10 mph head wind not easy
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highfinblue
Well-Known Member
I hunt across a big canyon in Colorado and I'm just not comfortable with long shots in the wind. Generally, we take our shots across canyon in the first hour of daylight and most days there is no wind. There are good reasons to not shoot otherwise besides wind lol, getting an elk out of there after dark is an absolute nightmare, so having most of the day to pack it out is a huge advantage.
Stay inside and shoot Pool!
Wind seperates the shooters from the trigger tuggers.
LRNut
Well-Known Member
Timely topic for me; I was feeling pretty good yesterday - I had been pounding my gongs (620, 760, 910) all week and had put every bullet within 5" of center. Yesterday I shot at my 910 in the morning with my .338 Edge- figured 1 mph to left and hit just above the 3" aiming square. Went for a bike ride; wind came up big time. Took out my .338 Savage Lapua and shot at 760. Figured 3 MOA wind hold and nearly hit the 3" square - was feeling unbeatable. (I had made the same shot the day before with my Edge, same 3 MOA hold.) Then the wind really kicked in - gusting big time, switching directions all over the place. Decided to take a shot at 620, which I hit just about every time in strong winds (10"x12"). Missed just right. Waited an hour. Missed just left. Waited two hours and decided to see if I could hit at 500. Wind was left to right, but I checked my parallax focus at the last second and was stunned to see it was right to left; a quick glance at my wind flag at my shooting site confirmed that. Missed just left. Worst day of shooting in a long time.
I have now spent three years shooting LR pretty much every day at my CO place; this experience is unbeatable - I shoot in some pretty challenging situations that I would never do in Arizona, simply because I have to drive to the desert, and I generally don't do that in really crappy conditions. Here is what I have learned (not all in the last three years):
- Winds head on or from behind are extremely tricky - 11 o'clock is 1/2 value hold to the left while a 1 o'clock is 1/2 value the other way. A wind from 8 o'clock is 91% full value, but so is one from 10 - so you only deal with 91-100% full value. Wind speed is the key here, while direction is the focus for head on or tailing winds.
- If your Kestrel is showing wind changing +/- 5 mph within 2 seconds you are not going to hit an animal's vitals at 600 yards, let alone 800.
- Most mornings here are dead calm but at 1000 yards even a slight wind you cannot detect can play havoc. First light offers no mirage, and a 1-2 mph wind is not going to blow vegetation - at least not pine trees.
- If I can see mirage, my hit rate is off the charts. If I can't, my wind flag/vegetation is my only option - I cannot consistently hit within 5" at 910 if there is a reasonable wind but no mirage.
- Shooting at the same place every day allows you to learn the nuances of that location. If I were running a shooting school here, I could look like a genius; I know the prevailing wind in the summer at first light is from the left. The attached video is a shot I took at my 1047 yard rock this morning. Kestrel showed zero wind. My wind flag was dead. However, a lighter flame bent slight to the right. Because that rock is so much higher, I figured I would hold 1 MOA left instead of 1/2, which would be zero wind (I zero spin at 500). The video was made by recording a playback on my iPhone, so it is blurry, but you can see I hit just below and to the right of the aiming square, which is 2x2." But the reason I am posting the video is because you can clearly see the dust from the rock drifting to the right.
I have now spent three years shooting LR pretty much every day at my CO place; this experience is unbeatable - I shoot in some pretty challenging situations that I would never do in Arizona, simply because I have to drive to the desert, and I generally don't do that in really crappy conditions. Here is what I have learned (not all in the last three years):
- Winds head on or from behind are extremely tricky - 11 o'clock is 1/2 value hold to the left while a 1 o'clock is 1/2 value the other way. A wind from 8 o'clock is 91% full value, but so is one from 10 - so you only deal with 91-100% full value. Wind speed is the key here, while direction is the focus for head on or tailing winds.
- If your Kestrel is showing wind changing +/- 5 mph within 2 seconds you are not going to hit an animal's vitals at 600 yards, let alone 800.
- Most mornings here are dead calm but at 1000 yards even a slight wind you cannot detect can play havoc. First light offers no mirage, and a 1-2 mph wind is not going to blow vegetation - at least not pine trees.
- If I can see mirage, my hit rate is off the charts. If I can't, my wind flag/vegetation is my only option - I cannot consistently hit within 5" at 910 if there is a reasonable wind but no mirage.
- Shooting at the same place every day allows you to learn the nuances of that location. If I were running a shooting school here, I could look like a genius; I know the prevailing wind in the summer at first light is from the left. The attached video is a shot I took at my 1047 yard rock this morning. Kestrel showed zero wind. My wind flag was dead. However, a lighter flame bent slight to the right. Because that rock is so much higher, I figured I would hold 1 MOA left instead of 1/2, which would be zero wind (I zero spin at 500). The video was made by recording a playback on my iPhone, so it is blurry, but you can see I hit just below and to the right of the aiming square, which is 2x2." But the reason I am posting the video is because you can clearly see the dust from the rock drifting to the right.
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Kiowa Cowboy
Well-Known Member
I can testify to the wind being a game-changer. I have shot out to 1,000 yds in no wind and it seemed easy. Was recently practicing at 500 yds using 308 with sustained winds of 20 and gusts up to 25 to 30. The wind was almost full value. I was only able to hit a toro-sized target about 50% of the time. Not nearly good enough to shoot a critter. I would need a heckuva lot more practice in that type of wind before I shot at a critter! It is fun but also humbling.
