# Diy rangefinder



## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

has any one got any ideas to make a range finder like a dead-on. like this one 

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9BmSbjPa78


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## chadmartinson (Nov 6, 2009)

I've figured out how to do it. You need to know the chest diameter of the animal you are hunting and the distance that the edge of your sight facing you is from your eye at full draw. You take these figures and use a trig calculator to figure where to place your marks.

For instance, if I use a chest diameter of 16" and a distance of 360" (10 yards, you have to keep all units of measure the same) with the distance of the inside face of my site at 31" from my eye at full draw, the distance from the belly mark and the back mark would be 1.35".

What you are trying to do is figure out how big an objects appears in your sight from a predetermined distance.

you can google "visual trig calculators to work the math.


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

yeah but i need to know how to make it but thanks that would help alot


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## chadmartinson (Nov 6, 2009)

you could scratch marks on your sight and color them accordingly.


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

yeah 
but i want something similiar and i dont want to mess up a sight


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## Hoosieroutdoors (Jan 14, 2006)

Get a small piece of rubber, once you figure out all your marks figure out where on your sight ring to put the base pin, then drill out the little rubber piece with all the holes spaced correctly off the base pin and glue it to your sight ring and then put in different color pieces of fiber optics for your varied distance.


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## chadmartinson (Nov 6, 2009)

check this site out. They do the math and everything.
http://www.bullseyearcheryrangefinder.com/


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

keep them comming guys


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## frusty (Jan 20, 2010)

*Range finder*

Check this out search google for Behr Range Finder he also makes string sights I just ran across this the other day his Range idea is simple ,looks like a large flooring staple and some velcro but it should work I am going to make one cause the sight he shows it on looks like a truglo which is what i have so I am going to just measure out his picture and scale it to actual size and Ill have it. Ill post results when finished.


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## EnglishKev (Aug 8, 2009)

How about just using the sight pins?
Set out an object the size of a deers body hieght, see how many pins cover it at various distances.
Did it with rifle scopes for years.
Never tried it with an archery sight, but I might now.

Kev


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## chadmartinson (Nov 6, 2009)

EnglishKev said:


> How about just using the sight pins?
> Set out an object the size of a deers body hieght, see how many pins cover it at various distances.
> Did it with rifle scopes for years.
> Never tried it with an archery sight, but I might now.
> ...


That is definitely worth looking into. Let me know how it goes. I like the idea of 1 pin.


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## jonathanb (Nov 1, 2009)

I'd say buy the bulls eye rangefinder and a piece of weather stripping. Both will do the same thing, but this one is cheaper and you can make one for any animal. Even if you had the deadon one you still can use bulls eye to set it up for animals they don't have.


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## jonathanb (Nov 1, 2009)

So D Stroyer, how did you make out? Did you make you one? Got any pictures?


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

not yet still pondering ideas


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

can you tell me the height for 20 yards 30 and 40 yards


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

im going to cut one out of plexiglass


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## jonathanb (Nov 1, 2009)

Plexiglass sounds interesting. Be sure to put up some pictures.


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

yes i need ideas to attach it to my sight though and i need the measurements 29'' from my eye to the sight with a chest diameter of 11" for twenty yards thirty yards and fourty yards


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## Whitefeather (Jul 27, 2003)

Fixed your link.


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

thanks man


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

just waiting on measurments and i gotta buy some plexiglass


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## Silent Death 54 (Oct 28, 2009)

I started making them MANY, MANY years ago by using a white piece of electrician tape and attaching it to the back side of the riser at pinn height, facing me so I can see it when at full draw. I drew horizontal lines on it at different distances apart with a pen. Widest distance between lines at the top and progressively getting closer towards the bottom. I've been doing the same thing ever since, except now use a sharpie. Cost after a roll of tape, which will make a hundred of them ...... ZERO.


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

well i want one outta plexiglass it would look pretty cool


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## EnglishKev (Aug 8, 2009)

As per my earlier post, I finally got chance to try using the pins as a rangefinder.
I set out a block measuring 16'' high as an approximation of a deers body.
I tried it both ways, using the top pin on the top, and measuring where the bottom came, and putting the bottom pin on the bottom, and measuring where the top came.
The reason for trying both was to see if the wider gaps between the bottom pins made a difference.
Either way, once the range got past 35 yards it got a little difficult as the differences got very small (did the same in the rifle scope, but I had more lines closer together).
Anyway, the attached pictures show the preliminary scales.

