bigfoot22 Posted March 29, 2005 Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 In the coming spring and summer,I'm going to practice shooting from a 15 ft. tree stand.My question is on yardage shots(say 10,20 and 30yard shots) Would I measure from the bottom of the tree or from the point from which I'm shooting in the stand(15ft. up in the stand?) I want to mark the shooting area so I will know the distance.Thanks evrybody for the input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muff Posted March 29, 2005 Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 Re: Yardage practice I am not sure what is right...but I go from the bottom of my tree....when I practice off my back deck(its 15 feet high) I put the decoy out 20 yards seems to work BUT I am shoting a crossbow.good luck and keep practicing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Squirrelbuster Posted March 29, 2005 Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 Re: Yardage practice Always measure from the bottom of the tree because that is the actual distance to the target. If you measure the distance from the stand, the distance will actually appear to be farther than it actually is. So if you were to sight in your bow on the ground at 30 yards, then you shoot from your treestand at a distance marked 30 yards from the stand (while the bows is sighted in from the ground) the arrow will actually strike higher then you intended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot22 Posted March 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 Re: Yardage practice Thanks again for all input.Just trying to get it right for when the time comes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kracey Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Re: Yardage practice I go up to my desired height and then use my range finder on targets. I feel that it will get me the most accurate results and it has worked so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCH Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Re: Yardage practice You've got two things working against you when you shoot from a treestand: mathematics and gravity. Mathematics will lengthen the shot from an elevated position. If you measure the distance from the bottom of the tree it will be shorter than the distance from the same target to the elevated platform. A(squared) plus B(squared)=C(squared). Also,gravity will have more of an effect on your arrow when shooting from your stand. I don't sight my bow in for elevated shooting. I use a range finder from my stand to mark distances. If the deer is 20 yards from my stand, I usually hold right on or just a hair high. I'd rather miss low than high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michiganbowhunter_SQ2 Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Re: Yardage practice i would range from your stand, since that is where you are going to be shooting from...i never understood why you would range from the ground if you aren't going to be shooting from there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkoholic Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Re: Yardage practice The distance is correctly measured from the base of the tree, if and only if the ground is level. The affect of gravity occurs over the distance covered perpendicular to the pull of gravity. Thus, anytime you are shooting up or down from perpendicular there is a tendency to hit high because gravity is influencing arrow (or bullet) flight over a shorter distance than that measured. Usually in bowhunting the difference is small enough so that it is hardly noticed, but if you are in a stand 30 or so feet up you might want to practice a little more from your stand. Gravity has no greater affect no matter where you are shooting from. The pull of gravity accelerates an object towards the ground at 9.8 meters (32ft.) per second per second no matter where you are shooting from with the only other variable being resistance, which changes with elevation, humidity or object shape. I tried to put this in as simple lanquage as possible, but basically, if you practice the shots you will be taking while hunting you can not go wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Re: Yardage practice [ QUOTE ] Also,gravity will have more of an effect on your arrow when shooting from your stand. [/ QUOTE ] Gravity is the same no matter what your angle is. While its true that the angle distance is slightly greater from the elevated position, it really does not mean that much with today's equipment. Say if you are shooting 280 fps and are 15 feet up the tree and take a 20 yard shot (measured in horizontal distance). The angle distance will be what a yard more? Not enough to make a difference for hunting. If you are shooting 3D or something looking for an X-Ring, it can mess you up, but basically, it does not matter. The farther out you go, the angle is shallower so the delta is minimal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrud Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Re: Yardage practice It depends. Do you have a range finder? If so, use that from up in the tree. That will also be the farthest distance from the object, since it is the hypotenuse in the triangle. If you measure from the bottom of the tree, the distance from you up in the tree to the object will be longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWSmith Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Re: Yardage practice [ QUOTE ] i would range from your stand, since that is where you are going to be shooting from...i never understood why you would range from the ground if you aren't going to be shooting from there... [/ QUOTE ] Maybe I can explain a little bit of why.... I used to setup a treestand site with the help of a friend and they would be on the ground while I was in the treestand. They would have the rangefinder aiming it at me in the stand and would give me readings at different places around my stand. They would tie a few pieces of flagging tape at both 25 and 35 yards. I would get the impression as to the distance and then when hunting I would have the rangefinder with me and take a few readings to re-institute the distance or to range live animals. As far as the reason its not the same distance from the tree to a target and from your stand to a target.... I have made this crude drawing that should explain it fairly well....just consider the distance and having the chance to anchor a piece of rope at the distance and then being able to raise that rope from the base of the tree into the air you can see what happens. (p.s. check out that fancy parallel limb design) Cheapest rangefinder ever invented is a piece of rope....measure it and then tie it to your treestand. Get down and walk out from the base of your tree and you will have the exact distance of the rope to place your flagging tape at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanH Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Re: Yardage practice I just push that button on the top of my range finder! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrud Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Re: Yardage practice [ QUOTE ] I just push that button on the top of my range finder! LOL [/ QUOTE ] Yep. A Nikon too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanH Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Re: Yardage practice [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I just push that button on the top of my range finder! LOL [/ QUOTE ] Yep. A Nikon too. [/ QUOTE ] Yup laser 440! