Having a rangefinder that takes up no additional space and effort is the ideal one. Isn’t it? A crossbow range finder works exactly the same as any other rangefinder with the only difference: it can be easily mounted with the crossbow. Hence, saving your time in calculating distance when target is close without effort and creating any noise.
We tested more than 200 best mounted rangefinders for a crossbow and concluded LaserWorks LE 032 as the best amongst all of them. The recommendation is based on visibility in various terrain, range, value to the money, ease of use and accuracy. There is pretty much everything in it that a hunter looks for.
Top 3 Best Crossbow Mounted Rangefinders
After rigorous testing in 2021 hunting season, I have scrutinized a few more options for you to consider.
- LaserWorks LE 032 – Crossbow Rangefinder Review
- Bresser Ambition – Bow Mounted Rangefinder Review
- BOBLOV 700m – Best Mini Mounted Range Finder
LaserWorks LE 032 – Crossbow Rangefinder Review
If you are looking for fast target acquisition as well as precision, then LaserWorks LE 032 is the one for you. It works well for adequate ranges like it goes up to 6 to 702 meters in spotting sight.
Heading onto its basic ranging mode, almost all the hunters like getting angle compensated horizontal distance by just a click. Henceforth, when bowhunting, LaserWorks LE-032 will display the compensated distance of incline or decline from the target.
It comes with a camouflage design and black aluminum body. With that, the reticle’s color is black along with an OLED display. It makes the screen readable throughout the days and nights. Not only that, it is lightweight, weather resistant, and has durable aluminum construction.
Additionally, our field tests led us to the conclusion that it can withstand fog quite easily. That is because there is a fog mode in it that helps bear fog or rain, or any other harsh weather. You will only need a 3 volt battery to attach with it and it will never wear out.
Moreover, for reflective targets, it will range easily for up to 700 meters with accuracy. For surfaces like a tree or a deer, it will work best within 400 yards, which is more than perfect for bowhunters. However, that accuracy might depend on so many other factors as well.
Considering its size of only 5.87 x 4.02 x 2.4 inches and just 0.22 pounds of weight, this unit is fairly easy to carry around and will be mounted on any crossbow. My time with this unit was pretty great. For the price and range, it can be a great utility if practiced and used with 400 yards.
Pros:
- Easy to carry around
- Light in weight
- Can work in bad weather conditions
- Precision and accuracy are on spot
- Has OLED display
- Displays angle compensated horizontal distance
Cons:
- Sometimes it might show fluctuations in readings in the rain and fog
Bresser Ambition – Bow Mounted Rangefinder Review
Bresser Ambition is another crossbow range finder for hunting. It works the same as the LaserWorks but there are some differences in their properties. First off, it is a little heavier with 0.5 pounds of weight. The size is slightly large as well with dimensions of 7.28 x 5.67 x 3.86 inches.
Mounting this crossbow range finder is yet again a pretty easy job to do. Pointing at the target is fairly convenient with three axes of adjustment.
It can measure up to 100 yards, which means it wouldn’t really work for longer ranges. But for people loving crossbow hunting and archery, this might be it.
However, one exciting thing to note is that its range for reflective and non reflective targets doesn’t have much of a difference. It will accurately measure up to 100 yards with a display reticle color of black. But here is more to this crossbow range finder, it provides angle compensation with accuracy in results.
For all those who want easy angle compensation with precise shot, this range finder is great. One thing that was concerning us was its hardware. It seems a little less durable and some people might not get this rangefinder tightly on their scope. Other than that, it is a nice pick to mount on a bow.
Pros:
- Will work accurately for shorter ranges under 100 yards
- Comes with angle compensation
- Pretty lightweight to carry everywhere
- Comes in a handy size
Cons:
- Sometimes it is hard to tightly mount it over the scope
BOBLOV 700m – Best Mini Mounted Rifle Range Finder
For the third pick, it is Boblov. For such a crossbow rangefinder mounted over the scope, and with a small size of 3.94 x 5.91 x 2.36 inches, it makes a perfect combination that everyone wants in a rangefinder.
Boblov rangefinder has a durable aluminum body along with 0.63 pounds of weight. Also, it is perfect for a crossbow but it works just fine with rifles as well. The measuring range of boblov goes up to 700 meters which is great for rifle hunters. However, it would not be doing angle compensation for you. Angle compensation is necessary for rifle hunters in hilly terrain.
For the mounting options, it is no doubt a decent crossbow rangefinder to mount but there will be some struggle mounting sideways. It works best when mounted on top of the crossbow or scope, no direction other than that is supported.
Even though it can range up to 700 yards for reflective objects, the non reflective range is always different. Our results for non reflective surfaces were up to 300 yards. But the good thing is that it comes in handy since it is lightweight, portable, and easy to adjust on a scope.
Overall, it is a great pick to start with. However, we have had some issues in mounting on crossbows but it can be sorted after reading instruction manual and understanding the product better. Having no angle compensation makes this product weak amongst competitors available in given price. In uneven terrain, tree stand or where angle is required, this won’t work.
Pros:
- Lightweight makes it easy to carry
- Conveniently portable with a small size
- Comes with a durable aluminum body
- Can range for as long as 700 yards with accuracy
Cons:
- It gets hard mounting it over the scope
Buying Guide for Mounted Crossbow Rangefinder
Having a rangefinder that mount on a crossbow not only saves time but also increase accuracy. But it requires a lot of practice using same bow mounted with rangefinder unit. Before buying the unit, hunters must consider following features.
Weight of Rangefinder
Since the rangefinder is mounted, the weight of bow increases. This affects the overall performance of hunter. However, if you are looking to hunt with a mounted unit, keep in mind the weight it comes with. The crossbow must be able to sustain the weight without loosing accuracy of shot.
Angle Compensation
Rangefinder with angle compensation are pretty common these days. 5 years back, it was a rare feature and was found in high end models only. On the other hand, now a days, a rangefinder with no angle compensation is discouraged in hunting communities.
Compensating angles manually takes time, thinking and effort when target is in front of you. This issue was solved cleverly and hunter specially ones who shoot longer ranges using rifles, love it.
Reticle Color
Reticle color matters a lot if you are hunting in low light conditions. Usually, what happens is, a rangefinder with black dot reticle can’t be visible when the target on opposite side is also dark colored and there is not enough light entering the rangefinder.
Although, this only happens in dark environments, but there are rangefinders that provide red reticle. If you want to hunt in low light conditions, you should get a best rangefinder for low light hunting.
Conclusion
Rangefinders are extremely beneficial and come with variety of priority features for hunters of various types and terrain. The best mounted rangefinder for crossbow hunting serves hunters who want to save time, and quickly get readings when trophy buck is nearby.
For hunters using scopes for rifles and want to mount rangefinders on there guns, knowing how to use a rangefinder reticle is absolute necessity.
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