Thread: Laser rangefinding with GPS linking

I was telling a fried about my most recent hunt where I couldn't find a goat, or even the landmarks I'd noted in the scrub. I mentioned that I'd forgotten my rangefinder so I wasn't even sure whether I'd reached the scrub where I shot it.
He got all excited and started telling me about something his mate had played with where the rangefinder is linked to an app and creates a marker of some sort on the map for you. Like a laser painter for guided bombs. This sounds like great kit, as well as expensive!

Anyone have one? Does it match the hype?

Identify your target beyond all doubt because you never miss (right?) and I'll be missed.

Not sure if its the same thing but Leupolds new model rangefinder pairs with a mapping app on your phone, so as long as you mark where you are when you shoot it marks the range on the map (must have an inbuilt compass in the rangefinder)

Have often thought about some sort of civilian version of "laser tagging" on target/terrain, how many times have you seen a deer through the binos and tried to tell your dopey mate next to you exactly where to look!

Would be great to tag it with a laser & your mate can see through his optics exactly where you were looking.

Yes that Leupold thing sounds like the business. And we've been trying to teach the kids how to find things through binoculars. It's a real skill both to describe and to follow the description.

Identify your target beyond all doubt because you never miss (right?) and I'll be missed.

There used to be a wgtn crowd that made such systems, designed for mortar targeting if I remember correctly. Rangefinder binos linked to GPS and the mortar.

This seems to be the RC 5000.
The web page says it has a compass that needs to be calibrated for each trip.
Bearing to your target is the least precise part of the process so this could be good.

Originally Posted by Sika 8

Have often thought about some sort of civilian version of "laser tagging" on target/terrain, how many times have you seen a deer through the binos and tried to tell your dopey mate next to you exactly where to look!

Would be great to tag it with a laser & your mate can see through his optics exactly where you were looking.

Do this a lot when hunting at night, its great for pointing out possums when you can see the eyes but the shooter next to you is looking at a different part of the tree because they haven’t seen the eyes yet. Great for getting guided in when you shoot a deer in the scrub/gorse too. Most of the time, as the person doing the recovery you can’t actually see the laser if the scrub is thick, or if you are crossing a gully, but the spotter can see the laser and your torch and guide you in. Once you get reasonably close the laser is easier to see.

Originally Posted by Eat Meater

I was telling a fried about my most recent hunt where I couldn't find a goat, or even the landmarks I'd noted in the scrub. I mentioned that I'd forgotten my rangefinder so I wasn't even sure whether I'd reached the scrub where I shot it.
He got all excited and started telling me about something his mate had played with where the rangefinder is linked to an app and creates a marker of some sort on the map for you. Like a laser painter for guided bombs. This sounds like great kit, as well as expensive!

Anyone have one? Does it match the hype?

Identify your target beyond all doubt because you never miss (right?) and I'll be missed.

You can do this with Sig Sauer BASEMAP.

https://www.sigsauer.com/kilo10k-abs-hd-gen-ii.html


Don't have experience with LRFs or Binos doing it with an app. But most high drones have had these features for a while now depending on the camera attached, the commercial DJI units are really good for it. Spot with the drone, range it, shoot it, tag it and hike back to it a few hours later no problem in the dark. Super accurate.

You have a range finder, so you know the distance to your downed animal. You carry a compass on a cord around your neck at all times, so you have a known bearing.

If you want to be all "belts and braces" you have a gps (or phone with app) and can log your shooting position.

Some of us have just used a bloody compass ( triangulating if necessary) for decades............

Have had a play with a sig1800 rangefinder and the Basemap app. Looks like a bit of a faff. Have to range, then use a phone to mark the spot as well, and you need to have a subscription to the base map app which seems to be geared mainly for American hunting.if you have one of the higher end sig rangefinders or binos I think it us just a one step operation but the $30usd subscription wasn’t worth it from what I saw.

I stuck with ranging the distance and then using this to place a point on topo50. Generaly gets me with 10m of the spot.

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

You have a range finder, so you know the distance to your downed animal. You carry a compass on a cord around your neck at all times, so you have a known bearing.

If you want to be all "belts and braces" you have a gps (or phone with app) and can log your shooting position.

Some of us have just used a bloody compass ( triangulating if necessary) for decades............

A lot of navigation apps and GPSs have a project function where you mark your current location and then fill in the distance and bearing you want the new way point at. My old etrex can do this I think. All you need is a rangefinder and compass.

The problem ive found with “project waypoint” on Garmin is getting an accurate bearing. Astandard Silva magnetic Compass can only be read +/- 5 degrees which is quite a lot sideways when projected out 300m. I lost points in the Hihitahi challenge nav stages due to this. And Ive been let down when the gps compass bearing was out of calibration ( need to do the twirly rotation procedure) .

In geometrical theory, if there is significant slope and you use line of sight distance then you could over project for distance. Im not sure how much of a problem that would be in practice but a range finder with inclinometer and TBR capability would take that in its stride.

Originally Posted by Sika 8

Have often thought about some sort of civilian version of "laser tagging" on target/terrain, how many times have you seen a deer through the binos and tried to tell your dopey mate next to you exactly where to look!

Would be great to tag it with a laser & your mate can see through his optics exactly where you were looking.

we have done this for 30 years using a simple $2 shop lazer pointer......the guy on spotlight has pointer so can point out animal.....still puts positive ID on the guy on light as well as trigger man....private land wallabies it was awesome..pre thermal days of course.

Originally Posted by longshot

Do this a lot when hunting at night, its great for pointing out possums when you can see the eyes but the shooter next to you is looking at a different part of the tree because they haven’t seen the eyes yet. Great for getting guided in when you shoot a deer in the scrub/gorse too. Most of the time, as the person doing the recovery you can’t actually see the laser if the scrub is thick, or if you are crossing a gully, but the spotter can see the laser and your torch and guide you in. Once you get reasonably close the laser is easier to see.

flick lazer across schrubbery infront of person being guided..back n forward to downed animal...follow the dot you pillick...like teasing the cat till it falls in swimming pool..not that anyone has ever done that...

Don't Garmin have an app for this (Track n go or the likes) I was going to look into this as my wife kindly brought me a new Garmin watch and I was wondering if it had the ability to have this feature....