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Re: Yardage practice [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I just push that button on the top of my range finder! LOL [/ QUOTE ] Yep. A Nikon too. [/ QUOTE ] Yup laser 440! [/ QUOTE ] Bushnell Yardage Pro 400... also many of you forgot to say that if you sight your bow in on level ground you can use the same exact pins at the same exact yardage from the treestand.. you must bend at the waist to get your shooting form the same from a treestand...this will allow you to use the same pins.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTbowman Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Re: Yardage practice It personal preferance I believe. I measure from the bottom of my tree and heres why. Since I own my hunting property and have several semi perminant stand sites littered all over it. I also have several bowhunter guests each fall with varied accuracy or range estimation skills. This includes myself... LOL So I mark every shooting lane of every stand with 10, 20, 30, and 40 yard markers. I use orange surveyers tape and tie a small piece at each distance. Some stands have 3 or 4 lane each marked that way. So I advise my friends that the marks are measured from the base of the tree not the stand. Not everyone owns a range finder and to me they do not help at low light. I know folks to range earlier in the afternoon and come low light they can not see that rock at 21 yards or the limb at 15... The orange stands out well past legal light and helps everyone know how far the deer is in any light condition. Plus it gives me piece of mind I dont have guys out there winging arrows at 45 yards thinking it was 30, and injuring deer. JMO.... Short version: Base of tree.... LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Re: Yardage practice I'm with AJ on this one. It's just not enough of a difference to matter unless you are dealing with extreme angles at a distance past where your arrow starts to drop off. By extreme (for example) I'm talking about taking a shot on a deer say 30 yards from you that is down on the side of a steep ridge and you're in a stand on the top and on the edge of the ridge. That situation leaves you with an extremely high angled shot at a distant target. The same goes for a steep grade shooting up the side of a steep ridge too. Your 30 yard pin is set for the drop of the arrow but those exteme angles don't allow for the arrow to drop normally. In both of those extreme situations you'll shoot high. It's been several years now but Chuck Adams wrote an article about this for hunting in the mountains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCH Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Re: Yardage practice Shooting 3-D, you get a lot of practice at shooting from hills and even elevated platforms. If you're elevated and shooting at a target 30 yards away and you don't compensate for the elevation, more than likely, you're gonna miss the X ring. I do agree that gravity will not make enough difference to where you will miss the deer entirley, but you will miss your mark. It might be by 1/4 of an inch, but you will miss. Also, if you're even thinking about taking shots at or over 40 yards, you might want to practice a few times from your stand and hold right on the mark and judge the difference for yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnatecsteve Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Re: Yardage practice MCH..So you're saying gravity and shot angles affect your shot? I agree with you, but there seems to be alot of opinions on this topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCH Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Re: Yardage practice I'm not an authority on the subject. I've only been shooting a bow for a little over 5 years now and have just taken up competitive shooting seriously last year. Bottom line, when I shoot from an elevated platform, my shot placement is different than when I shoot from ground level and it is exaggerated over distance. Being a man of reason, I believe that the farther you get from earth the stronger the earth's pull becomes(gravity). Now whether my form or gravity is affecting my arrow???? I'm not sure, but it's more convienent for me to blame gravity.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkoholic Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Re: Yardage practice You gotta love the various thoughts on this one! Actually, the farther you get from earth gravity has less of an affect, but if you fall from a higher elevation you will have a greater distance to accellerate and if you should hit terminal velocity (need to be in a cannon-ball position) of approximately 214 miles per hour it will hurt a whole bunch more upon making contact with the ground. On the shooting out of an elevated stand with a bow subject, poor shooting form will have a greater affect than the difference in range estimation. As an example, if you are 18 feet up in your favorite tree stand and the buck of a lifetime stops in one of your shooting lanes 20 yards away from the base of the tree, the distance from your stand to the deer is 20.88 yards. As the deer gets closer to your stand the greater the difference, and say at 15 yards from the base of the tree the distance from the stand to the deer is a hair over 16 yards, and at 10 yards it is 11.65 yards. If you are using good shooting form (bending at the waist) and your bow is sighted in at ground level, it might not be a bad idea to aim an inch to several inches lower than normal, which will help if the animal drops down as it gets ready to take off (jumps the string). The greatest number of missed or poorly placed shots are high or too far back (aimed at the middle of the deer did you?) or both. How many of you are aware that if you fire your new .300 WSM launching a 180 grain bullet perpendicular to the ground and you were to drop, at the same time, an identical 180 grain bullet from the same height as the end of the barrel, the two bullets will hit the ground at the same time? In closing, let me state that the only thing that increases gravity is age, or at least it feels that way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
too_pointer Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Re: Yardage practice Lots of good opinions here. When I hunted primarily from tree stand heights, I would practice from my house or barn roof. I would measure out to 20, 30 ft ect. from the ground to my target. I liked using a deer target for this. Once I got out to my treestand in the woods, I would pace off different distances and use stumps, trees, or anything to mark how far they were from my tree. I have shot most of my deer in the sitting position, and agree with others, that proper bending and stance is crucial. too_pointer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThethirdI Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Re: Yardage practice I solved the problem of bending at the hip by adjusting my anchor point. I put the knot from my D-loop in the corner of my mouth and the tip of my nose on the string. No matter how I shoot (Up,Down, Sideways) you get the picture, My sight window is always the same. This way I can shoot over my shoulder backwards out of my stand which has happened and I am dead on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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