targets of known size will give an idea of what 200m really
looks like.
Another use for a demarcated range is to get someone
to walk down and stand a varying distances. You’ll be
surprised at how small that person is at 250 or 300 metres.
The 300m and 500m ranges at my club have a large boulder
kopje as their backstop. When you have someone climb a
little ways up the kopje, so that they are amongst bush, or
wear a drab khaki shirt, your estimation of distance becomes
even more skewed. A general guide would be that at 50m
a person’s nose and mouth can be clearly distinguished;
at 100m the eyes appear as dots; at 200m only the general
details of clothing can be distinguished, and at 300m faces
can be seen.
An old rule of thumb, or in this case, rule of finger, is
based on the principle that the distance between the eyes
is about one tenth of the distance from the eye to the end
of the extended finger. When the width of a distant object
can be accurately estimated and you wish to determine how
far away it is, extend your arm in front of you and hold the
forefinger upright and align it with one eye on the distant
object. Without moving the finger, observe with the other
eye how many feet along the length of the object it appears
to have moved (much the same as testing for the dominant
eye). For a good guesstimation of range, multiply this figure
by ten.
The military, of course, has some helpful hints for when
your range finder’s batteries are flat - and much like the
use of a demarcated range above they often rely on being
able to accurately determine how many objects - such as
either a 100 yard or 100 metre playing field - will fit into
the distance between you and your target. If it looks like
two football fields, it’s going to be pretty close to 200 yards
or metres.
A lasere range finder as used in military applications
Diagram Global Security
Targets may appear closer than they actually are if its is
a bright and clear day, if the target is at a higher elevation, if
it is inherently large, or if the sun is behind you and you are
viewing it over a vast expanse of open ground. Conversely,
if the target is at a lower elevation, has the sun behind it, is
dark or camouflaged, or is being seen through hazy or poor
ambient light, it may appear farther away.
A little more hi-tech is using your binoculars’ reticle to
estimate the distance to a target - but you also have to have
a very accurate idea of the size of the target. It goes without
saying that this probably works better when shooting
at a T55 tank. The reticle lens will contain vertical and
horizontal lines, which will be demarcated into increments.
Large divisions will be 10 mils and small divisions 5. (360°
will be 6,400 mils). The formula for determining distance
to a target is:
D = H/K
where D = distance, H = Height, and K = vertical angle
of the target in mil.
So, again dragging your weary accomplice out to the
shooting range, if he is 1.7m in height and appears in the
reticle at a vertical angle of 10 mils, he should be 170m
distant. The operative thing here is that you have to have a
good idea of the target’s height. You can also work this out
from your binos by:
H=DxK
but only if you have an accurate estimate of its distance,
so that’s either just for fun or maybe future reference as to
how big that kudu really is.
To determine an accurate range, you really need some
set of standards, e.g. a kudu stands X metres high, or it is X
metres from the belly to the backbone. These are really best
gleaned from experience, and there really is no substitute
for remaining within your maximum point blank range if at
all possible. As a satirical ad in a magazine I once read said,
“Why spend a lot of money on expensive binoculars and
lenses? Merely stand closer to the object you wish to view.”
And if you can’t guarantee a hit within six inches of your
designated organ’s centre, don’t take the shot!
And, in closing, some words about the other kind of
distance you’ll want to keep track of. Stalking game usually
involves a lot of detours in a lot of different directions, and
it’s an interesting exercise when not much else is happening
to keep mental track of where you are. This is usually
measured in paces, and a good human average would
be thirty inches over flat ground. In reality, your PH and
trackers will have these bases covered, and of course, like
a laser range finder, you’ll have a good GPS or three, right?
Rue the day when we get our venison from a 3-D printer!
http://www.africanhunteronline.com
Page 12 Hunter Vol. 19 No. 3
African