Downhill shooting within 90 min of PDX?

[UnionMillsNW]

Hey Folks,

My lady friend recently got into hunting as is looking to try her hand practicing unknown distance and downhill shooting. She lives in PDX so I'm looking for places within 90 minutes of her. Does such a spot exist or am I stuck taking her to far away quarries or bench shooting at club ranges?

Thanks!

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[Kruel J]

The only spots I know of are fairly flat.

 

[P7M13]

Head up the Little North Fork into BLM land. Plenty of canyons there to shoot in.

 

[UnionMillsNW]

Head up the Little North Fork into BLM land. Plenty of canyons there to shoot in.

That's east towards Tillamook, right?

 

[P7M13]

Little north fork of the Santiam River. About 2 miles E of the Napa Auto Parts in Mehama. Follow the signs to the ranger office.

 

[P7M13]

You may also take Hwy 22/18 towards Lincoln City. Turn north at Otis Cafe and stay straight. Takes you into the Siuslaw NF, lots of gnarly canyons there.

 

[Koda]

Why the downhill angle?

 

[UnionMillsNW]

Little north fork of the Santiam River. About 2 miles E of the Napa Auto Parts in Mehama. Follow the signs to the ranger office.

That area is still open after the fires?

Why the downhill angle?

She wants more realistic shooting to prep for hunting season. It's one thing to sit and hit bullseyes from a bench all day, quite another to get your heart pumping and then shoot at an angle with unknown distance.

 

[Koda]

She wants more realistic shooting to prep for hunting season. It's one thing to sit and hit bullseyes from a bench all day, quite another to get your heart pumping and then shoot at an angle with unknown distance.

in order to make any shot you have to know the distance. Gravity affects only the horizontal distance not the angle (hypotenuse) of the bullet path. You can practice on flat ranges and known different distances and achieve the needed learning of your calibers ballistic drop..... a cheap laser range finder is essential and they compensate for the angle automatically.
That said, I agree with practicing in the actual terrain and scenario you will hunt in and think its a great idea to do so. You can find places to practice in the coast range, public lands if you get a map and spend a day driving around, look for clearcuts that have a hillside backdrop and your good to go.

 

[Ridge Walker]

Take your range finder and play the 'estimate the range' game. Make a wager. Pick several objects you can see from your set up. Then each make a sketch of them. Write down the distances to each you think on your sketch. Then check with the range finder. How you score is up to you. You'll both get better at estimating distance pretty quickly.

You can step it up and estimate windage and hold over and then run it through your app and get better at Kentucky windage too.

 

[UnionMillsNW]

in order to make any shot you have to know the distance. Gravity affects only the horizontal distance not the angle (hypotenuse) of the bullet path. You can practice on flat ranges and known different distances and achieve the needed learning of your calibers ballistic drop..... a cheap laser range finder is essential and they compensate for the angle automatically.
That said, I agree with practicing in the actual terrain and scenario you will hunt in and think its a great idea to do so. You can find places to practice in the coast range, public lands if you get a map and spend a day driving around, look for clearcuts that have a hillside backdrop and your good to go.

Your advice is good. Yes, I am aware in order to take a shot you have to know the distance. When I say "unknown distance" I mean targets set out where a shooter has to estimate the range (either with a range finder or by experience...pick your poison) instead of just setting up a target at 100 or 200 yards

 

[Koda]

Your advice is good. Yes, I am aware in order to take a shot you have to know the distance. When I say "unknown distance" I mean targets set out where a shooter has to estimate the range (either with a range finder or by experience...pick your poison) instead of just setting up a target at 100 or 200 yards

Im old enough to have hunted for more years without a rangefinder than with. The trick is to figure out your maximum point blank range (MPBR) for the species your hunting and your caliber. Most big game is taken within 100yds or less, with rare exceptions out to 2 and 300 yds where most calibers MPBR is the limit. If your not planning on learning true long distance shooting past 300yds then just zero for your MPBR and your good... typically with most big game calibers you should be able to hit a 10in (deer) or 12in (elk) circle out to 2 or 300yds without compensating for drop. MPBR is the only way to hunt without a rangefinder IMO. If you want to be more precise at estimating range then the best way to learn to estimate actual ranges is with constantly using a rangefinder but when it comes to actual hunting you -probably- wont have time to range the deer if its under 300yds. I guess the first step is to decide just how far your maximum shot your comfortable taking? If you dont plan on shooting game past 300yds then just zero for the rifles MPBR and your good for any distance under 300yds.

 

[Ridge Walker]

Im old enough to have hunted for more years without a rangefinder than with. The trick is to figure out your maximum point blank range (MPBR) for the species your hunting and your caliber. Most big game is taken within 100yds or less, with rare exceptions out to 2 and 300 yds where most calibers MPBR is the limit. If your not planning on learning true long distance shooting past 300yds then just zero for your MPBR and your good... typically with most big game calibers you should be able to hit a 10in (deer) or 12in (elk) circle out to 2 or 300yds without compensating for drop. MPBR is the only way to hunt without a rangefinder IMO. If you want to be more precise at estimating range then the best way to learn to estimate actual ranges is with constantly using a rangefinder but when it comes to actual hunting you -probably- wont have time to range the deer if its under 300yds. I guess the first step is to decide just how far your maximum shot your comfortable taking? If you dont plan on shooting game past 300yds then just zero for the rifles MPBR and your good for any distance under 300yds.

You are 100 percent correct. I know the MPBR for every rifle we have. I still play the game lol.

 

[UnionMillsNW]

I appreciate everyone's feedback on shooting; it might make for a pretty good thread at another time.

Right now I'm just looking for spots within 90 minutes of Portland.

 

[Member 34319]

Hey Folks,

My lady friend recently got into hunting as is looking to try her hand practicing unknown distance and downhill shooting. She lives in PDX so I'm looking for places within 90 minutes of her. Does such a spot exist or am I stuck taking her to far away quarries or bench shooting at club ranges?

Thanks!

Plenty of that sort of thing in Tillamook.