Author Topic: How good are you at guessing range? (Read 1327 times)

Freightman · « **on:** March 28, 2011, 02:20:45 PM »

I took my BC 45/70 to my kids ranch and we were doing some plinking I was using a 500gr cast bullet at BP speeds and pressure 1400fps , we picked out a rock on the side of a huge mesa that looked about the size of a gallon bucket lid. Son ask about how far was it? guessed about 275/300 found the rock by shooting at it and adjusting the sights modified from what comes on the BC. Shot until the rock split and we stepped off the distance up hill at a little over 600 yds. I am going to get me a range finder before deer season as the mistake could be bad when shooting a an animal. By the way the rock was about the size of a cow not a gallon bucket.

Kiwi Hunter · « **Reply #1 on:** March 28, 2011, 02:42:06 PM »

I am rubbish at estimating the the range

. That's why I shoot a .243 handi pretty flat shooting for 275 yards. Range finder would be handi tho.

spikehorn · « **Reply #2 on:** March 28, 2011, 02:52:16 PM »

About as good as you. i shot a buck with a 357 thinking it was about 60 yards, turned out to be 134 yards.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #3 on:** March 28, 2011, 02:54:25 PM »

I have always been aweful at range guessing.
I bought a laser range finder, Cheapish one.
The more I use it the better I am getting.
I guess and then laser the object and see how close I am.
Also when I pick a spot to hunt. I laser range a few larger markers around me.
You know how deer and pigs just pop up out of no where and there is not a lot of time to go from binocs to gun let alone add range finder in there.

LONGTOM · « **Reply #4 on:** March 28, 2011, 03:13:00 PM »

I have always been blessed with a pretty good eye for distance.
I pick out an object about 100 away and then see about how many of those will fit between me and the target.
I don't miss it by muck 90% of the time.
If I were to hunt somewhere I have never been before I will take a little extra time getting familiar with my surroundings.
Has always worked for me.

LONGTOM

jabey9210 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 28, 2011, 03:25:30 PM »

I'm not so good at it I've become reliant on the ol' rangefinder. But my wife shot a deer a couple years ago and when we went to get it i jumped up and started running off so my buddy being the quick thinker he was pulled the 45 long colt from his hip and shot it right in the butt and knocked it down first shot. We then ranged it and turned out it was 146 yrds. I asked him how he guessed how far it was and he replied "I didn't know i just knew it was far so I aimed about 3 feet above his back and pulled the trigger." greatest or should i say luckiest shot I've ever witnessed with my own two eyes. But as they say it's better to be lucky than good anyday.

mechanic · « **Reply #6 on:** March 28, 2011, 03:40:31 PM »

I can come close out to about 300 yards. Once played a lot of golf! A difference of 25 yards with some of my rifles and loads however is a lot. Once I'm past 300 it's all a wild guess anyway, and really doesn't matter, as I can't see well enough to shoot much beyond 200

Ben

hillbill · « **Reply #7 on:** March 28, 2011, 03:55:40 PM »

i also am rubbish! at guessing ranges.where i hunt i go out before deer season and step off ranges for different shots.i dont have a rangefinder but would like to.jus never got around to buying sumpin else that takes batteries.if i was on a high dollar hunt id paid for i would def get one tho.i rarely shoot over 250 yrds here and my rifles shoot fine at that range.

Sourdough · « **Reply #8 on:** March 28, 2011, 04:08:49 PM »

Before Rangefinders we used to guess, then step it off. Sometimes we were right on, other times we sere off by a bunch. Now that I have a reange finder I will sit down and make guesses then range them. Getting better.

necchi · « **Reply #9 on:** March 28, 2011, 05:54:13 PM »

I'm like mechanic, good to 300, but it's a praticed thing.
I have areas I frequent that I have measured and placed markers and I make a point of looking at them in different light. I've gone as far as placing a full size archers foam deer target dummy at those markers so I can look at that too.
Funny you should mention a 5 gal bucket, that's one of the things I use as these afore mentioned markers, they are of a consistant size and that way you can see what the size is at different ranges.

Now If I could just get Deer to carry around a bucket with'm, and preferably put it on the ground, then stand still next too it I'd have it made.

Beyond 300 it's a guess,

blind ear · « **Reply #10 on:** March 28, 2011, 06:39:14 PM »

not worth a hoot. I have tried it changing from woods in flat land to woods in the hills to open land in the hills to open land in the flatlands and it just doesn't work for me. I need a range finder. ear

watkibe · « **Reply #11 on:** March 28, 2011, 07:01:04 PM »

I also need a range finder. I have found that walking a regular excercise route every day and counting my paces did start to give me a better idea of the difference between 100 paces and 400 paces. Still not all that good though.
My practice when hunting has always been that I picked the flattest shooting rifle and cartridge I could, and then didn't take any shots that I didn't think I could make. If it looks too far, IT IS TOO FAR !

bilmac · « **Reply #12 on:** March 28, 2011, 07:04:47 PM »

I don't really estimate range. After years of shooting the 22 long rifle I just estimate holdover, and usually am pretty close. With my centerfires I am trying to train myself to always hold on fur for the first try. If a critter is a long ways away I can hold on the backbone and if that hold is not high enough then it is probably too far to be shooting at anyhow. I don't know how many shots I have missed by holding high and then shooting high.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #13 on:** March 28, 2011, 07:08:43 PM »

An old shooting mentor of mine taught me to always hold color, meaning don't hold over the target, that's good advice IMO.

