range finder for prairie dogs
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Re: range finder for prairie dogs
There are lots of threads on the hide about rangefinders and their capabilities and reviews if you search. For the price, it is hard to beat the Leica CRF 1600 (or the 1000, 1200). The Swarovski LRF monocular also has great reviews (although I have never personally tried it).
Keep in mind that it with any LRF it will be tough to range a PD at 1,000 yards simply because of the size of the animal. It will, at a minimum, require that you range from a tripod or some type of stable rest and that is assuming that the beam divergence is small enough to target a PD at that distance. It would be better to ask for a LRF to range a PD mound, nearby tree, bush, hillside, etc...
Good luck in your search!
There are lots of threads on the hide about rangefinders and their capabilities and reviews if you search. For the price, it is hard to beat the Leica CRF 1600 (or the 1000, 1200). The Swarovski LRF monocular also has great reviews (although I have never personally tried it).
Keep in mind that it with any LRF it will be tough to range a PD at 1,000 yards simply because of the size of the animal. It will, at a minimum, require that you range from a tripod or some type of stable rest and that is assuming that the beam divergence is small enough to target a PD at that distance. It would be better to ask for a LRF to range a PD mound, nearby tree, bush, hillside, etc...
Good luck in your search!
Re: range finder for prairie dogs
Just got back from New Mexico - hunting partner had a Leica 1200 and was limited to approximately 500 yards; I had a Swarovski mono - about 650 was the best I did. Last time took Leupolds - limited to about 300 to 350 yards. Bad news - in my experience; you are going to spend some serious cash for that level of performance.
Just got back from New Mexico - hunting partner had a Leica 1200 and was limited to approximately 500 yards; I had a Swarovski mono - about 650 was the best I did. Last time took Leupolds - limited to about 300 to 350 yards. Bad news - in my experience; you are going to spend some serious cash for that level of performance.
Re: range finder for prairie dogs
When we shoot pdogs, we range off of mounds, trees, cactus, schrubs, ranch debris etc. After 20 minutes we have land marks noted and don't use a range finder anymore.
When we shoot pdogs, we range off of mounds, trees, cactus, schrubs, ranch debris etc. After 20 minutes we have land marks noted and don't use a range finder anymore.
Re: range finder for prairie dogs
Like phreakmode's hunts, mine usually turn into driving to a location and jumping in the bed to shoot off the roof of the truck only after ranging and plotting out the land. Once you get your basic bearings you can pretty well call out targets from spotters to shooters based on objects in the field. Usually things that would make a "normal person" scratch their head a few times and just assume we were crazy, "There is a dog about 10 yards to the left of the broken pipe in the ground behind the sideways rock to the right of the one legged owl".
Yes, this really was said last trip =) PDs are a lot of fun, but with existing technology it just isn't feasible to range each dog individually.
Like phreakmode's hunts, mine usually turn into driving to a location and jumping in the bed to shoot off the roof of the truck only after ranging and plotting out the land. Once you get your basic bearings you can pretty well call out targets from spotters to shooters based on objects in the field. Usually things that would make a "normal person" scratch their head a few times and just assume we were crazy, "There is a dog about 10 yards to the left of the broken pipe in the ground behind the sideways rock to the right of the one legged owl".
Yes, this really was said last trip =) PDs are a lot of fun, but with existing technology it just isn't feasible to range each dog individually.
Re: range finder for prairie dogs
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jhTexas</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> hunting partner had a Leica 1200 and was limited to approximately 500 yards; </div></div>
Bummer. I've had excellent results from my over used Leica 1200 CRF. However, it might be due to where I shoot PDs: pretty hilly, lots of gullies, etc, so there's something for the beam to bounce off of. I get 750+ regularly, even got it to range to 1285 one time. I can't come anywhere close to shooting that far but it was an interesting bounce.
I love the leica crf 1200: small, accurate, ranges far.
I can't prove this but it seams to measure better when it's cloudy. Anecdotal evidence only.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jhTexas</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> hunting partner had a Leica 1200 and was limited to approximately 500 yards; </div></div>
Bummer. I've had excellent results from my over used Leica 1200 CRF. However, it might be due to where I shoot PDs: pretty hilly, lots of gullies, etc, so there's something for the beam to bounce off of. I get 750+ regularly, even got it to range to 1285 one time. I can't come anywhere close to shooting that far but it was an interesting bounce.
I love the leica crf 1200: small, accurate, ranges far.
