How far can you judge yardarge accurately?

[Azone]

Pretty decent out to 350 ish on my home turf. I know a couple guys that would basically qualify as a GPS/rangefinder, so they definitely keep me on my toes.
It’s amazing what being in a out of state environment, out of your element can do to your guesstimating abilities though. This is definitely one skill and art form where there is no substitute for actual experience or just being gifted.
But you gotta love it when some you know says it was 425 and then you range it and it’s only 275. In this era of technology and shots occurring at 4 digit yardage, a lot of guys have managed to be royal screw ups with their short to mid range capabilities.

 

[Hoodie]

With a bow if it looks over 25 I'm ranging. With a rifle I'm ranging period unless it's point blank in the timber.

I tried to gap on an elk somewhere between a tree at 20 and a tree at 40 last year and a shit show ensued. I don't know much but I do know he wasn't at 30, and the difference was enough to matter.

 

[Erussell01]

Pretty decent out to 350 ish on my home turf. I know a couple guys that would basically qualify as a GPS/rangefinder, so they definitely keep me on my toes.
It’s amazing what being in a out of state environment, out of your element can do to your guesstimating abilities though. This is definitely one skill and art form where there is no substitute for actual experience or just being gifted.
But you gotta love it when some you know says it was 425 and then you range it and it’s only 275. In this era of technology and shots occurring at 4 digit yardage, a lot of guys have managed to be royal screw ups with their short to mid range capabilities.

I could not tell range in Idaho last year at all early in the trip. Steep steep hils and for whatever reason the smoke had my eyes burning and I couldn't get anything past 40 right. Wild isn't it. I guessed my wyoming antelope at 80. Shot him off hand. Ended up being 120. Luckily the bullet landed on its mark.

 

[Erussell01]

With a bow if it looks over 25 I'm ranging. With a rifle I'm ranging period unless it's point blank in the timber.

I tried to gap on an elk somewhere between a tree at 20 and a tree at 40 last year and a shit show ensued. I don't know much but I do know he wasn't at 30, and the difference was enough to matter.

That's always my fear too. I'm a constant ranger when I'm hunting deer or turkeys. I ran my range finder all through my elk trip last year just to get familiar, but man it was tough to judge out there.

 

[idcuda]

If I'm golfing and shooting 3D a lot, I feel decent about anything out to 400. Even with that, terrain might throw a major curve ball.

 

[Erussell01]

If I'm golfing and shooting 3D a lot, I feel decent about anything out to 400. Even with that, terrain might throw a major curve ball.

I have the hardest time with wide open spaces when I'm not able to use trees as markers to "walk" my way back to a distance and estimate yardage. That and steep hills. Really makes it rough

 

[awbowhunter]

Based on last seasons archery elk hunt.....less than 40 yards......something alot of folks forget judging yardage is a steep uphill or downhill shot changes things a bit.....ask me how I know..☹

 

[okie_dokie]

I am better in the range of 100 to 1000 yards than I am under 100. Like a lot of others in this thread, I’m trying to improve my skills by carrying around a rangefinder and comparing my estimations to the instrument’s readout. For now, I’ll just make sure to have extra batteries handy because I’m definitely not there yet.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

How far can you accurately judge yardage?

Elk on the ground vs deer from a tree or on the ground?

When can you no longer gap shoot pins accurately enough? When can you no longer judge yardage accurately enough to make the shot without a range finder?

Archery? About 100 yards (+/-).

 

[Erussell01]

Based on last seasons archery elk hunt.....less than 40 yards......something alot of folks forget judging yardage is a steep uphill or downhill shot changes things a bit.....ask me how I know..☹

Oh no lol. What's the story?
I found the same thing. Flat ground I feel awesome to 45 or 50 ish. Out of a tree 40, on a steep slope heck I don't know...

 

[Erussell01]

Archery? About 100 yards (+/-).

No range finder to 100!? Dang man that's awesome. I wish I was that good. It would save me time and the risk of getting busted ranging deer coming in.

