, most deer-sized animals fall outside this range; we recommend choosing a reticle-based rangefinding model for longer-distance hunting.
Reticle-based models such as the Leica Geovid Pro feature different-sized silhouettes marked on the right side of the viewfinder that you can match up against objects to estimate distance. Reticles tend to be more accessible and less accurate than lasers.
Bushnell Fusion X offers another outstanding option with no complex ballistics calculator but instead uses preloaded data about your caliber and load to calculate an adequate range. Simply switch on rifle mode, and the Fusion will calculate a ballistic hold to ensure you stay within range of your target.
Carrying only one unit that serves two functions can save space in your backpack and be more convenient than having two separate pieces of equipment – you won’t risk forgetting either your rangefinder binoculars or gun!
Ballistics
Rangefinder binoculars can be an indispensable asset to precision hunters, as they help find their target animal by magnifying its image; but, more importantly, they also allow them to determine its distance without even looking directly at it; this will enable them to scout for debris such as branches that could deflect his arrow and ruin the shot.
Binoculars equipped with unique laser rangefinder reticles can measure distance more accurately than traditional rangefinders by emitting short flashes of light at an object you are targeting, which reflect and return to a receiver sensor inside. From here, measurements are calculated based on how quickly this signal returns – this measurement method gives much further results than standard rangefinder reticle devices, though the actual range may depend upon target size, reflectivity, and weather conditions.
Most rangefinder binoculars feature a “rain” mode to allow users to operate them during light rain, fog, or snow conditions since lasers can lose accuracy due to particles in the air dispersing signals and producing inaccurate results. Some units also come equipped with a static mode to help counteract this effect.
The top rangefinder binoculars on the market come equipped with many useful features designed to make hunting simpler, more accurate, and ultimately successful. This includes built-in ballistics programs that calculate an ideal firing solution based on environmental factors like air pressure, temperature, humidity, and direction – then inputted into an onboard Applied Ballistics Elite calculator to produce precise shooting solutions; for instance, the Sig Kilo 10K rangefinder binoculars allow weather data import from a compatible peripheral such as Kestrel.
Advanced rangefinding binoculars can be game changers for hunters and target shooters who want to eliminate the guesswork involved with finding, sighting, and targeting their targets from any distance. Combination binoculars offer space savings by eliminating two separate units from your pack – saving both weight and hassle in transport.
