Bad readings on my rangefinder.

[Bukwild3]

Was hunting this week in Wyoming for pronghorn and while hunting I was getting way off readings. Almost a hundred yards off while kneeling in the sage brush. I thought it was a clear line of sight but while kneeling the reading was off. Is it the angle in which I'm ranging and the size of the pronghorn or is the brush somehow messing with the reading? The readings I got were 145 to 300 and one was 225 and 350. I have a Leupold tbr1200. Was kind of difficult ranging at 300? to 500!

 

[VAspeedgoat]

As I understand it the problem you are having is called divergence. As the laser goes out it gets wider. Picture a flashlight on a table and that is what flatter land does to the laser beam. Throw in sage and it will soak up enough of the beam to throw off the reading or get no reading at all. I had the same problems and had to upgrade to a rangfinder with a narrow laser beam. Leica, swaro, and zeiss all have narrow beams which cut down on divergence. Leica is the cheapest of the trio and what I bought. I was able to range pronghorn out to 700+ if I could hold it still. I like being able to go out that far to help plan stalks.

 

[PAGOAT]

I had the same problem but past 400 yards last week. I found if I held it on the tripod to keep it still it worked a lot better. Same range finder you have also, but not a problem under 300 at all.

Goat

 

[Bukwild3]

Thanks guys!