How Do You Aim When Shooting Up-Hill?

March 12th, 2010 / Posted by David

Question:
I was surprised to hear one of my bowhunting buddies say that you have to aim low if you are shooting uphill. That doesn’t seem right. What is the truth?

Answer:
He was right! Whether you are shooting uphill or downhill you have to aim low. Many newcomers to bowhunting think that you have to aim high when shooting upward. It would seem to make sense intuitively, but actually whenever the force of gravity acts in any plane other than perpendicular to your in-flight shaft, trajectory will be flattened, and you’ll shoot high. For example, with a 30 degree upslope, a 40 yard shot will actually shoot like a 35 yarder. So, even though you know the distance is 40 yards you have to aim as though it were 35. That was a very good question!

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