Range estimation practice

[BT]

If your military or law enforcement you have no doubt been taught range estimation principals.

But what if you have no idea how to do this properly
You should practice obviously

The best way I have found is built on the adage that practice makes perfect

Around 2 months before season I will step off everything anywhere I have to walk to.

If I get out of the car to walk to the store , I will estimate the distance to the door and then step it off.

Same with everything , everywhere.

There is no reason to leave it to a month or two out of each year since you can do it at any time and all the time.

If you find that you are way off at first , try looking at the distance and then find the halfway point of that.

Estimate that 1/2 and then just double it.

You may find this is much easier.

I strongly suggest this for anyone , no matter how good you are.

Since arrow flight is an arch , once you achieve arch , two yards can mean the difference between a great hit and a blow shot.

[michihunter]

I think this is the one of the most important issues in archery today. And the most prevalent reason for bad shots and misses. I can't stress the need for ALL Bowhunters to get a firm knowledge of yardage estimations. Do whatever is necessary to confirm a distance and by all means, if you are unsure, please refrain from shooting. BT has listed some great suggestions but nothing can replace experience. Take out your rig and do some "stump shooting". And do a lot of it!! At ther very least, when you get top your stands, mark out a shoting perimeter with tie ons or other markers at your various pin distances. Do whatever it takes to make sure you get a good clean kill.

[buffalocounty32]

ive never heard of doing that before, but that is a great idea....I usually jude distance using 10 yard increments to the target...when I am in the woods I carry a rangefinder...but alot of times you dont have enough time or you will probably be spotted while using one

[lockmaster]

IMO, there is no better way than the ole' natural eyeball judging of distance. I have never used a range finder. Michi and BT has some great points. Practice it ALL THE TIME, year round. I practice it everywhere around my back yard, in friends yards, in the woods, parking lots etc. You will always see a big difference in being able to judge distance under different conditions. You may be able to judge 20 yards easily in your back yard but if you come upon a long, narrow opening in a meadow or along an old logging trail, 20 yards may appear more like 35 or 40. (try it!) As BT said, pull in to a store. I sometimes intentionally park a little farther from the front door when I have time just to see how well I can judge the distance across the lot or to the front door. Michi made a good statement...get involved in "stump shooting" and do a lot of it around your yard if you can and in the woods where you hunt. If you hunt out of a stand, the vinyl ribbon tape available at Lowe's or Home Depot is great. Get several small rolls matching the colors of your sight pins. Then mark off the distances in your hunting area and tie a small piece of the ribbon at the distances with the colors that correspond to the colors of your sight pins.
This is great for your permanent hunting spot but nothing beats practice in being able to judge distance no matter where you are hunting. Stump shooting is just the absolute best for that!

[BT]

I will agree that stump shooting is great.

it also installs this natural ability to shoot without thinking about the distance when used in practice to do so..

When I stump shoot I never look at a precived distance but rather , I simply draw on it and shot when it feels right.

At first you will miss alot because you will naturally be thinking about distance but just try it for a few days in a row.

Find an area like a filed and just start shooting a quiver full of arrows at an item then retrieve and shoot to the next target point.

You keep that up for two hours a day for a few days and you will be wailing everything without needing to consider it.
(Promise )