Options for measuring distance

[MikeInUtah]

I don't own a rangefinder and have started shooting on public land. I go out by myself so I can't rely on someone else to range the steel through a spotting scope as I walk out. I was thinking on picking up a measure wheel and using it as I am walking out with the steel but the terrain is quite rocky. Right now I am just counting my paces for a ball park estimate. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[shovelstrokeed]

Use your scope. You don't need a range finder, check the manual on your scope and use a tape measure to determine the height of your target.
Subtensions of some elements of your reticle will be given in your scope's manual.
Would need to know your scope and what reticle to know what you have.
Assuming a duplex reticle let us say the fat part of the reticle represents 2 MOA. If you are shooting at an 8.5x11" piece of paper and the the fat part of the windage portion of the reticle covers exactly 1/2 of the vertical portion of the paper, that would be roughly 5.5". Well if 2 MOA is 5.5", 1 MOA is half that or 2.25". Your target is roughly 225 yards away. I have rounded these numbers into approximations. The exact numbers are available with a little bit of searching.

 

[VJJPunisher]

Have a gps? if so from shooting position save point(a), walk to targets save point(b), then tell gps you wanna go back to point a, will give you a pretty damn good distance. Or if your wanting to place targets at specific diatance save shooting position, hit go to.point (a) and start walking it will start giving distance to start point

 

[kansas]

You didn't say how far you are trying to shoot but sooner or later you will want to invest in at least a cheap rangefinder. I've got a Bushnell 800 yard one that I've had for probably 10 years or more and still works pretty good. You might pick up a used one like that for not much coin. Just understand that if you buy a rangefinder that says it will read to 800 yards that you will probably only get half of that on smaller steel targets and maybe 300 yards on deer. The only thing that you might range with at their max distance is a house or barn. My 800 yard one will only range trees to about 500 yards.

 

[Notso]

Google earth does a pretty good job of ranging if you have defined places you can see on the map. I've checked it against known shooting ranges and other areas in the desert I shoot out to 1000+ yards and it will definitely get you in the ballpark.

The idea for GPS coords also will work, but if you don't already have GPS - I would buy a LRF instead.

If you use your scope reticle to range it - there are some good smartphone ballistic apps that will do the math for you. You just need to precisely know the target size AND you need to measure it very accurately with your reticle. I've tried to do this and been off by a lot of yards if you get the mil size in the scope off by even a little bit.

If you're going to spend the money for a measure wheel, just bite the bullet and get a cheap LRF. Much easier to use and will be FAR more accurate.

 

[MikeInUtah]

Thanks for the great feedback folks. I am placing targets at 300 and 600 yards. I have a gps and looking at the garmin site it states that "Garmin® GPS receivers are accurate to within 15 meters on average. Newer Garmin GPS receivers with WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) capability can improve accuracy to less than three meters on average." I guess I need to find out what gps unit I have.

I am aware of ranging targets through the reticle but since I don't shoot with anyone, it makes it difficult to set the target return to scope range it and potentially return to the target to move it.

I probably will end up picking up a LRF so I am off to search SH for LRF recommendations.

Thanks again.

 

[MitchK]

There's a distance measure app in the apple store

 

[Rthur]

If you do go with a lrf don't dick around. Start with a good one and be done with it. LRF binos are handy for field of view but they will cost some coin for a 1k plus set.


R

 

[Sterling Shooter]

I don't own a rangefinder and have started shooting on public land. I go out by myself so I can't rely on someone else to range the steel through a spotting scope as I walk out. I was thinking on picking up a measure wheel and using it as I am walking out with the steel but the terrain is quite rocky. Right now I am just counting my paces for a ball park estimate. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Football Field Method
Bracketing Method
Appearance of Object Method
Visible Detail Method
Mil Relation Formula
Mechanical Devices
Halving Method
Estimating Distance by Sound
Front Sight Post Method
Topo Map Method-Great for Angle Shooting

 

[wigwamitus]

I have same problem as OP ... GPS on my phone probably won't work because no signal out there. Walking method and measuring google maps are my current methods. But ground is uneven and going up and down or around intermediate gulleys throws off step counting. Also ground, at google map level is fairly featureless.
Once I shoot at a spot a few times I can work backwards and say, "since the observed drop is consistently X, then the real range must be about Y". But for a new firing point, that doesn't work for a while.
I'll try reticle estimating, that sounds promising.
I do have a LRF in my budget for this year, but don't get the funds until May, so holding off to get a good one and "cry once".

 

[missed]

I use my phone GPS. Mine works with no phone service. Mil/moa measuring to known target size is my backup.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[MikeInUtah]

A fellow SH member sold me his Leica CRF1000. I am professional now, I just need to be able to pronounce it.

 

[badhabit_wb]

It may be more work than you want to do but when i'm setting up targets i use one of these TEKTON 7240 300-Foot Fiberglass Tape Measure - Amazon.com. then I use surveyors paint to mark the spots so that when i come back I know where to place the steel. It takes 2 people the first time but after that it's easy. I have an atv I use to move the targets and if I don't have help i anchor one end of the tape to that. Once you get it all set up you can use the steel to check your range finder if you get one.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I appreciate your situation, but I believe the simplest, and maybe the most economical solution is to buy that Laser Range Finder. These days they are actually affordable; and in my opinion, are rapidly becoming indispensable for any kind of precision ranging.

I seldom shoot distances greater than 300yd now, and have an inexpensive Bushnell finder with around a 600yd capability. If I need a longer distance, I measure it out in segments. My preference is to laser backward to the shooting point as I walk/etc. out with my target(s). My targets use 18"x24" white Corroplast backers, and I simply leave one back at the shooting point as a baseline reflector, then laser back to just erected target backers. While I don't line my targets up in a straight line; I will generally step aside so the distances get measured in a straighter line.

I recognize that with more money comes more precision, but I don't need my ranging to be accurate to within a foot, or even a yard. Being accurate to 5 or 10 yards is plenty good enough for what I'm doing.

Greg