Distance added by height of target

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$p00kygH0ST

$p00kygH0ST

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Apr 25, 2024
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Lawrenceville, Georgia
Is there a quick formula to calculate the range added by height of target?

I hated geometry, I always despised it in school. I'm wishing I listened now, as I should know this as a college educated 38yr old who's worked in trades as well as behind a desk in a business setting.

Does +2% every 10+ in height seem accurate? Once again this is probably a no poop answer, I'm just a dunce in anything other than basics, statistics, algebra. Help a retard out.
 
I’m not aware of any formula, but that doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist. One thing that it would require is a constant of either a height or width of the target. At one time Leopold made a sniper scope with stadia lines that were diverging in the vertical plane. All the shooter had to do was center those stadia lines on the targets shoulder width, and it would be the proper come up for that range. I don’t know how accurate it was. but I did see the scope. A long time ago I had a device on my compound bow that had a angled notch that was horizontal and all you needed to do to range your target was center it on the height of the Deers belly, and then the top of its back. Then there were numerals to designate the yardage. Now a days with laser rangefinders it is very quick and accurate to just laser the target to determine range. I like the idea of a no tech range estimator. But that might be too old school for current technology.
 
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Do you mean 2% for every 10 feet?

We were taught to calculate hold-over based on the horizontal distance to the target. If it was eighty feet below and 270-yards away horizontaly, we'd hold for 270 yards and make the hit. That was a fun class.

There are some excellent books on all that.

And you aren't a retard. They're the people that don't ask the questions.

Cheers,

J~
 
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I'm mapping my pesting locations. My favorite spot is a 13' high perch for me, with trees at 45.6, 58.1, 20.3, a woodpile at 18, a barn at 70, a feed lot with fence at 51. The trees are the issue, the holdover changes alot from level, to 30' to 90' and causing some misses, I know angle adds holdover reduction but every time I don't hear a THWACK pains me. If it were acceptable to shoot Robins, Blue Jays, Thrashers, mockingbirds, cardinals, bluebirds, finches... it wouldn't be such a big thing to just shoot pine cones on every ascending branch and recording. However since I'm limited to Starlings and sparrows for half the year I like to save shots for animate targets.
Treefrog said:
Do you mean 2% for every 10 feet?

We were taught to calculate hold-over based on the horizontal distance to the target. If it was eighty feet below and 270-yards away horizontaly, we'd hold for 270 yards and make the hit. That was a fun class.

There are some excellent books on all that.

And you aren't a retard. They're the people that don't ask the questions.

Cheers,

J~
Click to expand...
Yes, every 10' elevation. I live in the foothills of the blue ridge, I almost always find myself shooting up. It's added height from shooter, never downslope. The issue with some rangefinders where I'm at is clutter. Branches, leaves, kudzu..etc confusing the range finder, so at best I lase the trunk and estimate there.

Edit: for the most part I've zeroed to eliminate drastic holdover changes 20-55. Between -.3mil and +.8mil to 60
 
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Strelok pro has a distance calculation function that will work with some input.

Screenshot_20240610_112827_Strelok Pro.jpg


Screenshot_20240610_112849_Strelok Pro.jpg
 
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$p00kygH0ST said:
I'm mapping my pesting locations. My favorite spot is a 13' high perch for me, with trees at 45.6, 58.1, 20.3, a woodpile at 18, a barn at 70, a feed lot with fence at 51. The trees are the issue, the holdover changes alot from level, to 30' to 90' and causing some misses, I know angle adds holdover reduction but every time I don't hear a THWACK pains me. If it were acceptable to shoot Robins, Blue Jays, Thrashers, mockingbirds, cardinals, bluebirds, finches... it wouldn't be such a big thing to just shoot pine cones on every ascending branch and recording. However since I'm limited to Starlings and sparrows for half the year I like to save shots for animate targets.

Yes, every 10' elevation. I live in the foothills of the blue ridge, I almost always find myself shooting up. It's added height from shooter, never downslope. The issue with some rangefinders where I'm at is clutter. Branches, leaves, kudzu..etc confusing the range finder, so at best I lase the trunk and estimate there.

Edit: for the most part I've zeroed to eliminate drastic holdover changes 20-55. Between -.3mil and +.8mil to 60
Click to expand...

I see. That's how I'd do it.

