{"id":3501,"date":"2026-07-05T22:20:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T05:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.airgunsofarizona.com\/hunting\/?p=3501"},"modified":"2026-07-05T22:30:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T05:30:15","slug":"is-a-range-finder-useful-for-airgun-hunting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.airgunsofarizona.com\/hunting\/2026\/07\/is-a-range-finder-useful-for-airgun-hunting\/","title":{"rendered":"Is a Range Finder Useful For Airgun Hunting?"},"content":{"rendered":"

People who have watched my videos or read my articles have noticed that I sometimes use a rangefinder while hunting and have asked whether it is truly useful in the field. My answer is: yes and no. I do not use one on every hunt. For many hunts, such as squirrels in the woods or rabbits in thick brush, shots are close enough that a rangefinder adds little to targeting. However, when taking longer shots at groundhogs or prairie dogs, it can be invaluable. Even though I do not always use a rangefinder, I almost always keep one in my daypack, and I\u2019ll explain why.<\/p>\n

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Using a rangefinder to hone in on a 100-yard shot in S. Africa<\/p><\/div>\n

The most important factor for harvesting\/hunting small game with an air gun is shot placement. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Long-distance shooting calls for a scope to achieve precise shot placement and quick, clean kills. Range estimation is especially important when using an air rifle, because in these guns the flight trajectory of the pellet will be significantly arced. Most of us are pretty good at making gross observations of distance; is an object close or far away? However, telling whether an object such as a plump bunny is sitting thirty or forty yards away is somewhat more difficult. If you hold the crosshairs on the rabbit’s head at thirty yards, you will hit him in the head, while with the same hold on the rabbit at forty yards, you will end up shooting him in the foot. Because of the importance of accurately ranging your shots when hunting with an airgun, many hunters use scopes with an AO correction, mil-dots, and a laser rangefinder to be sure of distance.<\/p>\n\n\t\t