tree stand angles

[muleskinner]

I agree with Buckshot and Bruce on this one. I really dug into this last year. 20' up a tree and shooting at a target 20 yards out translated to 3 more yards difference from ground level. This was not enough of a difference to cause a need for me to adjust my shot. I think a lot of it has to do with how fast your bow is too. Like mentioned above, practice from a stand and at a target is the only way to know for sure.

I use my range finder for marking spots before the deer come through. There is enough to do while the deer is there so I try to eliminate all aditional steps before the shot opportunity presents itself.

It is very important to remember if the shot is very steep you need to make sure you get both lungs. Visualize the arrow passing through the chest cavity to ensure a double lung hit.

[muleskinner]

I agree with Bruce on this. I don't worry about the distance from the base of the tree cause I'm 20 feet up! It is still a straight line measured in feet and inches, right? LOL

[BruceBruce1959]

Originally Posted by ronn

i would shoot that deer using my 13 pin both from the ground and from the tree. even though the range finder says 15 yards while in the tree. with the compensating range finders it would say its 15 yards but shoot as if it was 13 while in the tree.

Is that a New Hampshire hunters method because it sure doesn't fit in with many BowHunters methods.
Your answer simply makes no sense at all, especially if you have a 13 yard pin AND a 15 yd pin to use.
BUT ronn either way, I will tell you this, You will hit and kill that Deer because it's only a 13 to 15 yard shot
but if that deer were at greater distances, your method just doesn't work out.

[Hunting Man]

For more information on this subject check out youtube.com Michael Waddell's comercial with a rangefinder and bow shots. Michael shows a target at 32 yds with his new compensating rangefinder but shoots it like a 25 yd shot. I'm will admit I'm getting confused some on this. I sight in my bow from the ground at known distances then set my pins. Climbing into a 16" ladder stand changes the shot angle/distance into the vitals slightly which requires a mental adjustment for arrow placement. There's no question that the higher you go the more drastic the shot angle becomes and the need to hold lower on the body or you will shoot over it. How these adjustments are made is the subject of ther debate. I will look and learn!

[BruceBruce1959]

it's simple to understand really. first off Michael Wadell gets paid big money to SELL gadgets.
In his commercial he says to shoot a 32 yard deer he uses his 25 yard pin. WOW THAT's Amazing,,,,
what he's REALLY saying is he uses his 30 yard pin aimed slightly high.
NOW can you imagine a 30 yard pin slighlty elevated to hit a 32 yard target?
because by raising the 30 yard pin it pulls that 25 yard pin UP for a perfect shot
BUT we don't zero in for 15, 25, 35, 45 yards
WE have always been taught to use 10, 20, 30 and 40 yard pins.
Does this makes more sense?

I'd bet the house that there is a difference. that deal hm is talking about is more proof and what he said is correct. its the same deal as a rifle just more exaggerated because of the arch, slower speeds and they don't shoot as flat. its called "angle of departure" i've got computer programs that will work out the difference for you and there are mathematical equations that prove it to be true. you are right at 15 yards its not going to show that much difference BUT it is different. if you get a range finder with the arc system, thats what busnell calls it, or whatever the manufacture calls the system, you will see that it is true. you can argue with me but you can't argue with physics. but hey if your system works for you go with it. i got an idea lets pose the question to mathews or PSE, the real best bow ever grin, and see what they say. ralph and vicky, lee and tiff, mike waddel, the nudge, david blanton, manufactures like bushnell and leupold, all say the same thing i'm saying. are they all wrong as well? again you shoot your way, and a honest good luck to you, and the rest of the bow shooters world will shoot theirs.

i don't know how your bow is set but my 20 pin is on top. so what mike is saying 30 pin low to make 25. just the opposite of what you are saying.

oh and bruce no offence meant or ill will from here just a good discussion/debate. the best discussion are if there are differing opinions. be kinda sad talk if everyone agreed all the time, heh?

[Buckshot]

I love this debate. In Bruce's example assuming you had a 13 yard pin and a 15 yard pin you would shoot the 13 yard pin.

The actual distance does not matter. It is the distance from the base of the tree to the deer that matters. Not the hunter 15 feet up the tree to the deer. The force of gravity will only effect the arrow for 13 yards.

The reason is in the physics of gravity. Only the distance on a level bubble will determine how much an arrow drops from the force of gravity. that is why people say you have to aim low on a shot from 20 feet up a tree.

The range finders that compensate for the hieght is compensating the difference in the distance on the diagonal line and the distance on the horizontal line.

[Southern Man]

I hate to get technical but....... The arrow drop, shooting from an elevated position at a downward angle, wouldn't be as much as from a true level position. It's physics. Gravity doesn't have the same effect when shooting downward. The steeper the shot gets, the less drop you'll have over the same distance, thus you shoot high. The reverse is true shooting at an upward angle. Has anyone ever tried shooting straight down? Put a target at a very steep angle under you and see what kind of groups you get. It will suprise you. An arrow shot using a 20 yard pin at a target 20 yards away from an elevated position will hit differently than an arrow shot using a 20 yard pin at a target 20 yards away on level ground.