Quick reference for shooting various ranges

[TC724]

I am sure there are thousands of techniques people use however this is what I have come up with...First and foremost I use a ballistics app as most people do and this is primarily due to varying angles. I have learned over the years that angles have a great deal of affect on trajectory is most air rifles.
When I go to a permission, or even squirrel hunting I am faced with taking shots at not only varying distances, but varying angles and have come up with a quicker solution then, spotting the target, entering the data into my phone, and getting a solution for one shot.

I downloaded an image of my scope reticle (Hawke AMX) and then went into my ballistics app and started punching in varying angles and distances to see how much the POI shifts to narrow down a "margin" that I can utilize easily. I have found that 0-10 deg angles for my rifle hardly shift POI and then from 15-25 deg angle, they all fall within an acceptable range of each other. So I simply take two images of my reticles, pop in the numbers for those distances at those angles and now I have something to cover mostly all my shots at a glance.

Disclaimer: I am fully aware this is not exact, nor that scientific, however this works for taking shots on game/targets/pests that don't give you the time to go finger banging your phone for a solution.

View attachment FX Crown Reticles PDF.pdf

 

[Bam86]

How do you get squirrels at 15-25 degrees. Usually the only shots I get are 45-80 degrees. Tall trees with a lot of leaves makes it hard to get any low angles. Or they are 10-20 feet up the trunk of the tree I am leaning on looking down at me(85-90) degrees.

I like the idea though. Just seems like a lot to do swapping inserts when the squirrels don’t sit stilll that long.

 

[TC724]

How do you get squirrels at 15-25 degrees. Usually the only shots I get are 45-80 degrees. Tall trees with a lot of leaves makes it hard to get any low angles. Or they are 10-20 feet up the trunk of the tree I am leaning on looking down at me(85-90) degrees.

I like the idea though. Just seems like a lot to do swapping inserts when the squirrels don’t sit stilll that long.

Hey Bam, these aren’t inserts they are just on a card I carry around. And I almost never shoot higher than 35 degrees to be honest that’s quite a steep angle, at least how I shoot. My experience with my app has shown me, most of my shots are under 30 degrees so that’s what I wanted the bulk of my data. It’s true, I shoot over those angles and sometimes under however the bulk is done in those ranges. Works really well for a quick peek bc you don’t actually have to check your angle, you just guess and it’s usually close enough to get a solid hit.

 

[Bam86]

I wasn’t knocking your process. Sounds good. Just for the hunting around here, I would need a lot higher angles. Steep hillsides, tall hickories, and lots of maple under cover. Usually only need to take a few steps to pick them up. But they are high in the treetops.

Good hunting.

 

[TC724]

I wasn’t knocking your process. Sounds good. Just for the hunting around here, I would need a lot higher angles. Steep hillsides, tall hickories, and lots of maple under cover. Usually only need to take a few steps to pick them up. But they are high in the treetops.

Good hunting.

Oh I hear ya! I know for most woods walking instances you are correct! May be worth just making a card up for the really steep stuff? Good luck out there this year!

 

[Ezana4CE]

For steep shots on squirrels, I’ve learned to sit down leaning against a tree (think of a school boy trying to be cool in class slouching/sitting with bad posture) or I lay down flat on my back, cross one leg over a bent knee for use as a brace to take the shot.

 

[TC724]

For steep shots on squirrels, I’ve learned to sit down leaning against a tree (think of a school boy trying to be cool in class slouching/sitting with bad posture) or I lay down flat on my back, cross one leg over a bent knee for use as a brace to take the shot.

Luckily for me, I rarely walk and stalk woods anymore for squirrel bc I’m the only that eats them and they aren’t my favorite lol. So now it’s tartlets and pesting at my permissions