Howdy, first question here. I have been shooting longrange since this summer and my biggest deficiency is judging the wind down. Range. For example today I was shooting and everything was fine until I got to my 918 yard target. The wind at my location was coming from the 11 o'clock at 9 to 13 mph. Well my impact to the target was shifting a good 3moa between shots for awhile. There was no mirage as it was cloudy and the trees were swaying back and forth with no indication of direction change. 10 minutes later and was ringing steel no porblem. So the short is I need to get better at seeing the suttle changes in the wind. What is a good source for info or a good drill to improve my skill. Thanks.
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Advanced Marksmanship Judging wind.
- Thread starter Mancill
- Start date
It's a tough go if you have no mirage to read. Look for indicators from tree limbs, grass, brush, leaves, etc. Watching the ground for visual queues from your misses can help alot. A big help though is just time behind the gun. The hardest part of this game is the wind, especially if shooting alone. The conditions you describe would be difficult for anyone, keep at it, experience accounts for alot.
Not to worry, everyone's biggest deficiency is judging the wind. Any type of head wind like that can be a bitch. Keep in mind that topography and terrain features will play a part. Sometimes it helps me if I try to picture the wind as water and how the "water" would flow through the various terrain between my position and the target. If you're just getting started, hang some survey ribbon at different points down range so you can see what the wind is doing at different points. Mainly there is no substitute for time on glass watching for those changes.
Agreed, wind will make or break a shooter. I recommend getting a Kestrel (if you dont have one already), familiarize yourself with wind speed and direction until you no longer need a Kestrel to judge wind. That way when you get an initial wind call, and the winds have slightly shifted in speed (direction is not going to change drastically within a few hours, maybe from half to quarter value but not a full 180*), you can adjust your wind call based of the winds youre feeling right before the shot breaks. SHLowLight has some videos of reading wind on youtube and on the online subscriptions here at SH. Also check out the link attached. Theres a lot of good information online about wind, and some that is just plain horrible from the 1970s. Haha. But nothing beats range time behind the gun, dont skip days at the range when its windy, start preferring those days over no wind. No one cares how good you can shoot in 0mph or a 2-3 mph head or tail wind at 500 yards. Just dont get down on yourself when you miss in 15+mph winds. Take your time and learn from your mistakes, and record everything.
http://appliedballisticsllc.com/Articles/NVDOC1403-Wind.pdf
http://appliedballisticsllc.com/Articles/NVDOC1403-Wind.pdf
Thanks guys. I have a kestrel and that's how I knew my winds at me. Yes there was two draws between. Me and the target. One containing a creek and trees and one that is real steep. I may hang some ribbon to help see that wind and the effects around it.
You can always get on Google Earth and get bird's-eye view of how the wind is dictated by the terrain.
Thanks Kopjager that article helped alot. Being an honors Calculus teacher the science and math makes sense. I was under the impression that the last half had the most influence. In fact at the end of my first third was a row of trees in a draw that are perpendicular to the winds direction that I was shooting over and through. I bet that area is what was causing my issues. No I have a better understanding of where to look for wind signs.
No problem. You should take some precision rifle courses. Having someone evaluate and critique you, it will help out a lot.
tomato stakes and surveyors tape...take a few with you. You'll want one at about the following ranges 25, 300, 600. Start watching the flags and what the corresponding grasses, sand etc are doing. There's a formula (though I forget what it is-can't find my book) on how long to make the flag vs degree of lift vs wind velocity.
I always mount surveyors flag tape next to my practice target to indicate wind direction and a sense of speed.
If your practice range has wind speed flags, it also helps.
A Kestrel is a great tool. I use it every time. I measure speed (max, min, avg) and direction at I my practice target as well as from my shooting position. We measure at a height of 6-7 feet aboveground and the bullet will be 30-40 feet aboveground to get to 1000 yards.
Remember, wind is like water in a stream or river.
Topography and wind direction are interdependent...trees, canyons, berms can speed up or slow down the wind, cause vortices (swirling and/or switch wind) that impact the bullet's path laterally and vertically.
The least favorite wind direction is along the line of fire ( 1100-0100, 0500-0700). Small changes in direction and speed can significantly impact the bullet's path.
To correctly adjust for wind, using a Kestrel or mirage or grass or leaves, is a learned skill that ALL of us, except for Todd Hardnett and a few others, struggle to improve.
Good shooting
If your practice range has wind speed flags, it also helps.