Kev


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## EnglishKev (Aug 8, 2009)

Reposted with jpeg pictures.

Kev


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

ttt i like the idea but i wouldnt always work


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## joracer (Feb 6, 2010)

I been thinking so hold your hats....
This vertical range bar would have to be solid, you
could mount anywhere near the sights............
then you'd put colored tape on the bar...
you have to do this from trial an error....
because the distance from you eye to the range
finder will be different for each person.........
kinda like a tree cruisers stick tells him how many
board feet there is in a stand of timber.....
I will do this as soon as the weather breaks around
here.......I will set up a deer target at known ranges
10-20-30-40 start with 40 yellow tape for yellow pin
30 red tape for red pin and so on....i'll use colored
electical tape....then if the deer target matches red
range indicator i'll use the red pin....and so on..
I don't know how this will work from a stand vs a blind
but will try it to see.......I do know this won't work for
fawns or small deer so that's one other consideration....
example a small deer will tell you your at 35 when your
really at 25 if you use a 30 pin you should be OK???
you may have to drop 2 pins for small deer?????
but it should be close enough to stay in the kill zone...
either way it sounds interesting.Thanks for bringing it up..
I usually range all shooting lanes with markers, but if that
buck comes out quick and you get juiced up it's hard to
remember was that big oak at 28yds or 38yds, i'd be
nice to be more sure wouldn't it.....we'll see.....


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

tell me how that works


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

how did it work


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## [email protected] (Mar 11, 2006)

Here's my ******* idea Cory. Really simple & so far works well on 3-d targets. Just get the chest dimentions of what your hunting, set up the replicated dimentions & work your way back starting at 20 yds.Bracket the chest on your sight ring & mark with a permanent marker.Complete your project in 20 minutes! Works for me.


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## ike_osu (Jul 1, 2008)

This is what I use. I love it

http://badriveroutdoors.com/


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

i was going to copy there idea


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

another idea
get electrical tape and make one over the sight that way you can peel it off and not mess up your sight


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## jonathanb (Nov 1, 2009)

joracer said:


> ...I will set up a deer target at known ranges
> 10-20-30-40 start with 40 yellow tape for yellow pin
> 30 red tape for red pin and so on....i'll use colored
> electical tape....then if the deer target matches red
> ...


heheh, sounds like an awful lot of work, when for 8 bucks you can download the BullsEye Archery Rangefinder program, and it will do all the work for you. Heck you'd prolly spend more than that on colored electrical tape!


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## mrupnorth (Aug 7, 2008)

Here are some numbers I came up with. Some for a 28inch draw you would draw a base line and then up from that for 10 yards draw a at 1.23 inches. I will leave the inch conversion up to you. Have not tried these out yet so give them a try and let me know. I can compute for any chest size, just took averages from online.


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## hunt123 (Jan 17, 2009)

Anyone have ideas on how do this with a single pin sight? I guess you'd start the process with your pin set at 20 yds, then what...?


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## kylelucas88 (Apr 28, 2010)

sweet deal


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

okay what i did was got some white electrical tape and three sharpies( the colors of my pins and a black ) i used the black for the belly line and moved back to twenty yards on my target i had a pice of paper that was 11 inches tall i held the bow out from me and marked a line on the sgt in line with the paper i did the same thing at 40 ards


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## Strungout2 (Jul 29, 2011)

First time I read about bracketing was in like Outdoorlife or something about 30 years ago with the idea of glueing DIY wire circles around your pins. Soon after some companies came out with sites using such circles around pins and then just holes in plastic mounted to riser area. It became a defunct idea as being around pins when flatter trajectories came to play. Still have my diy rings setup on an old site. I painted them with glow in the dark paint and it was trick for the time. But now to do it the modern way like the bullseye rangfinder way I googled up a great presentation with all the specs and pics : http://www.lakestatefishing.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=40064
Gonna make one next day or so and put it in the lens housing of my one pin Sword


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## Brad66 (Jun 7, 2008)

cory d stroyer said:


> okay what i did was got some white electrical tape and three sharpies( the colors of my pins and a black ) i used the black for the belly line and moved back to twenty yards on my target i had a pice of paper that was 11 inches tall i held the bow out from me and marked a line on the sgt in line with the paper i did the same thing at 40 ards


If its for a deer you need 16 inches or so rather than 11, 11 would be a coyote!!!!