Back when I was whacking crows at great distance with a .308, I mapped out all the target spots with a GPS and used that data for range calculations. If I wasn't sure, I'd set up a target there and then see where the bullet would go. It worked very well. That was before phones had ballistic calculators. I still do everything analog because batteries die.

Fix up an old Christmas wreath as a nest, put a couple of eggs in it and stick it in a tree. The crows will show up for it.

Cheers,

J~
 
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$p00kygH0ST said:
The issue with some rangefinders where I'm at is clutter. Branches, leaves, kudzu..etc confusing the range finder, so at best I lase the trunk and estimate there.
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If you can see the target clutter shouldnt be an issue. Even if the target is up against the trunk and theres only a small opening for shooting thru if you range the clutter at the front the opening the difference in distance is so small you should still hit the target. A 12' long branch only adds 4 yards to the target if the range finder hit the front of the branch. Shouldnt be an issue and I know I have had to range objects close to my intended targets in similar situations and it works fine. Just remember if the targets actually 4 yards farther make a small adjustment to your hold.
 
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$p00kygH0ST said:
Is there a quick formula to calculate the range added by height of target?

I hated geometry, I always despised it in school. I'm wishing I listened now, as I should know this as a college educated 38yr old who's worked in trades as well as behind a desk in a business setting.

Does +2% every 10+ in height seem accurate? Once again this is probably a no poop answer, I'm just a dunce in anything other than basics, statistics, algebra. Help a retard out.
Click to expand...
Whether the target is above or below you it will be closer that a straight line.
 
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JEFFPPC said:
Whether the target is above or below you it will be closer that a straight line.
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Brother. Stand 30 feet away from a 120 foot tall tree. Tell me whether you're closer to the base of the trunk or tip of the canopy.

With slope effect requiring holdunder that can be true in effect not real distance. After 60m for me, 5m increments matter, Bigly.
 
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Treefrog said:
So I got a little curious and looked around some.

This turned up. - https://www.rifleshootermag.com/editorial/hitting-a-high-or-low-angle-shot/83768

You'll find the meat about a third of the way down. They follow that with the math if you're interested. It jibes with the training I've had.

(I live in the Blue Ridge Mtns. No better place for it.)

Luck,

J~
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Thank you. Any chance fellow red leg? 03 THUNDER RUN 1-10Fa 3BCT 3ID as option 13 BANG BANG, supporting TF1-64, BACK IN 05 for OIF III
 
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@$pookyghost, since you already know your target distance a good ballistic program would work well. This is an example of my Tiapan mutant .22. Zeroed @ 45 with 1/2 kill zone this is what your holdover would look like. Add wind/slope angle. Hit calculate and wala. Just another way to solve your problem.

Screenshot_20240610_192204_Strelok Pro.jpg


Screenshot_20240610_192407_Strelok Pro.jpg


Screenshot_20240610_192143_Strelok Pro.jpg


Screenshot_20240610_192248_Strelok Pro.jpg


Screenshot_20240610_192229_Strelok Pro.jpg
 
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$p00kygH0ST said:
Thank you. Any chance fellow red leg? 03 THUNDER RUN 1-10Fa 3BCT 3ID as option 13 BANG BANG, supporting TF1-64, BACK IN 05 for OIF III
Click to expand...

Negative. I did spend some time training various SWAT teams and met many folks that were either Spec-For or former. Trained a few Marines as well.

My nephew was a red-leg, though. He made captain before retirement. I try not to hold it against him. ;)

Thank you for your service. It is deeply appreciated.

Cheers,

J~
 
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shambozzie said:
@$pookyghost, since you already know your target distance a good ballistic program would work well. This is an example of my Tiapan mutant .22. Zeroed @ 45 with 1/2 kill zone this is what your holdover would look like. Add wind/slope angle. Hit calculate and wala. Just another way to solve your problem.

View attachment 471521

View attachment 471522

View attachment 471523

View attachment 471524

View attachment 471525
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Already ahead of you, as I've said. The issue when I lase a tree, is the bastards I'm specifically shooting, starlings and house sparrows branch hop like vervet monkeys found a meth lab and ingested 6 ounces of gakk. And I did some lasing at my shooty spot, @ base 55.1, middle 58.6, top 62.0. My issue is I want and I've think I've got it down to within a .5y +/-. After 20 feet it's typically range x 1.125 and + .125 every 10 foot step. + .375, .250 for 10 and 20 respectively. Thank you. Here's my current. Before my session I chrono to verify speed, shoot a 35y group to verify elevation zero and if it' jibes with the app i update weather and , i begin eradication and adjust to wind. Currently....

