Think of a temp gun as a device that shoots out a cone. It really doesn't shoot out anything except maybe a laser light but it reads in a cone shaped manner. The tighter the cone, the further back you can stand and measure temps. If it's a cheap one with a 1.1 ratio, then you have to be an inch away to get an accurate reading of a 1 inch area. If you back up 5 inches then it's giving you an average of a 5 inch area. If you are standing back 3 feet, you are measuring an average of a 3 foot area...pretty useless. If you get one that's pinpointed from further back, you can safely measure the temp without sticking your hand in the cage ...pretty handy if you have a rattlesnake
