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Aiming Off: Hit the Target by Aiming to One Side

Aiming off is a classic navigation technique. You deliberately aim slightly to one side of your target, so that when you hit a line feature you know exactly which way to turn. It is the best example of a principle that runs through all of AimOff: smart aim beats lucky aim.

River (line feature) Target (bridge) You Dashed = direct bearing. Error cone means youmight hit the river left OR right of the bridge. Solid = aim off left → you KNOW to turn right.

Why it works

No compass bearing is perfect. Over 500 m, a 5° error puts you about 44 m left or right of the target, and on arrival you do not know which. By aiming off by more than your error, say 10°, you guarantee you hit the line feature on one known side. Then you follow it (a “handrail”) straight to the target.

Aiming-off calculator

—Sideways offset at the line
—Uncertainty without aiming off

Offset = distance × tan(angle). Pace-count the offset back along the line feature.

Step by step

  1. Identify a line feature that runs across your route and passes through or near the target: a stream, wall, fence, path or ridge.
  2. Take the direct bearing, then add or subtract 8–10° towards the side that gives the easiest or safest walk.
  3. Travel on the new bearing, counting paces.
  4. When you hit the line feature, turn towards the target. You already know the direction.
  5. Follow the line feature, using a catching feature beyond the target as a backstop.

Common mistakes

  • Aiming off by less than your error, which brings back the 50/50 guess.
  • Choosing a line feature that bends sharply near the target.
  • Forgetting that the offset grows with distance. Re-check it with the calculator.
  • Not having a catching feature, so you walk straight past the target along the line.
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Related techniques

Handrails

Linear features you follow, such as paths, streams and fences.

Attack points

An obvious feature near the control to navigate from precisely.

Catching features

Something beyond the target that tells you that you have overshot.

Watch: aiming off explained

Videos are embedded through YouTube and belong to their creators.

Aiming off beyond navigation

In target sports, “aiming off” means holding to one side of the mark to allow for wind or a moving target. In games, it is leading a target with a projectile weapon. The mindset is the same: expect error, then put it where it helps you.

FAQ

What is aiming off in orienteering?

Aiming off means deliberately setting your bearing a few degrees to one side of a target that sits on a line feature, such as a path junction on a stream. When you reach the line feature you know which way to turn, instead of guessing.

How many degrees should I aim off?

More than your expected compass error. Most walkers and runners have ±3–7° of error, so 8–10° works well. The calculator shows the sideways offset this creates over your leg distance.

Is aiming off the same as an attack point?

No. An attack point is an easy-to-find feature near the control that you navigate to first. A catching feature stops you if you overshoot. Aiming off works with a line feature you know you will hit.

Does aiming off apply to shooting and archery?

The phrase is also used for deliberately aiming to one side of a target to allow for wind or for a moving target. The principle is the same: plan for error instead of hoping it will not happen.

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