How effective is practicing from a tree stand?
 

I have the level shot down. I am probably going to practice tomorrrow from my stand at about 20' up. What kind of flight should I expect. I will shoot groups from 15, 20, 25 and 30 yds. I will range them with my bushnell scout 1000 that is not an arc range finder.

RE: How effective is practicing from a tree stand?
 

You shouldn't see much of a difference in POI. Just make sure you keep your form - bend at the waist and make sure you anchor properly. Your range finder should do just fine.

It's been discussed here many times. Shooting from a tree creates a little longer shot, but you are also shooting down, reducing the effects of gravity. Those two factors pretty much cancel each other out in all but the most dramatic of shooting angles. If your shortest shot is 15 yardsyou shouldn't need to make any adjustment. If you get to 5 or 10 yards, you'll start to notice a more dramatic difference in your POI.

Experiment at all yardages, it's difficult to comprehend how things are going to work until you see it for yourself.

Be safe up there and have fun!

RE: How effective is practicing from a tree stand?
 

Practicing from a treestand can be very beneficial

For example... if you are 30 feet up in a tree and the deer is 20 yards (60 feet)out from the base of the tree your straight line distance from you to the deer is 22.3 yards. If you shoot for 22 yards you will hit high. On a steep angle like this 2 yards can make a difference in a great hit and a marginal hit.

If the deer is only 15 yards (45 feet) out from the base of the tree he will be 18 yards from you. This will cause an even higher impact.

RE: How effective is practicing from a tree stand?
 

Aim just a tad lower than you think you should. The deer will often squat and "jump the string" therefore it should squat right into your oncomming arrow. If you miss, well at least your arrow will be stuck right in the ground where you can find it.

RE: How effective is practicing from a tree stand?
 

10 Yards up and 20 yards out isn't a very steep angle. You're talking about adjusting your aim to compensate for 1 foot of distance. Now think about the reduced effect of gravity on your arrow. Your arrow is now travelling in almost the same direction that gravity is pushing it (unlike a shot from the ground). If you're thinking about adjusting your aim for 1 foot you're thinking too much.

Like Bigbulls said though, the shorter the shot (or the sharper the angle), the more adjustment will be needed. I've found that if I'm between 15 and 20 feet up in a tree I don't need to worry about adjusting my aim until it's under 15 yards. Then I aim a bit low.

RE: How effective is practicing from a tree stand?
 

I have taken 2 to 4 deer a year for the last 45 years bowhunting. 90 % of the time I'm been setting on my big butt at the time. To me 20 are 30 yard is just that and I don't mean from the bottom of the tree from me to the deer. Don't bend your head are lower your arm to aim the shot are your going to shoot high. Bend at the waist to aim. There are shots I don't like from a stand and one is for them to be right under me. To much angle, less vital to shoot at. rib bones coming of the spine to deficit my arrow and it hard to get both lungs. I like them at 15 are 25 yards ,so I have lots of vital to shoot at, can get both lungs and a pass through. I have probably had deer jump the string , but I really can't remember. Just don't shoot at a alert deer are they can jump the string. With todays fast, hard hitting bows and the arrows we have today you should have less problems with yardage less chance of them jumping the string and pass throughs 98% percent of the time. You owe it to the game you hunt to be at your best to make a clean kill and most of all to yourself.

RE: How effective is practicing from a tree stand?
 

Gravity is not helping speed up the arrpow as it seems you are saying.The only effect gravity plays on the arrow is that it only pulls against the arrow on the straight line path,from the base of the tree,if that distance is 20 yards,then that is the only distance that gravity pulls against the arrow.That is why we shoot the distance from the base of the tree.

Proof of this is that if you were shooting the a exact same shot,but uphill,it would be shot for the same distance as the downhill distance.


Paralax comes into play and gravity will help flatten out trajectory when shot at great distances but not deer hunting distances.;)

RE: How effective is practicing from a tree stand?
 

Things aren't the same up there.Who knows what you'll see but what ever you see will be worth it.