range finding

[markvining 18]

Hi all,

Im new to shooting have being doing alot of target practice at 25m to 30m with good grouping but when im out in the field my best guess are way out. Ive being stalking up to shooting range thinking its 25m ish and it would be under 20m or there was one i thought was out at 30m and when i walked it out it was getting on for 40m. I know with anything you have to practice and you dont become a master like you guys over night it just gets a little frustrating i cant hit a cows back side when out hunting .

 

Ive seen those range finders but they seem to be a bit pricey for my budget at the mo also ive seen laser dots but not realy sure how they work any tips or ideas would be appreciated

 

m v

[Phantom 631]

Range finding in the fields is as you say a right pain in the butt

 

If your static over a warren it pays to measure it out in paces or measure a piece of string and use that from the warren to where you will lay up

 

I got the hang of it after a long time, but then started making mistakes after I'd not been out for a week or so

Suppose its like body building, you loose it if you don't use it.

 

You can count fence posts or even work it out using mildots but I've just invested in a Laser range finder and already its having benefits

 

I spent last night, guessing ranges and then verifying them with the laser range finder, and I will continue to do so until I can do it with ease and get it right.

 

Range finding at night or in low light in the field is a whole different monster and I spen last winter trying to get it correct

But now I bet I couldn't do it for toffee in the dark!

 

Devise a system of working it out and when you get it right, don't chop and change like I did for a bit!

Eventually it will become second nature as long as you dont have any lay offs and keep practicing

 

Good luck

 

Phantom

[stubby 175]

I too had problems with ranges, and paid out over £100 for a range finder, only to sell it a few months later, its fine on non moving targets but when hunting, by the time you have put that upto your eye and got a reading from it, then put rifle up to the eye, the bird/rabbit has moved, or seen the movement and sodded off,

 

a red dot lazer is better in low light conditions, unless you pay good money for a better quaility one, but in bright light, its hard to see the dot, the way I have my work air rifle set up is simple, I shoot pigeons on the underground, they roost in the tunnels, so distance is anything between 30ft to 50ft

 

my laser is therefore set up at 30ft, so when you look through the telescopic sight, the red dot is centre of cross hairs, so you simple flick the laser on, look through the sight, if the red dot is either above or below the crosshair, you know instantly that your either to close or too far away, and you simply move forward or back, until the dot is central, you can do all this while aiming at something close to what your shooting, save spooking it with red dots in its face, once your at the correct distance, flick the laser off

 

the other thing to remember, is on your magnification ring, find a setting that suits you, mines set at around x6 and then leave it there, even use a bit of black electrical tape to tape it up to stop you forgetting and moving it, as fiddling with it when out hunting, changes your point of impact, resulting in missed shots

[Sweeney-Todd 208]

Hi MV.

 

Save up for a Range finder buddy, think the Gun Tuff's are about £ well worth the money mate.

 

Failing that, find a nice busy warren and shoot from a static position, at a measured range.

I used a length of para cord to mark out my ranges before I got the LRF, works a treat, put your markers in, and away you go.

 

Bill.

[Sweeney-Todd 208]

you beat me to it Tony, our post's crossed

 

 

 

Bill.

[Phantom 631]

 

my laser is therefore set up at 30ft, so when you look through the telescopic sight, the red dot is centre of cross hairs, so you simple flick the laser on, look through the sight, if the red dot is either above or below the crosshair, you know instantly that your either to close or too far away, and you simply move forward or back, until the dot is central, you can do all this while aiming at something close to what your shooting, save spooking it with red dots in its face, once your at the correct distance, flick the laser off

 

Hey Stubby

Moving backwards and forwards is a bit of a pain in the ass aint it? Not so bad on Roosters in the tunnels or other confind spaces and buildings but you just reminded me of a post earlier regarding lasers and scopes.

 

If you can set them up right (above your scope) the dot will be bang on the cross at your chosen Zero, if its higher than the cross its closer if its lower then its further away as Stubby says above

 

If you measure out the distances you can memorise where on the post certain distances are and make the hold over or under compensation. It helps greatly with a mildot of variable mag to do this.

 

Some one will be along to either explain in more detail or point you in the direction of the best thread example.

 

I think Craig AKA Buster123 did the very best explanation I have seen on this subject, he'll point it out to you as I've not got the time to find it for you right now.

 

Take care

Phantom

[Edgar 1]

No need for expensive gadgets, not usually much time either. When walking the dog or whatever just stop, estimate the distance to the next tree or whatever and see if you were right. After a while you will get pretty accurate. There are things to help you. If stalking alongside a fence estimate the difference between posts and work it out that way. Be carefull in sheds, they are deceptive. Pace out your shoot next time you are there and you will get to know how far away things are. Or shoot from a hide with rocks left out for range markers where game is likely to appear.

[markvining 18]

Cheers lads for the top tips as it happened the field i shoot has sheep fencing round using them as an marker i aim up and missed i walked over 29m it was supposed to be 25m i then walked the fence line to find the posts were all over the place. I repaced the fence making all posts 10m then waited till after dinner for another go well i got two head shots i think making marker posts will help to get my eye in untill i get a LRF

thanks again

[davyt63 1,845]

Cheers lads for the top tips as it happened the field i shoot has sheep fencing round using them as an marker i aim up and missed i walked over 29m it was supposed to be 25m i then walked the fence line to find the posts were all over the place. I repaced the fence making all posts 10m then waited till after dinner for another go well i got two head shots i think making marker posts will help to get my eye in untill i get a LRF

thanks again

 

 

hi mark

thats exctly what i use to do and still do sometimes! aslo if you know your permission you should know where you POI are on ya mildots for certain area's where they pop out! another way to do this is make a log of the pionts that you shoot from and a brief look when your out will help ya know end! also measuring you in step form heel to heel will give ya abetter measured paced distance! mine is 0.900mm so 45pace's = 40.5yds and if i take 34 pace's i know that its smack on my zero for .22 cal and for .177 its 39/40 pace's

 

hope this helps!

 

have a sp for the head shots!

 

also i hope to get over on the 21st ?

 

regards

 

davy

[stubby 175]

 

 

Hey Stubby

Moving backwards and forwards is a bit of a pain in the ass aint it?

 

its only used either on platforms or tunnels, and we normally get rows of dumb pigeons, it litery a case of either one step forward or back

[Phantom 631]

Ahhh I Get yah now

 

Phantom