How a laser rangefinder can help you be a better prepper

by John Lewis

PlanandPreprepared.com welcomes John Lewis to the site. John is a blogger, survivalist and outdoor enthusiast. You can follow him over at Epic Wilderness by clicking the link.

To be the best prepper you can be, you need to learn up sufficient skills and get the right gears. A laser rangefinder is one of those tools you must get because the amount of benefits it can bring you is huge. Since a rangefinder can be considered as one of the more complex tools you will own, the amount of time invested to research about this should be comparably more. If you would like to see a review for hunting rangefinders, you can check out this blog.

Here’s a general idea of how a rangefinder works. A laser beam would be emitted from your unit which later bounces off the surface of your target. The high-speed clock in the unit would then determine the total time used for the beam to leave your gear and eventually go back to the unit.

Since all beams travel in the speed of light, a standardized measurement method can be employed for determining the distance traveled. However, by looking at how it works, it shows that there can be a variety of factors that would be able to mess with the readings. Now, let me share some reasons why a rangefinder can help you be a better prepper.

Reason 1: You can improve your accuracy

The ability to shoot accuracy would no doubt be one of the most important skills to be able to protect yourself. Being able to shoot on point may even save your life! There are two aspects to how a rangefinder can do this:

(1) improving your accuracy (as a skill) in general
(2) improving the accuracy of your shots. When you are out in the range shooting your gun or arrow, you will need feedback to improve.

For example, after making a shot using a bow, you need to gauge how far and accurate you have made your shot and a rangefinder can help you to do just that. By getting such feedback, you are able to calibrate your strength and the direction which your arrow face so that you can make the best possible shot. Only after trials and errors, you would be able to make an accurate shot.

As for improving the accuracy of your shots, I am looking more to the aspect of being an accurate shooter on the field. Using a rangefinder can help you to aim properly and which ensures that you can make a clean shot! If you are hunting, a clean shot would be a more humane way of getting your game rather than hurting the animal and following a blood trail.

It is also scientifically proven that shooters with rangefinder would no doubt shoot more accurately because they can focus on aiming, rather than guessing the distance between them and the target. During emergency situations especially, you have no room for error and one accurate shot could save you a lot of trouble.

Reason 2: Using a rangefinder to deepen your understanding of your surroundings

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When you are out in the field, the more knowledge you have about where you should make your shots and where you should move towards would definitely bring you an edge. Since most rangefinders come with magnification abilities, you would be able to identify different places where you can make a clear shot. For example, you may have set a few tree stands in your hunting property and the best way to know where you should shoot at different times is by observation.

Another aspect a rangefinder can help is it allows you to explore the behaviors of animals that are around you. This is especially vital when you are lost in the woods, where you need sufficient data on how the animal would behave and act accordingly. If an animal like a tiger usually frequent an area to hunt for food, you may want to avoid that area. Only people with rangefinders would be able to observe these subtle aspects.

One more benefit involves the psychological aspect where you will feel that you are more prepared as compared to another person which do not enjoy this benefit. This would keep you positive and would no doubt help you be better at the art of preparedness.

Reason 3: Keep yourself away from threats

This can work in two ways:

(1) where you are able to distance yourself away from danger
(2) you can use it to keep yourself vigilantly alert of your surroundings.

Concerning the first aspect, if you have a rangefinder you would be able to be alert of trouble even when they are far away. Hence, you would be able to better prepare yourself after being alert of its presence. For instance, when you are protecting your property, if you are aware of the presence of an imminent threat, you will be given more time to react and this would usually make all the difference.

As for the second aspect, this is usually important if you are caught in a SHTF situation where you need to be constantly alert. You would be able to be on guard of a se perimeter of area. However, you may need more juice if you are on guard for several hours so you have to ensure that you have sufficient batteries!

Conclusion

After you are convinced of a rangefinder in your preparedness journey, I am sure you will be excited to get one. When choosing a rangefinder, several important aspects to look at include the operating mode of the rangefinder (either its first priority or second priority mode), the type of reticle display, the size and weight of it. All of these aspects hinges upon what you use the rangefinder for.

Concerning the operating modes, first priority rangefinders are ideally used in situations where there are no objects in between you and the thing you are ranging. This is why all golf rangefinders are in first priority mode. As for second priority rangefinders, it would ignore objects which can be seen first in its line of view (i.e. bushes) and go for the most distant object.

There are some mistakes which you have to avoid as well. It includes the possibility of targeting an object which is out of range because of different reflective surfaces. Another one would be keeping your rangefinder in a bad condition and not investing enough in a good carrying case. For more on getting the most of your range finder, please click this link.

If you have any ideas you want to share, feel free to comment below!