# Secret to range estimation??



## Raven1911 (Feb 26, 2007)

Just completed the California broadhead state championships and had some problems with range estimation. Does anyone have any tips or tricks on how to improve at range estimating? I obviously know that nothing takes the place of experience, but any other information would be appreciated.

Thanks


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## rcgerchow (Dec 20, 2006)

I played football for awhile and for some reason the 5 yrd. increment thing stayed with me and I use that quite often. Take a range finder with you on a walk and guess the distance to an object and then range it to see how far you really are. I also shot a lot of handicap trap up to 25 yds. and that helps me a little in estimating yardages. Seems that sometimes when courses are set up to be tricky they will set targets in odd yardage set-ups. Our league has a thing about even yardages at 40 yds and under, instead of 25 yds. they will set at 27 yds. and 30 yds will be 31-32 yds. At least that seems to be the way it works when they set only one course.


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## Raven1911 (Feb 26, 2007)

I agree, I think they purposely set things at odd distances. It is so hard for me past 30 yards right now. This weekend I estimated an animal at 35 yards and it was probably 45:mg: The longer distances are hard!!


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## ISAA_Archer (Dec 4, 2002)

PCarchery.com
practice at home


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## doubletap (Dec 11, 2005)

*range distance*

one of the best excerise's i have found is,if you live were you can,is to walk thru the woods with your outfit,use some tuff carbons and blunds or target points and just take shots at,leaves,twigs ect on the ground,just stump shooting some people call it.it will realy improve your guestamation's after a while.also if you have a target set up at home with the 10,20,30,40 yard marks layed out shoot in between the markers.that helps me also.regards,robert


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## z34mann (Feb 4, 2007)

*18&1*

I have an 18 & 1 rienhart target. I set it out in the middle of an open area and just walk to different spots and shoot, you can cheat if you want to but that only hurts yourself. I also use a ball and throw it and shoot from where it stops. it seams to help me and my wife.


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## maddogmle3d (May 10, 2007)

the 5 yard increment seems to work best for me. unfortunnately, the ground is taken away on most ibo shoots. practice looking at somthing small, like a nock in the target if there is one. looking at the target is not good practice, because of size differences. taking a rangefinder on a walk was a really good idea. experience sometimes doesn't help. been shooting 25 years and still have problems with yardage.


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## njshadowwalker (Aug 14, 2004)

Get to know the targets and then get to know what the targets and target detauil is at various yardage. Can you see the eyes clearly? Can you see hair detail on the target?

If at 35 yards you know you can see some detail and at 40 you cant...and the detail is fuzzy then you know your between the two. Then roll 5 yard increments passed the targets. 3 or 4 fast methods will get you to within a yard or so with enough practice.

Get to know 2 distances very well by looking at the ground. 

For me i use 15 and 35.


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## TX Bowhunter (Dec 13, 2004)

Take a Range finder every where you go....I was struggling with my yardage a couple of months ago and after alot of good advice I listened to the majority and just practiced. Everyday I have my rangefinder with me and I range anywhere from 50 to 100 objects a day. 

Some big, some small, some in the woods, some in the open, some in parking lots, some in grocery stores, some in the neighborhood, etc. 

I mark my 20 and then go from there with whatever the ground or trees allows me. If the ground is taken away then use tree limbs, or fence posts or grass stems, etc. I also practice just looking at an object and judging it without counting anything. All of this will come in to play if you shoot enough 3d's.

Nothing can replace practice and repetition.

Good Luck,

TX


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

Practice, practice, practice. I have different yards fixed in my mind through constant practice. If I don't have my range finder I use steps. For me 6 steps is almost dead on for 5 yards. I like to look at the target and get a number, then work my way out to mid way to see how my first number looks. I then start at the target and work my way back. I don't like to hear; "There is nothing to gage the distance." There are the other shooting stakes, a odd twig, blade of grass, even a shadow can help or a dip or roll of the lane. There are no short cuts. I practice estimation anywhere and everywhere. Have to wait on your better half at some store? How far is it to the cart bin, the 5th vehicle, the next open parking spot? How far is it from the door of your house to the street or mail box? Practice, Practice, practice.


