A Cool Tip

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xcaliber
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A Cool Tip

Post by xcaliber »

I have been wanting to post this for a while, and today I'm being relatively lazy, and my wife is getting her hair done, so i have some time. :lol: :lol:

Anyway, I put a Nikon P3 on the Matrix 380, and I wanted to have some ranging help with the scope. After verifying where my speeds line up which is totally irrelevant or separate from this advice, here is what I did. I went out in the field by my house, and took shooting sticks, my scope, and a 3D Deer target with me. I actually drove out there, but another moot point. :lol: I set my 3D Deer at 20, 30, and 40 yards and using the sticks for balance recorded where the back of the deer was, and the chest, or lower belly lined up on my scope lines. I did this 3 times at these ranges to check it out for repeatability. We have all had deer just appear out of nowhere while hunting, and have zero chance of ranging them without getting busted. This is what motivated me to do this. I can now asses within a few yards how far the deer is using this technique.
Using the cross hairs for 20 yards on the back of the deer, and the belly at 20 yards they will intersect the 20 yard cross hair, and the mid point between between the 60 yard circle, and the thick vertical center line. At 30 yards that lines up with the 20 yard cross hair, and the center of the 50 yard circle, and at 40 yards the 20 cross hair, and middle of 40 yard & 50 yard circles. It take practice, and I encourage you to use whatever scope you have to make a little sketch, and study it! This will help you make a good guess on distance in a pinch, and hopefully put that deer in the back of your truck. If you do not have a 3D deer to use you can use something 16" tall to do this, that is close enough!

Hope this makes sense, and helps someone else! :thumbup:
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xcaliber
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Re: A Cool Tip

Post by xcaliber »

Image[url=https://postimg.cc/62hQ16vd]Image

Remember, this has ZERO to do with SPEED! This is just to use as a reference to judge distancing, that's all. You will have to use the appropriate speed marks for your setup to aim, but this will help you judge the range to your deer!

Good Luck Folks! 8)
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janesy
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Re: A Cool Tip

Post by janesy »

Cool!

Kinda the same but opposite theory to using the Zero method.
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xcaliber
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Re: A Cool Tip

Post by xcaliber »

Oh, very important! Again I used a Nikon P3 FIXED scope for this, if you have speed, or magnification adjustment you will have to "Range" your target at the same setting when in the field, then set your dial to the right speed. This tip came from an old timer that told me he did this with his peep sight on his bow. He could guess pretty darn closely how far away a deer was by how much of the peep the vital area took up. :crazy: I never tried that! 8)
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longbow joe
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Re: A Cool Tip

Post by longbow joe »

Cool tip.
On my favorite stands in my shooting lanes l always mark 30 yards with a surveyor's stake and orange tape.
As dan said sometimes you just dont have time to range especially during the rut.
Do whatever you have to to make it happen. On a trip to a new area l dont have my stakes it's a disadvantage.
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elkaholic
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Re: A Cool Tip

Post by elkaholic »

Now the buck just needs to pose broadside long enough to get time to remember which lines are which !
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artifact
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Re: A Cool Tip

Post by artifact »

Good tip!
I had posted awhile back about making a simple bracketing rangefinder, I ended up figuring out to do exactly what you are talking about by using the scope yardage markers. Quicker than using a rangefinder, especially If you stumble onto a buck while walking out, which happened to me, and I misjudged the yardage by quite a bit!
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nchunterkw
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Re: A Cool Tip

Post by nchunterkw »

Make a good easy to see picture of that and tape it to the inside of your limb up near the stirrup so you don't forget in the heat of the moment.

Or use a silver Sharpie - it will come off with alcohol when you want to take it off.
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grouse
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Re: A Cool Tip

Post by grouse »

I just range-find the 3 or 4 spots where I'm likely to get a shot and keep those in mind. Like LBJ I have also driven stakes into the ground to mark a certain distance. You need to do something or you will probably end up regretting not doing it.
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Owl Creek
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Re: A Cool Tip

Post by Owl Creek »

Thanks for the tip.
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