Estimating distance

[blueracoon 0]

Hello everyone, this is my first post, I'm after some advice, hope you can help.

 

I already know my conversions from Yards to feet to metres. Eg.- 40yds = 120ft = approx, 37m etc. but in the field I find it difficult judging linear distance.

Was wondering if anyone out there could offer some advice or tips on judging a targets distance by sight only. is there a way of 'seeing' the distance, like by imagining the width of a football field? How does everyone else guess?

Heres a usefull link for those that aren't too sure of conversions... www.metric-conversions.org

[celticwar 1]

if you mean on your shoot .

when i first started to shoot on the feilds round the farm i put little bit of ribbon on the fence or hedge that id walked out to roughly 30 yards and another to 40 yards in direction of the wabits . cheating a bit but helped me no end .then i started getting the feel of distances job done

[ChrisJones 7,975]

When I started out I used to put up markers at set intervals. I'd shoot from a certain spot, just targets at first, and try and use the markers as a crude form of range finder. I also tried to tie it in with the parallax adjuster on the scopes.

 

It wasn't great but with practice it gives you a reasonable idea.

[jamie g 17]

get a little rangefinder mate. like a mtc one or jsr both cheap and relieble

[AIRGUNNER 1]

Tape measure

Edited February 25, 2008 by AIRGUNNER

[Malt 379]

Never bothered myself. It all came with experience.

[maty j 6]

like CJ mentioned. i use the paralex corection as a range finder. set up your range measureing out , 20, 25, 30 and so on to whatever you want and use a cornflake box or similar at 20 yds. fix your magnification right up and correct the parelex so its crystal clear. get a thin sticky label on your paralex adjuster and mark on what distance it is. do this with all the distances bit leave a bit of space on the sticky label. then get some targets on the same distances and shoot a small group. if your zeroed for 25yds for example and shoot at 20 it could be 1 mildot higher than your zero so just put +1 next to 20yds. carry on like this and you can then work out how much hold over/under you need when taking the shot by looking at the end of your scope. makes things much easyer. things are a bit more difficult when lamping however

[Deker 3,478]

From an Airgun point of view I would suggest practice, as has been indicated. General airgun ranges will be 30-40 yards maximum so you should soon get used to things, but as you are already aware range is important. You will have to check distances as you zero so that will help, but again, light conditions, topography, woodlands or open fields all add to the confusion.

 

Laser rangerfinders can be useful (and expensive) but if you use your gun regularly you will soon get used to distances. The fun and games and can really start when you talk about centrefires at 200, 300, 400, 500+ yards!

 

ATB

 

Keep practicing

 

Deker.

[woodchip 2]

i had problems judging distances so i brought a rangefinder best buy ever dont know how i lived without it

[danny boi 0]

if i remember rightly there was a post not so long ago with a method using lateral distances.

 

it worked that the human eye can juge distance from left to right easier than front ot back.

 

i cant find it t the min but was an interesting read.

 

cheers

dan

[Coney 3]

Still pace things out to this day even after shooting for many years, but I always work out the limitations of any gun I am currently using on targets first before putting it to use on game.