As often was stated in my days of LR comp shooting, "You can teach anyone (We often said "a monkey") to twist a turret, but wind reading separates the field."
PRACTICE, truly study and understand wind reading and effects, and PRACTICE........This is one of the many reasons we trained with 22LR at 3-400yds for Palma and 1,000yd prone wind training at reduced targets, and past and currently, use 223's with VLD's at LR for reduced cost wind training. LOTS of rounds down range in all types of wind across the valleys and hills. Of course, we burned a lot of standard calibers at range also.
Many times, I have been surprised by the numbers of shooters who do not know how to read mirage at differing distances by changing their scope's focus, how to read the grass, bushes, etc.
www.ssusa.org
There are numerous articles, books, trainings, etc on wind reading. I recommend studying several and then putting them into practice.
PRACTICE, truly study and understand wind reading and effects, and PRACTICE........This is one of the many reasons we trained with 22LR at 3-400yds for Palma and 1,000yd prone wind training at reduced targets, and past and currently, use 223's with VLD's at LR for reduced cost wind training. LOTS of rounds down range in all types of wind across the valleys and hills. Of course, we burned a lot of standard calibers at range also.
Many times, I have been surprised by the numbers of shooters who do not know how to read mirage at differing distances by changing their scope's focus, how to read the grass, bushes, etc.
An NRA Shooting Sports Journal | A Guide To High Power Rifle Wind Reading
These tips from former AMU Service Rifle Team Head Coach Sgt. 1st Class Walter Craig will help you determine wind corrections
There are numerous articles, books, trainings, etc on wind reading. I recommend studying several and then putting them into practice.
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I try to practice where there is vegetation, I also put flags out for wind reference. Figure out your windage on your flags, watch the vegetation, it will give you a reference point for shooting in the field only using vegetation. It sounds easy 
till you try it. It took me about 6 months shooting every other day to break 1k barrier. My biggest problem was reading wind and making good corrections. Some people are gifted with shooting others have to work for it. My 2c
till you try it. It took me about 6 months shooting every other day to break 1k barrier. My biggest problem was reading wind and making good corrections. Some people are gifted with shooting others have to work for it. My 2cHugnot
Well-Known Member
Look for wind moving stuff down range & shoot long pointy bullets at high velocities.
I am in the process of training a young shooter. We shoot at 300 yards; wind is usually puffy at 11:00 - 1:00 o'clock. I attach surveyor plastic tape to grass, weeds and whatever for gauging wind and seeing what the same wind does to weeds & grass. Weak puffy head winds make the tiny little 53 VMax bullets from a .223 move sideways 4-6 inches at 300. Looking at .2 milrad reticle mil dots & undulating to fluttering pink tape helps to get better hits. Hope to move up to 6mm 105 grain at 500 yards soon. Mirage, when present, is evaluated with moving pink tape
I am in the process of training a young shooter. We shoot at 300 yards; wind is usually puffy at 11:00 - 1:00 o'clock. I attach surveyor plastic tape to grass, weeds and whatever for gauging wind and seeing what the same wind does to weeds & grass. Weak puffy head winds make the tiny little 53 VMax bullets from a .223 move sideways 4-6 inches at 300. Looking at .2 milrad reticle mil dots & undulating to fluttering pink tape helps to get better hits. Hope to move up to 6mm 105 grain at 500 yards soon. Mirage, when present, is evaluated with moving pink tape
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At 1000 you can be passing thru SEVERAL DIFFERENT winds along the bullet path. So it's not easy and it's not you. Dead flat land is hard to find ......unless you shoot on a Runway....and if you do...I'd suggest...Afterhours!....just me!I try to practice where there is vegetation, I also put flags out for wind reference. Figure out your windage on your flags, watch the vegetation, it will give you a reference point for shooting in the field only using vegetation. It sounds easy
LRNut
Well-Known Member
Exactly. And if you look at the video I posted above, you can see the TOF is substantial. If the wind is gusty, a hit at that distance is pure luck.
I also am not a fan of practicing with rounds that have wind drifts a lot different than my LR rifles; knowing your .22RF or .223 drifts "x" mils or MOA at 300 yards doesn't translate to squat when shooting an Edge at 750 or 1000. Reading the wind to 300 or 500 is so much easier than 750 or 1000 that if you have option of either, practice with what you are going to hunt with. The only exception IMO is if you are "scaling" your less capable load to match some other condition. For example, if a .308 Win drifts the same at 500 as your Edge does at 750 (just an example), then it makes sense, but even then, given equal accuracy, you will do better with the 308. You can't extrapolate in a linear fashion either; in other words, if you hit 2.5" from dead center at 500, you can't say "wow, I would have hit a 10" plate at 1000.
I see a lot of comments about placing wind flags. Ok, fine to use them to compare to vegetation moving, but wind flags make it much easier, which is why I avoid practicing on a range.
floyd kittrell
Well-Known Member
You have shot with Mr. James at Barbour Creek? I have and in a 35 + or - MPH wind with rain and the golf ball swinging, it's an 1/8 click over 1000 and dificult to say the least!
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floyd kittrell
Well-Known Member
Our 600 yard club range has 3 flags and most of the time all 3 are showing different wind directions, that will mess with your mind for sure !
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Allen Lone wolf
Well-Known Member
If I remember correctly, Rocky Balboa's brother-in-law said "hit the one in the middle" lol.
