steep shots, cosine and wind...

[EXPRESS]

I've got a question regarding the cosine of an angled shot, time of flight, and the effects of wind.

To start out with the obvious, cosine will give you the correct distance to consider when you make an angled shot.

The rangefinder will give you the line of sight distance to the target, which calculations aside, remains the actual distance your bullet must cover.

So using the ACI for example, we can calculate, using cosine, the distance over which the shot will be effected by gravity, and make adjustments to the drop.

However we are still actually shooting the line of sight distance, which is where the time of flight comes from.
During that time, wind will effect the bullet the same as if it were on the level plane.

So when making an angled shot in wind, you should compensate for wind over the actual line of sight distance, not the cosine distance.Right?


Feel like I'm stating the obvious, but no one seems to have mentioned it…

 

[silvertip-co]

...all that said, remember Jack O'Connor's famous words "HOLD LOW" (if its steep up or down shot).

I gotta laff at the tv hunting shows in the high mtns. EVERY missed shot( and there are a LOT of them shown on the boobtoob now) is HIGH when on a steep angle shot. It would seem like if a guys spendin 30k on a hunt he otto know how to shoot. I guess even tons of $$$ dont make up for stupidity.

 

[elkaholic]

That is correct but don't forgrt that up and down slope winds can affect drop as well...Goood shooting......Rich

 

[Bravo 4]

Express, you are correct.