The Tip Board

Quick and Safe Range

Often I want to do some practice shooting the bow or muzzleloader in the woods, but judging the distance is tough. So I take a roll of 1/8" orange parachute cord with knots tied every 5 yards (15 feet) and a loop at one end that I attach to my target. First I hook the loop on the target's base (steel stake on the bottom of the target holder) and walk in a strait line to where I want to shoot from, counting the knots as I go. If I want to shoot at 30 yards, I need 6 knots, 10 yards, 2 knots, etc. I also can use the rope to check my backstop, as I have a visual line on the ground to see what my arrow or bullet's path would be and can ensure I am not going to be shooting in an unsafe direction prior to actually getting ready to shoot.

Also prior to hunting season I set up my ground blind and use the rope to see how far away certain things are like rocks or tree stumps, also making sure I have a clean path for each shot. You would be surprised how many tree branches or little saplings get in the way of a clean shot unseen at the blind.