Contributors to this thread:
Looking for some opinions.
PA guy going out to CO again this year trying to get my first elk. at 9,500 ft. Last year I had multiple opportunities and just couldnt get it done. Bullfever was the primary reason.
I have been practicing on my property at mostly 40-50 yards and this past weekend I moved the target to the steepest hill I could find. Shooting 50 yards downhill. Didn't really notice any difference with impact point vs shooting on the flat. At 50 maybe an inch high but not sure.
What are your thoughts on where my arrow will be flying with 9,500 ft vs 500(PA) and with up hill/down hill.
I live in PA as well and will be going to Colorado for the third time. I usually shoot a little bit when we get out there. I don't notice any difference. We hunt around 10,300
If you miss because of elevation change, it will be because of the lack of oxygen in your lungs!!!!!!!! There was a huge argument, I mean thread post on here a while back on this subject. Just bring a target and check your pins and setup when you get here. I don't think you will notice much change. Some guys say it's unshootable and some guys say it's a big noticeable change. Bottom line, you can't predict what it will be if anything and you need to check your zero after the long road trip anyways.
I am more concerned about shooting downhill and the change in impact on the target.
In 50 yards just how much will gravity change where I should be aiming?
TIA
Shot distance and amount of steepness will all have an effect, difference in elevation very little, if any. There may be little change, there may be a fairly significant change. Invest in a good angle compensating rangefinder and let it do the work for you.
The elevation difference will not be an issue.
Get a compensating range finder- it makes a huge difference for steep uphill and downhill shots. Probably more significant for a sheep or goat type hunt.
If you don't have one, shooting uphill and downhill, you take off both ways for gravity, shoot low in both situations.
If you miss, you are 95% of the time going to shoot to high.
It's the horizontal distance you shoot, not the straightline from you to the target. If you were standing on top a thousand foot cliff and there was a deer standing thirty yards straight out from the base of the cliff, you would use your thirty yard pin even though you are over a thousand feet from the deer. The lower you are and the farther out the target is the less difference you have to compensate.
Take a half turn off your limb bolts at elevation- problem solved
"Take a half turn off your limb bolts at elevation- problem solved"... OK
Oldgoat got it right...uphill or downhill all you're concerned about is the horizontal distance. For anyone who takes relatively long shots at steep angles those rangefinders which compensate would be very handy.
I agree that it's the horizontal distance and it's simple right triangle trigonometry.
However, if we switch oldgoat's example around and put the deer on top of the thousand foot cliff and the shooter 30 yards from the base of the cliff so he's shooting upward, would he still use his 30 yard pin?
It seems hard to imagine that the arrow would travel 1000 feet (304.8 yards) upward and have any K.E. left...
Even if you leave the deer at the bottom the arrow will only be traveling about 120 fps when it hits.
Shooting uphill you aim lower just like you do shooting downhill.
"It seems hard to imagine that the arrow would travel 1000 feet (304.8 yards) upward and have any K.E. left..."
Let's face it, even on level ground, at 300+ yards, your arrow speed will be diminished by a considerable amount.... archery gear is meant for 30 yard shots, not 300 yard shots. If you want to test the theory at 300 yards, talk to some long range gun shooters with alpine shooting experience.
Actually if the you were to shoot at 1000 feet basically straight down your arrow would be moving at approx. 300 fps since it was propelled out of a bow. If it was just dropped then it would only be traveling approx. 120 fps when it reached its target.
