When the big, double-drop-tine buck appeared slinking through the heavy brush on the wrong side of the small green wheat field I was hunting, I knew I was in trouble. It was pre-rut 2024, and I was set up with my crossbow at one of my favorite spots on the western Oklahoma farm where I was hunting. Until that moment, every shooter buck I had ever seen there — and there had been many — had come from the north and traveled directly across in front of me on the heavily used trail about 45 yards away.

The problem wasn’t whether the big buck was in range. I’d killed a number of deer at 60 to 65 yards with the Raven crossbow I was using and knew what the weapon was capable of when it came to a clean kill. What I didn’t know was the exact range of the buck, and in archery hunting — even with a fast-shooting crossbow — a distance miscalculation of 10 or 15 yards can result in a poor hit, and I wasn’t about to allow that to happen with this trophy buck.

Unfortunately, my son had chosen to hunt that morning with his compound bow at a spot where a rangefinder is a definite necessity. Since I thought I knew where any big buck would walk out at my location, I lent him my rangefinder so he would have a better chance. Turns out, a quality laser rangefinder is a necessity even when crossbow hunting in a spot where you’ve killed a lot of deer.

The experience prompted my son to begin a search for a laser rangefinder of his own. What he found and shared with me was that several companies had introduced very good new rangefinders over the past couple of years.

Before taking a look at three newer models you might want to consider adding to your inventory, let’s very briefly explore a few factors customers looking for in a laser rangefinder. Speed is important in rangefinders, and newer models get faster each year. Consequently, it’s hard to go wrong with models introduced over the past decade or so. Another factor, angle compensation, is much more important for bowhunters in elevated blinds and Western rifle hunters shooting at game animals far above or below their elevation. Lastly, the distance a rangefinder can effectively range game animals is a top concern. For bowhunters, however, the ability to range long distances isn’t as important as for rifle hunters in open areas.

Leupold RX-5000 TBR/W 

Leupold has long made some of the best handheld laser rangefinders on the market. The company’s RX5000 TBR/W continues that reputation while updating its technology to keep up with some of the other top manufacturers’ ballistics solutions programs that are very popular.

This unit combines an extremely accurate 5,000-yard ranging performance with the ability to drop location pins right to your phone using the Leupold Control app and popular maps like onX Hunt. So, whether the user is outlining the perfect approach for his next stalk, marking her game’s exact location or even setting up a course of fire at the range, the unit has everything needed to make that happen easily and seamlessly.

While these features are quite important to the overall package, a laser rangefinder must also excel at its most basic function: measuring distance to distant objects. This new unit offers 8X magnification, enabling hunters to identify and engage distant targets with precision. Additionally, the new Long Range mode provides extremely accurate performance at 5,000 yards on trees and animals, and even greater distances on reflective targets. Other modes include True Ballistic Range (BTR) mode for precise distances on angled shots and Line of Sight (LOS) mode for straightforward distance measurements. Furthermore, a bright red OLED display ensures accurate readings in any lighting condition, and a waterproof housing protects against rain, snow, mud and sleet.

MSRP for the unit is $699.99. That’s not cheap, but it’s also not bad for a laser rangefinder that will likely last you the rest of your life as long as you don’t misplace it during the off-season.

Leica CRF R

Leica’s CRF R rangefinder is compact and high-quality. It features 7X monocular rangefinding, designed to deliver precise yardages from 10 to 2,000 yards, making it a top choice for both bowhunters and long-range firearm enthusiasts. The CRF R rangefinder boasts a lightning-fast engine with a response time of 0.3 seconds and an accuracy of +/- 0.5 yards. Leica has also integrated their EHR (equivalent horizontal range) technology into the CRF R, which accounts for shot angle and provides shooters with a true shoot-to distance.

Hunters can select to display the actual measured range or the equivalent horizontal range (EHR) on the four-digit LED display. With EHR, point-of-impact deviation is considered for angled shots. Thanks to its easy operation and one-hand concept, aiming and measuring become a single motion. This saves valuable time whenever the hunting situation is about to change. Like other Leica optics, from riflescopes to binoculars, the CRF R’s glass with High Durable Coating (HDC) offers superior clarity and color fidelity.

The CRF R’s excellent optics and high-precision rangefinding are housed in a small, exceptionally grippy casing that measures only 4.4 x 3 x 1.4 inches. It weighs just 6.3 ounces, including the single CR2 battery, which can power the unit for approximately 3,000 range measurements at 68 degrees F — quite a number for the average hunter. It comes with a Cordura carry case, strap and battery. The MSRP for the CRF R is $400, which, for serious hunters, is not a significant expense these days for a remarkable little rangefinder equipped with many essential features.

 

Bushnell Bone Collector 1000 

For hunters on a tighter budget, Bushnell’s Bone Collector 1800 rangefinder is a capable and compact tool designed for dedicated hunters. If you want to know about the durability of Bushnell rangefinders, I’m still using the first single-handheld rangefinder the company made back in the 1990s. All I do is replace the battery every couple of years and try not to misplace the unit between deer and turkey season and then the start of deer season again. I point it and click, and it keeps doing its job.

The Bone Collector 1800 utilizes Applied Ballistics Ultralite software paired with the Bushnell Ballistics app to deliver a precise shooting solution at the touch of a button. It also boasts a guarantee of 1-yard accuracy up to 1,800 yards. These two features alone position the unit well above its price point in terms of value. Other noteworthy features include ARC (Angle Range Compensation) technology and Scan Mode, which allows users to hold down the range button and scan while the rangefinder provides readings at a speed of four times per second.

The Bluetooth connection to the Bushnell Ballistic App provides users with everything necessary for a smooth setup of Applied Ballistics and rangefinder settings. After it’s set up and synced to the unit, users can access all the information they need on the rangefinder to obtain shooting solutions, without requiring a phone. The MSRP for the unit is $199.95. A well-constructed, multi-featured unit priced below $200 is nearly sure to attract the attention of many laser rangefinder shoppers.