Friday, December 30, 2011

Do You Really Need an Archery or Bow Hunting Laser Range Finder?

!±8± Do You Really Need an Archery or Bow Hunting Laser Range Finder?

An archery/bow hunting range finder is all some people need

Obviously, no one is taking 200 yard shots with even the most powerful crossbow, so long range capability isn't a concern while bow hunting. Now it may be a big concern to the bow hunter who also uses a rifle (or even just plays golf, but that's another topic). But just focusing on the act of bow hunting, the typical 100 yard range limit of most dedicated bow hunting range finders would be fine.

Also, in many states, hunters are restricted to using shotgun slugs for deer and other game. Ohio is one such example. Even with modern rifle-barrel shotguns and sabot slugs, it's exceedingly rare to take a shot over 100 yards. If your hunting territory is filled with dense cover and not many fields or other open areas, then you may not have many shots over 100 yards even if you can use a rifle.

This is a different question from if you need ANY range finder

Note: I didn't ask 'do you need a range finder for bow hunting'. The answer to that is a resounding YES! Being 5 or even 10 yards off on a 150 yard shot with a flat-shooting.270 Winchester probably isn't all that big of a deal. You'll probably still hit a vital area. But make even a 5 yard error with a bow and that once in a season - or lifetime - shot could be gone forever. Or even worse, a majestic animal gets wounded and wastes away, dying in pain hours later. As hunters, we owe it to the animal and ourselves to do everything possible to ensure a quick, ethical kill.

After all, a 10 yard mistake on a 200 yard rifle shot is only a 5% error. For a 30 yard bow hunting shot, that's a 33% mistake. And distances don't always look the same in early morning fog or in dense cover or from the height of a tree stand. Either practice with your bow - a LOT - under realistic conditions (in a tree stand, early morning and midday, various angles, etc) to become better at range estimation or get a quality range finder. Better yet, do both.

Why a rifle range finder may be best for archery & bow hunting

But a range finder can be used for much more than just lining up that shot, as critical as that may be. You may want to range various landmarks around you or get a distance on an out-of-range animal that's headed your way. Maybe you want to map out or scout things along a trail or how far your other stand. Maybe you're just curious.

Fortunately, many rifle models will meet the needs of archers and bow hunters as well as even the best dedicated archery/bow hunting models. Here are two things to look for in a rifle model to make sure it will meet your needs as an archer or bow hunter:

* Angle mode - this will 'do the math' for steep angled shots, like in a tree stand

* Reasonable magnification - anything more than 6x would be too much at short distances

Make the right choice for your needs

If you are strictly a bow hunter or shotgun slug hunter that won't ever pull the trigger on an animal over 100 yards, then by all means consider one of the fine models of bow hunting ranger finders.

But if you see yourself possibly needing a longer range model for rifle hunting, scouting, curiosity, or any other reason, look at the much larger category of rifle hunting range finders.

And yes, you may just want to have something that works for the golf course as well!


Do You Really Need an Archery or Bow Hunting Laser Range Finder?

Apple Tv Ethernet Immediately Purchase Hamilton Beach Brew Station Cheapest Microphone Voice Changer

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

How To Adjust The Parallax Settings On Your Rifle Scope

!±8± How To Adjust The Parallax Settings On Your Rifle Scope

What the heck is Parallax? I asked the same thing when I first started looking to upgrade from iron sight to a good rifle scope. This guide should give you some insight into getting the best focus out of your Bushnell scope, or any other adjustable parallax scope for that matter.

Have you ever looked through a higher power scope and noticed that if you move your eye off center to the edge of the exit pupil, the reticle seems to move across the target? Well, that shift happens when the parallax setting is not properly adjusted for that distance. Some have mistaken the parallax adjustment as a focus or even a range finder, but it is neither of these. The parallax adjustment, when set properly will insure that the reticle is positioned correctly on the target; as though your crosshairs are a part of the target, unmoving, as if they were painted on, just for you. Of course if your scope is not a "target" or a "varmint hunting" rifle scope, you probably don't need to be concerned with adjusting the parallax setting. In most hunting scopes the parallax is negligible, in fact I have a good friend that hunts regularly and he didn't even know what I was talking about when I asked him. I don't hunt, but I love to spend a Saturday at target practice. So to me, any small increase in accuracy is defiantly welcome.

Most of the higher power scopes, with a power of 12 or more, will have an adjustment ring at the end of the Objective bell (the end closest to the target). Usually the parallax adjustment ring has the suggested settings printed on them, so you can just dial in the range you're shooting from. The problem is these suggested settings are rarely as accurate as they could be. So why should you go through the trouble of getting yours "just right"? Why not just use the suggested setting? Even if you're a great shot, you could easily shrink the size of your groups by as much as 30%, just by taking the time to properly set the parallax adjustment on your scope. Many shooters don't even realize that even with a few adjustments they could greatly affect their shooting performance. Let's face it, the documentation that came with your scope isn't a real blessing when it comes to learning how to use it, they just assume you already know.

Now that you have an understanding of what parallax is, it's time to fine tune your scope for increased accuracy. I'm going to assume you have already zeroed in your scope and that it's properly sighted in. You will need to set up your rifle so it is securely positioned on a bench. A shooting rest with a vise would be best. Dial in the suggested setting on the parallax adjustment ring for the range that you're shooting from. Now, look through the scope and shift your eye back and forth, left and right so you can see if the crosshairs seem like they are moving across the target. Experiment with the adjustment ring until you have eliminated the illusion that your crosshairs are moving. When you think you've got it perfect, take a little white-out liquid paper and make a mark on the parallax adjustment ring so you'll know where to adjust it later. Some people paint their mark or score it into the metal, but to start with I prefer something that's not so permanent until I'm absolutely certain about the position. Next, go ahead and take three to six shots and see how your grouping has improved. Nice, huh! Don't stop there, move your target 50 yards back and repeat the process. You might as well find the perfect settings for all the ranges that you typically shoot from in 50 yard increments.

If you're in the market for an affordable rifle scope that will really go the distance I can recommend two models from the Banner series of the Bushnell Scopes line of rifle scopes. The 1st is Bushnell Scopes Banner 6-18x50. This is a long range target scope that is also great for varmint hunting, and it's parallax focus can be adjusted from 10 meters to infinity. The 2nd is Bushnell Scopes Banner 6-24x40. This long range target and varmint scope features a mil-dot reticle which is my preferred style of crosshair. Both can be purchased for around 0.00, so they won't empty your wallet. To view these and other Banner series Bushnell scopes please visit my Bushnell Scopes page.

Happy Hunting,


How To Adjust The Parallax Settings On Your Rifle Scope

Bargain Sale Mtd Shear Pins Ariens Snowblower Cab Discount Uniden Tru9466 Cheap


Twitter Facebook Flickr RSS



Français Deutsch Italiano Português
Español 日本語 한국의 中国简体。







Sponsor Links