Shot Angle Calculator

Your rangefinder gives line-of-sight yards and an angle. Multiply that laser by the cosine of the angle — Rifleman's Rule — and you get the pin to use. Free. Drag the sliders. Uphill or downhill does not change the pin.

My defaults

Shot angle calculator

Line-of-sight times cosine of the angle. Numbers update as you drag.

30 yd
20°

Downhill or uphill — same pin. Aim for horizontal yards, not laser distance.

Pin this (yd)
28.2
Cut from LOS (yd)
1.8
Height above/below (yd)
10.3

Cut chart

Yards to cut from the laser. Highlighted cell is nearest to your sliders.

How to use it

  1. Range the animal. That number is line of sight.
  2. Read the angle on the unit, or estimate the slope from the stand.
  3. Use the pin yards here, not the laser.

This is a starting pin. At hunting distances it is close enough. A long, steep shot still wants a rangefinder with bow ARC. If you run the arrow flight calculator next, use these pin yards, not the slant.

Related resources: arrow calculators, kinetic energy calculator, arrow flight calculator, 3D custom arrow builder.