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## Strungout2 (Jul 29, 2011)

So I made a bracketing one for my Sword.. It is simply black marker lines on a 1"x.5" clear plastic(packaging plastic). Using the one pin in center as the baseline/top of deer back. Next one down is 60 through 30yd lines. Works out to about halfing the decreasing differences:
30 yards= 11.93mm (.47")
40 yards= 9.14mm(.36")
50 yards=7.36mm (.29")
60 yards= 6mm (.235")
This one is untested until later on today

..BUT if you are not inclined to make one of these there is a suitable cost free alternative for those with smartphones way better then the other options mentioned above.. Download Smart Distance from the android market place for free. The free version works off same perspective based bracketing method and works off height measurements. For 17" what you'll do is in the settings change the units to imperial english from metric and put in 1.416'. This things works quite well on my Captivate, amazingly accurate actually out to the limit of the camera seeing the object. With 17" paper on a bright fence I could use it out to 77yards. The closer stuff 15-50yd is way fast and easy. You'll be set for normal archery ranging. The pro version may have zoom and it for sure can work off of width based bracketing. Tried the Smart Measure but it is too complex for in field use. Smart Distance is very fast as it retains the 1.416 imput and ya just leave the app on screen. Normal android standbye might turn yer camera off though after a few minute so ya may have to restart. Anyways, I tested it and it works good within a couple yards out to at least 50yd..


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## CarbonTerry (Jan 8, 2003)

Go to Cabelas and buy a Nikon Rangefinder, open the box, throw away the rangefinder, take the lid off the box, tape it to your sight, use a "Fine Line" Sharpie, ( it's extremely important to use a "Fine Line") make some arbitrary marks because all deer are the same size.
There ya' go....


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## CarbonTerry (Jan 8, 2003)

Couldn't help myself.
Honestly all the above are great ideas. Here in MO the average shot on deer is 18yds. That is for an average deer.


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## CarbonTerry (Jan 8, 2003)

Couldn't help myself.
Honestly all the above are great ideas. Here in MO the average shot on deer is 18yds. That is for an average deer.


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## CarbonTerry (Jan 8, 2003)

Guys, I apologize. At 5AM I must have needed another dose of my meds.


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## flyin2jz (Dec 28, 2007)

My question is why mount it at all. Just do your ideas into something u can hold by hand. It's gonna be easier to hold it steady without the weight of the bow moving it all around. The video pointed out how she was having trouble keeping the bow steady for and accurate belly to back measurement. I use a range finder but thought I'd give some input. Great ideas


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## theloghouser (Aug 16, 2002)

Dude/ Buy a rangefinder


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## theloghouser (Aug 16, 2002)

At a steep angle /Like treestand or westrer hunting/Changes things?????? (refering to the Bad River


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## flyin2jz (Dec 28, 2007)

The angle thing is very true. I range everything as soon as I hit the stand so I know the distances to each spot I could shoot thru. I think I'm gonna get the bow mounted one. It looks awesome.


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## cory d stroyer (Aug 23, 2009)

theloghouser said:


> Dude/ Buy a rangefinder


im cheap dude lol im shooting a 10 year old pse nova lol


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## EPLC (May 21, 2002)

So... unless you have all the same sized animals this system will not work. Actually I have a range finder that works quite well on all size animals. Lately I've decided I lost my desire to shoot 3d because of the need to estimate yardage. While I was very good at it when I shot a lot of 3d, I've lost my edge. I'm now using my range finder at every shoot, it's more fun and I'm shooting decent (296/302) for my last 2 shoots from the pro stake. BTW, I DQ myself from competition... as I think you folks should also do that are looking for ways to get around yardage estimates for 3d unless it's a known distance shoot


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## EPLC (May 21, 2002)

Here's an idea :idea1:

Just set one pin (at say 25 yards) at the bottom body line of the animal so that the point of impact of the arrow is in the 12 ring. As you move back the animal gets smaller to the eye and the point of aim remains the same. Since the result is that you aim higher the point of impact is also higher. Might work if you can learn where to aim based on size of animal.


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