The 5 Best Hunting Rangefinders for the Money

Tired of missing that kill shot and going home empty handed? Looking to track your prey efficiently while out in the rough? We asked the experts to help you determine from the 5 best rangefinders for hunting to help make sure buying that elk tag wasn’t in vain.

As any hunter knows, whether you are still or stand hunting, tracking is essential to setting up the kill of your targeted animal. Part of tracking includes gauging distances between you and the target correctly and calibrating your rifle appropriately both in chosen shooting technique and the scope on your rifle. In bow hunting, distance data becomes even more essential as hunters hone their accuracy and methods in training times to ensure that their arrow flies true.

If you are a bowhunter in particular or are looking to get into the game, odds are you have looked into or been told by an avid bowhunter that you absolutely need a rangefinding device, also known as distance-measuring devices (DMD for short). DMD’s are still essential tools for any kind of hunter, especially as the price of tags go up and the disappointment of failing to get your kill becomes that much more expensive.

Knowing the right rangefinder for hunting is the next logical step and we asked the experts to break down some popular choices out there to help you find the rangefinder best suited to your needs and the type of game you typically track. In the long run, you’ll save money having the right rangefinder knowing that your prey becomes that much easier to track and kill.

How to Choose the Best Rangefinder for Hunting

In choosing a new rangefinder there are some questions you will need to ask yourself to inform your purchase:

What kind of game am I hunting? Is it a big standing target or a small moving one?
Will I be pursuing still (hunter tracks directly in the animal’s habitat) or stand (hunter sets up a ‘stand’ and waits for the animal either by baiting or calling) hunting?
What kind of weapon am I using? Is it a long ranged rifle? Or a shorter ranged shotgun? Am I going to use a bow requiring an arc and some range practice?

After you have done a personal assessment of your needs, it’s easy to see how variable the targets are. The principles for determining a rangefinder become relatively clear beyond simply finding out how far away something is. Ultimately, a hunter must determine:

What kind of game am I hunting? Is it a big standing target or a small moving one?
Will I be pursuing still (hunter tracks directly in the animal’s habitat) or stand (hunter sets up a ‘stand’ and waits for the animal either by baiting or calling) hunting?
What kind of weapon am I using? Is it a long ranged rifle? Or a shorter ranged shotgun? Am I going to use a bow requiring an arc and some range practice?

How do Rangefinders Work?

Rangefinders, particularly DMD’s and depending on the type you use, are essentially technology that enhance a person’s ability to gauge distance. Considering the variables that we have to address above, the only rangefinders worth mentioning are those that can be effectively employed to hunting which tend to all be laser or optics base, meaning that they measure the time of flight response to light signals reflected back to a device sending them.

Most of these types of optics based devices have a similar appearance and function, aking to electronic binoculars and can serve essentially the same way but have the added bonus of giving feedback in the form of distance data and for some products, target acquisition confirmation usually in the form of vibration, depending on the built-in feedback mechanism. What you will want in a rangefinder meant for hunting is fairly straightforward:

Durability and weather protection (this one is a no brainer to hunters)
Accurate readings, especially for long distance shots to be able to properly calibrate
Device should compensate for obstruction
Device should give real time data to assist in tracking

The Best Rangefinders for Hunting Out There

Halo Laser Range Finder With 6X Magnification

Bow hunters will want to do a double take on this device, as it has features specific to their needs. One thing to keep in mind in looking for a rangefinder for hunting are those that have magnification and angle data capabilities, as these greatly enhance bowhunting and the Halo has both. Bowhunters love this device as it is really versatile in filling every bowhunting style and niche though can also be effective for firearms as well having acceptable yardage. Best part of this doodad, however, is its low price compared to others, especially relevant if you’re a hunter that has already invested a good chunk of money in other hunting equipment.

Features

Laser Range up to 450 yards (a variation exists with 500 effective range)
“Angle Intelligence Technology” helps inform bowhunting angle positioning
Scan mode allows for target tracking
1 yard margin of accuracy error
6x Magnification

Pros

Cons

AOFAR HX-700N Hunting Range Finder

The HX-700N is generally used by bowhunters, however, the decent yardage will still assist other types of hunting within 700 yards, which is still quite an exceptional distance. This device has 6X magnification, which every bowhunter needs, and great accuracy readings. What becomes exceptionally great about this device is that it includes a pin-sensor, which is essentially a method of rangefinding that includes “pin dropping” a target and getting a reading that usually is great in wooded areas or where many obstructions lay.

Features

Laser range up to 700 yards
Has several modes depending on use (including for golf)
Has a fog function for badweather
Durable and waterproof
Includes: carrying pouch, batteries, rope, carabiner, cleaning cloth and manual

Pros

Cons

Bushnell Laser Rangefinder Bone Collector Cam_202208

If you’re the kind of hunter that likes quality and appeal while retaining the necessary features of a rangefinder, then the Bushnell “Bone Collector” is the right one for you. This one tends to lean in a pricier range but also not completely out of reach. This device puts emphasis on how the image is displayed to provide clean and clear optics of your target.

Features

Pros

Cons

TecTecTec ProWild Hunting Rangefinder

Tectectec is a brand you will want to include in your final lineup of decisions, as their customers have had great experiences with their products. The Tectectec ProWild appears to meet the standards they tend to set and is an all around great choice for the versatile hunter who likes to change up what is being hunted and what is being used to hunt. The price and features all add up to an overall decent product.

Features

Pros

Cons

5. Simmons Venture Hunting Laser Rangefinder

This rangefinder has one of the higher ranges on this list and maintains great durability and simplicity in function. This is a great product if you need more range but do not want to fiddle with too many features and complicated functions or “where’s my target and how far am I from it.” There are actually two popular models from Simmons in the same series, the Volt and the Venture which have distinctive designs though more or less the same specs, except that we are reviewing the Venture here because it has greater range.

Features

Pros

Cons

Which Do We Recommend and Why

From the list of contenders here and the advice from those we spoke with, we have determined that the Halo Laser Rangefinder best fits the needs of most hunters. Although the Halo doesn’t have a range of 1,000s of yards, it has just the right amount to fit the needs of avid hunters who simply need the right data to inform the shot and be able to get different kinds of data including tracking, scanning and angle data that makes using whatever weapon of choice that much more deadlier in precision.

Ronny Briggs
Updated on July 15, 2020