Elivated shooting help

[gafishnut]

Ok, I need a little wisdome from the bow gallerie.

What's the deal with shooting from an elevated stand? I haven't had the opportunity to practice from a stand so I need some insight.

I paced off 20 & 30 yard markers around my stand because, I can't judge distance very good. When I get up in my stand it looks allot farther. (I would say my stand is 30 ft high) Is this gonna charnge my aim point on my target? I think I've heard to shoot under your target when elevated. Is this true?

Please help! ::huh:

[Randy]

People do tend to shoot high when elevated becasue they loose their form.

[gafishnut]

what do you mean "by losing form"? change thier anchor point and such?

[PHIL M]

its about triganometry. If you are 30 ft in the tree, and you target is 20 yrds away from the base of your tree. you are shooting 22.36 yrds. range finders can be a great help!

[DaddyPaul]

Try to bend at the waist when shooting out of a stand rather than merely lowering your bow arm. This will help a lot. Also gravity only affects the arrow over the actual horizontal distance to the target. If you have a rangefinder try this the next time you are in your tree. Range the bottom of a tree from your stand and note the distance. Now range the same tree at the level you are sitting. You will find that the distance to the the tree at ground level is slightly greater, yet the shot will only be affected by the distance across the horizontal plane. Does this make any sense? This is a bigger deal the tighter the angle is but the difference will only be a yard or two from the heights you mention you are hunting. Those couple of yards along with dropping your bow arm could easily lead to slinging one right over a deers back.

[PHIL M]

let me change my spelling. (TRIGOMETRY)
maybe this will help. if your 30 ft in the tree
10 yrds from base of tree = 14.14 yard distance from you and the target
20 yrds " "= 22.36 " "
30 yrds " "= 31.62 " "

[PHIL M]

D P is right about bending at the hips. and the distance. I was just trying to explain why it looks farther. it actually is a farther distance. but the arrow drop is only on a horizontal plane.

[Randy]

It is actually geometry not trig. and it comes in to play only slightly. At the distance changes you are only talking a couple yards which should not affect the point of impcat that much. Not bending at the waist and loosing your form is the most common problem and it causes you to shoot high enough to completely miss. You really need some elevated practice. If you were not so far away I'd suggest you come shoot at my range.

[gafishnut]

Thanks for the offer Randy. I think I might get over to the neighbors deck and shoot my bow down to my practice block. It's about 15 ft off the ground. It should give me a chance to practice bending from the waist apposed to lowering my arm.

[reylamb]

Let me also make this recommendation. In my personal opinion, take that for what it is worth, 30 feet is too high for bowhunting. You really reduce the kill zone from that height, and make it very small. The closer the deer gets, the more narrow the kill zone becomes.

If you bend at the waist you will not have a change in the point of impact at normal hunting distances. If you drop your bow arm and do not bend you will hit high.

[Arrow Flinger]

I would lower my stand to 12 -15 feet if it were me. The higher your stand, the steeper the angle, the smaller the target and the more critical shot placement is. Randy and Daddypaul are right, not bending at the waist is the biggest mistake alot of people make. The slight distance difference is canceled out by the lessened effect of gravity shooting from an elevated position so I have not seen a difference in my point of impact.

[gafishnut]

Thanks for all the input it really helps when a beginner just starting out wants to limit mistakes.

I have thought about lowering my stand to get a bigger picture of my target. The only reason it's so high is it's pretty much in the open and I didn't want to get busted. Plus, I was gonna use it for gun season also and I need a good view of a ridge top about 150 yards away. I think I'll look for another tree that provides more cover until gun season begins.

[Arrow Flinger]

I have thought about lowering my stand to get a bigger picture of my target. The only reason it's so high is it's pretty much in the open and I didn't want to get busted. Plus, I was gonna use it for gun season also and I need a good view of a ridge top about 150 yards away. I think I'll look for another tree that provides more cover until gun season begins.


That sounds like a good plan!

[Mrbowdeadly]

Sometimes if I get in a situation that I have to be in a tree that is devoid of cover, I will saw off a bushy limb and tie them off in the tree I want to hunt. If you are going to do this, do it early to give the deer time to acclomate to something new.


MBD

[Al33]

Simply stand in your yard with several very small targets such as cigarette filters, can tabs, etc. scattered around you anywhere from 2 feet to 10 feet away from your feet. Now, without moving your feet, shoot at them. The targets will force you to twist, bend, and turn mush like you might have to do in the real hunting world.

Want a little height anyway, find a good sturdy platform that will raise you up a foot or two. Trust me, this works and you don't have to climb up and down retrieving arrows to do it all over again.

Al

[Dub]

I've been thirty feet up maybe once or twice....by mistake I assure you....climbing on a dark morning.