Range/distance guessing

[trappa 517]

Cheers for the replys. Im pacing stuff out now, fields im in especially so im getting better.

I will defo be using the mildots, it will just be practice , thats all.

[FJager 0]

Deker, if I said the sky was blue you would argue its black, don't be so pradantic, I am sure you will correct the spelling for me.

[Mr_Logic 5]

It's pedantic I will forgive you coz you're from the land of Oz and they talk funny down there

 

Range finding ultimately is personal preference. Pacing and range finding are the most precise methods, but often that level of precision is not required.

[FJager 0]

Thanks mate, it is early in the day OK, I am sure Deker will enlighten me though.

 

A mate of mine was away with a bloke shooting pigs on the weekend and old mate had a pair of binos with an electronic range finder built in, have you used these?

 

The football field (GIVE OR TAKE) concept is what is known as bracketing ie how many fields could you fit between you and your target and is what I have always used, find it very effective out to 500. Pacing is basically the same I feel as it is a known distance in your mind.

 

Cheers

[Mr_Logic 5]

No I've not seen them, I have a Bushnell Yardage pro, and it's OK. Weak past about 200 or so, needs a tree or a hedge, and doesn't range a deer much beyond about 250. But, it's good enough for me to work out the ranging from the landmarks that it CAN use, so it does its job. If I could buy a Swarovski then I would, but they're silly money :(S

[Muntjac Man 0]

I'm with SS, Matty and Richie on this one. Having grown up with air rifles and .22RF, range was important.

 

A couple of times a week, when I'm out walking (either around my shoot, on a walk with my wife in the countryside or e.g. between the station and work), I pick some item ahead of me, estimate the distance, then pace it out, knowing that for me, normal walking (i.e. not striding out) is 6 paces equals 5 yards. Must be done normal paces - avoid the temptation to stride out.

 

Whenever I've shot soemthing, again, I pace it out, to check my estimate of the range.

 

If I do this often enough, it's surprising how accurately I can estimate it. I am in effect consistently re-calibrating my estimating system.

 

I do find that if I've had a few weeks or months off, my estimating accuracy does fall off, so re-calibration is required!

 

The one exception for me is dark. It seems to be those last few minutes as darkness really falls, and my eyes are adjusting fast to the rapidly declining light level, when I'm not quite so accurate.

 

In real darkness if I'm rabbiting or foxing with a lamp, I find that it's harder to estimate range this way, so that's one of the reasons I don't do much lamping! In those cases I do tend to work on the knowledge 'this field is 200 yds across' basis etc.

 

Have also on occasiosn used MS aerial views (superb also for using as a map to mark up with shoot boundary, and attach to permission documents!)

 

Whatever you find works for you, use it!

 

Just my two pennorth.

 

MM

[richie 1]

A couple of times a week, when I'm out walking (either around my shoot, on a walk with my wife in the countryside or e.g. between the station and work), I pick some item ahead of me, estimate the distance, then pace it out, knowing that for me, normal walking (i.e. not striding out) is 6 paces equals 5 yards. Must be done normal paces - avoid the temptation to stride out.

 

 

made me laugh that bit ! just imagined passers by asking them selves why were walking like basil faulty doing the nazi inpersination !

 

[SportingShooter 0]

Ministry of Silly Walks

 

SS

[Deker 3,478]

Deker, if I said the sky was blue you would argue its black, don't be so pradantic, I am sure you will correct the spelling for me.

 

 

You need to take a chill pill...a 30% variation in length and 100% variation in width does not add up to a KNOWN Distance and neither does it make for good zeroing/range testing, as the odds are every pitch you look at will be a different size so it will simply confuse rather then help.

 

And I'm in a place called England ....the sky tends to be GREY!!

 

And I can't spell either.. but we have a new fangled thing called a spel cheker on our computers...one day I might work out how to use it!!

Edited July 8, 2008 by Deker

[richie 1]

i learnt my ranges by walking down the street/field & fixing my eyes on a position in front of me & taking a guess how far it was in yards & also by associating the ranges down the rifle club.

 

im probably the same as sporting shooter, guess my ranges within 5 to 10 yards.

 

but recently picked myself up a bushnell pro range finder which is accurate out to 600 yards, much easier. you can pick them up between 60/90 pounds.

 

rich

 

 

Hi chap where did you get your range finder from?

 

arcpest

 

 

got mine off another forum. they can be found occassionally on e b a y for a good price.

 

i wouldnt go over 100 pound though 2nd hand. worth their weight in gold.

 

rich

[arcpest 6]

got mine off another forum. they can be found occassionally on e b a y for a good price.

 

i wouldnt go over 100 pound though 2nd hand. worth their weight in gold.

 

rich

 

 

I will keep my eyes open cheers chap

 

arcpest

[FJager 0]

Deker your facts and figures just amaze me, you are the man. Known distance is the term given to these methods my unenlightened friend, you are a way to serious individual, if you have trouble shooting at different ranges perhaps you need a lot more practice instead of bothering yourself with whether a football field is the correct size or not, then you may be able to leave the rifle range and do some hunting, if you are concerned about a difference in 5-10 metres maybe you need to stay within the 'sterile' conditions of the range and leave the animals alone.

Edited July 10, 2008 by FJager

[Mr_Logic 5]

Possibly pedantic and probably pointless arguments about the size of a football pitch aside, Deker can shoot, and he can shoot in the rough too. And his range estimation is pretty close too.

 

Not saying how he learnt it though, keeping out of this one! But all I know is he often guesses and my rangefinder agrees, so ...

[Bluelungbutter 1]

i learnt my ranges by walking down the street/field & fixing my eyes on a position in front of me & taking a guess how far it was in yards & also by associating the ranges down the rifle club.

 

im probably the same as sporting shooter, guess my ranges within 5 to 10 yards.

 

but recently picked myself up a bushnell pro range finder which is accurate out to 600 yards, much easier. you can pick them up between 60/90 pounds.

 

rich

 

 

Hi chap where did you get your range finder from?

 

arcpest

 

Mine was £95 delivered from MTC optics.

 

 

Cracking little thing. Says it'll do 600 yards but i never use it past 200. Perfect for airgun and RF.

 

However i do the stepping out thing all the time and out to about 100 yards i'm within 5 or so yards. Practise practise practise.

 

DunK

[Deker 3,478]

Deker your facts and figures just amaze me, you are the man. Known distance is the term given to these methods my unenlightened friend, you are a way to serious individual, if you have trouble shooting at different ranges perhaps you need a lot more practice instead of bothering yourself with whether a football field is the correct size or not, then you may be able to leave the rifle range and do some hunting, if you are concerned about a difference in 5-10 metres maybe you need to stay within the 'sterile' conditions of the range and leave the animals alone.

 

 

.....Known Distance is a term used to describe these methods when talking about a known distance ...not an Unknown distance!

 

And yep I am serious, particularly when people invent Bullshit like this....... if you have trouble shooting at different ranges perhaps you need a lot more practice instead of bothering yourself with whether a football field is the correct size or not, then you may be able to leave the rifle range and do some hunting, if you are concerned about a difference in 5-10 metres maybe you need to stay within the 'sterile' conditions of the range and leave the animals alone.

 

Don't invent and don't assume..

 

If you take the time to read the posts I have made here, I have not made ANY suggestion about having a problem with my range finding...ANYWHERE!!!! I usually get it quite close from anything between 10-400 yards...but I do get it wrong sometimes....rangefinders do have a use!!!!!!