A Kestrel is a great tool. I use it every time. I measure speed (max, min, avg) and direction at I my practice target as well as from my shooting position. We measure at a height of 6-7 feet aboveground and the bullet will be 30-40 feet aboveground to get to 1000 yards.
Remember, wind is like water in a stream or river.
Topography and wind direction are interdependent...trees, canyons, berms can speed up or slow down the wind, cause vortices (swirling and/or switch wind) that impact the bullet's path laterally and vertically.
The least favorite wind direction is along the line of fire ( 1100-0100, 0500-0700). Small changes in direction and speed can significantly impact the bullet's path.
To correctly adjust for wind, using a Kestrel or mirage or grass or leaves, is a learned skill that ALL of us, except for Todd Hardnett and a few others, struggle to improve.
Good shooting
There is a good article on the wind here:
http://appliedballisticsllc.com/ballistics-educational-resources/articles/
Understanding the Winds Influence (Where the Wind Matters)
http://appliedballisticsllc.com/ballistics-educational-resources/articles/
Understanding the Winds Influence (Where the Wind Matters)
As mentioned the bullet is at a much higher elevation than what we're measuring and often the wind is drastically different at the long range elevations where the bullet is passing. Go do some studies on fluid dynamics, hydro dynamics and meteorology and you'll have a better understanding of what the wind does over and around objects such as trees, hills etc. For example, At the range I have access to there is a couple lanes that are right next to berms that are about 25' tall...creates come squirrely winds (eddie currents) Some will say "I like it because it 'blocks wind' makes it easier to shoot" when in reality it creates currents that push the bullet in odd ways that are difficult to calculate...kind of moot though since many are "pie plate" shooters.
It just takes time. A good kestrel or other weather meter is very good to have. They can at least give you the wind at your location but it's always the wind down range that is what is harder to account for. Shoot and record your data. Time behind the gun will help.
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No amount of reading, classroom schooling, or calculation will teach you to shoot the wind. To learn wind, you need to get out there and do it; a lot.
A flag at the target is interesting, but by the time the bullet is at the flag, it's also already through the target. Not much help there.
I recently got to shoot a 223 with Hornady 75gr HPBT Match bullets at 600yd. This was a MR competition on an official range, which had flags at 200yd intervals, 200yd and 400yd. That works very well to divulge what the wind is doing and where it is doing it. It is only a coincidence when all the flags do the same thing; and they can be very conducive to developing an intuitive grasp of relative motions within air masses, how to recognize them, and how/why they affect trajectories.
Consider that the horizontal air movements are the consequence of moving vertical thermal air columns. The flags divulge their presence and locations. When the flags point away from each other, they denote a downdraft in their center. The opposite mains a rising thermal air column at the midst. The columns hook up at ground level and at altitude to create a circular air current in not just two dimensions, but three.
Darker ground structures and surfaces absorb heat, get warmer, and spawn rising thermals. Lighter formations and surfaces are cooler, and delineate downdrafts.
Consider also that only light travels along the line of sight. The bullet climbs and drops by tens of feet, and can be blown horizontally both off of and onto the target, sometimes in opposite directions as the bullet traverses different altitudes. Don't just fight the wind, enlist it to shoot into the wind and then push the bullet back ONTO the target; because that what's actually happening out there in the interim. Things like these are why wind is as much an art as a science.
Because I had health issues that led to me retiring early from the match, I got to really set out and observe winds and flags while spotting/scoring for my partnered shooter, and especially as I sat out my own two unfired stages. As a competitor, I never before had that rare luxury, and things like that can pay out in spades as the inevitable insights accumulate.
Become a Dale Earnhardt Sr., and see the air.
Greg
A flag at the target is interesting, but by the time the bullet is at the flag, it's also already through the target. Not much help there.
I recently got to shoot a 223 with Hornady 75gr HPBT Match bullets at 600yd. This was a MR competition on an official range, which had flags at 200yd intervals, 200yd and 400yd. That works very well to divulge what the wind is doing and where it is doing it. It is only a coincidence when all the flags do the same thing; and they can be very conducive to developing an intuitive grasp of relative motions within air masses, how to recognize them, and how/why they affect trajectories.
Consider that the horizontal air movements are the consequence of moving vertical thermal air columns. The flags divulge their presence and locations. When the flags point away from each other, they denote a downdraft in their center. The opposite mains a rising thermal air column at the midst. The columns hook up at ground level and at altitude to create a circular air current in not just two dimensions, but three.
Darker ground structures and surfaces absorb heat, get warmer, and spawn rising thermals. Lighter formations and surfaces are cooler, and delineate downdrafts.
