Elevation affects
Equipment
How much do feel arrow flight is altered in higher elevation if any? Saying if your bow is sited in the Midwest then hunt at 10,000 feet.
It will made some difference. You can see the changes by putting the data into the trajectory calculators available from any number of vendors.
From an elevation sight in at 4,400, I and others are finding about 2" at 9,000 ft. I always head up to elevation and sight in durning preseason. I move the sight block. Randy Ulmer in an article he posted several years ago, said he de-tuned his bow by turning the poundage down a little when at hunting elevation. For this reason, I always take a target to hunting camp so I can verify sight in.
"... I and others are finding about 2" at 9,000 ft."
2" at what distance?
I too read Randy's tip. To clarify (from fuzzy memory) Randy suggested that rather than gang-adjusting all of the site pins, it was more accurate to turn poundage down slightly, as the affect on each pin differs.
I.E. if one gang adjusts to make the 30-pin on, the 20 and 40 won't be, etc.
By reducing the draw weight each pin reflects the difference that altitude makes.
Obviously you'd want to test shoot at your hunting elevation as well as carefully experiment with any adjustments.
If I was shooting as well as Randy, I might be able to tell the difference.
Just keep it in your pocket as an excuse for missing
There were 5 of us at hunting camp one year. A couple of Mathews shooters, a High Country shooter a Hoyt shooter and I can't remember the 5th's bow brand. We were having a shoot out at spots at 20 yards. All us shot high at 20 yards. Some were !.5 inches, some were 2.0 inches. Seems like the faster the arrow the worse it floated. I had never heard of this before until one of the guys mentioned it. As additional proof that higher altitudes affect flight, take a look at the Ball Park in Denver. It is the mile stadium and boasts the most home runs hit in any stadium. I have not checked that claim out, but have heard it several times. I had no reason to doubt it.
I have never heard of this. God Bless
A 450 grain arrow at sea level will weigh about 449.5 grains at 10,000 feet. The density of the air is about 50% less at 10,000 feet (assuming the same temperature). The drag on the arrow would therefore be 50% less at 10,000 feet IF, IF, IF the arrow's speed was the same at both altitudes.
Take a Broadhead target and shoot your bow near the elevation you will hunt. A piece of rigid foam with a forgiving backstop can work. Some use the targets as glassing pads to sit on too (Foss family) while hunting sheep. I believe there is a comercial target, glassing pad being sold now......hexagonal or octagon shaped.
That said, I usually sighted in and stump shot a bunch at 10,000' when I lived in CO. That eliminates the issue is and gives you confidence in your sight settings. There definitely is a difference between sea level and 10,000', and there are too many variables with air temperature, arrow velocity, and the ballistic coefficient (drag characteristics) of your arrow, broadhead and vane combos to make too many accurate statements about what impact change you will see.
