using a rifle to accurately shoot up or down hill.

Grumpy

The Grumpy Grease Monkey mechanical engineer.
Staff member
I can certainly point out how to accurately sight in your hunting rifle and make several suggestions making your rifle easier to hit with.
I would also point out that in 50 years of hunting mule deer and elk , Ive had a chance or "NEEDED" to shoot at game at ranges exceeding about 300 yards less than 5 times , most game is shot in the real world at less than 200-250, yards,
and the vast majority of the elk and mule deer have been shot at ranges UNDER 300 yards, thus longer range rifle skill is not a huge priority, in my opinion.
now if you hunt out in the mountains you will need to make shots up and down hill, you will find that as the angle of bullet departure in increased or decreased the bullet impact on a distant target tends to hit a bit higher than it would impact on a target , at an equal distance if that target was on level ground at that distance, but, as previously stated, most game is shot at under 300 yards and if you sight in your rifle as suggested, the difference in impact point on an animal as large as deer and elk, with a centered chest, cross hair hold will almost certainly result in a lethal hit to the vitals even if you don,t compensate.
yes the flatter trajectory rifle cartridge combos like a 300 or 7 mm mag make this an even less likely problem, but people tend to worry about this problem of not having a flat trajectory, far more than it tends too occur in my experience.

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/printable-targets-and-sighting-in.4560/

reading links helps
https://www.hornady.com/team-hornady/ballistic-calculators/#!/

RSballistics_0303A.jpg

I would strongly suggest sighting in almost all center-fire big game rifles so that the bullet impacts about 3"-3.5" above the cross hairs on a 100 yard target
use a target similar to this one below, and put the cross hairs on the yellow dot and have the bullets impact the smaller red dot at 100 yards.

read this link
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ange-calibers-for-elk-are-not-mandatory.1275/
sitetar.jpg


years ago I saw a game department survey made where they asked hundreds of hunters at a western BLM check point, to look out at 5 different colored flags placed at random but carefully measured distances and write down what each person estimated the distance too be from the check point, they were handed a pen and a survey card, they were told NONE of the colored flags were at an even 100 yard multiple but that was the only info , each flag was a different, color, placed in a
different direction and at a different distance.
the survey taker pointed out each colored flag and asked them to write down their estimated range!
they tabulated the actual hunters field estimates being made on the spot, vs the carefully measure actual distances.
.
.
the results were about what Id have expected..after decades of listening to guys claim they killed deer & elk at 400 and 500 and 600 yards.......
the vast majority were very VERY bad at estimating distances correctly past about 150 yards, some estimates that were over 70% wrong were not uncommon
168-206a.jpg

just print the target , and sight in so your aiming at the lower x or dot and your bullets impact is 3"-or 3.5" higher,in the upper dot the area your bullets impact, will allow you to hold on the chest for a longer point blank range
trajectory.jpg

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...le-to-accurately-shoot-up-or-down-hill.15229/

3inch.gif


http://www.mytargets.com/

http://www.mytargets.com/target104%20gr ... 20high.pdf

most elk country tends to be rather well covered , as elk are not prone to wondering open meadows during day light, hours, thus trees terrain and your ability to see targets at extended ranges prevent longer shots
aspens1.png

P1000158.JPG

elkcoun1.png


thickt1.jpg

thickt8.jpg

thick3.jpg

thickt4.jpg

bullelkp1.jpg

BIG%20BULLh.jpg


Bullelkp.jpg

bloodd.jpg



https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2017/11/16/top-5-mistakes-most-riflemen-make/

https://ronspomeroutdoors.com/blog/uphill-downhill-shooting-dilemma-solved/

https://www.chuckhawks.com/shooting_uphill.htm

http://www.exteriorballistics.com/ebexplained/5th/33.cfm

http://www.rifleshootermag.com/editorial/hitting-a-high-or-low-angle-shot/83768

http://www.millettsights.com/downloads/shootinguphillanddownhill.pdf

http://www.shootingrangeindustries....uphill-downhill-long-range-wind-formula-more/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...he-wind-with-a-rifle-for-extreme-range.14952/

https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2014/3/31/shooting-uphill-and-down/


http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/how-do-you-sight-in-a-rifle.2370/

Browning_BLR.jpg

while earlier in the thread,and in other threads, Ive stated Ive used a SAKO 375 H&H carbine hunting thick timber hunting elk.

well thats a good observation
Ive used BOTH rifles and the 375 H&H sako manlicher carbine similar too these pictures
sako375man.jpg

375tr.png


for decades my late hunting partner used a BLR in 358 win caliber
358winb.png
 
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That is the reason I have always used a range finder and the astigmatism also of my eyes for I could SEE long distance but not JUDGE long distance,,and proud to say I've NEVER missed the target even though it may not have died instantly. I'm pretty good at tracking.
 
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