 

[Erussell01]

I am better in the range of 100 to 1000 yards than I am under 100. Like a lot of others in this thread, I’m trying to improve my skills by carrying around a rangefinder and comparing my estimations to the instrument’s readout. For now, I’ll just make sure to have extra batteries handy because I’m definitely not there yet.

Are you a rifle hunter?

 

[Mykolaivka887]

No range finder to 100!? Dang man that's awesome. I wish I was that good. It would save me time and the risk of getting busted ranging deer coming in.

Yeah, when I was guiding another archery sheep hunter a couple years ago and we were about 80 yards out, I told him we were too far and that we had to get closer. So, we snuck in to about 30 yds (+/-). Anyway, my rule of thumb is that anything over 40 yds on big game - with a bow anyway - is too far.

 

[Erussell01]

Yeah, when I was guiding another archery sheep hunter a couple years ago and we were about 80 yards out, I told him we were too far and that we had to get closer. So, we snuck in to about 30 yds (+/-). Anyway, my rule of thumb is that anything over 40 yds on big game - with a bow anyway - is too far.

Archery sheep!? Now that is a heck of an adventure!

That's my general rule too. I think for me personally, elk I'll push it to 50. I feel confident in between baseball size to softball size group in all conditions (wind, high hr, fatigue etc) past 50, but I just can't get myself to shoot it on game, especially on a first shot. For deer, anything past 30 and I'm getting nervous, but I also shoot most deer sub 20 because that's how I hunt

 

[Pony Soldier]

Half of life is what question did you ask. I don't worry so much about the distance but guessing the hold over given the animal. I sight my 7RM in at 1.5 " high at a hundred. That gives me high probability of success with minor adjustment. With an elk almost a done deal. A buck requires a somewhat more refined shot (250-350 yds). But for a coyote at that range you need to polish the sight. I was extremely proud of myself last winter hitting a coyote at 375 yds, while he was jogging with an 18" hold over and a 20" lead. The result - a heart shot.

On an elk I would have held an inch over the hump. The distance is part of it but the hold over is the finishing touch.

 

[Erussell01]

Half of life is what question did you ask. I don't worry so much about the distance but guessing the hold over given the animal. I sight my 7RM in at 1.5 " high at a hundred. That gives me high probability of success with minor adjustment. With an elk almost a done deal. A buck requires a somewhat more refined shot (250-350 yds). But for a coyote at that range you need to polish the sight. I was extremely proud of myself last winter hitting a coyote at 375 yds, while he was jogging with an 18" hold over and a 20" lead. The result - a heart shot.

On an elk I would have held an inch over the hump. The distance is part of it but the hold over is the finishing touch.

That's a poke man. My farthest shot on a coyote is just north of 300. It was standing still. Calm day and I had a great sturdy rest. Impressive. Im not much of a rifle hunter so for me, yardage estimation is about the short game.

 

[BryGuy]

I can estimate accurately enough for archery out to about 35-40 yards, depending on the terrain. Spending time above tree line has made me realize how much you need things like trees and other stuff for scale to accurately judge distance. Sitting in a tree stand I’ve always had known landmarks at x range.
I recently switched to a 1 pin site and I like it, however I haven’t hunted with it. I’m nervous that the additional time and movement to range animals will come back to bite me in the ass but we shall see. Pin gapping just was too unreliable for me, I like to know.

 

[Fatcamp]

Based on last Monday, under pressure I can't tell the difference between 40 and 50.

 

[streetdoctor]

Shot a mule deer at 60. Ranged the distance afterwards and it was 63. If I'm shooting a bunch I'm good within 5 yards out to at least 80. A few years ago I shot a pronghorn at 70 without a range finder. Neither animals went further than 40 yards. I'd be more confident on elk but I passed on a perfect shot opportunity at 90 this season on a 300+ bull, it's more fun to get close.

 

[Mojave]

"8" inches.... ok, well let's make that 5.