I've seen several references to confirming distances via Google Earth, I'd like to know how you guys are doing this? I have a place to shoot, what I believe to be 1,300yds. obtained using my reticle, but I have no way to confirm it (other than launching a bunch of bullets that may, or may not be a waste of time and money). My range finder alas, only goes to 900yds. Any help, or a short lesson would be appreciated.
- Thread starter EL34
- Start date
google earth has the tools. it would be accurate to within a few yards I would guess.
It's called DRAFT LOGIC precise to around 10 yards.
http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm
Or use the pace count method
God Speed...
Ok took me awhile, but I figured it out..............and I was way off! No surprise there lol! For anyone else wanting to do it I'll save you some time, follow the instructions below.
1. Go to www.maps.google.com
2. Click the little bitty, hard to see "maps labs" link in the lower left
3.Enable "Distance Measurement Tool"
4. Click "Save Changes"
5. Go to the map where you want to do your measurement
6. Click the little bitty ruler icon on the lower left of the map
7.Click your starting point and destination point, you should get a little balloon at each point, and red line connecting the two, and on the left side of your screen a distance in feet or meters depending on which you specifed.
8. If you sign in using your google account, gmail, etc it will save your preferences
ETA: I would've used the pace count method, but I don't do well with vertical drops, and water over my head in the Feb/Mar time frame.
ETA2: I went back and checked a known distance, and it was within 7 yards, which could've been my fault, once you max out the zoom the image is kinda blurry so I might have been off on my destination mark placement a bit.
1. Go to www.maps.google.com
2. Click the little bitty, hard to see "maps labs" link in the lower left
3.Enable "Distance Measurement Tool"
4. Click "Save Changes"
5. Go to the map where you want to do your measurement
6. Click the little bitty ruler icon on the lower left of the map
7.Click your starting point and destination point, you should get a little balloon at each point, and red line connecting the two, and on the left side of your screen a distance in feet or meters depending on which you specifed.
8. If you sign in using your google account, gmail, etc it will save your preferences
ETA: I would've used the pace count method, but I don't do well with vertical drops, and water over my head in the Feb/Mar time frame.
ETA2: I went back and checked a known distance, and it was within 7 yards, which could've been my fault, once you max out the zoom the image is kinda blurry so I might have been off on my destination mark placement a bit.
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Google Earth has a toolbar with a ruler. Pretty easy to use. I know people that have compared it at shorter distance (<300) and they say it's very accurate.
Not sure about longer distance, however. That being said, we just shot at a 1,000 yard match and Google Earth was right on the money showing 1,000.42 yards.
Not sure about longer distance, however. That being said, we just shot at a 1,000 yard match and Google Earth was right on the money showing 1,000.42 yards.
I've done this out in the National Forest where I have identifying marks I can use on Google Earth.
I've cross checked it with my Delorme Earthmate GPS (google calculate distance using gps coordinates) and they're within 15 yards, which could just be the difference in me picking the points on the map.
What I haven't tried is doing it on my phone with GPS enabled, no reception up there.
I've cross checked it with my Delorme Earthmate GPS (google calculate distance using gps coordinates) and they're within 15 yards, which could just be the difference in me picking the points on the map.
What I haven't tried is doing it on my phone with GPS enabled, no reception up there.
If you have a iphone check out dist measure app. It works really well. Im sure there is something similar for android just not sure what its called.
M
milo 2.0
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Unless there is some landmark you can visually see, and put the markers on, google earth would be limited. It will give you the total distance you're able to shoot, but because it's not streaming live??? A hand held GPS unit will be extremely close.
Your range finder and a buddy will get you close, just split the distance and mark it, then from there get the total.
Our 1850 IPSC is visable on the updated google earth, and using the ruler it looks to be within 1 yard off, it was originaly marked with a 100K Trimble GPS unit.
Your range finder and a buddy will get you close, just split the distance and mark it, then from there get the total.
Our 1850 IPSC is visable on the updated google earth, and using the ruler it looks to be within 1 yard off, it was originaly marked with a 100K Trimble GPS unit.
I've used Google Earth to check the distance between firing line and target line for every range I've shot. It has been extremely accurate. I posted the results for a couple different ranges in a thread on this topic a while back (link below).
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/showthread.php?t=128137&p=1858086#post1858086
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/showthread.php?t=128137&p=1858086#post1858086
Law of Sines, Sin(A)/a = sin(B)/b =sin(C)/c, where A, B and C are the angles of the right triangle formed when a, b and c are the distances between angles. For this to work, you need to know the height of the target from the ground up (label this as a) as well as two angles: one is given, the 90deg. at the base of the target (call it B) and the other angle C atop the target can be derived (180-90-A = C) once the angle A is measured from the shooting position using a protractor of sorts or another device (the triangle measured can also be inverted so as to measure distance from the top of the target as opposed to the firing position; this may give more room to make measurements). But using plain degress will only get you so far with distance and accuracy.
To get good accurate data for long distance, we need to use something finer than degrees. Use MOA in these equations, so sin(A/60)/a, so on and so forth, should do it. So basically you want to measure 60 units within one degree. To measure, you'll either need the worlds largest protractor, an expensive surveying kit --or a cheap home made MOA protractor.
