Best laser for long range (daytime) designation

[Cd018]

All,

I'm new to the forum and would like recommendations. I need to designate targets with a visible laser from 100-800yds in the daylight hours. I will be shooting with a NF15-55X scope. Is there anything on the market that will be visible at those distances?
Thanks!

 

[VirtueViolater]

You should be able to see a low power 532nm dot at that range with a scope.

 

[steve001]

I'm not sure if it's naivete or what, but *again giving out info to a first time poster without knowing who this poster is is not a smart thing to do. I looked up this scope he's using; it's a high end scope lending the capability to the user for shooting long range. Maybe it's for fun or maybe not.

*There was another first time poster recently who wanted info on making a laser weapon.

 

[VirtueViolater]

Looking back you are right,
At minimum should look for proper info and intro in future post replys

 

[Cd018]

Sorry guys I can see where that might be scary. I am taking my father on safari in South Africa in October to shoot plains game. The trouble is all the animals look the same to us from a distance and are sometimes in herds of 30+. The guide says something like "start from the right. Go in 13. Up 2."

You can imagine the difficulty in trying to scan that way when the animals are moving. So much easier to say "call contact the blue dot. That's your target."

In fairness, I didn't try to hide anything. It's a long range scope on a long range gun. If I was trying to hurt someone I would have made up a more innocent sounding story.

Sorry if I made anyone uncomfortable.

 

[Razako]

You'd probably want a moderately high powered green laser for this. Something in the 200-300mw range at 532nm would be ideal.

 

[Cd018]

Any concern with losing a green laser in foliage or will it be bright enough to stand out?

 

[GSS]

Can a DPSS 532 stand up to the the continued kick back of what i'm assuming is a high caliper rifle


Cd018:: Got It.. this one went way over my head.

 

[Cd018]

I have no intent to mount the device. I want the guide or spotter to be able to mark the proper animal so I don't shoot the wrong one.

It wouldn't do much good mounted anyway because the bullet has so much vertical travel. A .308 at 1,000 travels about 10 feet vertically. I am shooting much larger rounds, but same idea.

 

[ultimatekaiser]

I have no intent to mount the device. I want the guide or spotter to be able to mark the proper animal so I don't shoot the wrong one.

It wouldn't do much good mounted anyway because the bullet has so much vertical travel. A .308 at 1,000 travels about 10 feet vertically. I am shooting much larger rounds, but same idea.

A well made one can probably withstand the shock for a while, but keep in mind that the animals can see the laser even better than you likely at the other end due to to Raleigh scattering. it'll be like looking into a super bright flashlight to them which may startle them. People have used the counting method for years and years because it is discreet and quiet, and it comes with practice, but if you want my suggestion, a 50mW osram 520nm laser is probably a good bet at that range if you can get it collimated well enough. most lasers for weapons are only a few mW, because its kind of a double standard. you can see the dot, but the opposing side can often see the beam itself and where its coming from, which is the last thing you want. visible lasers were never meant for such a long range application in firearms. Usually most built in long range targeters use an IR one, such as a 980nm instead so it is invisible. The other problem you have to contend with is divergence. Even a laser beam spreads, though slowly, and at 800yds, even with exceptional divergence (sub-1mRad) is going to be quite big. it's not going to be a small little spot. You'd possibly need some serious beam expander to get that spot size small enough you're not flashing them all in the face, which isn't cheap.