I realize this will be controversial, but looking for a scope has been driving me nuts. Its difficult enough to find a scope that offers decent glass, focuses to 10 yards, repeatable, and will stand up to springers.( I shoot a TX200) But adding the ability to rangefind seems to make the task impossible.
This led me to ask why not allow the use of laser rangefinders? They're commonplace now. I don't think they'll remove the difficulties of hitting the target. To me, field target requires us to learn our rifle's trajectory, hone our positions, judge the wind, and I'm sure there are lots of other skills that the better shooters realize are necessary to hit the target.
I don't think scores will improve much, probably not much at all, if any, for the top shooters, and I bet less than 10% for most of us. Even if I know how far the target is, wind and technique, i.e. skills, make more of a difference.
Has anyone tried a match where the distances are known? Or allowed a group to use rangefinders and to shoot the course twice?
I think allowing rangefinders reduces aggravation more than anything else. I think it will help to reduce cost in that I can buy a rangefinder and a $300 scope and compete on a fairly level playing field instead of having to spend $1000 for a scope, which may or may not help. And I think it may be harder to find a production scope that fits all of our requirements moving forward.
Folks don't buy a $3500 8-80X Match scope just so some newbie can upstage him with a cheap rangefinder and scope combo.
Yep, its always been this way. I started asking what you are asking 20yrs ago, but the guys with the big glass won't have it.
That said, though I had caved way back and mounted 50x and even a 60X scope back then (albiet never over $300 for em), I just didn't feel right about it, and gradually worked down to 10x or 12X max scopes. Yes, they don't range well beyond middle distances, and no, I don't use a rangefinder, I pretty much have just learned to judge by eye as best I can.
I still feel the huge mag glass with big honkin sidwheels do turn new potential FT shooters away when they see em, since they serve no other practical purpose in the shooting world, and do much to make otherwise decent guns into topheavy, hard to fit in normal cases, or even gun racks, but I'm in a small minority of this readership.