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Looking for Dirt Cheap Rangefinder

Lesloan

Private
Minuteman
Mar 22, 2014
94
29
I''m thinking about buying a rangefinder that's really cheap and not completely crappy. I don't hunt anymore, so reflectivity off an animal's hide doesn't matter. About all it'd be used for is occasionally placing targets from 25 to maybe 300-350 yards. Magnification doesn't matter, but a tripod socket would really help (I'm not steady enough to hand-hold anything unsupported). I have no opinion on the merits of a rechargeable battery on something like this that'd hardly ever be used, but would like to hear any arguments for or against. Not more than $100. Any thoughts?
 
I can go quite a few steps up from that and stay at your $100 price.
Plus shipping of course.

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You want it to be capable of double what you plan on using it for. So one rated for at least 600m. I'd go 1k if possible.

Leica makes a bunch of rangefinders for golfers. They're probably what you're looking for. Not sure about $100 though, laser rangefinders typically sell by the rule of thumb where 1m = $1. But some of the lower range ones do sell for less I think.

Absolute BEST deal, if you can score one, is a Mk5 LRF. $500 and it'll tag shit +/-10m @10km. No joke. However, it does employ a high power class 3 or a low power class 4 IR laser (same type they use to cut shit) so it's very, very dangerous around others and you gotta be careful. It was the last military non-eyesafe LRF to be issued I believe, only made for one year, 1999. Gotta be patient but they do pop up from time to time.
 
Look at the Bushnell 1300 it will do everything you are asking and more for pretty cheap.
 
You want it to be capable of double what you plan on using it for. So one rated for at least 600m. I'd go 1k if possible.

Leica makes a bunch of rangefinders for golfers. They're probably what you're looking for. Not sure about $100 though, laser rangefinders typically sell by the rule of thumb where 1m = $1. But some of the lower range ones do sell for less I think.

Absolute BEST deal, if you can score one, is a Mk5 LRF. $500 and it'll tag shit +/-10m @10km. No joke. However, it does employ a high power class 3 or a low power class 4 IR laser (same type they use to cut shit) so it's very, very dangerous around others and you gotta be careful. It was the last military non-eyesafe LRF to be issued I believe, only made for one year, 1999. Gotta be patient but they do pop up from time to time.

Thanks, Strykervet, but that's a lot more rangefinder than I really need. Or am willing to pay for.
 
Sarcasm does not become you, Mike. I asked an honest question and was looking for a straightforward answer.

My second reply to you was totally sincere. You may not find what you're looking for right away. Have some patience and it'll pop up.
Someone might even offer something they hadn't really thought about selling.

The way you respond to what people post might just determine whether someone makes their RF available to you or not.

As far as my first reply is concerned, sarcasm does become me. It is me.

I believe that a sense of humor will cause a lot less stress for you too.



???
 
My second reply to you was totally sincere. You may not find what you're looking for right away. Have some patience and it'll pop up.
Someone might even offer something they hadn't really thought about selling.

The way you respond to what people post might just determine whether someone makes their RF available to you or not.

As far as my first reply is concerned, sarcasm does become me. It is me.

I believe that a sense of humor will cause a lot less stress for you too.



???
 
OK, Mike. You win. I misread your second post, I guess. And I DO have a sense of humor -- it just didn't show that time, and I hope you'll accept my apology.,

Amazon.com has a lot of cheapie rangefinders, but I really don't know if any of them are worth having at any price.
 
No apology needed.
Glad to hear you have a sense of humor, otherwise life is tough around here.

Your best bet is a used unit because you can save a ton of money and still get some halfway decent equipment.
There have been Leica 600 and 800yd units sell for right at your budget. I would suggest checking the used optics section pretty much hourly. Otherwise, they get snatched up pretty quick.
If you are financially capable of stretching your budget, then another $50-75 will help a lot.

If that measurement wheel I have will do the job for you, pay shipping and it's yours.
 
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Thanks for your help, guys. Yes, even you, Mike! ? The search is over; I ended up buying alabusa's Athlon. Spent twice as much as intended, but I think I'm getting a LRF that's twice as good, too.
 
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Sarcasm does not become you, Mike. I asked an honest question and was looking for a straightforward answer.
You're not gonna last long if you can't take some sarcasm....
 
I bought a sig kilo 850 for $130. I sold it here on this site for $125. I ranged a house @ 950 yards. Animals @ <250 ish. This range finder is at the bottom of the barrel for sig range finders. I had a Sig Sauer 2400 ab before the 850. The 2400 was $1250 here in a group buy. I ranged rock out croppings at 2900 yards. I sold it on this site, a year ago for $850.

I now have the Bushnell 1800 nitro. Paid $300 ish. I'll have to upgrade the software for another $150. We'll see if it meets my needs?

The rule of thumb here is a dollar a yard for a good LRF.

my $.02
 
Just randomly put targets out and range them with reticle.
At those ranges you can get really close.