Ryan Denny

A laser rangefinder reduces the guesswork of estimating yardage in the field, but the best units of rangefinder--with high-quality optics and complicated technology for calculating bullet drop out to 1,550 yards--can cost more than your rifle or bow.

The big news is that affordable choices abound. I tested four $150-and-under models that claim to do the job at distances ranged by the average whitetail bow hunter.

These affordable units will not let you count a deers whiskers at a quarter mile, but they can range deer, pronghorns, elk and other game out to 180 yards and mark longer, reflective specialties such as hills and trees at even bigger distances.