Help calculating yardage when shooting at angles

[huntoregon]

I am hoping someone might be able to help me find a way to calculate yardage when shooting at angles. For example if I range an elk at 500 yards at a 15* angle what is the actual yardage I need to adjust for.

Is there an App or something similar I can use that doesn't cost a fortune?

I have a cheap Bushnell ARC1300 rangefinder which displays the angle of the target but not the compensated distance in yards.

I have a Huskemaw scope so the corrected distance would have to be in yards rather than MOA to use with my turrets.

 

[FEENIX]

I am hoping someone might be able to help me find a way to calculate yardage when shooting at angles. For example if I range an elk at 500 yards at a 15* angle what is the actual yardage I need to adjust for.

Is there an App or something similar I can use that doesn't cost a fortune?

I have a cheap Bushnell ARC1300 rangefinder which displays the angle of the target but not the compensated distance in yards.

I have a Huskemaw scope so the corrected distance would have to be in yards rather than MOA to use with my turrets.

Since your RF already do angles, get a ballistic apps for your smart phone. There are plenty of them out there and most are free for the basic.

Try Strelok, plug in the angle and distance readings from your RF to get the incline/decline compensated distance.

Good luck!

 

[oldno7]

A Mildot master will do what you want.

 

[J E Custom]

There is still another way that is easy in the field.

There are range finders that automatically give you TBR (True ballistic range)and/or line of site
distance. If you set it on true ballistic range and range something and any angle or even horizontal,
it will give you the ballistic distance and you can adjust the elevation accordingly.

Some will even give you the MOA for your load.

I know if you already have a good range finder it is hard to justify buying a new one, but if you are ready to upgrade it is an option.

J E CUSTOM

 

[huntoregon]

I do want to upgrade my rangefinder but after buying a new barrel, stock, and scope I don't want my wife to kill me just yet...

I will look into some of the Apps for my phone and see if I can find one that does what I want. Hopefully I will be able to upgrade the rangefinder next spring.

Thanks for the help.

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

Our app will do this for you, simply place the phone on the cold barrel, or the elevation turret. Aim in at the target, and capture the angle.

I would also suggest that you can run an ACI (angle cosine indicator), or ADI (Angle degree indicator) on your scope.

 

[rcoody]

It is really very simple trig.

Right Triangle Trigonometry

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

It is really very simple trig.

Right Triangle Trigonometry

While the rifleman's rule, and improved rifleman's rule can get you close. These are good for getting an approximate. It is technically slightly more complicated than that. Chapter 4 of Bryan Litz book Applied Ballistics for Long Range Shooting covers this, and why. Here are just a couple of pointers to consider.

1. "First, the range scaling ignores the effect of the bullet slowing down as it travels thru all the air between the shooter and the target." - Bryan Litz

2. Second, range scaling ignores the effect of the gravity that's either acting to decrease or maintain the bullets speed." - Bryan Litz

3. In addition range scaling does not distinguish between uphill and downhill shooting" - Bryan Litz.

4. "Improved Rifleman's Rule - You must be working from a relatively short range zero like 100 yards. If you get an inclined shot at 600 yards, the improved rifleman's rule wont indicate any correction" - Bryan Litz

Example Table. 155 Grain, .308 fired at 3000 fps at a range of 1000 yards, with a 100 yard zero:

Look Angle - Drop
0 Degrees -309.9"

+5 Degrees -309.3"
-5 Degrees -307.9"

+40 Degrees -233.7"
-40 Degrees -225.5"

+45 Degrees -213.5"
-45 Degrees -205.2"

This is fully covered in Chapter 4 of Applied Ballistics for Long-Range Shooting. Including the use of tools. Applied Ballistics For Long Range Shooting 2nd Edition

 

[huntoregon]

Our app will do this for you, simply place the phone on the cold barrel, or the elevation turret. Aim in at the target, and capture the angle.

I would also suggest that you can run an ACI (angle cosine indicator), or ADI (Angle degree indicator) on your scope.

Since my rangefinder displays shooting angle can I just use that to input into your app and get a corrected shooting distance?

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

Since my rangefinder displays shooting angle can I just use that to input into your app and get a corrected shooting distance?

yes, or use the phones built in sensors.