Angle shooting

[CowboyBart]

I know I can get a cosign indicator on my rail/scope, but I don't want move it from gun to gun or buy one for every rifle.
I want to learn how to do the math longhand. From geometry (or maybe it was calculus) in HS, the saying was Oscar Has A Heap Of Apples
Opposite/Hypotenuse = sign
Adjacent/Hypotenuse = cosign
Opposite/Adjacent = tangent

So how do I do angle shooting math longhand??

 

[Makinchips208]

Ballistic calculator for the win.

Or
You could calculate the true horizontal distance and adjust drop for that distance. It isn't perfect, but works for hunting if less than 30 degrees and less than 400 yards. Some rangefinders can give this number.

To solve for true horizontal distance = Los distance x cosine of shot angle
So 300 yard shot at 30 degrees solves out to 259 yards of true horizontal distance.

There is another method… ill have to refer to my notes cause it isnt easy…

Or, when in doubt, aim for the balls. You will hit high.

 

[_Windrider_]

Never heard of Oscar, but I learned SOH CAH TOA

How you solve the problem starts with whether you have your LOS distance , which would be the hypotenuse, or the true distance to target which would be the bottom leg of the triangle. After that you need the angle some how. The cosine indicator is easy and what most use or the tried and true mil dot master has one built in. Once you have one of the distances and the angle you can solve your problem.

The hypotenuse determines your wind call and the long leg is your drop. But when you actually look at the math and start playing with it you’ll realize that unless the distance is long or the angle extreme you can almost ignore it all together.

 

[ironpony52]

Indian Chief SOH-CAH-TOA with the new phones it should be simple math.

 

[Taylorbok]

Just use your Ballistic Calculator.

 

[Makinchips208]

Couple rules of thumb i personally use to actually impact within a certain margin of error, or know if i need to pull out more scratch paper…

1. Anything less than 250 yard away, my shot angle doesn't matter.

2. Anything within 450’ (or 150 yards) of my elevation, i just use my written dope for the shot distance.
This is not super hard to sort of estimate, and if in doubt i just multipy (los distance)x(sin of shot angle)


Use a smartphone for the math,
Or,
I don’t do this part, but Sine cosine tangent charts are easy to print and laminate. Or just do in 5 or 10 degree increments up to 45 degrees. Unless you have large cliffs.
And carry a small waterproof calculator.

 

[CowboyBart]

OK, I think I have it. Range finder gives me hypotenuse and also shot angle, so I should be able to do the math and come up with actual distance gravity pulls on the bullet. Thanx.
I know a ballistic calc is the easy button, but I like to know the long hand too.
Are there any apps that can "feel" the angle of the phone?
Some large cliffs - yes. I came up on a moose while elk hunting. 254 yds away but perhaps a 70* down angle shot. While moose are tall, from that angle they aren't fat. All I need to do now is draw a moose tag.

 

[Makinchips208]

There are apps. Also ABQ can pull inclination angle from the phone,

So can Ballistic AE

And tagging @Aftermath cause he knows a thing or two about angles.

 

[_Windrider_]

OK, I think I have it. Range finder gives me hypotenuse and also shot angle, so I should be able to do the math and come up with actual distance gravity pulls on the bullet. Thanx.
I know a ballistic calc is the easy button, but I like to know the long hand too.
Are there any apps that can "feel" the angle of the phone?
Some large cliffs - yes. I came up on a moose while elk hunting. 254 yds away but perhaps a 70* down angle shot. While moose are tall, from that angle they aren't fat. All I need to do now is draw a moose tag.

Well some rangefinders give corrected distance. You have to know your equipment

 

[Aftermath]

There are apps. Also ABQ can pull inclination angle from the phone,
View attachment 8684056

So can Ballistic AE
View attachment 8684057



And tagging @Aftermath cause he knows a thing or two about angles.

Look at vector type mathematics. Gravity from the top, air resistance from the front (BC), winds from the sides, momentum from behind, ground effect from the bottom.

Or just buy a good laser range finder with a built in solver using Litz data.

Or just go be poor somewhere else.

 

[Baron23]

Well some rangefinders give corrected distance. You have to know your equipment

I was about to post this....I'd be surprised if any current range finders don't have a mode for horizontal distance as well as a mode for the actual slant distance. I have both a Vortex Viper LRF (so not high end, right) and a Sig and both do this.

At Mifflin in PA, there is a very steep slope from....eh, 500 yd to 1k. We were all shooting high. Frank said that in the Corp they told them if shooting uphill, aim for the balls...you'll hit somewhere in the body. lol

Cheers

 

[Rob01]

OK, I think I have it. Range finder gives me hypotenuse and also shot angle, so I should be able to do the math and come up with actual distance gravity pulls on the bullet. Thanx.
I know a ballistic calc is the easy button, but I like to know the long hand too.
Are there any apps that can "feel" the angle of the phone?
Some large cliffs - yes. I came up on a moose while elk hunting. 254 yds away but perhaps a 70* down angle shot. While moose are tall, from that angle they aren't fat. All I need to do now is draw a moose tag.

That moose will be long gone as you are doing long hand math. lol Make your life easier. Not harder. Use your LRF if it has the option to do angle fire. A lot do.

Or get a slope doper if you have to do math.

Slope Doper

Slope Doper

www.impactdatabooks.com

You can get a Mildot Master and on the back there is a similar tool to the slope doper.

Mildot Master

Mildot Master

www.impactdatabooks.com

 

[Aftermath]

I was about to post this....I'd be surprised if any current range finders don't have a mode for horizontal distance as well as a mode for the actual slant distance. I have both a Vortex Viper LRF (so not high end, right) and a Sig and both do this.

At Mifflin in PA, there is a very steep slope from....eh, 500 yd to 1k. We were all shooting high. Frank said that in the Corp they told them if shooting uphill, aim for the balls...you'll hit somewhere in the body. lol

Cheers

uphill, downhill. the difference is not shootable. negligent. same-same