Hunting Range Finders

[GamecockSlicer]

I saw a Bass Pro Shop commercial during a re-run of Feherty and I was wondering how the hunting rangefinders by Bushnell can be so much cheaper than the golf versions when it seems they would need to be higher tech.

 

Does anyone have insight into this and the reason for the pricing differences?

[jslane57]

Actually, if I'm not mistaken, the golf technology is greater. The golf range finder picks up the small close objects (the pin) while blurring out the background. The hunting ones do just the opposite, they blur out near objects (limbs and leaves) and pick up the larger background objects. I don't think you would reliably be able to pick out the pin with a hunting range finder unless your pin had reflectors. Of course, you can buy ones that toggle between both. And generally speaking, the more you spend, the better the product...

[timmy8151]

My last 2 rangefinders (Nikon) have been the hunting models and I have not had any issues picking up flags/pins without reflectors. My Nikon has a First Priority mode which is the same function on the Golf models. This is similar on Bushnells Pinseeker function on golf rangefinder which is the same as Bulleye on Hunting models

 

If you look at the specs my current rangefinder (Nikon Prostaff 3i) it has nearly identical specs to the Golf version (Coolshot 40) and is $100 cheaper.

 

From what I've read in other threads and websites for the most part hunting and golf models have the same guts but you pay more for golf because of the demographics of the people purchasing them

[Stuart_G]

Depends on the hunting model. Some (many actually) allow you to select different target priority modes. Sorry can't remember the names of the modes that bushnell uses, but the mode that ignores small brush to pick up the range to a lager target doesn't work well with golf (it can miss the pin and lock in on something behind the green). As I understand it, that is the common mode for the low end models that dont allow switching. But the other mode can work fine. So a switchable hunting model can work for golf.

 

Of course that's for the basic ranging models. I would not expect any more advanced models that adjust for slope or elevation to use the same calculations in hunting as in golf.

[avgjoe]

you pay more for golf because of the demographics of the people purchasing them

 

 

 

this

[jslane57]

you pay more for golf because of the demographics of the people purchasing them

 

 

 

this

Gosh, I don't know. The amount the hunters spend is huge! Especially on optics. Thousands of $$$ on binos and rangefinders. Not to mention the clothes, bows, RV's, ATV's, and hunting trips. At least the hunters I know, they spend far more than on their golfing...