homemade range finder
 

i really struggle with judging distance. anyone out there ever make their own ranging device or have some tricks they could share. thanks

RE: homemade range finder
 

A 250 fps or faster bow and a good pendulum sight, you are good to 35 yds with a single pin. It is as easy as that.

RE: homemade range finder
 

Get yourself a spool of braided nylon string 90' in length, tie one end to your tree and stretch the other end out into your shooting lanes. Where the string ends, tie a piece of colored surveyor's tape. Do not shoot past the surveyor's tape as this should be your limit if you cannot judge distance. As you get more experienced, you can invest in more string and tape. This concludes my homemade range finder lesson.

RE: homemade range finder
 

I have a nice range finder now, but I actually used a golf distance finder from the golf shop. It is only about $30, but does the job for bow hunting. I only purchased my nice range finder for long distances like 200 yards. But, the golf distance finder works great for bow hunting.

RE: homemade range finder
 

That's a great idea ATC. I don't chase the little white balls around yet, so I wouldn't have thought of it. Very good tip.

I find the best way to learn estimating is to shoot 3D.
Either use a rangefinder and burn the images of the different distances in your mind, or go without the equipment and make note of guesses that are off. Pace it off when you get your arrows back.

Than practice from your stand if you can. Things look further away from up there and may cause you to aim a bit high.

RE: homemade range finder
 

Get em' in to 10-15 yards and don't worry about it.

RE: homemade range finder
 

I'VE found I can use my sight on my bow. If you shot at a lifelike target like a mckenzie or delta at 20 yards see how much of the deer fills the the ring surounding your pins. Then move back to 30 yd its not to the yard accurate but will give you a good idea as to an estimate of distance

RE: homemade range finder
 

I have thought aout making my own a few times. It is a very simple circuit, the problem I have is getting a case to put it in.

You just need a proximity sensor and a microcontroller. Press the button it sends the signal and starts an internal clock. Once the return signal is received it stops the clock. And you can now turn time into distance because you know the wavelength of the signal.

I am going to make one and I will let you know how it turns out.

RE: homemade range finder
 

tanks for the info. should have known there would have been at least one smarta@# comment.

RE: homemade range finder
 

Thanks. You are correct in saying the best way to earn estimating is to shoot 3D. I have access to a bow range about 10 minutes from the house and they have about 10 acres set up in the woods with a walking trail through it. About every 100 yards down the trail, there are side trails with 3D targets. Each side trail is set up different and the distances are all marked off with colored stake markers. They even have a few blinds to shoot from, one ground blind and two tower blinds. It really helps me to shoot from the tower blinds because of the hypotenuseside of the right triangle along with gravity affects the shot.

RE: homemade range finder
 

Thats actually really great advice. I know its not what you want to hear but that alone will help you alot more than string, tape, and proximity sensors.

My motto with a bow is this: If it looks like it might be too far, then its TOO FAR!

RE: homemade range finder
 

Hey Wheatly, I mean Macgyver,

When you get that puppy going I sure would like to see it. I'd like to know how accurate it is too. Very interesting.

Tom

RE: homemade range finder
 

I found another problem in finding a sensor that will meet the range I need. I will keep looking and hopefully come up with something. I thought I seen one that would go to 60m but now I can not find it.

RE: homemade range finder
 

With 280-290 fps depending on which bow I shoot, it is pretty easy. No clear shots past 20-25 yds in the woods anyway. No need for a pendulum here. My 10 and 20 yd pin is the same, and my 30 is stacked right below it. I couldn't figure out why your bow was so slow TeeJay, then I remembered you shot a mathews. Better stick with the pendulum;)

RE: homemade range finder
 

Get a $9 binocular from walmart. Stand 15 yards from a crisp target and focus it in with the binocular. Make a mark on the bino focus - this is your 15 yard mark.

Do the same for other distances.

RE: homemade range finder
 

I saw somewhere that some one went 20, 30, and 40 yards away from a 3D target and used a paint marker on the outer edge of their sight and marked a spot where the back of the deer is then 3 other marks where the gut of the deer was. Im not sure if it works well but its free so its worth trying. I'll see if I can find where I saw this.

RE: homemade range finder
 

buy some judo points, and walk around shooting at grasses, flowers, stumps, etc. after every shot count the yards to whatever you were shooting at. after a while, you'll get pretty good at it!

RE: homemade range finder
 

Hey, when you are shotting long distance w/ a rifle llike out to a couple hundred plus yards you use yardage markers in the form of a stake and some clothe llike material to blow inthewind. Why don't you set this up at your stand site? I would (if i was as concerned as you are) start at 20yds then 30yds then 35,40...prob.would not go much further than that..good luck.