[Aquavelva Man]

Anyone have a rock solid yardage estimation process without using a rangefinder or other devices, including performing mathematical computations that require paper. I have difficulty from 30-45 yd range and need help. Not much info on the web on this.

Top Banana

 

[Deezlin]

I wish I did!!!

If I did, I could win all the events and start my own seminars on yardage estimation and have plenty of money and sponsorships!!!! Of course, I would keep my mouth shut.:zip: At least until I really cleaned up and got bored.

But, unfortunately, I don't!!!!

 

[MacOfNiagara]

Range

Take up golf. Although this would be a very expensive, long term, time consuming and frustrating solution. If your simply looking to do a better job of guessing a given distance it would probably help though.

Loft on clubs are such that there is roughly 10 yards difference on each club. So, for me, 9 iron = 120y, 8 iron = 130y, 7 = 140y, etc.

If you play enough golf you eventually get fairly good at eyeballing distance. I sued to us a scope range finder for golf and now feel I do not need it as my guessing seem to be locked in.

Although I am used to gauging distance looking at a defined height flag, not a smaller round target, so I have yet to see how well this guessing will translate to archery (I am new to archery).

Although given the lethalness of archery and the frustration level of golf, perhaps it is not such a good idea to mix the two.:wink:

Other than that I do not know any good eyeballing methods

 

[Bellows1]

I would suggest buying a range finder.
Practice guessing yardage as your walking around or scouting, then check yourself with the RF. You can also step it off if you don't have a RF.

When practicing shoot from unknown distances, step up or back a couple of yards for every shot.

The more you practice this, the better you will be at guessing yardages.

 

[Buck Stopper]

You can use the distances between your pins to guestimate the distances, if your using the bow for hunting. Practice with something 18" approx size of deer body. Then practice aiming get to know the distance between your 20/30 pins is 40 yards for example

Does that make sense or did I confuse everyone

 

[Matty-NJ]

I would suggest buying a range finder.
Practice guessing yardage as your walking around or scouting, then check yourself with the RF. You can also step it off if you don't have a RF.

When practicing shoot from unknown distances, step up or back a couple of yards for every shot.

The more you practice this, the better you will be at guessing yardages.

Thats the best method of practicing range estimation that I can think of. I do the same thing once in a while to try and keep "sharp". (Im about as sharp at range estimation as a dull spoon)


The other method mentioned is called "gapping". Using any two objects that are always a set distance apart, and a set distance from your eye, compare them to where they fall on the target or animal. You can get a very accurate yardage "estimation" using this method. (Though I believe this is considered cheating in 3d). Plus, you'd have to memorize all the different targets and which gaps to use, and where the pins or whatever you're using to gap falls on the target at different distances. For hunting it can be pretty accurate, but you have to take into consideration the size difference of some animals.

 

[Brown Hornet]

Take up golf. Although this would be a very expensive, long term, time consuming and frustrating solution. If your simply looking to do a better job of guessing a given distance it would probably help though.

Loft on clubs are such that there is roughly 10 yards difference on each club. So, for me, 9 iron = 120y, 8 iron = 130y, 7 = 140y, etc.

If you play enough golf you eventually get fairly good at eyeballing distance. I sued to us a scope range finder for golf and now feel I do not need it as my guessing seem to be locked in.

Although I am used to gauging distance looking at a defined height flag, not a smaller round target, so I have yet to see how well this guessing will translate to archery (I am new to archery).

Although given the lethalness of archery and the frustration level of golf, perhaps it is not such a good idea to mix the two.:wink:

Other than that I do not know any good eyeballing methods

Shhhhh...stop letting out secrets. This is one way I got real good at yardage. I am murder on a course with my yardage and yes it does transfer over. But really the only way to get good at judging is to practice and to practice in more than one enviorment. Don't just go in the woods all the time or judge on flat ground. I practice walking down the street alot, also when shooting at the range on the way to the target. If you are shooting the 50 yd butt, stop after you have gone a ways to the target and judge it...then pace it off. Or judge across lanes and pace it off. Judge to the mail box when you take the trash out, walking through the parking lot. You will be amazed at how 40 yds looks in all these different places. But when you step up to a deer at 40 yds you will know it. I actually usually get within 1-2 yards just looking at the target, tree, stump, rock, pole, or whatever. It really doesn't take that much effort to get pretty good.

 

[lostbackpacker]

yardage

I don't look at the target until I am ready to shoot. I then find the halfway distance from me to the target. I then ask myself if the half way mark is greater or less than 20yds and can adjust from that. I pick 20 yds because that is the distance i shoot in my back yard all the time. With this way I am usually within 2-3 yds of the acutal distance. I rf it after I make my shot. I am really good at judging distance this way.