Bushnell Yardage Pro Sport 450 Laser Rangefinder
Posted by GolfReviews on September 29, 2009 · 2 Comments
From the Manufacturer
Take your best shot with confidence with help from a Bushnell Yardage Pro laser rangefinder. Using advanced digital technology, Yardage Pro takes the guesswork out of measuring distances. It delivers superb range performance to targets from 5 to 1,500 yards away at the touch of a button and is accurate to within a yard even if you’re measuring in rain or snow or through foreground clutter like brush and branches. Measuring a mere 1.5 by 4 by 2.75 inches and weighing only 6.8 ounces, the Yardage Pro is the smallest, most advanced laser rangefinder available.
Thousands of hunters and golfers count on their Yardage Pro laser rangefinder to quickly and accurately size up their target and enhance their performance. In fact, over 600 touring golf pros, including 18 of the top 20 money winners on the PGA tour, use Yardage Pro to improve their game. So, whether you need to measure the distance to a whitetail deer or a bunker on the course, you can do it with confidence with Bushnell’s Yardage Pro.
How a Laser Rangefinder Works
Bushnell’s Yardage Pro rangefinders use an invisible, eye-safe Class 1 laser beam (as classified by the FDA) which is bounced off distant objects at the press of a button. Then, the rangefinder’s high-speed digital clock measures the time it takes for a laser beam to reach a target and return to the unit. Next, using advanced digital electronics, the rangefinder instantly calculates the distance to within a yard and shows the range in either yards or meters on a through-the-lens LCD display. The entire process is so fast that less than a second elapses between the time you press the button to the time the exact range to your target is displayed.
Reflectivity of Target Types
Because rangefinders bounce laser beams off targets in order to take measurements, their range is partially determined by the targets’ reflectivity. So, distances to reflective or “hard” targets like rock cliffs and semis can be measured from farther away than those to soft-surface targets such as deer. Ranges for moderately reflective targets, like trees, fall somewhere in the middle. Most experienced hunters will use their rangefinder to estimate ranges to near and distant landmarks before they actually encounter a game animal. By pre-measuring ranges to spots where trophies are likely to appear, they can concentrate on making an accurate shot when the moment of truth arrives.
Through-the-Lens LCD Display
Bushnell Yardage Pro rangefinders are fast and easy to use because everything you need to know is displayed on our built-in, through-the-lens LCD. Here’s how it works:
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A. Targeting Modes Scan Allows you to pan across the landscape while viewing a continuously updated LCD display of the distances between you and the targets you scan. Rain Compensates for precipitation to guarantee accurate distance measurement through rain or snow. Zip Allows you to accurately measure longer ranges (beyond 150 yards) when looking through foreground clutter like brush or branches. Reflector Increases the maximum measurement range for most highly reflective objects. |
B. Meters/Yards Quickly choose between these standard measuring units with a simple press of a button. C. Reticle Display the distance to objects targeted in these crosshairs at the press of a button. D. Battery Indictor Flashes when battery power is low. E. Target Quality Gauge Indicates the number of energy pulses being reflected from the target. |
Product Description
Let it hinge on a guess, or nail it with this. The shot of a lifetime is a time for certainty. With the Yardage Pro Sport 450, you’re confident to the last yard. It’s affordable, simple to use and features a slim, weather-resistant design that’s handy in a pinch. Now, jerky or sausage?
Buy Bushnell Yardage Pro Sport 450 Laser Rangefinder at Amazon
Originally picked this up to use on the golf course, but afterwards found out that even Bushnell says this is not the unit for golfers. It’s small, lightweight and accurate, but does not have a scan feature, meaning the distance measurement does not change as you move the sight from one object to the next. You must “shoot” the object, pick a another and shoot it. I have kept it as it will be great for dear season, but aim higher in the Bushnell line for use on the golf course.
Basically, it works great! We use our rangefinder to judge the distance from our boat to the shore, other boats, and anything else around us. Typical distances are 20 to 200 yards. We bought the cheapest rangefinder we could find because we didn’t need accuracy, didn’t need long distance, and weren’t sure it would be useful to us. Turns out we use it all the time and recommend it to all our sailing friends. We would buy the same unit again, but there are three things about it I would change. First, the unit is about 1/2″ too long for the case that came with it — it fits, but the case doesn’t close all the way. Very annoying! Second, sailors tend to measure in feet or meters and this unit measures in yards. It’s easy enough to multiply by three, but at the end of a long day when you are trying to figure the dinstances between a rocky point, a mooring bouy, and two other boats, it would be nice to avoid the math… Third, I would add a backlight to the display for use at twighlight and at night — the unit makes the measurements, you just can’t see the crosshairs to aim and can’t read the distance until you look at a light.