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## Target Tony (Mar 3, 2003)

this website might be usefull. im reading it right now.
http://www.nighthawkpublications.com/journal/journal160-1.htm

i find my 20, then use the half way. if there close i go with that number. if there off 5 yards, i split the differance and shoot that number. but my yardage estimations are my weakness at 3D. working on yardage by walking trails and using the range firnder seem to be thebets way.

Shoot Strong
Tony


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## Guest (May 30, 2007)

surgery is needed....

have a range surgically implanted, then have plastic surgery to cover/ hide it... presto... you can judge yardage....

Untill then,,,, i recommned spending a lot of time out side practicing...


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## MoonDragn (Jun 19, 2006)

Me and my friends used to throw out waterbottles and just shoot it, It gets pushed out further and further and if you shoot enough arrows you get really good at judging the distance.


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## dogdigger (Dec 23, 2004)

I like to range targets by breaking down the distance. I shoot 20 yards alot so I use that as my starting point. I look for an object between me and the target that I feel is 20 yards then I compare from that object to the target and so on. It works well for me.


Mark


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## harleyryder (May 2, 2005)

I measure (in my mind) everything in 10 yard increments then break down the last 10 in 5 and then by 2,Keeps me real close out to 50 yards.......


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## sdpeb1 (Dec 4, 2005)

*thumb*

I remember the local shop owner tell me he uses the thumb on his bow finger. I hope I can get this right,but he said he can estimate the distance by the amount the tip of his thumb covers the animal. You have to adjust to different size animals, but he claimed he had it dialed in within couple of yards. Anyone ever hear of that, it makes sense,but I've never tried it.


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## Hutnicks (Feb 9, 2006)

sdpeb1 said:


> I remember the local shop owner tell me he uses the thumb on his bow finger. I hope I can get this right,but he said he can estimate the distance by the amount the tip of his thumb covers the animal. You have to adjust to different size animals, but he claimed he had it dialed in within couple of yards. Anyone ever hear of that, it makes sense,but I've never tried it.


 The old army field manuals used to teach a similar method. It was using the gap between the first and second knuckles on your hand and then the second and 3rd knuckles. The theory was that the first gap was (I think, its been a while) 4.5 degrees and the second 12 degrees at arms length. Once you know that you can calculate object sizes at different ranges.


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## Target Tony (Mar 3, 2003)

Hutnicks said:


> The old army field manuals used to teach a similar method. It was using the gap between the first and second knuckles on your hand and then the second and 3rd knuckles. The theory was that the first gap was (I think, its been a while) 4.5 degrees and the second 12 degrees at arms length. Once you know that you can calculate object sizes at different ranges.


Framing is illegal for 3D if you are shooting a competition and plan on turning in your card. if your shooting non competitive or are using the framing system for hunting thats fine. but dont stand at a big shoot and put your hand, limb saver, tip of bow cam or anything else up to use as a rangefinding system. 

stand at the stake, estimate the range like everyone else and take your shot. 


Shoot Strong
Tony


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## Hutnicks (Feb 9, 2006)

Target Tony said:


> Framing is illegal for 3D if you are shooting a competition and plan on turning in your card. if your shooting non competitive or are using the framing system for hunting thats fine. but dont stand at a big shoot and put your hand, limb saver, tip of bow cam or anything else up to use as a rangefinding system.
> 
> stand at the stake, estimate the range like everyone else and take your shot.
> 
> ...


I didn't advocate the system or not. I was simply replying the the question above about the gentleman using his thumb.


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## jdduffy (Sep 19, 2006)

*yardage*

I also found the 20 yard theory worked best for me. most hunters practice alot at 20yards so it's fairly easy to get close at a 20 yard qes-timit.then count off the 5 yard increments. if it's a long shot,is your 20 less than 1/2 way to the target.most have a 50 yard max around here so this works for me.maybe this could help you.


