Hobbies like golf and hunting go side by side. And, the last thing you want to do is pack a whole different set of tools and equipments for two different activities and get your mind all messed up and over the place. But, don’t worry we go you covered!
Rangefinders are one of the most important tools both in hunting and golf, and what if we told you could have one that could work exceptionally good for both hunting and gold. This way you will not have to bear the hassle of carrying a lot of additional tools.
With a lot of options for the best rangefinders for hunting and golf available in the market, in this article we have picked the top picks for the best ones.
Buying Guides
Magnification
Range finders generally come with a small range of magnification: between 5 and 10x. Zooming in a little make ranging a specific target within your field of view a little easier, even if they were a mile away. Switching from binoculars to range finder is also easy in these, since binoculars lie within the range of 8x to 18x range of magnification.
Only a range-finder is enough to hunt if you are in a densely forested area, since its magnification comes enough for these.
Objective Lens Diameter
While buying a range-finder for both hunting and golf, the objective lens diameter should also be taken into consideration. The viewing scope of the range finder is usually monocular, similar to a telescope or spotting scope. These, however, has a much smaller objective lens. A general objective lens diameter is basically the size of the viewing field created by the exit lens on the range finder, where most of them fall under the 20 to 25 millimeter range. To put things into perspective, usually binoculars have 40 to 50 millimeter objective lenses and spotting scopes have ranges of 50 to 100 millimeters.
Despite the one-eye holes for an objective lens, this small form factors (most are designed to fit comfortably in one hand) makes them very easy to keep your hands and gear steady for quick target acquisition. A tripod could be however, required to ensure effective, accurate ranging and a lot of range finders come with a standard 1/4 inch tripod mounting plate.
Maximum Range Capability
Every range finder has a unique maximum range ability till which precision is ensured. The number for the maximum range listed by companies is often a best-case-scenario number based on the device’s ability to get a reading from a large, bright, reflective surface. The nonreflective items in the field, like trees and smaller items like game and putting-green flags, are much harder to range accurately for these kind of laser devices.
Practically, a ridiculously long ranges like 4000yards and 3000yards is useless for a combines hunting and golf rangefinder. This is because most golfers aren’t able to drive the ball farther than 300 yards, so there’s not much use in getting a range-finder for golf that is able to range up to 4,000 yards. Similar is the case for archery hunters, who can’t shot beyond 70 yards. Also, best of the ballistic equipments for range-finders also work great for just 1000 yards so buying onw with 4000 yards isn’t quite important in our opinion.
Quick Look at the best rangefinders for hunting and golf
Vortex Impact 1000 rangefinder
Very easy to understand and use, the Vortex 1000 range-finder is a perfect tool offering range upto 1000 yards with high-end features like the Line-of-Sight mode, Angle Compensation mode, hold-to-scan for constant distance readouts when moving across varying targets.
Callaway 300 Pro Rangefinder
Callaway is particularly the MVP of golf range-finders offering also rocks the First Target Priority Mode and Slope-Switch Technology, specialized in maximum distance accuracy.
BlueTees Best Golf rangefinder with Slope
Great for slope, both incline and decline, Bluetees range finders is strongly built to resist the weather, plus features a range of 800 yards backed by 6x magnification
Bushnell Bone Collector 850 Rangefinder
Truly the best budget pick, the bushnell rangefinder will give you all the features of a range-finder, backed by a 24-mm objective lens and yearning upto 850 yards range.
LeuPold RX-Fulldraw 4 rangefinder
Despite its cost, the LeuPold rangefinder features a great range-finder that shoot at a very appropriate angle, within a decent range of 1200 yards.
#1. Vortex Impact 1000 rangefinder
Very easy to understand and use, the Vortex 1000 range-finder is a perfect tool offering range upto 1000 yards with high-end features like the Line-of-Sight mode, Angle Compensation mode, hold-to-scan for constant distance readouts when moving across varying targets.
Most rifle hunters are on the lookout for a range finder that’s very convenient to use and understand, and will work swiftly when they need to for at least, modest distances. Usually for hunters who aren’t able to shoot beneath 500 yards, a 1000 yard capable range finder is enough. And the Vortex Impact 1000 range finder is perfect for just that.
For a price of less than $200, Vortex provides you a range-finder with decent range, decent optical quality, added with some high-end features like the Line-of-Sight mode, Angle Compensation mode, hold-to-scan for constant distance readouts when moving across varying targets, and so on. Vortex’s VIP warranty is just the icing on top, that ensures you have a life-time warranty for the gear. Vortex is rumored to be back with even better products this 2023, but for now this is the best you can find in the market.
Specifications
| Objective lens diameter | 20mm |
| Magnification Range | 6x |
| Maximum range | 1,000 yards |
Pros and Cons
#2. Callaway 300 Pro Rangefinder
Callaway is particularly the MVP og golf range-finders offering also rocks the First Target Priority Mode and Slope-Switch Technology, specialized in maximum distance accuracy.
Since usually short distances are measured in golfing, any decent enough range-finder will be enough for estimating the distances on the golf course. However, this specific model from Callaway features a lot of modern feats, which makes it very appropriate for use on the links, for instance, a Pin Acquisition Technology (P.A.T.) mode, which helps the range finder lock in on small objects such as flags on the green.
