Ground hunting and you can buy one or the other. Bino's or range finder?

Bino's...i don't need no stink'n range finder nor do i use one.

I use a range finder just for the added benifit The prices of them have come down to the point that there not s choice issue like years past So IMHO ya get the added benifit of yard knowledge while scanning an area or animal I do have to stay to much info can hurt,,,you have forget the numbers and shoot your shot I use it for reference,,,after you spot an animal and get an idea of your range it goes in the pocket and its up to you,God and a stick an string to make the shot count Long story short its free info which is an added benifit in my opinon

Definitely binoculars...good binoculars.

I do use range finder if I'm in a new area. Only been hunting a couple of years and not good at judging distance yet.......but I'm getting there. Definitely have a good pair of binoculars. Marsha

Binoculars. 8x32 Leopold. Or at least a pair that's small enough but also with exit pupil ratio of 5. (I really wanted 6x32 but they are hard to find). I never use a range finder.

I shoot my recurve bows instinctively, so the choice would be bino's, I have a nice set of Leupould's. If you use an aiming system where you must know yardage, get a range finder. A range finder does offer some magnification, but lenses are small and they are worthless in low light.

Binoculars. Buy the best you can afford. My Swarovski 8x30 were priceless while hunting Colorado. I also have a pair of Vortex 8x28 compacts that I like and use around home.

All depends where you are hunting I suppose. Using range finders once a deer in sight is just more movement, and frankly, if you get out in the woods and do some roving, you won't need them. And that applies to sight shooters as well. We live and hunt in forests back here, so binoculars are good for ID'ing that stump you thought was a deer. Most of the time I don't even need them. If you are hunting in areas where you can see for miles...not just yards, then get good optics. Nikons are great as are Leupold, and a fraction of the price of some others.

They don't even have the same use. Bino's I don't like to be without though.

Got both use both. But I was without a range finder for a long time and can still estimate ranges well without one. Binoculars: never have been hunting without high power optics. They are essential if you want to know what's out there, on the ground or in a tree. Think mine are 10x42 and can see out to 500 + yards well enough to tell if the deer I see out there are big or small bodies and figure out the antlers.

Get a good set that are waterproof and shockproof and you're set. Rangefinders are often one eye operation so the vision is not as good and also are just not fun to look through for scanning. Plus their magnification is next to nonexistent compared to binoculars. Binoculars also make the object pop to the eye better than a rangefinder.

Sum up: binoculars are made for the job of looking. Rangefinders magnification are built to help you put the reticle on an object, keep it still, and find distamce.

If you don't mind dropping a month's pay, you don't have to choose. If memory serves, Leica and Swaroski offer binos with the range finder built in. Now for those of us on a budget ... I'd take the binos first for bow hunting. I have both, but generally end up using the rangefinder for measurements other than hunting and don't carry it with me. Only exception would be hunting with my revolver or rifle in unfamiliar country. Range a couple landmarks and put it away.

Well I normally don't use a range finder, but I bought one brand new off craigslist and it's a4x so it does double duty.

Don't need a rangefinder but always have binoculars with me. Big part of bowhunting is just observing nature. Binoculars make it that much more enjoyable. MP

I thought I didn't need anrangefinder...I found myself in a tree that was on a hill overlooking a trail that was uphill from the tree. OK I knew what the ranges were. Then a large doe approached and turned farther uphill on an adjacent trail.

I thought it was 25 yards away. After I missed....I found out it was closed to 35. Now I carry. Rangefinder and check several spots when I sit down

I bought a pair of 6x30 Leopold before last season. Nice pair of binos for picking appear the eastern hardwoods. Also very good in low light. For $89 they are a nice addition to my kit.

I don't use either deer hunting because where I hunt its so thick you can't shoot far enough to need either. I do use a Leupold range finder to hunt coyotes since I'm using a rifle and get paid for kills. I use 10x50 binocs and a spotting scope out west or up north. Some guys use their range finder as a monocular since most are 8 power.

This is what my hunting territory looks like. I have a pair of 8X35 compacts that I can use to check out openings. Rarely do I use them.

Don't need Bino's. If I can't see it with my naked eye I can't shoot it anyway.

Hi,

Depends on where you are scouting from.

On top of a ridge scouting terrain it is often useful to use a spotting scope (say: 20 - 60 x 60) - on the ground a good pair of binos will suffice (12 x 50 for example). The bigger the lens - the more light sensitive the unit is - so you can see more at dawn and dusk.

Your choice - my advice: do not scrimp on optice/vision. Buy the best that you can afford.

shoot straight - skookum bow

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