How Accurate is a Rangefinder?

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How Accurate is a Rangefinder?

A rangefinder is an important addition to your golf or outdoor tool kit. Rangefinders are specially designed to help you know your yardage and improve your accuracy in the golf course. Over the past few years, rangefinders have become more common in the golfing community.

They are highly accurate and can give you an accurate measurement within yards. Some rangefinders are accurate to 1/2 yard or even 1/10 of a yard. This accuracy eases your mind when you are choosing a club by knowing that the flag is within the yardage given and not more or less.

The performance of rangefinders varies with cost. A high-end model will have better performance in terms of range, accuracy, and ease of use under different field conditions. The rangefinder’s accuracy also varies depending on the application/task being performed.

So, How Accurate is a Rangefinder?

If you know how to use a rangefinder, you’ll have an easy time measuring your distance accurately. A rangefinder sends a laser beam straight to the target. When the beam reaches the target, it is reflected back. The rangefinder comes with a clock that measures the time the beam takes to travel to the target and get reflected. This gives you an accurate distance of how far the target is.

In most cases, a rangefinder will get a +/- 1-yard accuracy. Some advanced models offer greater accuracy and measure within half a yard. You’ll also find that some models display the distance reading within a tenth of the yard. For example, the rangefinder will display 50.6 yards instead of 50 or 51 yards. However, to achieve such accuracy, you need to use the rangefinder in the best conditions possible. There should be no rain, fog, or extremely bright light.

What Causes Inaccurate Readings in Rangefinders?

While rangefinders provide highly accurate readings, it’s also true that some models may provide inaccurate distance measurements. You can get an accurate reading the first time you use it, then get a widely different reading of the same target a few minutes later. Here are some of the main causes of inaccurate readings in rangefinders.

  1. There is an object blocking the beam. Most inaccurate readings arise when there is an object blocking the beam. It can be a small tree branch, a leaf, drops of rain, or fog.
  2. Electronic error. While more rangefinders are highly accurate and reliable, they might not be equally tough. Sometimes dropping the rangefinder on the surface can make it malfunction.
  3. Out of range. When you are using a rangefinder to view objects that are out of range, you are going to get inaccurate readings. If a rangefinder has a 1000-yard maximum range, it might not be really accurate to that range. So, it might be only effective up to 750 yards for trees and about 200 yards for deer.

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Final Thoughts

Under ideal conditions, rangefinders are more accurate than GPS. If you want to improve your game for the better, a rangefinder is definitely worth the investment. It provides accurate and reliable distance reading in any activity you are using it for.

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