How to rangefind, include how to switch gun optics for multi turret/gun tanks [Obsolete under 1km]

This guide based on the thread "Ground Force Rangefinder Guide" on the war thunder forum will teach you how to estimate the distance between you and your target, tried to simplify it even more to be even idiot proof, this method can take some time (~30sec) so use it on long distance engagement (so target further than 1km away)

A section will tell you about switching between the gun optics for multi turret/gun, so you have the right shell drop marks for the gun your willing to fire

Since rangefinders has been introduced this guide is rather useless until you aim someone at +1km

Requirements and advantages

-Knowledge about the enemy tank chassis size ( how long and wide it is)
-A good eye to identify the tank your aiming at
-A calculator (there is math in this guide, just 1 equation, nothing hard)
-A bit of brain to do some estimation sometime
-A maxed out gun precision (turret drive, elevation mecanism and the aiming adjustement)

Advantage you gain from this guide :

-Saving ammo : so you can take a lower ammount of ammo (to prevent being ammoracked)

-Stay hidden : you won't need to fire about 10 shot and let everyone know your there to finally know where to shoot to hit the tank

-First hit advantage: shooting multiple time will cause enemy to go in diamond position and therefore not only giving him a chance to shoot you, but also make it harder for you to kill him

Most engagement are determinated by the first penetration so a well placed first hit decide the outcome of the engagement

Introduction to the optics data

-Those marks you have on the gun's optics aren't only fancy stuff, it will be what you gonna use determine the distance between you and the target and the elevation required to hit it

-There are 2 type of marks on the optics, the horizontal one and vertical one

1.The horizontal marks will never change, and it will be what you gonna use the most to rangefind, same marks is found on the binocular when using the commander view

The distance between 2 marks on the horizontale line stand for 4 Mil, but you have the marker for every 8 Mil written on it

2. The vertical marker depends on the currently loaded/being loaded shell , it indicate distance in meters

The distance between 2 marks always stands for 200m so if you aim at a tank at 200m you gonna use the first mark under the horizontal optic, at 400m the second one ect

For more info/precision see the pic below

Switching between the gun optics

As you don't always have the optic for the right gun (M3 Lee user will understand) here is how you can switch between the optics of the main gun and secondary gun, so you don't fire your 75mm canon with your 37mm optic

Warning : if the secondary gun does not have a dedicated turret this will lock your entire turret in place until you reset the sight / go back to the main gun

Follow the screenshot guide posted below :



Note : default = reset so if you screw up your optics and/or end up the optic change locking your turret just go in default

Rangefinding

Now were getting into it, you wil use your optics marker to determine the distance to your target and elevate your gun in consequence to hit it

Step 1: Determine how many Mil your target takes

Here you gonna use your horizontal optics to determine how many mil your target is taking, you don't need to aim the center of it, just take the position wich make it easier to determine how many mil it takes

Tips : commander binocular also have the marker to do it, usefull so you don't need to point you gun on the enemy or fully expose your turret to do so

-Target won't always take all the space between the markers, you have to estimate when that happens

Step 2 : using your knowledge/estimation senses

Now you need to know the target tanks size :

-If facing sideways, how long it is
-If facing frontally (assusming people aren't stupid enough to show their engine to your gun), how wide it is

-If their in diamond position, try to take the width of the tank, determine the mil between the tracks, not from the track to the visible tank rear, or you may just completely screw up your the resulting distance

Step 3 : MATH

You didn't expected to use math to play game well now you will :

The standart equation will be :

D= T/M

This is were the calculator come in handy

-D = distance in meters
-T= tanke size in mm (1 m = 1000 mm if you forgot it)
-M= mil unit the tank takes in your horizontal optics

So lets make an example :

You have the side of a T-95 in sight, its about 11.1m 8m long and it take around 4.5-5 mil in your optics

(11.1m is with gun barrel apparently, since I ended up shooting way too much above it with 11.1m length)

So tank size in mm is 8x10^3= 8000mm
Mil taken is 5 (that's what I used)


8000/5= 1600m


Step 3 : aim and shoot

If you read the Optics data section, you know that every vertical marker stands for 200m each,
so if i take the example above, you gonna aim with the 16 marker and fire


Congratulation you now know how to aim a tank at unknown distances without any help

If you got question, I am rather active on the steam forum

Other way for rangefinding

Blind rangefinding

-Spot the target aim at a roughly estimated distance (implying you know somewhat your gun ballistic) and shoot

-Follow closely you tank shell and see on what vertical mark it land & adjust accordingly

Rangefinder modules

-See in the option for rangfinder (usualy at the bottom of the controls)

-You can estimate on all tanks distance around 1km with error margin (can be reduced with gunner skill)

-If you tank have a researched rangefinding module you can estimate up to 2km distance with lesser error margin

Most common tank hull lenght and width

Putting here the stats of tank hulls (most common one), taken from wikipedia

Does include all tank variation using the same hull

USSR

T-34

Lenght : 5920mm

Width : 3000mm

KV-1

Lenght : 6680mm

Width : 3320mm

IS 1 and 2

Lenght : 9800mm

Width : 3100mm

T-54

Lenght : 6040mm

Width : 3270mm

Germany

Panzer III

Lenght : 5560mm

Width : 2950mm

Panzer IV

Lenght : 7020mm

Width : 2880mm

Tiger I

Lenght : 8450mm

Width : 3700mm

Tiger II (Jagdtiger hull is longer than the Tiger II one /!\)

Lenght : 7620mm

Width : 3090mm

Panther

Lenght : 6870mm

Width : 3270mm

USA

Sherman

Lenght : 6280mm

Width : 2620mm

M26 Pershing

Lenght : 6330mm

Width : 3510mm

England

Churchill ( A43 "Black Prince" not using the same hull /!\)

Lenght : 7650mm

Width : 3250mm

Cromwell

Lenght : 6350mm

Width : 2910mm

Centurion

Lenght : 7820mm

Width : 3390mm

Update log

If I change something in the guide, it will be written here:

-Some typos fixing and rephrasing

-Added the lazy man rangefinding (game rangefinder and shell drop rangefinding)

-Some info about tank lenght and width for the one sharing the same hull

[Foxtrot39]

What?

Tell me where you find french tanks in game, becasue there is none

[Fän.Koivunen.1PsD]

lies

[Foxtrot39]

Well ain't no french tansk atm

[Fän.Koivunen.1PsD]

a frenchy in german tanks sorry just seems funny to me.

[Foxtrot39]

There added some data of the most common tanks hulls found

[Enderminion]

All, shermans are the same, all T-34s are the same, all KVs are the same, all PZ3s, PZ4s, PZ5s, PZ6s, etc etc

[Foxtrot39]

It doesn't, just use wikipedia, most tank share a simialr hull so that's make things easier

[finnthefrog]

how can i know how long a tank is in meters where in the game does it say that

[Foxtrot39]

Muzzle velocity is something you learn by using the gun you can't really make a guide on it

Small tip keep the range of your position to the target area in mind, I.E I know on Kursk the range between the 2 hill tops is 1.6 km exactly

[Foxtrot39]

I could but I don't play russian and have no experience with the 85mm gun, but I guess its juts a less nimble JPZ 4-5