Reflectors to help a range finder?

R

Rock Knocker

Well-known member
I've been out doing some more long range shooting after a couple slow years. Around here it is very hard to find anywhere to shoot over 300 yards, even that is usually a members only deal. So I have made myself a portable target that I can easily move around but it's large enough to hit at 1000+ yards, the problem is that my range finder won't read it no matter how much I try, that leaves me with doing the math from the MOA reticle of my scope, which isn't terribly accurate.

I was just out shooting at ~925 yards and I came up with the idea of getting some reflective tape and putting that around the borders of the target. Anyone try this before? My range finder is an older Bushnell Pro 1600.
 
Great idea! I'd be interested to see if this works myself. I know I've had better luck hitting a vehicle at longer ranges with the range finder. Reflective tape, a piece of mirror, or maybe even just a larger flat piece of something painted with gloss paint may help.
 
Try ranging a stop sign,even my 1st gen Bushnell 400 will range to 900 plus in reflective mode. You will need a support to range long distance.
 
The farthest I've ranged something was around 1200 yards but that was a house with a big white garage door, yesterday I was able to range my target to 483 yards, I probably could have picked it up from a little farther but I wend behind a hill. I will have to give it a try, I will pick up some reflective tape and if that doesn't work I will find a way to attach some of the solid reflective heads from those driveway markers. My target is made from wooden dowels with with a 4'x4' piece of fabric to shoot at so what ever I use has to be small or flexible, I have to carry this target however far I want to shoot it(sometimes to 1300 yards) then go and pick it up after five to ten shots.
 
Old license plates would make a high reflective surface, 6-9 in a rectangle should work to 1000. Making sure the reflective surface is perpendicular and vertical to the lazer position increases performance.

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I'm wondering if it is the fact that you are using fabric for a target that is absorbing the beam, fabric is a really bad reflector. Try putting a foot wide or better piece of white glossy paper with the target.

I'd be curios to see what happens if you acquire ranges farther and farther out, where you stop being able to pick things up.
 
I'm sure fabric is one of the worst things to try to get a range from but I don't have any large sheets of paper and I'm trying to not add any bulk to the setup. If I come across a large roll of paper I will pick it up, just typing this out I remembered I've got a large roll of freezer paper left over from hunting season. I bet that would work but it's a little spendy to be shooting. I might give it a try.
 
I went to 936 on stop sign, probably can go further but other signs were in between. I think with this 25 year old Bushnell 400 how fast read out is generated is relative to reflectivity,seems much faster on road signs then painted structures. Mike.
 
I have a license plate attached to my concrete bench, and shoot yardages back to it as I set up targets. My Leupold will read it out to a thousand, if you hold it dead still. By the way, the lazer is off a little from where the crosshairs line up. Mine works best at the top of the cross, my sons is off at 9 o'clock.
 


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