and i dont meen with a rangefinder

on an unmarked field course what is your method at working out the distance to target?

im interested in seeing how many ways it can be done

I have 2 methods.

When I shot the 3D circuits I used to cut the distance in half and judge half the distance then double it. It is much easier to judge half the distance.

I also used the 10's. Divide it into 10yd increments.

On shots over 50yds I did both.

The best practice in the world for judging distance is to go for a walk and constantly judge things in your path then step it off as you go. The key here is to NOT change your steps or paces to match your yardage. Change your estimate. Your steps will always be your steps (unless you get a bum leg...LOL) and work on guessing how many of YOUR steps it takes to get there.

The best bit of advice I can give you on distance is that if you do not use a range finder then ALWAYS...and I mean ALWAYS use YOUR YARDAGE.
By that I mean whatever you step off as 10yds IS 10yds...Don't worry about what a yardstick says. Use YOUR yardage that YOU estimate and set your pins or adj sight marks accordingly. My yardage is just a tad longer than the yardstick...but that's fine. For me I use MY yardage. My 20yd shot would measure out around 22 actually. My 50 would measure about 54-55 yds on a rangefinder, but to me it's 50 and that is where I hold for.
See what I mean?

I can easily judge 5 yards and then just imagine it folding out in front of me for shorter yardages and use the lenght of a football field for longer yardages and again folding it out.

Simple. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!

I go by 5yd increments

I shoot at a 20 yard wall all the time. Because of that, I KNOW what 20 yards is in the field.....So I find a spot that I know is 20 yards, then mentally walk off the balance.

You guys that count in 5 yard increments, I honestly don't know how you do it. How often do you shoot 3d?

Here's the method to my madness. First off, I'll pick out 20yds. Then I'll pick out 30. If you can pick out 30 consistantly, you're in pretty good shape. Being able to consistantly pick out 20 and 30yds will go a long way. Most of the time, I'll pick out 20 and then go by 10's all the way to the target. Unless I can clearly pick up 30 and then I'll use 10yd increments from there. If you are shooting a peg with a max of 40yds or less. Being able to pick up 20 will prove to be priceless.

I pick out 20 and go from there. Starting from the target ang working back to me. Seems to work ok for me but all in all I still suck at judging anything from about 30 out.LOL

I use the 20 yard method as well. I usually shoot in the Bowhunter class so the max distance is usually under or around 35 yards.The more I go to the better i become at judging but I never look at the size of the animal to judge distance because that could be deceiving always look at the yardage between.

5yds just seems too small of an increment for me. I'd run out of fingers and toes. Thats why I use 10's I guess. Besides they multiply much easier for a old country boy.....5 fingers=50yds...LOL!

By the way for all you 3D shooters:

If you read my above method of setting my sights to MY distances you can gain an edge as well in that when you drill a 12 and someone peaks at your sight setting or asks what you held for.....My 50 is more likely 54yrds or so and they hit low!!! Dirty?NOPE I don't fib, my yardage just might not be the same as there's. I had a very well know shooter (that has put his face on more than one bow company'sad) admit tome he dropped 2 shots in a row in an ABA qualifier back in the day after reading my sight. We got a laugh out of it when I said having a 38" stride has it's benefits.....