"Too Powerful" is not how LRF logic works when figuring out range. It is more likely just averaging out multiple returns and then giving you the average.
905 lasers work by sending out thousands of pulses. Because they have to use a weaker laser (to be eye safer, and eye safe doesn't exist) they compensate by sending out thousands of pings. As you wobble around those get spread out. 905nm lasers are extremely close to our visual range (380nm - 700nm). This is the near-infrared wavelength. 650nm - 900nm is the range used for cold laser therapy and other medical devices due its penetration depth into the human body. Not good for eyes to say the least. So these are legally reduced in power. To compensate they range like this:
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1550 lasers (more expensive range finders) are able to send out one single high energy pulse. Which is why they are both more accurate, and can range further. 1550nm is further from our vision and the energy is absorbed and dissipated in our eyes. Which greatly reduces the chances of causing harm.
The last issue to think about is the diode. These can be low or high quality. High quality tend to be more round and polished. Lower quality (cheaper) tend to be more rectangular. Which has an impact on your ranging quality. As you can imagine, getting a return on things around what you are lasing has to be filtered out by the algorithm in use. If the system is averaging to find "best" then some of those returns will be from objects around your intended target. Now couple that with the wobble from your hand as you push the button (no one is rock solid) and you can imagine what the system is having to do. More objects that around "the same" distance being averaged in.
If we are talking about targets further away, then the mass of that target will be significantly more different in range. Hitting grass, trees, and bushes behind a deer at 600 yards, can give you an easy 10 - 20 - 50 yard different for the algorithm. Hitting grass, bushes, trees, 2 - 3 yards behind the object would make it harder to discern those as "not intended" by the algorithm. Looking down at a deer from a tree stand, the difference in yardage from the deer to the background is only 1 - 3 yards. Looking out at a deer across a field, they can easily be 30+ yards and filtered out.
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