lancetkenyon
Well-Known Member
I usually have a pretty good idea of where I will be hunting in the units I draw and scout. Also, I hunt units that I have been in before, usually.So how do you pick your altitude? Say I hunt 6,000, but I also work my way up to 8,000, would I pick a chart designed for 7,000?
I understand taking a median range.
So you print a list for a median range of possible temperature during the hunt, and the elevation. How do you determine what elevation to print? If you hunt 6,000, but will be up to 8,000 within the same hunt, how do you determine what altitude to use?
So I have some historic knowledge of game movement and locations at different times of the year.
I watch the weather like a hawk prior to hunts to determine projected temps and pressure systems. I usually print my drop charts up no more than a week in advance before a hunt.
Taking this into account, I use both the Shooter app and JBM Ballistics to build a drop chart for the conditions I am most likely to be hunting in. 500' of elevation difference and 20° is not going to make a big difference in drops out to 600. But if you use the same rifle for low desert mule deer hunts in December @ 20° and early season elk hunts @ 9000' in September when it is 75°, you will see big differences in drops as Dog Rocket pointed out. So a single drop chart or custom turret won't cover all your possible scenarios @ 600 yards. Unless you hunt the same area and temos/time of year for everything that rifle will be used for.
We had a pronghorn hunt @ 6500' & 105° in August, and a late season mule deer hunt late Nov @ 7600' & 10°. Drops were only about .5" difference @ 500 yards. The difference in thinner air at 2100' greater elevation made up the difference in air density losing 95°F. Yet, final.sight in verification @ 2500' & 65° made a 2.2" difference @ 500 yards.
Dog Rocket is correct about big jumps in elevation and temps can have quite a bit of effect when you go to extremes on both ends of the scale. Low and cold vs. High and warm make the biggest differences. But low and warm vs. High and cold, you will see much less variation.
Completely agree with you. May I ask what your method is for determining your drop data for each, specific environment you hunt?