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## Target Tony (Mar 3, 2003)

Hutnicks said:


> I didn't advocate the system or not. I was simply replying the the question above about the gentleman using his thumb.


sorry quoted the wrong guy.:wink: meant no offense. just wanted to point out it wasnt legal is all.:wink:

actually if there was a secret to easily learn range estimation, do you really think they would let it out?:wink:

best thing on range estimation i can add is what im doing right now. since i shoot Open class, i my max yardage is 50 yards. so i figured that if i can get from 9 to 25 yards down pat to the half yard, then all i have to do is be able to pick the half way point dead on. it really seems to be working for me.


Shoot Strong
Tony


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## Hutnicks (Feb 9, 2006)

Target Tony said:


> sorry quoted the wrong guy.:wink: meant no offense. just wanted to point out it wasnt legal is all.:wink:
> 
> actually if there was a secret to easily learn range estimation, do you really think they would let it out?:wink:
> 
> ...


No offense taken. 

Actually I am surprised no one here has mentioned it but, play golf. Or better yet spend time on the driving range. They are all marked yardages and a very good variation as well. A bucket of balls is cheap and good exercise.


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## Lov2shoot (Mar 17, 2006)

There is not a magic bullet or answer to judging yardage. I wish there was. What I do from the open stakes is try to use two and somtimes three methods on the same target. Hopefully they all come out the same, if not take the average. I will judge to the target by finding my 20, 30, and so on. Then I judge from the target to me, if all goes well these two numbers are the same. Lastly I find the half way point and judge to that. Again no magic answer, practice, practice, practice.


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## BK Artworks (Nov 7, 2005)

Hutnicks said:


> No offense taken.
> 
> Actually I am surprised no one here has mentioned it but, play golf. Or better yet spend time on the driving range. They are all marked yardages and a very good variation as well. A bucket of balls is cheap and good exercise.


I think this is a fairly good theory but I know that here the driving ranges are only marked at 50+yard incriments so it wont help with close ranges for me. Now I have done something similar as the person throwing the balls and shoots the target from that ball to estimate yardage. The difference in what I did was that I stood at the target and would throw arrows in different directions at different angles to the target. What I would do is shoot my marked yardage first then after warming up for a bit I would walk up and pull my arrows. Then I would turn around an throw an arrow to what ever direction then walk down and shoot my group and go pull again then throw to another spot and do the same till I got tired. What this did was made me judge yardage from different angles and it gave me a look at what the target looked like so I knew where to aim in relationship to the angle of the target. But some of the angles that I shot at would not be seen at a 3D shoot but it just helps to relate angles of the aiming point to the scoring rings/kill zone on the target. Try it and see how you like it and the thing is that there are so many ways that people use to estimate yardages that you really do have to try a bunch to find what works best for you. Good luck and have fun!!!


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## Bow Walker (Aug 28, 2004)

My brother is an avid golfer - has been for years. I really believe that has helped him in yardage estimation. Anything after the tee and the fairway shots involve yardage estimation to the green and to the pin.

He regularily beats my butt when it comes to 3D.


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## Kstigall (Feb 24, 2004)

Having a rangefinder and using it is a necessity for learning yardage. At local shoots I'll range the target after I shoot (if legal) and it doesn't backup the following groups. Primarily if you aren't the last shooter it doesn't cause a delay. Studying targets set on a course and knowing the yardage can't be beat for learning yardage.

I know the yardage to certain objects in my yard from one spot on the patio. I try to pause and go over each one frequently.

Don't forget to practice downhill, uphill, variety of lighting, tunnels and "hidden yardage" when practicing!

Poorly lit targets may appear further than they actually are. Brightly lit targets may appear somewhat closer than they actually are.

:embara: Sometimes I want to say I miss judged the yardage but in reality I know I messed up the shot. I use fixed pins and I can very easily aim a little too high or too low.


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## Spoon13 (Feb 20, 2007)

I do the same thing as most everybody else. I shoot everyday(well most everyday) and I always shoot from 20 & 25 no matter what yardage I wind up wanting to practice. I usually find a tree or a stump or a twig that seems to be at 20 yards and work my way out to the target. I haven't figured out how to do it from the target backwards yet but I can see where that will be helpful.


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