Rangefinder

Description

The rangefinder is a device used to determine the range to a target. The key to use the rangefinder can be bound in Controls > Ground Vehicles > Miscellaneous.

Depending on the tank and era, several methods and equipment can be used: visual estimation, optical rangefinders, or laser rangefinders. When using the rangefinder in-game, a small bar will fill up (located up and to the right of your reticle in binocular or sniper view) and on completion the estimated range will be displayed (located up and to left of the binocular and sniper view). If what you have attempted to range is beyond the maximum distance of you rangefinder, then the result will simply be displayed as ">[maximum range]".

Rangefinding methods

Visual Estimation

Visual estimation is the most basic form of rangefinding. In its simplest form, it involves a person estimating the distance to a target without the help of any extra tools. However this is commonly assisted by the use of some reference material, like stadia lines, which give the user an idea of roughly how large or small certain common objects will be at a given distance. In-game, this applies to tanks without any other form of ranging equipment researched, has a maximum range of 800-1,200 m depending on crew skill, and takes roughly six seconds. It is both the slowest and least accurate type of ranging. This inaccuracy is especially problematic for vehicles that use low velocity shells like HE, HEAT, HEATFS, and HESH where the drop of the shell is severe enough that small differences between the displayed range and actual range will result in a missed shot when aiming at targets that are further away. The degree of inaccuracy for visual rangefinding is directly related to your gunner's rangefinding crew skill. At base level any range estimation beyond 400 m can be off by ±50 m, more than enough to cause a miss for many vehicles that already struggle to engage at long distances

Optical Rangefinder

The Tank Rangefinder modification icon

While coming in a few different forms, such as the stereoscopic and the coincidence rangefinder, optical rangefinders can be found on many tanks. With a few exception they begin to appear on post WW2 vehicles but are quickly replaced by laser rangefinders in later, more modern, vehicles. Despite definite advantages in accuracy, especially over long distances, the optical rangefinder never reaches the level of universal adoption of its successor and is relatively short-lived with regards to tanks. In-game, optical rangefinders are a clear improvement. The optical rangefinder has an increased maximum range and decreased maximum error over tanks without ranging equipment, with their maximum distance topping out at 2 km, and substantially faster at only around three seconds.

The Laser Rangefinder modification icon

Laser Rangefinder

Laser rangefinders are the most common form of rangefinding equipment on modern tanks. It is often part of a larger Fire Control System, a computerized system that allow a tank to automatically adjust the gun to compensate for (depending on the particular system) distance, weather, target movement, and/or projectile type. In-game, the laser rangefinder is the best available, being the fastest, most accurate, and having the furthest maximum range at 5 km. It takes roughly 1 second to get the range making it possible to use quickly, even mid-fight. In addition to this, most vehicles with laser rangefinders do have some form of fire control system modelled, allowing the vehicle to automatically adjust the zero of the gun to the range measured, making rapid and accurate long range shots much easier to hit consistently.

List of in-game vehicles with Rangefinders by type (not including visual estimation)

Optical Rangefinder

Rank	USA	Germany	USSR	Britain	Japan	China	Italy	France	Sweden
IV		Panther F Panther II	ASU-85	FV4202	Type 61 ST-A3
V	M47 M48A1 M60 M103 T54E1 ▃Magach 3 (ERA)	M48A2 C Leopard I mKPz M47 G Tiger II (10.5 cm Kw.K)	SU-122-54 Object 268	Conqueror	▅M47	␗M48A1	M47 (105/55) M60A1 "D.C.Ariete"	AMX-30 (1972) AMX-50 Surbaissé AMX-50 Foch AMX-30 AMX-50 Surblindé
VI	M60A1 (AOS) M60A1 RISE (P) |	M48A2 G A2 Leopard A1A1 PT-16/T14 mod.	T-64A (1971) Object 279	Chieftain Mk 3 Chieftain Mk 5				AMX-30 ACRA

Laser Rangefinder

Rank	USA	Germany	USSR	Britain	Japan	China	Italy	France	Sweden

Media

Videos

Rangefinding (ground vehicles) - War Thunder Wiki

How to aim better - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the type of weapon;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.