Question on Optics

[Inexperienced]

I am new to hunting and am wondering why you use rangefinders, binoculars, and spotting scopes? What is the difference in using them?

[KwackWacker]

Rangefinders help you know the exact distance to your target, be it animal or at the range. This is extremely helpful in bowhunting as you have to know how far away from the target you are in order to use the proper sight. It's also helpful to muzzleloader hunters because they have a limited distance for which the gun is accurate. Rifle hunters use them for extremely long shots. They are generally have a monocle or one eyepiece and are usually in the six to eight power range. That means whatever you are looking at is 6 times bigger than it appears with the naked eye.

Binoculars help you to see better wherever you are. I used to not hunt with binoculars but now I never leave the house without them. You can see so much better using them even at fifty or sixty yards in thick brush. In open country it makes the little brown spots look much bigger and you can judge the animal better without having to get close. Binoculars come in an assortment of sizes but the most popular would be in the 8x32 or 8x 40 range.

Spotting scopes are used in vast open country to look for animals miles away. This helpsyou scout without actually disturbing the animals. It also helps in hunting situations where you may have to stalk super long distances. You can take a look through the spotting scope and see if the animal is worth going after or not. Spotting scopes are generally used for mule deer, antelope, elk and sheep hunts in huge expanses of land. Spotting copes will generally be in the 20x50 to 30x50 size range and you will generally need a rest of some sort so that the scope can be held steady. When you are looking at something that far away any shaking will make it hard to get a good view of the animal.