1000 m cross canyon wind call?

[Cliffhunter]

I missed an elk last year at over 1000 m. I used my Kestrel and a wind checker. All the information was correct. The Kestrel called for a 4/10 left hold. The bullet hit right where I aimed thank God it was a clean miss. How do you read the wind on the opposite side of the canyon down in the bottom.?

 

[Buster Hemlock]

The kestrel is a great tool and I have and use one but it's only giving you the wind at your location, not the in between and at your target as I'm sure you know. Learning to read mirage and the terrain in between you and your target is what you need to work on. Shooting cross Canyon you can have multiple winds to take into account, updrafts or down drafts at your position and at your target, possibly various winds/directions and wind speeds between you and the target. There can be a lot to take into account shooting that far in the mountains, do you have a picture of your shooting position and where your target was at with the terrain around it? May be able to give you an idea of where to look

 

[Cliffhunter]

No pics. Early morning no Mirage. Lots of wind on top as you can see the 4 /10ths left hold. It is the voodoo!

 

[Cliffhunter]

If you got some tricks throw them at me. I'm open minded. Thank you

 

[Zen Archery]

No trick. Just practice.
You know climbing up and down the mountains the thermals shift. Spend a season playing a spotter and you will learn a lot especially if you have quality glass. Run the zoom in and out up and down the hill looking and learning every environmental (thermals, grass, top of the mountain/hill, small limbs, leafs, etc.). Ballistic AE gives you multiple winds options which gets you close. But a lot of infield practice is the only way to learn.

 

[PPR]

Try thinking of the ravine as a river with water flowing. Current most times is faster in the middle. When practicing, I usually double by wind meter reading for actual dope, as you are on the side of the river. Works well for me. Really, practice is the only way and practice on rocks, not live animals. Sling more lead and eventually you will learn and improve. 1000 yrds is a long poke no matter what. Hedge your bets so if you blow the wind call you miss off of the front of the animal, and not in the gut! Good luck!

Paul

Paul

 

[lancetkenyon]

4/10ths? Is that .4MIL? At 1000 yds, that is about 14". Lucky it was a clean miss. Depending on POA, 14" on an elk could have been a gut shot, or a neck shot.

So many variables, hard to say what the error actually was.

Which direction was the wind blowing? L-R or R-L?
Varying wind at 30'above LOS, up canyon, top of ridge, thermals, etc.
Was it a full value wind?
What wind speed did you calculate?
Did you allows for spin drift as well? At 1000, depending on bullet, you could easily have had .2MIL of spin drift alone. 6"+/-.
Body position/recoil management?
Exact L-R zero?
Shooting position differences between zeroing at range and field conditions?
Amount of practice at 1000?
Rifle capability?
Shooter capability?

 

[codyadams]

Wind can do funky things, especially in canyons. This year we took 3 elk at 876, 983 and 1002 from the same herd across a canyon, wind was blowing heavy from our 7-8 o'clock where we were, but because of a prevailing 5 mph 3 o'clock wind blowing up the canyon, we ended up holding to the right slightly.

Canyons can be tricky. I like to review Defensive Edge's send it on reading wind, they have it on YouTube, every year before season just as a refresher.

Otherwise, it could have been a multitude of things, related to equipment or shooter, that caused the shot to not go where it should. A shot that far is a challenge for the best shooters, it's just good it was a clean miss. Best practice to improve is just shooting in those same or similar canyons in the off season

 

[Cliffhunter]

4/10ths? Is that .4MIL? At 1000 yds, that is about 14". Lucky it was a clean miss. Depending on POA, 14" on an elk could have been a gut shot, or a neck shot.

So many variables, hard to say what the error actually was.

Which direction was the wind blowing? L-R or R-L?
Varying wind at 30'above LOS, up canyon, top of ridge, thermals, etc.
Was it a full value wind?
What wind speed did you calculate?
Did you allows for spin drift as well? At 1000, depending on bullet, you could easily have had .2MIL of spin drift alone. 6"+/-.
Body position/recoil management?
Exact L-R zero?
Shooting position differences between zeroing at range and field conditions?
Amount of practice at 1000?
Rifle capability?
Shooter capability?

210 grain berger.RUM. Verified prior to the hunt at 850 m approximately the same distance as the elk. Scope is calibrated to the gun. Gun is dead on at 100 m. It is an early morning shot ,no sun yet.Solution on the kestral was a 4/10 left hold. Applied Ballistics.So the situation is this no identifiable wind change at the bottom of the canyon where are the elk was standing. The wind somewhere between my position and the bottom was in the opposite direction and pushed it past the 4/10 correction. Thus a complete miss. I also video all my shots with good equipment. We know one thing for sure there was right crosswind somewhere between the top and the bottom. But how can you tell before you send the first bullet.

 

[lancetkenyon]

Post the video.

 

[Cliffhunter]

Post the video.

Deleted.

 

[Buster Hemlock]

Agree with Lance, post the video. Bet we can all learn something from it once we get to kicking stuff around

 

[Cliffhunter]

Deleted

 

[lancetkenyon]

Just kidding.....but seriously.