The Callaway rangefinder also features a slope-angle compensation, that assists in adjusting your shots for both uphill and downhill holes, alongside a physical on/off button, making it legal for any kind of tournament play. The most recent model is also magnetized, that lets it stick to a golf cart frame for easy access at every stroke, to give you the perfect golfing experience.
Specifications
| Objective lens diameter | n/a |
| Magnification Range | 6x |
| Maximum range | 1,000 yards |
Pros and Cons
#3. BlueTees Best Golf rangefinder with Slope
Great for slope, both incline and decline, Bluetees range finders is strongly built to resist the weather, plus features a range of 800 yards backed by 6x magnification.
The BlueTees Best Golf rangefinder with Slope, are also one of the best rangefinders you can find in the market fir both hunting and golf.
It features the pulse vibration technology, that induces a vibration letting users know when the target is locked. Likewise, it also comes with the unique flag-lock technology, locking the difficult targets similarly, whenever there are objects overlapping in the background or the peripheral vision of the screen. This feature of ignoring certain obstacles and locking only the desired target, makes it one of the best range finders in the marker and very well-loved among users too
Another impeccable feature of this particular rangefinder, is it’s slope measurement technology. This is a function, which assists users in getting the accurate measurements of the target, post calculation of all the incline/decline angles made by the device.
The outer form of this range finder is also very strong and well-built, and is not damaged easily. It is resistant to weather extremities, making it ideal to work with outdoors. This gear also comes with additional accessories including a carrying case and microfiber cloth. While some people have complained about the inability of people with poor eyesight to get the HD view claimed by the gear, the device in overall is very reliable and well-built which you will definitely not regret purchasing.
Specifications
| Objective lens diameter | n/a |
| Magnification Range | 6x |
| Maximum range | 800 yards |
Pros and Cons
#4. Bushnell Bone Collector 850 Rangefinder
Truly the best budget pick, the bushnell rangefinder will give you all the features of a range-finder, backed by a 24-mm objective lens and yearning upto 850 yards range.
There is a huge difference in buying the cheapest and buying the best economical option, and the Bushnell Bone Collector 850 Rangefinder is the best one among the budget options, giving you all the features offered by a general rangefinder. This also doesn’t add much burden to the already purchased firearms, bows, clothing, binoculars, and other additional accessories.
The Bushnell bone collector features a simple one-button operation, backed by a decent 24-millimeter objective lens, making it extremely easy for targets like deer up to a distance of 400 yards, letting a hunter do their best. One drawback however, of the Bushnell range finder is the absence of angle compensation, where the hunters shooting at extreme uphill or downhill angles will need to make their own judgements and cannot rely on the device.
Specifications
| Objective lens diameter | 24mm |
| Magnification Range | 6x |
| Maximum range | 850 yards |
Pros and Cons
#5. LeuPold RX-Fulldraw 4 rangefinder
Despie its cost, the LeuPold rangefinder features a great range-finder that shoot at a very appropriate angle, within a decent range of 1200 yards.
The LeuPold RX-Fulldraw 4 rangefinder, is also a great option for a 2-in-1 rangefinder for both golfing and hunting purposes. Since the arrows tend to fall swiftly after a particular distance, bowhunters and archers always need sharply accurate short-range readings. While most are limited to 100 yards or less, only sometimes do they shoot farther than 700 yards.
Likewise, shooting either uphill or downhill can vaguely change the shot’s trajectory , that is why it is very necessary to have an angle compensation for a range-finder ( as mentioned earlier above too).
Not just for golfers and hunters only, the Leupold’s RX-FullDraw 4 is one of the few range finders, that is built keeping an archer in mind too. It not only gives a great angle compensation, it also gives a clear near range of about 6 yards and a half-yard accuracy till 175 yards. The maximum range of this range finder stands at around 1200 yards, implying it can definitely act dual duty, both into rifle season and other distances far past the general bowhunting requirements.
One of the downside of this amazing range-finder, however, is the cost, since archery hunters can usually get away with making the use of cheaper, lower-capacity range finders costing even less than $100, but determined and dedicated bow-hunter will definitely love the feature.
Specifications
| Objective lens diameter | 23mm |
| Magnification Range | 6x |
| Maximum range | 1,200 yards |
Pros and Cons
Final Thoughts
All in all, the integration of a golf rangefinder alongside a hunting range-finder is definitely a plus point for a number of reasons, and a holy grail for people interested in both these fields. From out analysis, evaluation and reviews, we have found companies like Vortex to be one of the best rangefinders for hunting and golf.
This list above was curated as a result of thousands of reviews online, and taking a lot of buying guides and recommendations into consideration. We hope this article was helpful to decide for your next adventurous venture, and if you still have some queries, please feel free to write them down in the comment section.
Read Also : Best hunting rangefinder in 2023
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to use a golf rangefinder?
What is the best rangefinder for golf?
On top of that, it also boasts excellent yardage range of up to 1000 yards with a +/- 1 accuracy. And, the ergonomics and comfort offered by this rangefinder is also top-notch.
