shooting uphill/downhill

[mikep35]

What do you take into consideration when shooting uphill/downhill? Angle of slope? Arrow speed? Distance? Is there that much of a difference between shooting uphill or downhill at 40 yards than shooting 40 yards on flat ground?

[galiuro mountain man]

It is different, but it is hard to explain. If the angle is about 30 degrees or less it would be a safe bet your pins would hit pretty close to normal. On extreme angles up or downhill the target will be closer than a rangefinder will show. This is because the horizontal distance is actually less than the distance of line of sight. I have learned that shooting extreme anglges I need to shoot low, even uphill, but only a little compared to downhill. My best advice is to go shoot some targets up and down hills and learn what your bow will do and how to aim on hills.

 

About arrow speed, this has a lot to do with it, and it is complicated to explain but I will try. Here is a good question. Lets say you shoot one bow with a 400gr arrow at 300 fps and a second one with the same arrow but the bow only shoots it 150 fps. Both are shot perfectly horizontal. Which arrow will fly in the air for a longer period of time? Niether, both bows will have the arrow drop to the ground at the same time, but the faster arrow will go farther. This is because the arrow has the same effect from gravity no matter which bow it is shot from. If it drops at 1 foot per second from one bow it will drop 1 fps from another, the weight of the arrow didnt change. How this ties ino shooting up and down hills is the faster bow will shoot flatter, making it easier to figure out how far low to shoot, you dont have to try to compensate for more arc. This is the exact same principal behind ammo ballistic charts, and it works the same way, except the arrows dont fly as fast, and they are normally heavier.

 

Hope this helps

GMM

[mikep35]

It makes alot of sense. Thanks. I'm going tohave to get out there and practice my uphill/downhill shots to see how it differs.

[m gardner]

I believe that gravity acts on the arrow for the horizontal distance to the target. Think of it as a right triangle with the distance to the target as the base of the triangle and the distance along the hypotenuse is what your rangefinder will show. As was stated before high angles will give you the most trouble. I put my left foot forward and bend at the waist so I am drawing and anchoring the same as if shooting on the flat. If not shooting form problems will affect point of impact. Practice and experience will show you what to do. Remember that you must put the arrow higher on the animal when shooting down so it comes out low and centers what you were aiming at. The opposite for uphill. If you shoot where you normally do you will miss the vitals on high angle shots. Good luck.

Mark

[crazy4COUES]

According to Archers Advantage software, @ 40 yards of earth to your target, 30 deg. uphill slope, you will actually only have a linear distance of 35.2 yards. @ 40 yards of earth to your target, 30 deg. downhill slope, you actually have a linear distance of 34.1 yds. Uphill vs. downhill does have a role in the point of impact however it is VERY little. So knowing this I would shoot both uphill and downhill with the same respect.

 

One time our local 3-D club set a bighorn sheep down off a steep bank. It was 46 yards distance from me to the target. Because of the steep angle (about 45 deg.) we could shoot it for 25 yards and be on target every time. It was strange cause the arrow was in the air longer than expected, especially for a 25 yard shot.