Tips on Judging distance?
Equipment
Trying to help my grandson NOT learn some of my bad habits or methods of doing things. What is the best way to judge distance for 3 D shoots as well as hunting?
I break it down into 5 yard increments . Judge to the target and then back. Also helps to stand off to the side some times. Always trust your first guess! And when in doubt add 2 yards. Hunt
I always judge at 20yd increments. I'm like Huntman and always use my first guessestimate. If the animal's past 40yds and I don't have time to use my rangefinder I'm not shooting period.
Hunt taught me that method years ago and it's helped me out a lot. Very easy.
I start at 20 and go in 10s from there. But if hunt n nick go by 5s, i just may start doing that ;^)
For a youngster I would start at no further than 10 yrs. An older person- 20 yds.
Find 20 then 10 yard increments from there
Hope your 20 is 20 and not 18 or 23.
For 3D, 5 yard increments will be much more accurate than 20 or even 10. After watching and shooting with Hunt several times on the 3D course it was easy to see the benefits of using a 5 yard increment when guessing yardages for each shot.
I use 10 yard increments, BUT, that only works on relatively flat ground. Shooting across a ravine or water or any open air situation makes it much tougher. Another way is to also practice the relative size of the target. In any case, practice constantly, and check your estimate with a range finder. That's a MUCH better use for them than trying to use one just before a shot at an animal. If your estimate is off, try to figure out why, to help get an idea if there is some reason/situation that makes it more difficult to judge.
Here's what if do, think of a semi trailer, they are 50/55 ft long and you see them al the time. So, picture the trailer from you to the target and go from there. A trailer is roughly 18 yards and add distance as needed.
Practice. It's easier for me in the woods. I can usually get within a yard or two in the woods out to 50. Open spaces are tough.
I guess my method though is pretty instinctive. I just "know" what 30 yards looks like for instance. When I'm treestand hunting I'll peg objects at certain distances and draw radii in my head and remenber that. I usually don't even carry a rangefinder treestand hunting.
Out west I keep my rangefinder handy. Shooting 40-60 misjudging by even a couple yards can matter.
Learn to judge based on your pace count. If your strife is 30" your pace count would be 6 paces or steps per 5 yards. Learn to recognize what that distance looks like n the ground.
Once you're good with recognizing that, look at your target and mentally count back in5 yd increments until you're at the stake. Always err to the next 5 yards increment.
Another thing is to walk the neighborhood... Pick a landmark and ask how far is that -- then walk the distance.
It'll come together pretty quick.
learn the pace count so you can measure the guesstimates. Cut he distance in half and guess at that, then double it. Practice
For practice, carry a range finder when hiking or walking around. Guess distances then check yourself with the rangefinder.
I shot the 3d circuit for years, and learning what is 20 yards is important. After finding 20 yards, it's always 5 yard increments. Buy you gotta learn your 20 first. Walking around and jugding distance, then using your rangefinder to check distance will show you quickly. Learn your targets, different sized targets will kill you.
Just so you know, no target will be exactly 20 yards, 30 yards, 40 yards. Most targets will be 18, or 26, or 37. Set up way too many courses, and learned from experience.
The first thing I do is pick an object half way there. Use five or ten yard increments to determine the distance to that object. Double that distance, add a couple for insurance.
Use the ground, not the object/animal. I break it down by 10s, and then reverse it.
The first thing I do when I step up to the stake is find an approximate number and file it in the memory bank. I shoot a lot of indoor spots as well, so the next thing I do on 3D is find 20 yards. Then I will either go in 10 yard increments, or if it's a longer target, I will double my 20. Then I will find my half way point and see how it relates to my 20 yard mark. When I come up with my number, I will compare it to my initial memory bank number, adjust if needed, then let'er rip.
If you know your way around a football field, ten yard increments is the way to go. After that, it's practice, practice, practice.
Any time I'm walking around I am guessing and pacing - since you are walking in that direction anyway it is effortless. I used to really do it a lot when I shot a lot of 3d.
Lee
I know my pace. What distance each pace is in a given terrain. That’s one plus for guys that cruise timber.
When in the woods cruising timber, I’m constantly guessing how far things are. Being I get to pace right by them, I’m pretty dang good at it.
I handle everything to the yard. I break it down in 5 yard increments, get the yardage, and cut Drive.
I own a rangefinder. While half my adult hunting has been with trad bows, I’ve compound hunted quite a bit too. I use the rangefinder to check my guesses and to check my paces. I have never ranged an animal before shooting. That includes out west too. Fonit enough and you get good at it. God Bless
Strange but true.
So before you laugh to hard or to long you should try this at least once when practicing,
Many, many years ago when I first started to shoot a bow, my uncle who was a very proficient archer suggested this, when you are unsure of the distance to a target, turn away from your target and with your back to the target, bend over put your head between your legs, look at the target and you will automatically have a better judge of the distance to the target.
Now that you have had a good laugh, scratched your head or rolled your eyes or think I have went completely crazy, TRY IT on your longer distance pre-shot .
You might be very surprised !
:^}
When teaching my son to shoot and teaching him to better judge the distance to a target, I made a game of, "who can judge the distance to, the car, the tree in the back yard, especially when in the woods hiking or scouting". Pick a clump of weeds, a bush, a low hanging tree branch or a tree. Then step it off to see who was closer to being correct. Encouraging / congratulating him building his confidence to judge distance. :^}
When we would hang his stand, we / he would walk off 20 yards from an object to the base of the tree, look from there to other objects of equal distance so his thought of distance would be established with his stand / shot. This must of served him well as a youngster as he became a very good judge of distance.
I shot instinctive so the thought of distance was never a concern to me. Now that I shoot sights / pins, when hanging my stand I will pick the spot I think the shot will come from and step off the distance to my stand. I spend my idle time in the stand picking / judging other spot's / distance's.
It is always a fond memory to me thinking of those early days of teaching him to shoot, to hunt and the joy and pride of seeing him as the man he is today.
Good luck with your grandson. Treasure the moment's and memories to come.
:^}
