Trajectory

[Blues]

Hi,
I've been lurking on this site for a little while, but this is my first post. I've been impressed by the wealth of knowledge here. It has helped me enormously, since I'm a newbie to archery.

My Question (and please forgive if it's already been answered):

If shooting uphill/downhill, is the trajectory different from shooting on a horizontal surface? In other words, if tuning of sights and rest is undertaken on an uphill surface, would the tuning be off when then shooting on a horizontal surface? Instinct tells me yes, but I have no science attached to the "butt dyno".

[Hutch~n~Son Archery]

Yes sighting in up hill or down hill I believe will be a major difference. I have shot at a 3d range. Some of the shots were down hill and when I say down hill it was steep. At the 45yard marker what pin would you use? The 10 yard pin was a heart shot. The 45 yard pin was 2 feet over the head. So I have found it best to tune on a level surface. Maybe some of the others on here will pipe in and help expound with greater wisdom.

Hutch

[Simple Life]

I have to say yes.Before the season ,I practice from my stand and sight in.Also make sure to use good form,bend at the waist when shooting down.
Here is a take on shooting from a stand.

When you shoot your bow on level ground, the arrow is actually pointing slightly upward on the rest. When you release the string, it archers up, crosses your line of sight and then drops back down to the target. It crosses your sight line twice.
Things are different when you shoot downward from a tree stand, however. Gravity isn't working at a 90-degree angle to your line of sight anymore. The arrow arches up across your line of sight when you release the string, but now it doesn't drop back down as far. If you are using the same bow you sighted-in on the ground, you will shoot high.

Welcome to the forum.

SL

[ElkSlayer]

welcome... and yes it matters.. sighting in on level ground your body makes a T..
it must keep that form at all times..if not as close as it can, as in shoting of 1 knee. bend in the middle. do not raise or lower bow arm to shoot up hill or down and you will need to ajust that aim pt..
EX. when shooting a 57 yard down hill @ 45* you best not use that 57 yd mark or its over the back (high in target). same for the 30 yard steep up hiller your going to want to think 33 ish depending on you bows set up an all that....
If your hunting out of a tree stand you want to spend some time shooting out of it. best advice is to set it 20 - ? what ever you are ok with. We run n gun with 20-60, no tree stands for this guy. then practice Lot's up hill down hill know un know distances.. and have fun no matter what

[elkslayer4x5]

Hi,
I've been lurking on this site for a little while, but this is my first post. I've been impressed by the wealth of knowledge here. It has helped me enormously, since I'm a newbie to archery.

My Question (and please forgive if it's already been answered):

If shooting uphill/downhill, is the trajectory different from shooting on a horizontal surface? In other words, if tuning of sights and rest is undertaken on an uphill surface, would the tuning be off when then shooting on a horizontal surface? Instinct tells me yes, but I have no science attached to the "butt dyno".

Sighting in would be differnet, but tuning would still be tuning, as mentioned up or down changes your actual fight charistics, gravity excerts more or less influence on the arrow, but the actual tune of bow and arrow wouldn't change.

[SonnyThomas]

Already said, bow tune is unaffected by up or down hill shots.

Trajectory is another thing when distance is encountered. For taking a shot one should evaluate the distance of the intended target as if it were straight out in front of you. Okay, it might be 75 yards to the target, but only 25 yards straight out from you. So you shoot it for 25 yards.

Not mentioned; The above up or down hill shot and live game. You would shoot a deer or virtually any animal as if shooting for the center of a ball. Here, you shoot for the center of ball and you will crisscross the vitals (lungs). As such, you actually aim low for a uphill shot and a aim high on a downhill shot.

The same shot as above on a 3D target or paper target is shot dead on as the point zone is on the side.

[polaris754]

good question , but my rule of thumb is sight in on level ground, and weather u are shooting up or down hill always shoot low its hard to make yourself do it at first and judge your distance ,you have to practice at it unless you sight in from a tree stand .I do most of my hunting from the ground ,so I am more prone for a horizontal shot, i use a three pin sight set at 20 30 40 ,I hunt a lot of hilly areas in one spot I hunt at ,If my target is about 30 35 yds i use my 20 pin any thing closer I just use my 20 , hope this helps

[Blues]

Many thanks, chaps.

I "felt" that shooting up or down would make a difference if sighted in at horizontal, but your comments now give me a full understanding of the science behind it. I always find it easier to carry it out when I understand what's behind it.