# Judging Yardages?



## Keesey (Oct 20, 2009)

How do yall judge yardages? I mean I know its practicing alot but does anyone have any specials tricks to help or anything? I want to get really good at judging yards


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## Jame (Feb 16, 2003)

Lots of looking at targets and learning how you judge each target in certain situations. Learn your tendencies on each target.


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## Hopperton (Oct 30, 2005)

Yes learn and practice with a rangefinder.

I personally take an initial gues then I look at what I think 20 would be then figure out from 20 by 5 yard increments. Thats just me I am no pro and would like to judge better but untill I figure out a better way I will stick with it. The more you do it the better you get you would be surprised how much a little practice will help.


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## pabowman (Jun 19, 2005)

Step to the stake, judge the target the by body size, ground, or any other way. Shoot the target for what you think it is. See where your arrow hits, and then zap it with a rangefinder, and the most important thing is WRITE IT DOWN, everything from what target it was, to the weather conditions, weather it was uphill, slighly quartering too and in a shadow... every detail that may have effected the way you judge. Then after the season is over, go back and review every target individually, take a fallow deer for example, you may see that that target your are consistantly underjudgeing it by 2 yards everytime... so the next time you get to that target, you add 2 yards... it gets easier when you have a system...


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## Bowjoe1972 (Oct 29, 2008)

I agree with pabowman 100%. You sometimes gotta go with head yardage at IBO Worlds you cant always see the ground alot of ferns and trees on the ground so what I do is dont go up and look when others are at the stake when there done u walk up look at it and go with what your head tells ya.. But you have to see alot of targets in order for this to work also ..so the main thing practice on alot of targets and diffrent conditions..Good luck..


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## muck (May 15, 2005)

There is some great stuff on John Dudleys site. The article "3-D perperation" has alot on judging yardages.
http://www.dudleyarchery.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=31


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## shine (May 8, 2010)

Not an expert on this by any means, but one thing I have found that I do a lot better assessing the yardage before I glass the target. Glassing the target first blows my ability to accurately assess distance.


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## TAYLOR CO. (Jun 9, 2005)

Keesey said:


> How do yall judge yardages? I mean I know its practicing alot but does anyone have any specials tricks to help or anything? I want to get really good at judging yards


Mark, you judge ydg pretty good dude..I believe that you should not 2nd guess yourself. Everytime that I do it isn't good and if I had gone along with my original # I would be there.
I believe also what the guys above are saying is the absolute way of doing it right. I never did the practice required.


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## Wicked Tin (Apr 11, 2009)

I've always been told "practice with a range finder"...well I don't have a range finder so I am also looking for ideas to try to get better.


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## Keesey (Oct 20, 2009)

TAYLOR CO. said:


> Mark, you judge ydg pretty good dude..I believe that you should not 2nd guess yourself. Everytime that I do it isn't good and if I had gone along with my original # I would be there.
> I believe also what the guys above are saying is the absolute way of doing it right. I never did the practice required.


Were you saying I judge yardage pretty good or were you saying someone else?


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## genohuh (Mar 14, 2010)

I myself take a softball and just throw it around at different angles. and guess the distance.. then range it.. if you dont have a range finder step it off...


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## reylamb (Feb 5, 2003)

Keesey said:


> Were you saying I judge yardage pretty good or were you saying someone else?


Mark, I think Trey was saying you judge yardages pretty well.

Hoppy, Levi, and Danny have all told me in the past they do not judge by the ground, because the ground can be taken away. They have all told me they judge the target.

I can say this, as ridiculous as it sounds, shooting K45 helped me tremendously with my yardage guessing. I would look at the targets and judge them first and then hit them with the range finder to see if I would have been close. I used to judge by looking at the ground, but shooting the known class actually began training my eyes as to what the targets themselves looked like at different yardages.

I will also say to be careful on taking notes on ASA ranges......that is actually against the rules. Take notes in practice and at local shoots so you can identify your weak targets. When I shot open A 2 targets absolutely killed me, the feeding doe and the stupid corsican ram thing. I always shot them both high. If you can identify which targets give you the hardest time you have somewhere to start on finding the solution to those targets.


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## Keesey (Oct 20, 2009)

reylamb said:


> Mark, I think Trey was saying you judge yardages pretty well.


My names not Mark. And to be honest I dont judge to well. I can guess around 15 and 25 yards but its never completely accurate


Thanks for all the tips yall they are really helpful. I've been workin on it some I just gotta get myself a good rangefinder


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## reylamb (Feb 5, 2003)

Keesey said:


> My names not Mark. And to be honest I dont judge to well. I can guess around 15 and 25 yards but its never completely accurate
> 
> 
> Thanks for all the tips yall they are really helpful. I've been workin on it some I just gotta get myself a good rangefinder


Sorry about that, I guess we have you confused with Mark Keesey........shoots Pro in the ASA.....and is from Georgia.


