# That up hill,down hill shooting question



## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

I'm usually shooting on fairley flat ground,but the grandson was asking me about shooting uphill or downhill and i can't remember how it goes.I think shooting downhill,your arrow will go high,and uphill your arrow will go low.Is that right?


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

They will both impact high. Depending on the severity of the angle will determine how high.

Theoretically an arrow or bullet shot on flat ground is traveling at a 90 degree angle to gravity. By shooting down or up you change the angle and reduce the initial effect of gravity. There are a lot of variables involved to determine how much the impact point will shift for each projectiles individual flight characteristics, but the basics are the same for all.


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## reel (Dec 15, 2004)

Not really an answer to the question but:
I try to position myself to avoid (nearly) all uphill shots.

Lots of things can go haywire.
...


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## BassBlaster (Jun 8, 2006)

I don't think up hill shots are safe with a gun because you have no clue whats over the peak of the hill. I would think there would be certain situations where you could get a safe shot uphill though.


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## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

Myself i won't take a uphill if i'm close to the crest.I only bow hunt and don't have as much worry with distance worrys but am aware of it.So both will make you shoot high.Any difference as to how high,up or down?


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

Lundy is correct, both would be high. An uphill shot of let say 30 yds may actually only be traveling 25 yds on a HORIZONAL plane and should be shot for 25 yards. This also applies to downhill shots. Also what Lundy said about the gravity thing is true. Hand pressure on the riser plays a big role in up/down hill shots and can effect shots to go high/low. Try bending at the waist so body position is similar to shooting on flat ground. When using a rangefinder use it on a horizanal plane to be most accurate.


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## flypilot33 (Feb 9, 2006)

Lundy is correct. Here is an article explaining how and why that works. http://www.kingsmountainarchers.org/tips/angle-shots.html


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## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

flypilot33 ,that was a very good read.Really explained it.Thanks everyone for the help.


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2007)

Heres another question that I know has been asked before, kind of the same thing. 

I just got a range finder for christmas. The other day I was up in my stand and ranged a tree. At the base of the tree (at the same height a deer would stand) the range was 23 yards. However when I ranged the tree at the same height that I was at it ranged 20 yards. I ranged several other trees and noticed the same thing. 

So I guess I am kind of baffled on the whole situation. Is this why they say to aim low while in a tree stand?


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## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

Go to the site flypilot33 put up.


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

traphunter,
In regards to the rangefinder question. It's trigonometry. When you ranged the tree horizontally (level plane) from your stand to the tree, you got the length of the base of a right triangle. When you ranged the bottom of the tree you got the hypoteneuse of the triangle. The hypotenuese is always the longest leg in a right triangle. Your readings, trig, and pythagoras' theorem tell me your rangefinder was 11ft 4.2in off the ground, and the angle to the base of the tree from horizontal was about 29.6 deg. All true as long as the other tree was straight


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

Traphunter, use the distance taken on a horizonal plane (20yards in that case) when calculating yardage for a shot. Gravity will only affect your arrow over 20 yds not 23yds.


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2007)

wow steel that makes absolutly no sense to me!! Just boggles my brain.



Thanks for the info all. Im still a little shady but I will figure it out.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

> Your readings, trig, and pythagoras' theorem tell me your rangefinder was 11ft 4.2in off the ground, and the angle to the base of the tree from horizontal was about 29.6 deg.


 did you do all that in your head?


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

The formulas are commited to memory, but I used a calculator to grind it.
The angle is found by:
arc cos (20ft horizontal to tree / 23ft to base of tree) = 29.59deg
The height is found by:
23ft x sin 29.59deg = 11.36ft

It's not necessary to know the angle to find the height, as long as it's a right triangle.
Using Pythagoras Theorem:
Height= square root (23ft x 23ft - 20ft x 20ft)= 11.36ft

Sorry about going off on a tangent.


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## reel (Dec 15, 2004)

I don't know how many times I read all this but here is what I think. 

It is the time that the arrow is in the air that makes the difference in how you aim.
The trigonometry thing is not needed if you have the slope distances measured.

If you know the exact distance to your target and are aiming down-hill, with that distance pin, then pick a spot a little lower on the deer because the arrow will be going a little faster than if you were at that same distance on the level.

if you are aiming up-hill then pick a spot on the deer a little higher because the arrow is going a little slower and will be dropping more.

This is exactly what Stampede stated in the original question.

If the distance is rather far, then the aiming spot correction will be much more.

Maybe ? ?

...


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## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

I'm not the math person either.But from what i got from that site flypilot33 sent and what others say , i think i understand it like this.At a down or uphill slope,like the triangle the slope becomes a longer distance.So you should aim for a distance that equal to a straight line.Say downhill,instead of looking at the 25yd to the deer look at the 20yd to the tree the deer is standing beside of at eye level.That 20yd is where you set your pin.Right?


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## ss minnow (Aug 11, 2005)

Makes me wonder where indians hid their calculators?


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

Stampede, that's it. Try it it's pretty close.


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## reel (Dec 15, 2004)

25' to the deer and 20' to the tree works about just right downhill.

But 20' to the tree and 25' to the deer uphill sets the target too low. 
The farther the distance to the deer uphill the more the arrow will drop.

...


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## flypilot33 (Feb 9, 2006)

reel said:


> I don't know how many times I read all this but here is what I think.
> 
> It is the time that the arrow is in the air that makes the difference in how you aim.
> The trigonometry thing is not needed if you have the slope distances measured.
> ...



No No, it has nothing to do with how long the arrow is in the air. It is about how gravity affects the arrow. If you shoot uphill or downhill it doesn't matter.


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