What is the proper way to use Kestrel? I.E: which direction do I point it in order to get a wind read? Do I need to guesstimate the direction of the wind and point it there or just point it 90 degrees off the direction of the barrel?
Determining wind direction (using Kestrel)
- Thread starter Andy T
- Start date
i start by using the direction I "feel" the wind coming from on my face. I face the back of the Kestral Impeller to that direction and capture a direction and magnitud. While doing so, I note the offset of the Kestral lanyard as it hangs below to unit, refine the direction as necessary, and re-capture if necessary. One could also get into the weather mode and note maximum wind velocity as the unit is moved radially across the wind's path. As a confirmation, the shooter can confirm "boiling" mirage with a spotting scope as the scope is moved radially across the wind's path. Works for me ...
I typically take a guesstimate based on what I feel for a starting point and then turn the unit until I get the highest wind speed. Then (depending on terrain/distance) try to use visual clues at a few points leading to my target to make my final corrections.
i carry around a $3 bottle of wind checker powder. same i use when hunting. find the wind direction and place my meter/phone directly into wind. then i input my shooting direction into the phone and it calculates the wind value based on which way i'm facing (i use a weatherflow meter and app).
I also use a weather flow, but same concept. Face into wind as best can guesstimate, hold back of WM into wind, and let it take the reading and then transmit it to Strelok. I supplement or modify that manually if necessary with what appears to be happening downrange.
i always hold mine perpendicular to my rifle barrel (ie the target line), into the direction of the wind. i see lots of people point them at the target and don't really understand that? also don't understand facing into the wind from whatever direction it's blowing, then you have to figure out wind value/% etc?
of course the wind to and at the target isn't necessarily the same as what's at your gun...
of course the wind to and at the target isn't necessarily the same as what's at your gun...
in some cases, like with BallisticArc, you set your shot bearing angle (face the phone toward the target and set it, then do the same with taking the wind speed. face the phone and meter into the wind and gather the data). then the app automatically figures out the wind value based on your shot angle. sounds complicated in writing, but it's not in practice.
still trying to understand why not just point it perpendicular to target line. seems way easier than pointing it at the actual wind, then figuring out how many degrees left or right and the corresponding % to apply. even if your app or phone does all that for you, seems less room for error. point 90 degrees, input that and be done with it. why not do this?
The only reason I can come up with for not using the "point it perpendicular to the direction of the target" approach is that it may give you a less precise reading. While intuitively, it makes sense that for any wind direction the velocity is composed vectors parallel and perpendicular to the target; in a perfect world, pointing the unit perpendicular to the wind direction should eliminate the parallel vector and give you a wind speed for the perpendicular vector you actually care about. But, my feeling is that the units are not sufficiently perfect that a wind 90deg to the unit does not spin the impeller. As a result your measured wind speed may not be a true representation of the perpendicular component.
Add to that the fact that a large component of wind reading is intuition. The wind at the gun may be blowing at 12 to 6 at 8 mph, but what is it doing at the target? What is it doing on the way to the target? If you calibrate your wind observations at the gun (the only wind you can measure) to the true wind speed you should be better able to use environmental queues to gauge wind down range. If you are feeling and observing a 15 mph wind at the gun, but are measuring only 7 mph because because of how you are setting up your kestrel to measure that wind, your reading of the wind down range could be compromised because of the disconnect between what you are seeing and what you are measuring.
What wind is important? Is it the wind at the gun? The wind at the target? The wind 1/2 to the target? Average wind speed? Gust speed? Lulls? Yes. They are all important, but you can only measure it at the gun. Everything else is "reading" and observation. Calibrating your observations to true wind speed "should" allow you to better read the wind you cannot measure.
Add to that the fact that a large component of wind reading is intuition. The wind at the gun may be blowing at 12 to 6 at 8 mph, but what is it doing at the target? What is it doing on the way to the target? If you calibrate your wind observations at the gun (the only wind you can measure) to the true wind speed you should be better able to use environmental queues to gauge wind down range. If you are feeling and observing a 15 mph wind at the gun, but are measuring only 7 mph because because of how you are setting up your kestrel to measure that wind, your reading of the wind down range could be compromised because of the disconnect between what you are seeing and what you are measuring.
What wind is important? Is it the wind at the gun? The wind at the target? The wind 1/2 to the target? Average wind speed? Gust speed? Lulls? Yes. They are all important, but you can only measure it at the gun. Everything else is "reading" and observation. Calibrating your observations to true wind speed "should" allow you to better read the wind you cannot measure.
