man using range finder

Bushnell The Truth Rangefinder Review

Are you looking for a Bushnell The Truth Rangefinder review you can trust?

A rangefinder is crucial for every serious hunter. Whether you’re a long-range rifle shooter or a bowhunter, you need one to give you a good look at how far your target is.

It keeps you from making unsound guesses and lets you go in for a quick, clean, and humane kill. If you’d rather not go looking for a wounded animal, you need to get your hands on a rangefinder.

Bushnell promises The Truth rangefinder can give you what you need. They’re setting a lot of high expectations naming their product The Truth. Let’s see if Bushnell can meet them all.

What Is The Truth Rangefinder?


Bushnell Team Primos The Truth ARC 4 x 20mm Bow Mode Laser Rangefinder

  • 4 x 20Millimeter laser rangefinder
  • Vertical range: 7-yards-850-yards
  • Angle compensation Arc bow mode

The Bushnell The Truth Rangefinder is a laser rangefinder made specifically for bowhunters. It has some features for rifle hunters, but, for the most part, The Truth serves the bowhunter best.

Bowhunting is very different from rifle hunting.

For one thing, you have to become a skilled archer. First, you have to master hitting a steady target. And then you can go out in the wild to practice going after a gazelle that can leap behind the bushes in half a second.

For another thing, arrows fly differently from bullets. The Truth compensates for this with Bow Mode. It measures the horizontal distance between you and your target while compensating for the arch in the path of the arrow.

Our Process: How We Researched for Our Bushnell The Truth Rangefinder Review

Before writing this Bushnell The Truth Rangefinder review, we checked out what other people had to say about this rangefinder. These are real people who actually went out and used this rangefinder.

We also looked at several videos of The Truth in action to see how it fares in different lighting and weather conditions.

The Truth About Bushnell’s The Truth

A Bushnell The Truth Rangefinder review needs a complete rundown of its most important features, so let’s take a look at them.

A look through the lens

The Truth is a lightweight, compact rangefinder with a 20-mm objective lens. It gathers enough light to give you a clear, bright image of your prey, even in low-light conditions.

Focusing is easy enough. You simply turn the lens to get the image you want.

The 4x magnification is decent for a rangefinder of its size. It’s more than enough for a bowhunter. Unfortunately, rifle shooters may not be happy with the magnification power, especially when shooting over long distances.

How far it goes

The Truth delivers line-of-sight readings from 7 to 850 yards for a reflective target, such as the steel practice targets at shooting ranges. That’s pretty impressive, considering the size of this rangefinder.

When you’re using the rangefinder’s Angle Range Composition (ARC) technology to compensate for inclines and declines, you get a good range of 7 to 199 yards. That’s more than you need for bowhunting.

What matters most, however, is how it performs when you’re trying to calculate the distance between you and a non-reflective target, such as a deer or a tree.

When scoping out a deer or other moving prey, you can be sure to receive accurate readings up to 200 yards. For trees, rocks, and other landmarks, The Truth can go as far out as 600 yards.

Put your Bow Mode on

a man looking through a monocular

Image Source: Pixabay

The Truth’s Bow Mode has settings adjusted for bowhunting.

It turns on ARC to measure the distance between you and your target while taking into account the angle from which you’re shooting.

When you’re shooting from a tree stand or when your target is sitting on a ridge above your head, ARC becomes really useful. It eliminates the guesswork and gives you a clear idea of exactly how far your target is and how to shoot.

It’s easy to go from line-of-sight mode to Bow Mode. There’s only one button for both modes.

To get a line-of-sight reading, push the button once. If you’re shooting at an angle, press the button for another two seconds to get a readout that compensates for the incline.

Hits it right on the head

We can’t write a Bushnell The Truth Rangefinder review without discussing accuracy. A rangefinder with all the bells and whistles is useless if it can’t provide accurate readings.

The Truth has extremely accurate readouts, give or take a one-yard margin for errors. That’s pretty standard will laser rangefinders.

If you’re interested in something more precise, Bushnell has a new model of The Truth. It has all the same specs and features but comes with a feature called ClearShot.

ClearShot calculates the highest point in the path of the arrow. It shows you if there’s anything in the way between you and the target, like a tree branch or tall bush, so you can move to another shooting spot.

The little rangefinder that could

The Truth is a small rangefinder. At 3.8 inches by 2.4 inches by 1.4 inches, it’s not any larger than an Altoids tin.

