Judging Yardage
 

Anyone have some tips for judging yardage? I just can't estimate it. I will be shooting 3d so marking off distances isn't an option. I have a carpenter's wheel so I can measure them.

RE: Judging Yardage
 

I don't shoot 3d but I did start out 3 yrs with out a deer, not without a shot. What I did do was to measure with paces from my stand to my scent drops then took this in my mind with a circle when up a tree. Now with the expiriences racked up this isn't needed. 3D however is different.

RE: Judging Yardage
 

Practice. Practice. Practice. I use a very complicated way to judge with the distance between my pins. You just have to learn all of the targets and at what distances they are as tall as the pins are, this is from Belly to back.

RE: Judging Yardage
 

I TEND TO THINK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME. LIKE WHEN YOU ARE WALKING FROM YOUR CAR INTO WALMART OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WELL THAT CAR IS ABOUT 30 YARDS AWAY. THEN PACE IT OFF AND SEE IF YOU WERE RIGHT. MY WAY IS THIS, I GET MY RANGE FINDER OUT AND RANGE SOMETHING. SAY IT'S 20 YARDS AWAY. THEN I START OFF WITH MY LEFT FOOT AND COUNT PACES EVERY TIME MY LEFT FOOT HITS THE GROUND, WHEN I REACH THE SPOT I RANGED I KNOW HOW MANY PACES IT TAKES TO GET 20 YARDS. SO THEN WHEN YOU ARE IN A PARKING LOT AND YOU TAKE YOUR GUESSES YOU CAN ACTUALLY PACE IT OFF TO SEE IF YOU WERE RIGHT AND THEN YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE A DUMMY WHEN YOU ARE COUNTING EACH STEP TOE TO HEEL.:D

RE: Judging Yardage
 

An easy way to estimate yardages is to do it in increments.I'm sure you know what 5 yds looks like.Range off 5yds,then another 5,then another 5.After awhile,you'll get the hang of it and get pretty good at longer distances.

RE: Judging Yardage
 

ewolf

Just so you know that your method is against the rules of the IBO and the ASA so it may not be a good idea to give a young person that type of advice without pointing it out.


What JimPic said is the best way to do it.What I have done is buried bricks ground level in 5 yard increments out to 60 yards on my shooting range.This gives me a visual of 5 yard increments to the target eveytime I shoot.Eveytime you are practicing you need to make it a habit to judge those markers each and everytime to get it down to a fine art.Also try to invest in a rangefinder and go out in the woods and start trying to judge different landmarks and check yourself against the rangefinder.Also, learning the targets is crucial.They are all different sizes so you need to make as many shoots as possible to learn what they look like at certain yardages.


When I have done my best shooting was when I was able to just look at a target and I knew the distance before ever judging the ground.That is another step,always look at the target first and ask yourself how far is it.Then start judging the ground all the way to the target.Then,judge to halfway and then double.If all of these methods come out with the same number,then shoot.If they don't come up with the same number,take an average and poke and hope. Seriously,I don't usually take an average because one numbver will stick in my head as the one but there are time when I have no clue and have to take an average or just an educated quess which is all we do anyway.;)

RE: Judging Yardage
 

As far as 3d shooting this won't be much help but when it comes to hunting- I find about 4 softball size rocks and spray praint them white in the off season, making sure to give the paint months to dry and time for the scent to disperse. When hanging stands, about a month or so before the season, I'll place the rocks 20yrds due north,south,east, and west of my stand; making sure they are visible from the stand. It's been my experience that it doesn't bother the deer at all they hardly seem to even notice them if you place them out well before the season. It gives you an easy reference point when the big fella steps in your shooting lane.

RE: Judging Yardage
 

Zak, I also agree with judging in increments. It is generally a little bit easier while shooting 3d, because you can use the colored stakes. Five yards to the white 5 more the the green etc. That's what I do, it has worked well so far.

RE: Judging Yardage
 

This technique works well and accounts for error in any one method. It involves the average of three differently acquired estimates:

1. The simplest........just look at the target and make a guess.
2. Look at a point halfway to the target, guess that smaller range, then double it.
3. Look at a point ten yards in front of you, and similar to the above posts, increment that ten yard "image" up to the target.

Now just take a rough average of the 3 estimates and shoot for that range. This seems to work particularly well when the target has an obstruction that lies between it and the shooter that would make it hard to rely on one estimate.

RE: Judging Yardage
 

Now , I judge in increments as well ! I have a pretty good idea of where 20 yrds is in just about any terrain (open fields still get me a little).......and just double it for 40 and so on........and typically I'm within 2-4 yrds !

When I first got started I tried to do the same, tried guessing and stepping off, tried a rangefinder, etc. ........all helped ! But I got a tip on throwing arrows randomly around the yard.......and shooting from where ever they landed and starting out ....it helped me the most ! I stretched things out after I got that down !

One more tip........use real expensive arrows.......I used A/C/C's in the beginning ! After you lose several of them at $12 bucks a pop.......somehow ......the learning curve speeds up quite a bit !! ;)

Good Luck !!