Tim

keith44 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 28, 2011, 10:27:14 PM »

As far as being able to call the distance I am looking at, terrible!! I can, for some reason that I can't explain, tell the difference between in range and not. I guess like Tim the old advice from an early mentor of not holding off the target (except when leading a moving target) has just become instinctive.

bobg · « **Reply #15 on:** March 28, 2011, 11:50:49 PM »

Not good at all. I missed a buck one morning because i was also taught to hold on color. I hit the deer low in the front leg. Living in a shotgun only area didn't help. I guessed the range to be about 50 yards closer than it was. The guy that owned the adjoining property to mine killed it.
The morning wasn't a total loss though. While the guy was dragging out the buck he kicked out a big doe. She came through the woods about 15 yards from me. Held on color on that one and had a dead deer on the ground.

bikerbeans · « **Reply #16 on:** March 29, 2011, 03:11:41 AM »

No good at all, so I bought a laser range finder. I hunt in a shotgun only area so we would set up stands or blinds and then use the range finder to mark the maximum point blank zero for our 12 ga slug guns, 125 yards. Now we are both hunting with 410 slug guns with a 175 point blank zero so we don't need the range finder as the woods we are in don't have shots over 150 yards.

BB

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #17 on:** March 29, 2011, 03:24:12 AM »

some days when I have been shooting alot I do well out to 250-300 yards , by good with in 20 yards either way . In fields where I hunt/shoot and know distances I can do ok . To walk up to a strange place and make a good guess is very hard to do . I got a range finder and carried it alot in the oftseason playing with it. I would guess a distance and check it . Over time I got ok at under 300 yards maybe 75% plus. That was with a summers worth of pratice. I learned to set up and get the range finder out and get some mesurements to landmarks . When the deer is close to one it becomes easy to get on the yardage by using the landmark. If shooting past 300 yards the range finder is worth as much as a good scope and ammo. Even it range finder is in the scope !

dks7895 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 29, 2011, 03:43:46 AM »

After a few years of practice, I am pretty darn close. I use a range finder to practice with in the yard/field. I make a game out of... guess the range, then check it with the range finder. While hunting I will scan trees/rocks in my shooting lanes to get a point of reference. Then calibrate myself to quickly identify the range if game appears and a shot presents itself. This is more critical during bow season.

LONGTOM · « **Reply #19 on:** March 29, 2011, 03:47:48 AM »

One of my hunting buddies uses a range finder all the time.
While he is trying to get the range and then get his gun and then adjust the rest or scope I have already shot the critter.
I keep telling him that it ain't going to wait around all day for you!
Use the finder before the animal shows up.
I have two of them but rarely use them unless I am hunting some place new.
Guess a few spots, check it to see how good you are before and when the animal shows you are ready with the gun and have a fair idea of the distance without wasting time trying to dial it in.
I will say that a good range finder will help you learn to "guesstamate" with more confidence but I learned the old fashioned way by practice, lots & lots of practice!
Like I said, has always worked for me.

LONGTOM

gcrank1 · « **Reply #20 on:** March 29, 2011, 04:54:32 AM »

My wife once 'used' the height of the corn to get a sense of the size of the deer (Win.30-30 c/w open sights). I think we tend to judge distance by the proportions of things we are used to.
She didnt realize the spike buck was standing in runt corn about 4' tall.
Darn thing was easy to carry out wrapped in orange over my shoulders. Good eatin' too, but we still feel bad about it.

oldsoldja · « **Reply #21 on:** March 29, 2011, 11:50:38 PM »

Im good at it, but i think its from golfing that made me like that. I just bought my first rangefinder, ill see how that is.

LONGTOM · « **Reply #22 on:** March 30, 2011, 06:41:22 AM »

Quote from: gcrank1 on March 29, 2011, 04:54:32 AM

My wife once 'used' the height of the corn to get a sense of the size of the deer (Win.30-30 c/w open sights). I think we tend to judge distance by the proportions of things we are used to.
She didnt realize the spike buck was standing in runt corn about 4' tall.
Darn thing was easy to carry out wrapped in orange over my shoulders. Good eatin' too, but we still feel bad about it.

Why feel bad about it if it was a clean kill.
It was meat in the freezer!
I guess you have figured it out by now that I am a meat hunter! OH YEA!!!

LONGTOM

gcrank1 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 30, 2011, 06:54:15 AM »

We are too, but would rather have let him get bigger and have a few more joys of life before he became food. Hey, there is is no guarrantee he would have lived anyway, and there is NO waste in nature. It was probably his destiny.
We are not anthopomorphic about critters, like some, but sure do respect them.