It fits easily in your pocket when you’re out hunting. It also comes with a neck strap so you can hang it around your neck while waiting at the tree stand.

The ergonomic, sleek design makes it easy to wrap your fingers around it. It also has a non-slip body that ensures it stays snugly in your hand while scoping out your prey.

It also comes with a carrying case to protect it when not in use.

No more power struggles

a man using a rangefinder

Image Source: Pixabay.com

This rangefinder is powered by a 3-volt non-rechargeable CR2 battery that comes in the box.

CR2 batteries are more powerful than regular batteries. A single CR2 battery can give you at least tens of thousands of readings without losing power anytime soon.

Unfortunately, CR2 batteries are pretty hard to find. When you happen to chance upon one, it’s best to buy it instead of waiting for your battery to die out.

That said, The Truth has an indicator that will let you know if you need to replace the battery soon.

It also comes with a battery-saving feature that automatically shuts the rangefinder down when it hasn’t been used in 30 seconds.

Too much screen time

If there’s any complaint that people have about this rangefinder, it’s the screen.

The readout is displayed on a black LCD screen with no backlight.

For most people, that may not be a problem. But for people with vision problems, it can make the readout hard to see.

If you’re hunting at dusk or early in the morning, squinting at the screen may take more of your precious time than you’d like.

Rain puts a literal a damper on it

Bushnell advertises The Truth as being waterproof, but that’s not entirely the truth.

This rangefinder doesn’t do well in damp and foggy situations. On a misty mountaintop, for example, the lens fogs up and essentially becomes useless.

It also takes a while for the lens to clear up. If the wait takes too long, you can dry it with a blow-dryer or hang it over a stove at home.

This is what happens with optics that aren’t filled with nitrogen. Nitrogen prevents moisture and allows the lens to remain clear, even in rainy weather.

PROS

  • Maximum range of 850 yards

  • ARC with Bow Mode with a maximum range of 199 yards

  • Compact, lightweight, and easy to carry around

  • Provides readings with +1/-1 yard accuracy

  • Angle range of +90/-90 degrees

  • Easy to use and intuitive

CONS

  • Not water-resistant as advertised

  • Readout display has no backlight

How The Truth Compares

This Bushnell The Truth Rangefinder review wouldn’t be complete without a comparison with other similar products.

Let’s see how The Truth matches up to some of the most popular laser rangefinders on the market.

TecTecTec ProWild Hunting Rangefinder


TecTecTec ProWild Hunting Rangefinder – 6×24 Laser Range Finder for…

  • HUNTING LASER RANGEFINDER; Tired of cheap rangefinders with short ranges of measurement? Our PROWILD Laser Rangefinder…
  • SPEED, SCAN and HUNT TECHNOLOGY; Provides fast measurement with +/- 1 yard accuracy.
  • THROUGH THE LENS DISPLAY; Premium, ultra clear, multilayered optics with easy read, through the lens display with…

The TecTecTec ProWild rangefinder has a maximum range of 540 yards. This is much less than that of The Truth, but it’s still more than enough for bowhunters, who typically don’t have to shoot beyond 200 yards.

It has a 24-mm objective lens with 6x magnification power to provide a clear view of your target.

Like The Truth, it has a black LCD display with no backlighting, which doesn’t make it any easier to read.

It does have a continuous scan mode, which scans the landscape for several seconds to get a readout for prominent landmarks in the area.

There’s also a built-in speed meter that tells you if your target is moving away from you and how fast it’s going.

What it doesn’t have is angle compensation. Downhill or uphill shooting is still possible, but you’ll have to take into account the angle of incline yourself.

The TecTecTec ProWild rangefinder is small, compact, and lightweight. It has a rainproof body and a lens that will not fog up when exposed to moisture.

It also promises to provide accurate readings, with a +1 /-1 margin of error.

However, many people say that’s not entirely the case. While this rangefinder provides good readouts for longer ranges, it isn’t as accurate when you’re shooting at a distance of 50 yards or less.

For rifle hunters, that’s not much of an issue, but bowhunters need something that can provide accurate readings at shorter ranges. This could potentially be a deal-breaker.

Also, you want to be careful if you plan on ordering the TecTecTec ProWild. It seems the company isn’t able to keep up with the demand for its product, which has led to a rise in the number of defective rangefinders being shipped out.