Fix a protractor to either the top or bottom left of a large, strudy and warp free piece of plywood. Fix it semicircle side down if up top and inverting the triangle, or semicircle side up if on the bottom and measuring from the ground in the shooting position. Attach it a few inches from the edges. If fixing it up top, attach the plywood to a fence stake so you can level the device and get it the same height as the top of the target. Now attach string to the center of the protractor and measure out on the far edge of the plywood an arc 1 deg. in length. Then bisect this over and over until you have 60 units. Attach a yardstick or similar long, straight and flat smooth stick, sighted along the string, and use this to aim down and find the mark on the protractor. You now have an MOA protractor suitable for measuring accurately to long distances given only the target height and the angle the target sets to the ground. Cool, huh?
Say the target is 5' and you measure using the rig that the target is 1/10th of one degree. And law of sines gives sin(10/60)/5 = sin(89+50/60)/c. We want c as it is the length to the target (we really aren't concerned with B and b here). So just fill in the formula using only sin(A)/a = sin(C)/c, convert to a/sin(A) = c/sin(C) and then cross multiply to isolate c and you get: c= 5sin(89+5/6)/sin(1/6) = 1718.87', or 572.96 yards.
If the target were 5 MOA away, it would be 5sin(85+55/60)/sin(5/60) = 3437.74', or 1145.91 yards.
The farthest you can measure without going to fraction of MOA is 5729.58 yards using a 5' target.
This method can be extremely accurate, it depends on how precise you set it up. It is ideal for setting up precise distances for targets, or finding precise distances period, once you have an accurate measure of an item at target distance. It would be a good long range tool for precise target distances, but obviously this isn't something you carry around with you all the time. Anyway, I thought I'd throw it out there.
To get good accurate data for long distance, we need to use something finer than degrees. Use MOA in these equations, so sin(A/60)/a, so on and so forth, should do it. So basically you want to measure 60 units within one degree. To measure, you'll either need the worlds largest protractor, an expensive surveying kit --or a cheap home made MOA protractor.
Fix a protractor to either the top or bottom left of a large, strudy and warp free piece of plywood. Fix it semicircle side down if up top and inverting the triangle, or semicircle side up if on the bottom and measuring from the ground in the shooting position. Attach it a few inches from the edges. If fixing it up top, attach the plywood to a fence stake so you can level the device and get it the same height as the top of the target. Now attach string to the center of the protractor and measure out on the far edge of the plywood an arc 1 deg. in length. Then bisect this over and over until you have 60 units. Attach a yardstick or similar long, straight and flat smooth stick, sighted along the string, and use this to aim down and find the mark on the protractor. You now have an MOA protractor suitable for measuring accurately to long distances given only the target height and the angle the target sets to the ground. Cool, huh?
Say the target is 5' and you measure using the rig that the target is 1/10th of one degree. And law of sines gives sin(10/60)/5 = sin(89+50/60)/c. We want c as it is the length to the target (we really aren't concerned with B and b here). So just fill in the formula using only sin(A)/a = sin(C)/c, convert to a/sin(A) = c/sin(C) and then cross multiply to isolate c and you get: c= 5sin(89+5/6)/sin(1/6) = 1718.87', or 572.96 yards.
If the target were 5 MOA away, it would be 5sin(85+55/60)/sin(5/60) = 3437.74', or 1145.91 yards.
The farthest you can measure without going to fraction of MOA is 5729.58 yards using a 5' target.
This method can be extremely accurate, it depends on how precise you set it up. It is ideal for setting up precise distances for targets, or finding precise distances period, once you have an accurate measure of an item at target distance. It would be a good long range tool for precise target distances, but obviously this isn't something you carry around with you all the time. Anyway, I thought I'd throw it out there.
Ive had good luck with range card on my android phone, and distance map for my Ipad. they both read the same distance on all of my targets. If your range finder cant tell you, I think this is the next best option!
EL34,
Have you considered ranging an object 700-800 yards from your firing point, walking to it and then ranging your target from there, adding the two to get the total distance?
Maybe your topography doesn't allow a simple solution. Just a thought.
John
Have you considered ranging an object 700-800 yards from your firing point, walking to it and then ranging your target from there, adding the two to get the total distance?
Maybe your topography doesn't allow a simple solution. Just a thought.
John
I live in flat country, but with a 100' tape I could measure 1300 yards pretty quick. I guess that doesn't work if you are shooting across a valley or something.
Measuring 100' segments, 39 times to get 1300 yards is not going to be fast lol.
One could always use the range finder to find some nesr half way point, then range again to the target and add them together. Rocket science.
Outside my barracks room across the road is our qualifying range. The impact berm is roughly 1500-1600m away depending on which target point I range with my bushnell fusion 1600 binos.
Google earth is within 15m to any given point.
When I was stationed in DC, I ranged from my barracks window to the naval research laboratory and it was 1437yd. Google earth said 1425, but there was some distortion because the satelite picture was taken at an angle, and the ranging point was on the 2nd or 3rd story.
Closer in, it's more accurate. So 15/1500 gives roughly plus or minus 1%.
Google earth is within 15m to any given point.
When I was stationed in DC, I ranged from my barracks window to the naval research laboratory and it was 1437yd. Google earth said 1425, but there was some distortion because the satelite picture was taken at an angle, and the ranging point was on the 2nd or 3rd story.
Closer in, it's more accurate. So 15/1500 gives roughly plus or minus 1%.
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