dikstalker

New Member
Any tips on range estimating. I have just been told try one eye closed with a finger on target. Close the eye then with the other there will be a gap, estimate the gap measurement between both positions and multiply by 8 (or 10) and that will be the range. I've yet to try, anything similar out there ?
 
Most people can relate to a football pitch (100m) reasonably accuratley, try doing this ie. 1 football pitch, 2 football pitches, more than one less than 2 etc....

Bracketing, for example, it's more than 150m but less than 250m, go for 200m then, if it looks less than half of that then 180m or the other way, more than half way, 220m

Another method is to train yourself. I take 108 steps to reach 100m on the flat, everyone will be different, I'm 5'8" with a 30" leg. Go to a football park and try it, 3 or 4 times normal strides, once you are happy, test your self, when out walking, look for a feature, have a good guess at it's distance then measure it using your pace method, will be reasonably accurate it will also get your eye and brain to read distances and be relatively confident at it.

I do sometimes get it wrong on new ground, but with getting to know the ground, it's features you should get reasonably good at it in a short period of time.

TJ
 
It's not easy. I use a range finder quite a bit, but usually after the event. After taking a shot I count my steps as I advance to where I think the deer should be lying. It's also useful to consider the light conditions at the time. Deer stand out in snow and may appear bigger. If you are not sure, stalk a bit closer. Remember to aim low shooting up or down hill. Rgds JCS
 
hi,

practice makes perfect as they say.
i have built a target from a sheet of ply.
i got from bushwear a roe target copied this on to the sheet and painted it.
i took it out to 50 yards and viewed down the scope at lowest and greatest magnification, noted its size on the reticles.
I did this for 100 150 and 200. this gives me a general feel for it if i didnt have the r/finder to hand.
also what i did was using a field, ps i am lucky to have farm land to do this you may not be so lucky, and walked away from the target and guessed its distance and walked back to verify.
using objects close to the animal can also assist in range finding.
its not a dark science and the more you do it the better you will get.
as i only shoot out to 200 metres max on all deer, my choice, i find it easy now to judge these distances.

i use a longridge range finder £99 of the web and it does to 330 mtrs approx. cheap as chips.

hope this helps,never seen where you are sorry, if you where local i will offer the land for a range finding day ha ha

regards frank

hope that helps
 
The way I do it is,for any fishermen out there,I go by how far I can cast a fly!!I usually go in 50 yard increments,"ok,thats 50 yards,another 50 to there" and so on.Hope thats sounds ok,does in my head anyway!!:cuckoo:
 
The way I do it is,for any fishermen out there,I go by how far I can cast a fly!!I usually go in 50 yard increments,"ok,thats 50 yards,another 50 to there" and so on.Hope thats sounds ok,does in my head anyway!!:cuckoo:

Presumably you use different hook sizes depending on which species of deer you are fishing for?
 
Guys,

If you actually have the technology then use it as you stalk. Range short, middle and far as you go along.

Once a deer gets your interest you will "naturally' move to your scope. It is at this time your brain should kick in.

You saw a small Buck and now it's BIG..... Too much magnification.

Grandmothers eating too many eggs fart a lot!

Stan
 
I had exactly the same problem, Im hopless at judging distances. Being a techy geek that I am and not being able to afford a decent range finder I took the tech approach to this.

Google Earth is a great way to pre judge distance on a known piece of land. It has a ruler function that will tell you in yards the distance between points on a satellite image so i just look where a deer was, where I was and then get the distance. Once you do this a few times for your permission you will have a pretty good idea of what the distances are.

As an aside I also use Google Earth to track deer sightings on my permission which has lead me to have a better understanding of their movements.

ATB

Pat
 
The way I do it is,for any fishermen out there,I go by how far I can cast a fly!!I usually go in 50 yard increments,"ok,thats 50 yards,another 50 to there" and so on.Hope thats sounds ok,does in my head anyway!!:cuckoo:

Mike, 50 yard casts? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmh, single, double or overhead cast and what length rod?

ft
 
Any tips on range estimating. I have just been told try one eye closed with a finger on target. Close the eye then with the other there will be a gap, estimate the gap measurement between both positions and multiply by 8 (or 10) and that will be the range. I've yet to try, anything similar out there ?


I have not heard of that method, but will give it a try.

Have you seen the Shepherd Scope? It has a series of circles on the vertical axis on the reticule, each representing 18" across and each representing a specific distance, 100 yds, 200 yds, 300 yds etc. Each circle decreases in size as one moves down the axis, effectively raising the barrel for a longer range shot. One has to set the circles over what one knows to be 18", top of the back to the brisket on the larger deer for instance, and you are set for that range. It sounds like an effective system for quick range finding.

Regards

NewForester.
 
Mike, 50 yard casts? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmh, single, double or overhead cast and what length rod?

ft

:rofl:


Ahh and you said what I thought! But then again... with my farthers new Rio Speyline I can do 35m :eek: And I am the worlds s******t speycaster, as well as being a very run of the mill caster generally.

Oh and on range finding? Shootable or Watchable.


Sam
 
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Sorry, TJ You lost me at the off there. Foot-ball?

Almost lost myself there, I'd rather poke my eyes out with a hot blunt knitting needle than watch a game of football, but I can understand that a football pitch is 100m from goal to goal, well I hope so, that's what I was told.......

TJ
 
Isn't that the point of a Mil-Dot Reticle?

You have to use your brain but, the dots have a "size" at a given range. You just have to relate that "size" to a door height, Landrover wheel, six foot armed bloke or even a roe deer.

Stan
 
Isn't that the point of a Mil-Dot Reticle?

You have to use your brain but, the dots have a "size" at a given range. You just have to relate that "size" to a door height, Landrover wheel, six foot armed bloke or even a roe deer.

Stan


But then you would be pointing at something you may not want to shoot :-|.


Sam
 
Mike, 50 yard casts? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmh, single, double or overhead cast and what length rod?

ft
flytie-15ft or 18ft rods with spliced DT or SH lines.50 yards in overhead,single spey and double spey,66 yard cast in my last competition with a snake roll single spey combo on a 18ft rod.
 
:rofl:


Ahh and you said what I thought! But then again... with my farthers new Rio Speyline I can do 35m :eek: And I am the worlds s******t speycaster, as well as being a very run of the mill caster generally.

Oh and on range finding? Shootable or Watchable.


Sam

:rofl:
Sam, as you quote yourself as the s******t speycaster,you are only 12 yards short of 50 yards at 35metres,more than adequate for any british isle river for fishing.With these modern lines and rods 50 yards is a piece of p**s to the competition caster.
 
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