Screenshot_20240610_193843_Element Ballistics.jpg


Screenshot_20240610_193836_Element Ballistics.jpg
 
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Treefrog said:
Negative. I did spend some time training various SWAT teams and met many folks that were either Spec-For or former. Trained a few Marines as well.

My nephew was a red-leg, though. He made captain before retirement. I try not to hold it against him. ;)

Thank you for your service. It is deeply appreciated.

Cheers,

J~
Click to expand...
Please tell me your name isn't Lon. Also, I'll throw some real controversial words out now... MIL IS SUPERIOR
 
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shambozzie said:
Strelok pro has a distance calculation function that will work with some input.

View attachment 471395

View attachment 471396
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I didn't realize the JSB exact .22s had a better BC than 25. I was debating buying the the STX cal conversion kit and 22/600 barrel/superior liner.

25.39 exact king the 18.13 counterpart in 25 is .036-.038 consensus relative.
Plus, 20 for 500 is better than 23 for 350, also the Hybrids in 22 perform much better than 25s, although I love them for beaver,squirrel, rabbit, and coyote.

The THWACK of a 26gr hotting a dove or sparrow at 50yrds is absolutely amazing. I'm addicted to the THWACK.
 
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$p00kygH0ST said:
Already ahead of you, as I've said. The issue when I lase a tree, is the bastards I'm specifically shooting, starlings and house sparrows branch hop like vervet monkeys found a meth lab and ingested 6 ounces of gakk. And I did some lasing at my shooty spot, @ base 55.1, middle 58.6, top 62.0. My issue is I want and I've think I've got it down to within a .5y +/-. After 20 feet it's typically range x 1.125 and + .125 every 10 foot step. + .375, .250 for 10 and 20 respectively. Thank you. Here's my current. Before my session I chrono to verify speed, shoot a 35y group to verify elevation zero and if it' jibes with the app i update weather and , i begin eradication and adjust to wind. Currently....

View attachment 471528

View attachment 471529
Click to expand...
Go to your setting and change setting to 1 yd instead of 5 yds increments. That should help some.
 
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shambozzie said:
Go to your setting and change setting to 1 yd instead of 5 yds increments. That should help some.
Click to expand...
I experiment all the time. The issue I have with having to turn my screen on, scroll to range, dope to solution. When I'm shooting dove, grouse, turkey, beaver, squirrel, rabbit or pigeons I absolutely dope every shot because I have time. Starlings and sparrows rarely give that much time. I'm just going to spend this weekend and do a battlefield ranging sketch.

I tape a dope chart for the days dope on the left side of the eyepiece of my scope. Non Dom can peep the Apx dope for within 5. It's just when there is a 30 yrd difference between lowest branch and top. When I see a pine cone or random smaller branch or pine needle cluster falling and not feathers and a half exploded invasive pest. Because I under estimated the hold under or over. A 1.625x 1" target that moves like an epileptic break dancer on a pcp/crack cocktail the tiniest error causes those heart breaking NO THWACK shots.
 
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$p00kygH0ST said:
Is there a quick formula to calculate the range added by height of target?

I hated geometry, I always despised it in school. I'm wishing I listened now, as I should know this as a college educated 38yr old who's worked in trades as well as behind a desk in a business setting.

Does +2% every 10+ in height seem accurate? Once again this is probably a no poop answer, I'm just a dunce in anything other than basics, statistics, algebra. Help a retard out.
Click to expand...
What about a simple compact range finder?
 
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cavedweller said:
What about a simple compact range finder?
Click to expand...
I have 2. Sometimes as I mentioned the cluttered branches and undergrowth sometimes confuse the readings. So I am forced to lase the bare trunk near bottom and thus the need for the formula to adjust by height. I'm sure I'm close. I have one bushnell and one athlon range finder admittedly both under $200. It seems ones laser needs a damn near 3' wide absolutely clear shaft. I wish it was like the abrams FR- BEST- LAST RETURN LRF. Instead it always gives first return, and unfortunately sometimes the single muscadine vine branch or black berry bush leaf or the giant dead growth gap in the oak tree I see my quarry through.
 
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