Ah yes, the old wrong-pin sanfu. Been there myself. In fact, I've been there so many times that I now only use ONE pin. I've got an 80 lb bow shooting 100 gr tips, which I can hold dead on out to about 35 yds. I then practice the holdover at ranges out to 50. I'll never go back to multiple pins...

befus...It is very easy. Whatever your level distance to your target is, you shoot it as if it was that distance, regardless of how high or low you are. In your case, if the deer is 20 yards from your tree and the tree and deer are on level ground, shoot as if the target (deer) is 20 yards away. It does not matter what your elevation is, you could be 10 feet or 100 feet off the ground and you should use your 20 yard pin, if the pin was adjusted to hit the target on level ground at 20 yards.

I'm saying if you know what the level distance is to the target, that is the distance you want to shoot it as. Shooting from a tree stand on level ground, just measure the distance from the tree to where you think your deer will be and shoot to kill.

JBM-
The distance from an elevated shooting position to a 20yd target is farther than the distance to a 20yd target when level to the ground.
If your height from the ground is side "A" of a triangle and the distance from the base of the tree to the target is side "B" of the triangle. Then your distance to the target is "C" - the hypotenuse.
Using the Pythagorean Theorem, we know that A² + B² = C²

9.3x62,

You got that right, w/ today's speedy setups one pin is all you could ask for. I too shoot just one pin and I'm good from straight down out to 30 yards w/ that one pin. If the wary whitetail is any farther than that he will just have to be hunted another day.

Now, I think that if you are an elk, Muledeer, or antelope hunter that more pins may be desirable but, for the jumpy whitetail one seems to be enough.

Good Luck!

Reloader

CaptJack -
Great point on exit path of your shot. If you keep this in mind it does not mater all that much on how high you sit. On the other hand I mssed on opening day at 13 yards It turns out I held on the wrong pin and shot over. I confirmed this by shooting at level ground and then again from the same place I shot from.
Happy buck sad me.
DOA

dave,

Calculating the distance is only a short part of the equation. Due to the Laws of Physics the Gravitational pull has more effect on objects lauched in a parallel(level) manner than those that are launched in a perpindicular or angled manner.

Let's make a different example to make it alittle easier to understand:

Say you threw a base ball to a catcher at 25 yards on level ground. Now, picture the flight of the Baseball, it is very arched especially, if you can't hum it like the pros. I would venture to say 2-3 feet of fall if not a whole lot more of arch would be in the trajectory of that baseball. Now, say you dropped or threw the same ball from 25 yards straight (perpindicular) up in the air to a catcher 25 yards straight below you. There would be no arch therefore, if you compensated for the 3+ feet of drop that you did in your first level ground throws, you wouldn't even hit the catchers mit (infact, you would miss it quite a bit).

Like I said in earlier posts, this concept doesn't have dramatic effects unless you shoot from over 14-15 feet. I hunt 25-30 so, I have to know how my bow shoots from elevated positions. The higher your stand the higher your bow shoots at certain ranges but, like we said, faster bows eliminate alot of this problem.


Good Luck!

Reloader

CaptJack:
Your right the distance to the target will be longer from an elevated stand and that is why archers shoot high. But what I am saying is, it is not the distance to the target that is important. It is the distance gravity pushes down on the arrow that affect trajectory. You want to use side B of your triangle (the level distance to your target). I am saying the distance from your tree to the target on level ground is the distance to shoot your target at regardless of your height. Measure out from your tree 20 yards and put a bulleye out, get up in your tree 10ft, 20ft, 30ft, 100ft and use your 20 yard pin and you will hit the bulleye. The same thing uphill. If your 20 yards from the tree and the squirrel is 100 ft up in the tree use your 20 yd pin. You got him.

Reloader
Bows shoot the same from elevated stands. You may shoot the bow differntly because you are positioning your eye differently to the sight. Basically you are changing your anchore point. If you bend at the waist and keep your eye postion the same as when your shooting on level ground you and your bow will shoot the same as on level ground.

Try it, it will work.

BFRSHOOTER IS RIGHT YOU WILL SHOOT HIGH UP OR DOWN HILL NO MATTER HOW MUCH ANGLE OR HOW FAR YOU SHOOT.