MOA Ranging Formula

Started messing around with this formula using my Vortex Viper HS-T set on 16 power. Target is 36in. tall set at 800yrds. Target is 4 MOA looking through scope. Formula is heigth of target x 95.5 ÷ MOA = yards. The yardage was shot in with my rangefinder. Equation, 36 x 95.5 ÷ 4 = 859.5 tell me what is wrong here. 60 yards is another 10 clicks for me and that is a little over 20in. drop. That my friend equals a clean miss. So is my rangefinder off or or the MOA on the scope or what. Just want a good way to a estimate yardage if the electronics fail. Thanks.
Check the manual for the HST. I have a couple and should be set on 18x to estimate distance.
 
Thank you very much for the reply. So at what yardages do you think the formula can be accurately used to, without to many variables comment I to play.
600 yards is about the max that reticle ranging can be reasonably trusted. This is for 2 reasons:

First, is because atmpospheric distortion isn't bad enough to severly distort what you are seeing.

Second,is that that within 600 yards, your round is still flying flat enough to make up for any reasonable errors in ranging.
 
I use the formula
(( target in inches ) \ MOA ) x 100 = distance

I.E.
36/4 x 100 = 800

This is simple enough that most of the time i can do it in my head.
Often i estimate the largest the target could be, then the smallest it could be and average the two together for my target distance. ( This helps in mirage )

Then i range the target and see if my estimation was close enough to yeild a hit. I do this before every shot in practice.

Every so often me and a friend will go do a cold bore contest where we walk to different ranges and leave the rangefinders in the truck.

6-7 hundred is my max for mil-ing a target.
36/4 x 100=900
You are using the wrong formula, and you got the formula wrong that you did use.
 
Your right. 5 years ago I made a typo and you caught it. Thank you very much. I appreciate your attention to detail.
HAHA! You are right! I didn't even notice the date or I wouldn't have said anything.
I come off like a d**k sometimes...mainly because I am.

I like Canadians...heck, I married a girl from Salt Spring Island.:)
 
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