Dual Purpose Hunting Rangefinders
Dual purpose rangefinders are rangefinders that can be used for both archery and rifle hunting. While there are a large number of rangefinders on the market only a handful of them meet the criteria for a good dual use rangefinder.
What to Look For
Range: While selecting a 1000+ yard rangefinder might seem like overkill even for a rifle; it is important to remember that these maximum ranges are based on ranging highly reflective targets under good conditions. In reality you can usually expect to get around half the maximum reflective distance under normal conditions when trying to range a big game animal. So starting with a 1000 yard rangefinder stills allows ranging of animals out to around 500 yards which should cover most scenarios. Also, consider that it is often easier to get a first attempt reading on an animal at 300 yards with these more power models than it would be with a rangefinder listed for a maximum range of say 600 yards.
Medium Magnification: Because these units will be used for both archery and rifle hunting a good all around magnification is needed to cover the variety of distances that might be encountered. 6x magnification seems to be the sweet spot allowing enough field of view for closer targets, while still having enough precision for targeting animals at several hundred yards.
Last Target Priority: Target priority settings are how a rangefinder handles a split reading, i.e. when two objects are ranged on the same press of the button. The First priority mode will display the range to the closer of the two objects, while the Last priority setting will display the range of the further of the two objects. While golfers need a First priority mode to report the range to the flag and not the trees in the background; hunters usually want the Last priority setting to give the range to the animal and not the twig or brush they are trying to range through.
Angle Compensate
Dual Purpose Rangefinder Comparison Chart
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