RE: Judging Yardage
 

WHEN I WAS FIRST UNSURE OF MY RANGING ABILITY IN MY HEAD, I WOULD TAKE A MEASURING WHEEL ADN MEASURE IN EVERY DIRECTION THAT I COULD POSSIBLY SHOOT FROM MY TREE. THEN AT LIKE 20-30-40-50 YDS I WOULD PUT TAKE A STICK AND STICK IT IN THE GROUND GIVING MYSELF A WAYPOINT TO LOOK AT FROM THE TREE. I HAVE ALSO SEEN GUYS USE SPRAYPAINT AND MARK THEIR YARDAGE. BUT THIS IS ALL FOR HUNTING. FOR 3-D YOU NEED TO PRACTICE PRACTICE THEN PRACTICE SOME MORE

RE: Judging Yardage
 

Hi zac123
It is illlegal in IBO to judge yardage with set pins other than the ones you use to shoot with.I judge yardage several ways and most of the comments given to you already are very good suggestions.Most importantly is to get to a 3D range and look at all Mckenzy targets that are made.
somtimes i will step off a yard at a time with my eyes out to 10 or15 teen yards then eye from the target back to the 15 .And i will step off the shooting stake to get different looks at the animal from the side.
Small animals look farther away, bigger look closer .Also each class has a max distance so if in hunter class 35 yards is all the farther a target can be .Remember that !!!


shootem straight !!!!!!

RE: Judging Yardage
 

I wish you guys would turn off the flippin' caps lock. All that yelling makes my head hurt![X(][>:]

ewolf's method IS against the rules, but it's one of those things... Nobody can prove he's doing it unless he admits to it. Besides, when you boil the whole thing down to basics, memorizing all the sizes of all the targets and how they relate to the pin gaps and such... That's more work than just learning to judge yardage in the first place.

I like the increment method.

RE: Judging Yardage
 

I do it the same way Jimpic does it, I do it in increments but I use foot steps and one footstep equals that of one yard, so I ask my self, How many steps from the target to an object (rock,bush,ect.) between me and the target and then how many steps from this object to me?
I am usually pretty good at judging distance and its usually a little forgiving up to 30-35 yrds, but if your 5 yrds off beyond this range, it makes a big difference. It will all come to you in time and the more you do it the better you'll get, good luck, Bobby

RE: Judging Yardage
 

Visually judging distance without an aid can be difficult. Some learn, some never do. I sometimes believe that some people that are consistently good have mental range finder in their head

I have seen some shooters do fair while on the ground and in an area that does not have much visual obstruction and contrast. Get them in the fields and, especially, in a tree, the same people cannot even come close no matter how long they practice and are exposed to range-estimating situations.

I have never had a problem with visually estimating distance. If you ask me to verbally state the estimated distance, I can and I am usually very close or right on. However, when I am shooting I do not mentally register the distance in figures. I just feel the distance. I know that (feeling it) sounds strange, even untrue. Nonetheless, it is true in my case.

If you know that you just cannot estimate distance, and do not believe you will develop the skill, set up visual distance markers in your zones. For insurance, I sometimes use markers when the area I am in is hilly and overly heavy in contrasting objects, color, and light.

RE: Judging Yardage
 

Zak123, there are a lot of good suggestion here and I'll add one more beside the practice of quessing and walking it off until you get better at it.

Estimate the distance half way, than double it.

Most often your furthest target will not be more than 40 or 50 yards on the long side. Therefore if you can get a good grip on 20 or 25 yards you can estimate out to fifty with no problem.

I have a range finder for hunting but I continually practice estimating as I good for walks. I estimate the distance to the next tree, street sign or when inside the end of a hall or the next store in the mall. It is like anything else, practice pratice practice.

RE: Judging Yardage
 

Could someone point me to the page with the IBO rule that states you cannot use pins to judge yardage. I just cannot find the darn thing. I want to be within the rules.

RE: Judging Yardage
 

I do a slight variation on the "incremental" method others have described above. The first thing I do is pick out something that I believe to be 20yds away. This distance just seems to jump out at me, since I shoot 20yds indoors in winter leagues and practice outdoors at 20 quite a bit. Once I've picked my 20yd object, I just step off in my head 5yd increments past that to the target.

A buddy of mine uses a method similiar to C903. He judges distance based on what pin he thinks he should use. After shooting a 3D target he can't even tell you what distance he shot it for. He'll say something like, "Oh, it looked like a long 2nd pin, so I held that pin a little high". The scary thing is he is a decent shot and I shot against him in several 3D shoots before we became friends and hunting partners.

So basically you need to practice and find a method that works for you. There is no substitute for getting out and shooting some 3D's, though. You'll find a method that gets you in the ballpark in no time.

Good luck ... Shockwave

RE: Judging Yardage
 

I use an ancient passed down form of range finding. Tought to me by my fore-fathers many moons ago.

Translated from the old writtings it is called.....NIKON

RE: Judging Yardage
 

Got my morning chuckle---looks like 3D shoots began 'after' your fore-fathers departed, then ranging distances reverted to prehistoric calculations.

RE: Judging Yardage
 

The rules state that you cannot use any part of your equipment or person as a means to establish the range.(paraphrase)
I believe the pins are part of your equipment. I have heard these rumors from time to time. If you see a sight with pins below the ones used for sighting that look like they might be set up for this purpose, (inverse gaps) you might ask what that is for or refer the set up to an official.
ken12
Ewolf here is your answer if this is how you set up your sights,it came from IBO president .