Measuring target distance with GPS

[jimisbell]

I am asking all these questions, not to be an *** hole, but because I really want to learn something from those that have gone before me. Dont give up on me........ I CAN learn!

 

[The Oregonian]

How easily can you accurately place your cross hairs? That is where I am having my problem. I will be in the field standing at my target position and the satellite view on the map is two years old so it wont show me standing there? I dont know in advance where I will be, I will have to be where the soil allows me to dig post holes. That I can not see from a satellite map that is two years old.

I don't know the answers to those questions, and my definition of easily and accurately may not be the same, so you'll have to play with it.

 

[cornshank]

Google earth is free to download , search on google search ,for free google earth.
You can mess around with the tools like suggested by others.
If you have trouble figuring that out, go right back to google search an type in your questions , like how do I figure ou yards from pt A to pt B, on google earth.
IF I can do it anyone can .

 

[jimisbell]

Well I guess my definition of easy does NOT include the hike which I know, in a 4000 foot desert and lots of rock, will not be easy. But the whole thing has to be done in the field with hand held computers/gps/cellphone

 

[cornshank]

I don't know about the crosshairs , but like the Oregonian said mess with it.
You might want to go to the highschool and try it on the football field , to test it , that way you will have given points .

 

[cornshank]

You might be able to to do it from your kitchen table, ahead of time if you can pick out some sort of land marks off of google earth, then you won't have to do to much out in the field.
Lots of people scoure over google earth during the off season ,to look for distances from one point to another ,for future shooting .

 

[jimisbell]

Thanks all. We will have 4 wheelers in the field, but may have to do alot of walking also since it is just sand and lots of broken rock, west of Terlingua TX. Some areas may not be suitable for the motorized transport. I know the two ends of the Long Shot are accessable but some of the flyover area may not be or I could use a yard stick....LOL I want to make all targets along the same line, or nearly so, so I dont have to shift positions on the firing line as I change distances.

 

[sp6x6]

Go out walk it and shoot it with lazer at halfway point,to launch and target.Then add 2 up. Simple and done

 

[cornshank]

Go out walk it and shoot it with lazer at halfway point,to launch and target.Then add 2 up. Simple and done

Good idea , just use a rangefinder and range one another , hopscotch your way along .

 

[LaHunter]

Do you have a range finder or do some of your buddies have laser range finders? I know range finders that go to 4000 yards are probably very expensive, but you could range the distance with a lesser ranger finder by using 3-4 'legs'. I would think this would be more accurate that google earth or a gps. At that distance, 15-20 yards error would be significant on your firing solution, I would think

 

[cornshank]

Do you have a range finder or do some of your buddies have laser range finders? I know range finders that go to 4000 yards are probably very expensive, but you could range the distance with a lesser ranger finder by using 3-4 'legs'. I would think this would be more accurate that google earth or a gps. At that distance, 15-20 yards error would be significant on your firing solution, I would think

They will have to do something similar to what you're saying,in order to set up all the different target locations .

 

[jimisbell]

Using GPS the error does not increase with range. It is only the sum of the two possible errors of measuring the end and beginning points. So with 21 feet possible error at either end the total possible error is only 42 feet no mater how long the line. And could be well below that. Of course a line 50 feet long would have a possible error of 42 feet. Not real good.....LOL

 

[cornshank]

Using GPS the error does not increase with range. It is only the sum of the two possible errors of measuring the end and beginning points. So with 21 feet possible error at either end the total possible error is only 42 feet no mater how long the line. And could be well below that. Of course a line 50 feet long would have a possible error of 42 feet. Not real good.....LOL

Sounds like some of my shooting, 42 ' off!

 

[jimisbell]

At 4000 yards thats not too bad...at least for a first shot.