Laser Rangefinder Review

While there are a large number of rangefinders that can be used for archery hunting, there are only a few that are designed specifically for archery hunting only.  The archery range finder was made just for us poor souls that wonder the woods and plains with a bow in hand hoping to beat the ridiculously low odds of bagging our game.  Every archer knows that correctly judging the distance to the target is one of the most important factors in hitting what is being shot at, and archery rangefinders are the gadgets that help us get this part of bow hunting equation correct. To round out this relatively small field of archery range finders two of the most suitable dual purpose rangefinders were included, the Nikon RifleHunter 550 and the Bushnell Scout 1000.

What to Look For
Low magnification: Archery hunters will generally be targeting objects at 50 yards or less, so here a lower power rangefinder is generally more desirable as these units usually have a wider field of view.  This wide view enables the archer to more easily find and range an animal at close range. For the archer a 4x or 5x magnification rangefinder is probably ideal.

Compact Size: Rangefinders for bow hunting are usually of the vertically held design as these units are generally more compact and lightweight than there horizontal counterparts.  Bow hunters often carry their rangefinders in a holster on a belt, or use a tether system for quick access, so the small size of these units is important.

Target Priority: Archers often hunt in thick cover to try and get within range of the game they are stalking.  However, this is not an ideal environment for the rangefinder as these units will often pick up a branch or bush between the hunter and animal. To help compensate for this a few rangefinder manufactures have equipped their rangefinders with some sort of target priority feature; Nikon calls their feature “first priority” and “distant priority”, and Bushnell calls their feature “Brush” mode and “Bullseye” mode. These rangefinders can be set to “near” or “far” priority settings, while in the far setting, if the rangefinder receives a split reading (i.e. a branch and say a deer) it will report the farther of the two distances, which for the archer hunting from cover will usually be the game animal.

Angle Compensation: Often times those hunting with bows find themselves high in a tree stand waiting for game to wonder along a trail; this elevated position often creates an extreme angle between the shooter and the animal. Extreme angles affect the true (horizontal distance) to the target, so a normal rangefinder which gives distance in linear distance might read 42 yards to an animal; while an archery rangefinder with an angle compensation feature might read the same object at 36 yards, which is the horizontal distance to the target and the number the archer wants to use when making the shot. Nikon calls their angle compensation I/D for Incline/Decline, and Bushnell calls theirs ARC which stand for Angle Range Compensation.

Archery RangeFinder Ratings

Model	NIkon RifleHunter 550	Bushnell Scout 1000 ARC	Nikon Archer's Choice	Nikon Archer's Choice Max	Leupold Vendetta	Bushnell Bowhunter C.A. Edition
Picture
Cumulative Review Score	97(61)	89(75)	92(88)	N/A	66(19)	68(24)
Estimated Price	$275	$300	$250	$325	$300	$225
Configuration	6x21mm	5x24mm	6x21mm	6x21mm	-	4x20mm
Weight	6.3oz	6.8oz	6.3oz	N/A	10 oz	5.3oz
L x W x H	5.1 x 1.5 x 2.7	4.3 x 1.7 x 2.8	5.1 x 1.5 x 2.7	4.6 x 1.6 x 2.9	3.8 x 1.3 x 2.8	3.8 x 1.4 x 2.9
Reflective	550 yds	1000 yds	100 yds	200 yds	70 yds	800 yds
Angle Compensated	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Distant Priority	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	-	n/a

Editor's Pick: Nikon RifleHunter 550
Laser Rangefinder Review feels that the Nikon RifleHunter 550 is currently the best archery range finder, ironic that the rangefinder named RifleHunter (available in brown or camo) is the top pick in the archery category; but it’s a solid rangefinder that meets all of the criteria for a good archery rangefinder except the magnification. While the Nikon RifleHunter’s 6x magnification is a little more than needed for close range targeting with some practice one can easily pick up targets even at close range. The RifleHunter 550 rangefinder is compact, lightweight, has ID technology for angle compensation, and a “distant” target priority mode for ranging through cover.  The RifleHunter is simple to use, has the needed features, and a proven track record, and makes an excellent bowhunting rangefinder. There are also a couple of other benefits that come with choosing a dual purpose rangefinder for an archery rangefinder. First, if ever need more ranging power for shooting or hunting you won’t need to get another rangefinder.  Second, if you plan on selling the rangefinder down the road to upgrade or for whatever reason, the market for people looking for dual purpose rangefinders is much bigger than the market for those looking to buy archery only rangefinders.

