If technology fails can you still make the shot?

[300RUM]

I started my hunting career with a leupold 3 x 9 that had a duplex reticle. I knew the distance from the center of the crosshairs to the point where the reticle became thicker for each power setting at 100 yards. If needed, I had a small protractor with a weighted string to put on my barrel and measure angle. I had notebook containing my trajectory at the average hunt elevation and temperature, 10 mph wind drift, less than 90 degree wind correction factors, wind estimation tricks, average animal body measurements, angle cosine chart and anything else I thought might be useful. The last item was a small battery & solar powered calculator. With this setup I could range my target, adjust for incline or decline and wind then fire a calculated shot at my target, not just a guess. At the time laser range finders were mostly a military item and tiny computers almost unheard of. I’m sure at least half of you are picturing me in a nursing home, 48 is a little young for that.

 

Technology has advanced rapidly. These days I use a laser to range the target. My kesterel meter transmits to applied ballistics in my phone which gives me a firing solution. If all that technology quit in the middle of the hunt I could still function. I still carry that notebook. My scopes have MIL calibrated reticles (MOA works just as good). The rifles have ACI indicators mounted on them and there is a calculator in my GPS.

Technology can take the day off and leave you hanging for a number of reasons. Anyone have some more interesting backup system tips?

[trphyhntr]

i use the SWAG technique

[CouesPursuit]

I keep to a BDC reticle and stay within my practiced limitations using field notes. I've been interested in taking my shooting to the next level, look forward to the thread.

[thegunsmith2506]

I still use mpbr when I rifle hunt. Makes shots out to 400 pretty simple.

[Big Browns]

I could make a short range shot, but would never try a long range shot without my BR2!

[Zeke-BE]

When I was a kid we just shot and then made adjustments. My first deer I ever shot at I could barley make him out on my grandpas 4x scope. My brother said it dropped and hit a foot below his feet. I was aiming at the top of his back with a 100 yd zero. That means that bullet dropped 4 ft. Meaning 30-06 150 grain was probably shooting close to around 450-500 yards and didn't know it. Never knew any better! By the time I really got into hunting there were range finders.

[pwrguy]

The math is fairly basic, the range is where I get into trouble. I would probably self limit to around 300 without a rangefinder. I would guess the odds are pretty small that I would have to be without one. I killed plenty of critters b4 the laser age

[cjl2010]

That's why I traded the spotter for dads EL range binos. We double check every yardage I get with the 1600 Leica with his binos and so far so good

[trphyhntr]

That's why I traded the spotter for dads EL range binos. We double check every yardage I get with the 1600 Leica with his binos and so far so good

Do you put it on the tripod to range far?

[cjl2010]

EL's are always on a tripod and I always lean against my tripod/binos with Leica and get the same yardage plus or minus a few. I did notice on wife's deer hunt that buck fever makes it hard to get a yardage when you are hand holding a small range finder.

[trphyhntr]

EL's are always on a tripod and I always lean against my tripod/binos with Leica and get the same yardage plus or minus a few. I did notice on wife's deer hunt that buck fever makes it hard to get a yardage when you are hand holding a small range finder.

do you remember how much different? Like 5 yards or 20

[cjl2010]

2 yards is the max that we have seen out to about 860 yds.