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## Jame (Feb 16, 2003)

Keesey said:


> Were you saying I judge yardage pretty good or were you saying someone else?


I Thought the exact samething. Funny rt there.


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## Keesey (Oct 20, 2009)

reylamb said:


> Sorry about that, I guess we have you confused with Mark Keesey........shoots Pro in the ASA.....and is from Georgia.


Oh its no problem at all. No worries. 

I've never heard of Mark before but thats kinda cool we got the same last name and are from Ga


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## Hopperton (Oct 30, 2005)

I used to actually keep my rangefinder in the car as well and when I was at redlights or stop signs I would quickly guess stuff then range it.


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## TAYLOR CO. (Jun 9, 2005)

Yep, Reylamb knew who I thought I was talking about. Sorry I got you mixed up..Mark is a very good shooter. I just assumed, you know what assume does...Good luck this year!


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## Shooter1337 (Nov 14, 2010)

One thing that has helped me when I have second guessed my self is to no longer look at the target any more because a second guess will turn into a third and so on. I try to find something else to look at. During tournaments while I am walking to the next target (on the trail), I will step off yardage stop and look back where I started. Step off all kinds of yardage not just even 23, 27, 32 but this only works where the ground is visible. Also try to remember the previous target for size comparison. Once you have committed to the shot make it a strong and confident shot don't second guess it.


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## dangerous dan (Jan 9, 2008)

I try and figure out where 20 yards is then add/subtract from there. Is there a better method?


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## Shooter1337 (Nov 14, 2010)

What are you looking at while you add/subtract? The ground, a tree? Do you have trouble when there is a wash between you and the target. At some 3Ds the distance will be based on the size of the target. Unless they want to make the shoot difficult and put a skunk 50 yards away. The smallest animals are generally put somewhere in the area of 10 to 20. Medium (pigs, deer, wolf, ect.) can be from 25 to 50 and large animals (elk, moose, ect) 50+. Knowing your animals is a good way to improve and finding 20 yards is also a good method depending on the terrain. Try to put the two together and remember up hill and down hill once you have figured out what you are going to shoot the target for.


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## 3dshooter25 (Nov 17, 2008)

Yardage to me is the toughest part of the 3d game by far. I've worked on it really hard last year and it paid off for me. I don't have all the targets so its really tough for me to judge off of body size so I have to judge off the ground mostly. If the target is between 30-40 yds, I will find my 10,20,30 yd markders than step to the side if possible to see just how far past my 30 yard marker it is. I can do this our to 45 yards really well but if the target is 45 or further, I rely mostly on listening to the arrow or watching its trajectory.(this only works in ASA style 3d with a 280 speed-limit) while watching the arrow from directly behind the shooter, If the arrow is pretty straight flying and doesnt arc and fall, I know its under 40 yds. If it just reaches its apex and starts to fall, its 40 or just past. Once its gets to 45 and further it really starts to drop and you can really get a good estimate by doing this. Watching arrows trajectory is something that takes a lot of practice and watching a lot of arrows at known distance. next time you are shoting with your buddies, stand directly behind them and watch the arrow and you will start to see some tendencies of flight at certain yardages. I dont rely on this at all unless everyone is shooting around the same speed. This doesnt work for everybody, I have some buddies that have completely different methods for judging yardage and they shoot great. Its all about getting a system that you can trust and have confidence in. It takes practice, but if you can get good at yardage and have confidence in your shot, you'll be amazed at how much better you shoot. 

Before I had confidence in my yardage and shooting, I could have the yardage dead on and talk myself out of aiming hard at the 12 at full draw and my scores suffered. At the upper level of 3d, you have be aiming at the 12 if you want a chance to win. You cant aim at center 10 and hope to drop into the low 12. Once you leanr to trust yourself and your yardage estimate, You will make better shots, and score better.


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## Shooter1337 (Nov 14, 2010)

How do you figure the yardage when there is a wash or you are shooting across a draw where the ground is no longer visible. I have found that target size is important in these situations since I can no longer use the ground as reference. I go to as many tournaments as possible and learn the targets and I am confident out to 60 (partly because my 3D club try's to make the shoot as hard as possible with out going over the edge) but if there is a better method I am open to suggestions. 

I agree with knowing arrow trajectory. It makes sense but it is also good to know so that you know what path your own arrow will take through the limbs and brush. Smoker rounds are possibly the best shoot for learning and knowing where my arrow will land.


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## TAYLOR CO. (Jun 9, 2005)

I have heard all sorts of techniques. I have heard drag a rope around with flagging tape or marks on the rope so that you can see 10-yd. increments..What are you going to do when you cannot see the ground or a ditch or series of ditches..Best bet is to judge the targets that you'll be shooting at various distances. Takes a heap of practice..30+ yrs. and I ain't got it down yet. I will be practising intensely this yr. like never before. Hopefully something good comes of it.


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