How about the Bushnell Scout? The Bushnell Scout 1000 ARC was right there at the top of the pile, with its 5x magnification, ARC feature, and target priority modes, it would probably be well suited for archery use. Ultimately the RifleHunter 550 prevailed as it acts more like a true archery rangefinder with everything you need and nothing you don’t, keep it simple right. The Scout 1000 ARC has three separate modes: regular, bow and rifle.  Also, when the Scout 1000 ARC is in bow mode it gives you three readings, the linear distance, the angle and the horizontal distance all grouped close together at the bottom of the screen, and that is just asking for trouble in a high adrenaline situation.

What about the Archer’s Choice? While nearly identical to the Nikon RifleHunter 550 it has two major differences. First it only ranges out to 100 yards, which is not a big deal for archery hunters; but the second, its lack of a distant target priority mode, was what caused the most concern. It is permanently set to ‘first’ target priority and this is not what you want on an archery rangefinder, if they would have set it on “distant” priority that would have been fine, but being permanently stuck in the wrong mode is not helpful to the archer trying to range through cover.

Why not the new Archer’s Choice Max then? Currently there isn’t enough useful user reviews to get a solid feel if it will live up to the originals high marks. While it certainly appears to be an updated version of the Archer’s Choice including the addition of a “distant” target priority there just isn’t enough field reports to give this unit the all clear just yet. There is talk of the orange reticle being too bright in very dim light and obscuring the target; however the Nikon RifleHunter 1000, the more powerful dual purpose version, received little criticism for this problem and in fact got some praise for the reticle contrasting the target. So maybe bowhunters are on average using these in lower light conditions than rifle hunters, maybe the Archer’s Choice reticle is a little brighter than the RifleHunters, or maybe its just a matter of opinion, again more data is need before the all clear is given on the Archer’s Choice Max.

What about the Leupold Vendetta? Everyone was so excited and had high hopes for the Vendetta bow mounted rangefinder, Laser Rangefinder Review included.  Mount a rangefinder on a bow and get updated distance readings at full draw, what’s not to like about that? Apparently the mounting process, as many of the people that bought this unit had a heck of a time getting the device mounted and some were unable to get it mounted at all. Some other problems that owners of the Leupold Vendetta reported were: sighting in issues, issues of the unit blocking sight pins, and activation cords being too short to get the unit mounted properly. Whether or not this was the result of a design issue or just a complex installation procedure is yet to be determined. The good news is the reviewers who managed to make it past the initial mounting and sight in process really liked the unit. Hopefully Leupold will not give up on the idea of a bow mounted rangefinder and find a way to improve the mounting process. If you are very mechanically inclined, are willing to set aside a good chunk of time to get the Vendetta set up, and feeling a bit lucky then the Vendetta might be for you, for the rest of us waiting on a revised version is probably the smart move.  Note these are not legal for hunting in all states.

And the Bushnell Bowhunter (a.ka. Chuck Adams Rangefinder)? Again very high hopes for this one; 4x magnification, ARC angle compensation, very compact, lightweight, looks cool, decent price and the most well known bowhunter in the world backing it. At first glance the Bowhunter appears to be a ringer for the archery range finder category. Unfortunately it suffers from the same cluttered and over informative display of the Bushnell Scout 1000, and the Brush and Bullseye target proirity modes have been dropped, and after much digging and reseach we were unable to determine if this unit is set on first or distant target priority, this is an important aspect of any archery rangefinder and should be clearly listed on the manufacture's website or at the very least in the owner's manual, it appears to be in neither. The Bowhunter also features what Bushnell calls a Perma Focus monocular which is the same "technology" they use on their cheaper Sport line of rangefinders, the idea being you never have to focus the unit, the reality being you can't focus them, so if they are out of focus for your eyes you cannot adjust them. The list goes on but the bottom line is there are much better choices.

Conclusion: So there you have it, kinda of a long read but hopefully it helped answer some questions you might have had about picking a good archery rangefinder. The bottom line is the Nikon RifleHunter 550 was the top pick in the archery rangefinder category because it was:

  Simple to use: So you don't have it in wrong mode or setting when you need to make a shot.
  Proven Design: High ratings from people who have used the RifleHunter 550 while hunting.
  Clear Optics: If you can't see it you can't range it.
  ID (Incline/Decline) Technology: For accurate yardage readings no matter what the terrain, even when in a tree stand.
  Distant Target Priority: To help range through cover and get a reading on your target
  Clutter Free Screen: No chance of grabbing the wrong number during an exciting hunt.

Click Here to Order a Nikon RifleHunter 550 at Amazon.com