PROS

  • 6x 24 mm objective lens

  • Maximum range of 650 yards

  • Continuous scanning

  • Built-in speed meter

CONS

  • No angle compensation

  • Not accurate at less than 50 yards

  • Plenty of defective units on the market

Where to buy

Nikon 16224 Arrow ID 3000 Bowhunting Laser Rangefinder


Nikon 16224 Arrow ID 3000 Bowhunting Laser Rangefinder

  • Nikon’s advanced ID (Incline/Decline) Technology provides the horizontal distance to the target, even when ranging at…
  • Incredibly long, 20.3mm eye relief makes viewing and ranging your target fast and easy
  • Displays in 1-yard increments with a 6-550-yard ranging capacity

Just like The Truth, the Nikon Arrow ID is a true bowhunter’s rangefinder.

It provides line-of-sight measurements and compensates for slopes when shooting from an incline or decline. It also promises accurate readings, give or take one yard for errors.

The Nikon Arrow ID also comes with continuous scanning, a feature that isn’t available on The Truth. This lets you scroll across the landscape for eight seconds. The rangefinder then measures the distance between you and various features of the landscape.

The 20-mm objective lens allows plenty of light for clear images. It can be magnified up to four times, which is similar to The Truth.

Unfortunately, this rangefinder doesn’t do well in wet conditions. The lens tends to fog up when exposed to moisture, and it’s almost impossible to remedy it save by abandoning the hunt altogether.

It’s also not the ideal rangefinder for targeting small things past 200 yards. If you’re out hunting on goose season, for instance, you may want to use something a little more helpful.

PROS

  • 4x 20-mm objective lens

  • Line-of-sight and angle compensation readings

  • High accuracy, +1/-1

CONS

  • Fogs up in wet conditions

  • Inaccurate readings for small objects

Where to buy

WoSports Hunting Rangefinder


Wosports Hunting Range Finder, 650 Yards Archery Laser Rangefinder for…

  • Multi Functions: Laser Range Finder for golf and hunting sports, with Distance Measue, Normally Scan…
  • Golf Mode: accurately ranges from 5 to 650 yards and 150 yards to a flag lock. if you used on M2 Mode, Flag pole locking…
  • Scan Mode: Hold down “Power/Start” button while ranging to activate the continous measurement scan mode.The data on the…

Another bestselling rangefinder is the WoSports rangefinder.

It’s promised as a bowhunter and rifle shooter’s rangefinder, although it only works well up to 250 yards if you’re a rifle hunter. For bowhunters, the maximum range is 650 yards. That’s less than The Truth but still more than enough for shooting with an arrow.

The 25-mm objective lens can be magnified six times. It’s particularly small, about half the size of other comparable rangefinders.

Although it claims to have an accuracy of +1/-1 yards, the WoSports rangefinder doesn’t compensate for inclines. If you’re shooting uphill or downhill or from a tree stand, the measurements will actually be slightly off. You’ll have to compensate for the angles yourself if you want to take down your prey in one clean go.

It’s also not water-resistant, even though the display has a fog-proof mode that makes it easy to read during foggy weather. The lens still fogs up and distorts your measurements when exposed to the slightest bit of rain.

This rangefinder also has a huge problem with its carrying case, which has a Velcro strap that opens loudly and can startle your target away. If you have an alternative case with a magnetic snap that opens quietly, use that instead. Otherwise, just do away with the carrying case.

PROS

  • Minimum range of 650 yards

  • Very accurate

  • Fog mode for display screen

  • Small and lightweight

CONS

  • No angle compensation

  • Not water-resistant

  • Velcro case scares prey away

Where to buy

The Bottom Line on the Bushnell The Truth

Rangefinder Review

Bushnell Team Primos The Truth ARC 4 x 20mm Bow Mode Laser Rangefinder

This Bushnell The Truth Rangefinder review concludes that it is a reliable piece of equipment for bowhunters.

It’s effective at what it promises to do, which is to provide accurate distance measurements between you and your prey, with the ability to account for angles in its readout.

It’s also compact, lightweight, and easy to use with its one-button operation.

Although The Truth has some flaws, such as the less-than-impressive optics and lack of water resistance, it’s a more-than-decent rangefinder that you’ll find a lot of good use for in the wild.

So what do you think about the Bushnell The Truth rangefinder review? Let us know in the comments section below!

Featured Image Source: Amazon

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