# judging distance



## quick4au (Jun 10, 2010)

hi, imnew to 3-d and to the forum and i hope that some one can give me some ideas on the best way to judge yardage


----------



## brbowman (Aug 20, 2004)

ur going to hear it so ill start practice practice & practice. do a search on the forum and find a lot of great info.:thumbs_up


----------



## JB9 (May 7, 2009)

I like to split the yardage into pieces. First I find 20 be it a tree or whatever, then add to it till I reach my target. Works for me?


----------



## 60X (Nov 8, 2002)

I judge mainly off of target size. Then I double check it by coming back from the target in 10 yard increments and then triple check it by finding 20 yards and then going out from there in 10 yard increments. Hopefully they all somewhat agree.


----------



## golfingguy27 (Oct 15, 2008)

JB9 said:


> I like to split the yardage into pieces. First I find 20 be it a tree or whatever, then add to it till I reach my target. Works for me?


I am a field archery guy and just tried my first 3D shoot this past weekend. I was really surprised at how many of the targets that I judged within about two yards, and that is exactly what I did. I have shot enough indoor and in my back yard at 20 yards that I can visualize it well. So I would pick a spot on the ground at 20, then stack yardage on top of that until I got to the target. Also some I divided the distance in half and judged the yardage to the midway point. I know both of these can show there weaknesses when there is say a gulley between you and the target, but for a large majority of the targets at my first shoot, it worked great!


----------



## t bone (Oct 27, 2006)

I find 20 and break down the rest form there .


----------



## sc4x4truck (Mar 10, 2009)

there are several methods. Do a search and try them all and find which ones work for you. I tried to teach my wife and that was a lost cause. my ways did not work for her but some how she has figured it out. She has been doing pertty good with the way she judges.


----------



## Boston Bowman (Jan 26, 2009)

i scrapped the whole yardage problem. went barebow and instinctive and am now a lot happier and a better shot


----------



## Hasbro (Jul 5, 2003)

Boston Bowman said:


> i scrapped the whole yardage problem. went barebow and instinctive and am now a lot happier and a better shot


Boy...ain't that the truth.

Yardage is by far the most frustrating part of 3D.... The best yardage guys that I know, judge the target size.


----------



## IBOHunt3D (Jun 6, 2006)

Target size is the most reliable and consistent way to judge yardage as the target size never changes. With that said, it is difficult to practice that unless you have access to all of the targets used in competition. This doesn't come cheap, as those buggers are pricey. 

The ground judging methods mentioned above will work well enough while you are getting started, and as you shoot more, you will start to realize what targets look like at different distances. Experience helps a lot here.

The other thing you can do, if you can't judge targets, is find something similar to the size of the target. For example, your average MacKenzie deer sized target is about 17" belly to back. Put 2 lines on a bag target 17" apart, and judge that at all the distances you shoot at. When you get to a 3d course, try to visualize your bag over the animal target. Once you get an estimate, use the ground to firm it up and reconfirm. Granted, this has its limitations, but its a good way to judge by size, if you don't have all of the 3d targets at your home range.

Hope that helps.

CG


----------

