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Shooting downhill?

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hambone

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I am new to bow hunting. When shooting at an angle do you measure directly to the deer or do you take a measurement straight out from you in the tree stand and hold the pins at that distance? Say the deer is twenty yards away downhill but is only 15 yards actual distance.
 
I believe you would use actual distance and bend at the waist. Even at an angle the arrow will be shot in a straight line. If your anchor points are correct and you bend at the waist the arrow should hit the target the same at an angle as it would from level ground.
Do practice elevated shooting. Did I mention anything about bending at the waist?
 
When shooting up or down hill you always shoot as if the target is a little bit closer than it actually is. This is because gravity acts at perpendiculars to the ground so arrows flying at an angle are less affected by gravity allowing them to fly farther than on a straight shot. I ussually just range the deer and then subtract a couple of yards.

It will very at different ranges but will put you in the kill zone.

For example, when shooting my deer target from my deck at 28.5 yards I aim dead on with my 25 yard pin and hit perfect.

The actual distance and your height above the target will effect how much difference there is in actual distance and shooting distance.
 
At common bowhunting distances of 30 yards or less, you'll rarely see more than a yard or two difference unless you are shooting at a -severe- angle. Make sure to bend at the waist while shooting out of a treestand, this greatly minimizes the chance of shooting high.
 
The horizontal distance, but if you are Mr. Pythagoras, you'll see that it isn't a big deal at such a short distance. For example, if you are 20 feet up in a tree and the deer is 30 yards real distance from you (diagonally), the horizontal distance (from the tree base to the deer) is 29.2 yards away. That's only a difference of .8 yards. If the deer isn't completely at ease, I aim a little low anyway.
 
i always practice from my balcony on 12 feet off the ground. that way i have confidence in the tree stand and am not second guessing all of my practice shots.
 
Practice is the only way to truly get an idea of what your arrow is going to do once you release it. Setup a target and practice shooting from your stand at different heights. You will also find your "arc" limits by doing this.
 
I missed a good buck a few yrs back from simply not practicing from my stand..I know with my set-up, I have 2 pins, a 10 and a 20,from the ground I have to use the 10 at 10yrds and the 20 at 20yrds.....From the tree I can use my 10 out to 20 simply because I'm shooting down and gravity isn't affecting my arrow as much. Just as others have said practice from the heights you'll be hunting from to find out how to aim.
 
gil1 said:
The horizontal distance, but if you are Mr. Pythagoras, you'll see that it isn't a big deal at such a short distance. For example, if you are 20 feet up in a tree and the deer is 30 yards real distance from you (diagonally), the horizontal distance (from the tree base to the deer) is 29.2 yards away. That's only a difference of .8 yards. If the deer isn't completely at ease, I aim a little low anyway.
Click to expand...

ditto to what gil1 said, simple gemometry..However they make a range finder that will do it for you.
 
Hey guys and gals; im new in here and was just browsing thru when this caught my eye. If you are overly concerned, You might try a pendulum tree stand sight, trophy ridge has a very acurate one and so does Keller. Just a thought?
 

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