Author Topic: shots from tree stands (Read 822 times)

rickyp · « **on:** November 03, 2003, 04:35:29 PM »

when hunting from a tree stand do you have to compensate for your height?

Myk · « **Reply #1 on:** November 03, 2003, 05:06:43 PM »

Probably not with a firearm worthy of deer hunting unless you are really far up there and shooting long distance.

If you want to be sure of not having to compensate for the uphill/downhill thing, measure your distances on a level plain. Either by judging yardages from the base of your tree to the target or by using a range finder from your height to a tree at an equal height by your target.

I always wondered why I wasn't effected by this with a bow. Then I noticed the way I judge distance in a tree stand is by going from the base of my tree to the target, not from my eye to the target.

Blackhawk44 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 04, 2003, 02:36:27 PM »

YES. As the angle becomes more severe you have to hold lower. As the angle increases gravity has less effect on the bullet. Your sights are set up to allow for a parabollic curve. With less gravitational effect, by your sights, the bullet will seem to continue to climb rather than arc, so you compensate. Actual practice from such a setup would provide the best answer.

Bullseye · « **Reply #3 on:** November 04, 2003, 03:47:47 PM »

Blackhawk44 is correct in his description. However, in my opinion at normal ranges using normal hanguns calibers for deer, I do not compensate and have never had a problem.

Mikey · « **Reply #4 on:** November 05, 2003, 04:20:39 AM »

Ummm, rickyp - not unless your stand is under a low hanging branch ( :-).D Mikey.

rickyp · « **Reply #5 on:** November 05, 2003, 05:29:50 AM »

I normaly set up about 25 -30 feet up in a stand. ( I have a ribbon tied to my hall line at 25 feet) and most of my shots are from about 10 feet to about 100 yards at the most.

HappyHunter · « **Reply #6 on:** November 05, 2003, 07:37:55 AM »

As I understand it the height is not a factor. Use only the horizontal distance to determine bullet drop.

Fred

jamie · « **Reply #7 on:** November 05, 2003, 10:14:14 AM »

Nope not out of a tree. If the angle is severe then the target has to be prretty close to you and at that distance the trjectory won't matter enough to make a difference. If you happen to take a shot that is of a longer distance then the angle at which you are shooting becomes negligible.

tripper · « **Reply #8 on:** November 05, 2003, 03:57:50 PM »

I have only noticed it making a differnce twice. I was about 15 ftup in a stand over looking a steep ridge. A buck came through about 30yds. dowm the ridge putting him about 15 ft. below the base of the tree. I held about midway between bottom of chest and back. Because I was shooting a 30-30 I was surprised when the deer droped in his tracks. Upon checking him out I found that I had broke his back. Being young and dummer at that time i prombly checked out the sights and they were good. Two days later I shot another buck 5 ft from the first one with the same results.

carolcann · « **Reply #9 on:** November 06, 2003, 03:03:15 AM »

Middle-school geometry sovles this question and more! Don't you boys wish you had paid more attention in class?

If you're shooting anything faster than a pellet gun, the difference in hold shouldn't amount to more than an inch or two of trajectory.

Varmint Hunter · « **Reply #10 on:** November 06, 2003, 11:31:12 AM »

Trajectory will not be an issue. However, shot placement WOULD change if you were in an elevated stand and the game animal was close.

No different than if you were bow hunting, except you won't have to be concerned with large bones preventing adequate penetration. :-D