Range estimation

[Don Fischer]

Does anyone here estimate range anymore? Years ago, befor range finders, my friends and I estimated ranges to object's year round. We estimated in yards but we had all stepped off 100yds several times so had a fair idea where we were, for me 99 paces was 100yds. We debated when we had to account for up's and down's in the landscape then, when we could, we'd shoot to get an idea where we were. It took a lot of doing to stay on top of it but we were very good at it out to about 400yds. I don't do that that well anymore but then I don't shoot that far anymore either. I've never owned a range finder unless you want to count the "Rangeing Rangematic". It was not much to brag about beyond about 20yds.

Wondering also, have any of you that use rangefinders checked them at known ranges? How accurate are they?

[beemanbeme]

I did the same as you.  And with practice, you can get pretty darn good. A friend and I got into an argument over how far it was to a power pole in the hay meadow acrost from my home.  I said around 250; he said 400.  So he went home and got his laser beam range finder.  It was 250 right on the button.
The plex in a rifle scope can be used effectively also.

[NimrodRx]

Good post Don.  This is quickly becoming a lost art.  Most over estimate dramatically and would never believe how long it takes to get really good at estimating range.  I do it on my walk from the parking deck to the office, about two blocks.  Of course, I'm aided by the fact that I know how long the block is.  It takes my short little legs 116-120 paces to equal 100 yards. 

Alas, I too have sucomb to the laser rangefinder...  And yes, they're deadly accurate. 

[Land_Owner]

In a prep-Surveying course I took it was required to determine the normal walking gait for 100 feet (mine is 31 steps - I'm 6'-04").  That's 93 steps per 100 yards at a normal gait for this tall man.  As a Scoutmaster, we teach the boys to use the principal of similar triangles to determine range and height.  I won't labor with the explaination in this post, but the concept is sound.

[joshco84]

i have a pretty good method i think, my rifle is sighted at 250 steps, and i am roughly 100 yards at 100 steps.  so before season i go to my spot and step some things out so i know how far they are according to my rifle

[Don Fischer]

I'm guessing your about 5'11". I'm 5'10" and 100yds for me was 99 paces. In those days we called things yards but in fact they were paces.

[skb2706]

Until I actually owned a laser range finder I only assumed I was fair at range estimation. Every LRF I have used is extremely accurate and will often show me just how far off I 'would have been' in estimation.....its not a lost art for me....its an art I never had.

Used in combination with chronograph and simple ballistic info you can make some amazing long shots under the right conditions.

[insanelupus]

AND LRF are more accurate than paces, so you can still guess, save the time of walking and guess the next object and have more practice in a day!

[joshco84]

i am actually 5 9 but i have 36 inseam jeans, so im a goofy short guy

[Mac11700]

I use a LRF more and more for my long shots...but I still practice estimating various distances to stay pretty sharp...I can generally call it very close out to 200-250 yards...+ - 10-15yards...and then it goes down hill from there...For me...I like to know the exact yardage I'm shooting at...out past 100 yards...most anything inside that won't matter a great deal...I check mine frequently agaisnt known yardages...and change the batteries often..

Mac

[curdog]

the range finders are great, for several years we where lucky enough to have a spot to shoot up to 750 yards,we had targets set at every hundred except the last one.had ribbons on each target to see what the wind was doing,