Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Shot angle compensation in the field?

Beings I live where I live (FLAT and boring)....95% of my shooting/practice involves shooting in flat terrain.

I'd like to hear some of y'alls opinions, methods, etc of figuring compensation in hunting situations. I religiously carry a LRF, even here at home when I'm doing culling work. I understand that being what it is, there is less effect the shorter the shot with less angle. That's why I asked in the LR forum....

So where do you let angle and distance change your thoughts on your dial up? Any quick rule of thumbs on angle compensation that are handy in the field?

There is no rule of thumb. It's one of those things that when you get to shoot areas with high angle it becomes natural to add it into the equation with everything else. At 400-500 I start to take more notice as to the angle, if it is gradual without question I shoot it straight, or a slight low hold if needed. If I think it might be a little more than gradual I take a reading. I have been in situations in one match where the shot was a little over 300 and the target was small with extreme angle and had to shoot it straight. That is not common at that distance but it was almost straight down the mountain.
I also shoot a flat area where I cull, but not far from here the mountains will challenge you.

To twist your words around a bit.....my rule of thumb for angle compensation starts when I feel the distance is necessary to dial up.

Then I use a range finder, a drop chart (with a handy angle chart included), and a simple slopes doper to measure the angle.

A simple push of the button on my iPhone, ballistic app does the rest and spits out the correct dope. Swaro EL range binoculars should be here next week and they also have angle compensation.

When I'm shooting longrange, I always have my angle comp on. This is mainly because I'm either shooting uphill or downhill in the canyons. Get a good LRF with that option and you'll be golden..

I mounted an angle cosign indicator to my range finder, instead of one for each rifle. I can then multiply the range by the cosign and dial it. I also have "EXBAL" loaded onto a HP41 that I can take into the field as well if there is enough time.
It makes a huge difference way out there.

If you really want all the variables accounted for and super accurate ballistic solutions, get a G7 BR2 rangefinder. I hunt varmints, frequently, along the continental divide. Shots range from level to very steep angles, distances from 100 to a mile. The unit gives solutions to 1400 yards. I ranged a 1402 yard marmot by lazering the rock below him at 1399 and got a first shot kill. These units work... and I don't work for them, no sponsorship, nothing like that.

Hmm, hadn't thought of that - good idea!

I missed a huge oryx bull one time because I did not compensate for downslope. It was a lesson well learned. The rangefinder I use for real long range gives the slope.

Yep

Saw that post CoBrad...impressive indeed!!

Thanks for the input. I'm aware of the ballistic apps and the LRFs that have the ability to spit out the compensation....may just have to upgrade my rangefinder at some point. While that's all simple enough...I was just looking for a "rough" manual type way to figure it. Say....you got a bull elk UPLSOPE 700 yds at a roughly 45* angle....I know what I have to dial in at 700 on a level shot....now do I add 10%...15% on top of that??? Quick math tells me that is 70yds and 105yds respectively.

joshf303,



Let me see now. A squared plus B squared equals C squared. C = 700. So 700x700 = 490,000. 490,000 divided by 2 is 245,000. Square root of 245,000 is 494.974. So twist your dial to 494.974 and hold where you want to hit.

I hope that helps.

700 times .10 or .15 seems pretty easy to me...but thanks for the "help."

Pythagoras, is that you???

I remember the number for a 45 degree angle being 1.4141 from my public school days so 700/1.4141 will give you the answer. Who in the heck can do that when they're looking at a big elk or deer though? I know I couldn't, and that's if he's at a 45 degree angle, what do you do with the other 89 possible angles?

I don't hunt mountains much, but knowing my ability to do math under pressure I'd think that a rangefinder that spits out the correct number would be the only practical way to do it.

There are fairly simple mathmatic computations to determine the actual horizontal distance, which is the distance you want to use, but simple and math don't go together for me, especially when there is only a short time to make the shot. I think the angle cosine indicator is a good tool to make a quick calculation with. Lot's less costly than a LRF that does it for you.