Nikon Arrow ID 3000 Review – Bow Hunting Rangefinder

Nikon Arrow ID 3000 Review

No matter how long you’ve been hunting with a crossbow, you should still use a range finder.Nikon Arrow ID 3000 Review - Bow Hunting Rangefinder

It’s a precious tool that lets you establish precise yardages. Don’t hunt based on experience.

Use the best bow hunting range finder and take that shot accurately.

Still not convinced?

Don’t think that a rangefinder for hunting is worth the investment?

Here are a few other reasons why you should consider it.

Nikon Arrow ID 3000 Review:- No More Guessing

Nikon 16224 Arrow ID 3000 Bowhunting Laser Rangefinder

Last updated on July 22, 2023 03:12

Features

  • Nikon's advanced ID (Incline/Decline) Technology provides the horizontal distance to the target, even when ranging at various incline or decline shooting angles
  • 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
  • Class 1 laser product, power output not exceeding .0975 milliwats

The primary function of a rangefinder is to give you a reading of the distance between you and your target or any landmarks.

This is done by an invisible laser beam, which is sent from the rangefinder, travels across the air until it gets reflected by the target, and then bounces back.

An internal circuit calculates the time it took for the beam to return and translates it into a distance that is shown on the LCD.

Not knowing the exact distance between you and your target can mean a missed shot, or even worse, a dirty shot and a wounded animal.

Do you really want to spend the rest of your day tracking your prey while it is suffering and trying to getaway? If you don’t want to miss it, don’t guess.

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Get closer without being there.

The slightest twig snap will make a deer jump away in panic, and finding another opportunity could take hours.

That’s why you should use a rangefinder. You can be hundreds of yards away and still be able to see your target and get ready for your shot.

No need to get closer to your prey, taking the risk of spooking it and seeing it run away.

Increase your estimating skill

It’s nice to have enough time to whip out your rangefinder and calculate the distance from your target, but this is not always possible.

Sometimes there will be an unexpected deer that just seems to pop up from nowhere, leaving you with no time to measure.

By using your rangefinder frequently, your instinct will grow.

You will soon be much better at estimating accurate distances without having to use your rangefinder, and this could mean the difference between having enough time to take the shot or not. Practice makes the master.

Compensate

It doesn’t matter if you are hunting boars on the slopes or goats in a canyon, a good rangefinder can help you thanks to its angle compensation features.

When your target is on an incline or a decline, it can be difficult to estimate the distance correctly; it might look further away than it actually is.

Making sure that your arrow’s flight path doesn’t get ruined by gravity and drag by calculating the precise angle shot and correction values can be quite difficult when you only have a few seconds to do it.

Unless you have some kind of Rain Man-like super skills, you probably won’t be able to do it.

But a rangefinder can. It will give you the true horizontal distance to your target.

That will keep you from aiming too high or too low and ending up with a missed shot or having to search for a lost arrow.

Just adjust your scope or sight to match the rangefinder’s reading and your shot should be right on target.

For bowhunters, it is great to know the angle you will need to shoot from.

Easy to carry

You probably have enough gear already, and the last thing you need is an extra piece of bulky equipment adding weight to your backpack.

With a rangefinder, you don’t have to worry about that. Rangefinders are compact units that weigh a few ounces and can fit in your pocket.

Affordable

Buying a rangefinder doesn’t mean that you have to break the bank. As long as it has the features you need to get a good shot any mid-range priced unit should be enough.

Sure, there are great rangefinders out there that will keep working even if a tank passes on top of them, but they will cost you a few thousand dollars and don’t really have any important features you might need while hunting.

Easy to use

All this talk about calculating angles and measuring distances might make you wonder if using a rangefinder means having to study a manual that looks like a telephone book.

Actually, most rangefinders can be operated with a couple of fingers while you hold it in your hand. Just press a button, and you’re done.

Now that you’ve read about the advantages a rangefinder offers, you might wonder which is the best rangefinder for bowhunting.

There are a few great options, but one you can’t miss is the Nikon 16228 ARROW ID 3000 Laser Rangefinder.

Here is a review of its features and specifications.

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Power

The arrow ID 3000 rangefinder is fuelled by a 3v CR2 battery. The LCD will show a low-battery icon to alert you when it is needed to be replaced.

Changing the battery is simple, you just need to insert a coin or any similar item into the battery cover slot and rotate it to open or close it.

You can use your rangefinder for approximately 13,000 times before your battery is exhausted.

Operation

Using a rangefinder shouldn’t be complicated, and using the ID 3000 sure isn’t.

When a distance needs to be measured, all you need to do is press the power button to turn the unit on, aim at the target by positioning it at the center of the LCD’s reticle, and push the power button again to start a single measurement.

This rangefinder also has a continuous measurement function, which is done by keeping the power button pressed.

This is perfect to use with moving targets or for when you want to know the distance of several objects without having to measure them one by one.

Target Modes

There are two target modes you can use, and you can switch between them by pressing and holding the mode button and then pressing and holding the power button.

First Target Priority Mode will calculate the distance between you and the nearest object in the rangefinder’s laser path.

Distant Target Priority Mode will read the distance between you and the farthest object.

This is perfect for getting distance readings without worrying about grass or bushes causing wrong measurements.

Measurement Display Modes

The Arrow ID 3000 uses what Nikon calls ID Technology. ID stands for Incline/Decline and is an angle compensation calculation that the unit does to show the actual horizontal range to the target.

This feature is very useful when you are bowhunting from a tree stand, where even a slight difference between the line of sight yardage and the true horizontal range can cause a missed shot.

Optics and Design

This rangefinder has all its features packed in a very portable unit. It measures 3.6 x 1.5 x 2.9 inches and weighs 4.8 ounces.

It is completely sealed and filled with Nitrogen to make it resistant to condensation and mold and is rated as waterproof, so using it on rainy days will be no problem.

The measurement range is 4.5-550 meters/5-600 yards, and a 6X magnification lens with a 7.5 angular field of view will make you notice objects that might not be apparent to a naked eye.

Final Thoughts

The Nikon Arrow 3000 ID laser rangefinder offers all the features a bowhunter could need. No extra bells and whistles, no unnecessary technology that will only make the unit heavier and more complicated to use.

With an angle compensation mode for those steep angle targets and a distant target priority mode to get readings through bushes and obstacles, plus a 6X magnification lens, this is the best bow hunting range finder, and once you start using it, you will notice how much easier hunting gets.

5/5 - (1 vote)
Nikon Arrow ID 3000 Review – Bow Hunting Rangefinder
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