I can't prove this but it seams to measure better when it's cloudy. Anecdotal evidence only.
Re: range finder for prairie dogs
PD720,
I was in SE Colorado this past spring with a pair of Bushnell Fusion ARC 1600s. As most have mentioned I used more reflective objects near the dogs to range.
With that being said ranging mounds out to 750 or so took very little effort. Out near 1000 I ranged the closest Yucca plant. At 1000 I had to have the Binos very steady so I just rested them on a sand bag.
The area we were hunting is basically featureless but the Bushnells worked great.
Good luck
PD720,
I was in SE Colorado this past spring with a pair of Bushnell Fusion ARC 1600s. As most have mentioned I used more reflective objects near the dogs to range.
With that being said ranging mounds out to 750 or so took very little effort. Out near 1000 I ranged the closest Yucca plant. At 1000 I had to have the Binos very steady so I just rested them on a sand bag.
The area we were hunting is basically featureless but the Bushnells worked great.
Good luck
Re: range finder for prairie dogs
Here's a link to what I use for small targets at distance. Glass is good enough to range on a Rock Chuck at 2200 yds.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/German-Military-...=item19c9027e33
Here's a link to what I use for small targets at distance. Glass is good enough to range on a Rock Chuck at 2200 yds.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/German-Military-...=item19c9027e33
Re: range finder for prairie dogs
Same as 'phreakmode'... I usually get reference pts and make up a range card if I'm staying at one spot.
BUT... I have a ton more fun doing a sneak on the little buggers and see how close [w / 22LR's] I can get !!
Closest was at 2 yds--shoulda seen the look on his face!...pistol work!
Same as 'phreakmode'... I usually get reference pts and make up a range card if I'm staying at one spot.
BUT... I have a ton more fun doing a sneak on the little buggers and see how close [w / 22LR's] I can get !!
Closest was at 2 yds--shoulda seen the look on his face!...pistol work!
Re: range finder for prairie dogs
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dave Tooley</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here's a link to what I use for small targets at distance. Glass is good enough to range on a Rock Chuck at 2200 yds.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/German-Military-...=item19c9027e33</div></div>
How does that actually range targets? I'm assuming it's not using a laser reflection to calculate distance, or is it? Analog output on the side?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dave Tooley</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here's a link to what I use for small targets at distance. Glass is good enough to range on a Rock Chuck at 2200 yds.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/German-Military-...=item19c9027e33</div></div>
How does that actually range targets? I'm assuming it's not using a laser reflection to calculate distance, or is it? Analog output on the side?
Re: range finder for prairie dogs
Arbiter
I'm not sure when this type of rangefinder was developed but we started out using Barr and Stroud models from WW1. They were in yards and used on ships. They are called coincidental range finders. Here is a link that explains it better than I can. I know the Swiss Wild, pernounced Vild, has the best glass out there. Mine was made in 1972 and is very clear. It's only 12X but it's easy to line up a PD. Mine has a window in the middle of the image that has an inverted picture. I take a fine vertical object like a fence post or PD and rotate the ranging knob until the two images line up verticaly. Then I read the range with my other eye. I calibrate it at our 1000 yd range. It's good from 300 to 20,000 meters. We have set sevral up side by side, both Barr and Stroud and Wild and they all read just about the same yardage regardless of distance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coincidence_rangefinder
Arbiter
I'm not sure when this type of rangefinder was developed but we started out using Barr and Stroud models from WW1. They were in yards and used on ships. They are called coincidental range finders. Here is a link that explains it better than I can. I know the Swiss Wild, pernounced Vild, has the best glass out there. Mine was made in 1972 and is very clear. It's only 12X but it's easy to line up a PD. Mine has a window in the middle of the image that has an inverted picture. I take a fine vertical object like a fence post or PD and rotate the ranging knob until the two images line up verticaly. Then I read the range with my other eye. I calibrate it at our 1000 yd range. It's good from 300 to 20,000 meters. We have set sevral up side by side, both Barr and Stroud and Wild and they all read just about the same yardage regardless of distance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coincidence_rangefinder
Re: range finder for prairie dogs
I've ranged a dog (well atleast the mound it was on) at 915 with my bushnell fusion 1600. Now I was using a rest to do it to and it did take a couple of tries.
I've ranged a dog (well atleast the mound it was on) at 915 with my bushnell fusion 1600. Now I was using a rest to do it to and it did take a couple of tries.