Consider also that only light travels along the line of sight. The bullet climbs and drops by tens of feet, and can be blown horizontally both off of and onto the target, sometimes in opposite directions as the bullet traverses different altitudes. Don't just fight the wind, enlist it to shoot into the wind and then push the bullet back ONTO the target; because that what's actually happening out there in the interim. Things like these are why wind is as much an art as a science.
Because I had health issues that led to me retiring early from the match, I got to really set out and observe winds and flags while spotting/scoring for my partnered shooter, and especially as I sat out my own two unfired stages. As a competitor, I never before had that rare luxury, and things like that can pay out in spades as the inevitable insights accumulate.
Become a Dale Earnhardt Sr., and see the air.
Greg
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Also getting comfortable with holding and dialing. Personally would learn dialing first, but that was how I had to learn so I am biased. And lots of lead downrange.
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I'll submit two points here:
- At this point in my expertise, during a stage sometimes I have to burn a shot to get the wind. It's not my preferred method, but there it is, especially on the really small targets that are farther out there...like a prairie dog at 500 or more. I can't call the wind that accurately, so I'll wing one out there and try to make my correction as quickly as possible and move on. Especially in a switchy head or tail wind as mentioned above.
- Spotting, either at a match or in practice is a good skill builder. My wife is a damn solid shooter from prone, so I can put her on my gun and call the wind while keeping notes. I probably learn more from this than from actually shooting. I want to RO a match or two this year just to get some time behind glass watching.
- At this point in my expertise, during a stage sometimes I have to burn a shot to get the wind. It's not my preferred method, but there it is, especially on the really small targets that are farther out there...like a prairie dog at 500 or more. I can't call the wind that accurately, so I'll wing one out there and try to make my correction as quickly as possible and move on. Especially in a switchy head or tail wind as mentioned above.
- Spotting, either at a match or in practice is a good skill builder. My wife is a damn solid shooter from prone, so I can put her on my gun and call the wind while keeping notes. I probably learn more from this than from actually shooting. I want to RO a match or two this year just to get some time behind glass watching.
A few things you can take into account:
- Don't look at the wind as 'what its doing right now, or in the last 10 or 20 seconds). Look at it like a heart rate machine looks at a heartbeat but drag it out much longer. If you have time before shooting, get out there with your weather meter and sit there for 5 minutes. Start noting what the wind starts at and what it does for the next 5 minutes. Note long gusts, short gusts (how long?) as well as a low, average and high speed. Bracket everything between the low/high and I get you that if you were to sit there for another 5 minutes while it won't be 100% the same, you'll see quite the similarity. This can help you ID when a gust is a gust to shoot in, or if by the time you set up and shoot, the gust will be gone downrange.
- Look at environmental factors. Is there something blocking the wind somewhere downrange in a certain spot? Is the wind in your target area doing something weird due to an environmental factor (i.e. its on a downward slope that's partially blocked for the last 150 yards; whenever the wind dies before a gust, a weird crosswind happens for 10 seconds, etc).
- Tie one of those orange marking 'flags' to your target post. I bet you'll see the flag doing weird things that don't match up to what you are seeing at the gun or midway to the target.
- Take into account the wind at the gun, mid range and at the target. I've seen wind that actually cancels itself out before.
- Don't rely on mirage if you are shooting in 12+MPH winds.
- Don't look at the wind as 'what its doing right now, or in the last 10 or 20 seconds). Look at it like a heart rate machine looks at a heartbeat but drag it out much longer. If you have time before shooting, get out there with your weather meter and sit there for 5 minutes. Start noting what the wind starts at and what it does for the next 5 minutes. Note long gusts, short gusts (how long?) as well as a low, average and high speed. Bracket everything between the low/high and I get you that if you were to sit there for another 5 minutes while it won't be 100% the same, you'll see quite the similarity. This can help you ID when a gust is a gust to shoot in, or if by the time you set up and shoot, the gust will be gone downrange.
- Look at environmental factors. Is there something blocking the wind somewhere downrange in a certain spot? Is the wind in your target area doing something weird due to an environmental factor (i.e. its on a downward slope that's partially blocked for the last 150 yards; whenever the wind dies before a gust, a weird crosswind happens for 10 seconds, etc).
- Tie one of those orange marking 'flags' to your target post. I bet you'll see the flag doing weird things that don't match up to what you are seeing at the gun or midway to the target.
- Take into account the wind at the gun, mid range and at the target. I've seen wind that actually cancels itself out before.
- Don't rely on mirage if you are shooting in 12+MPH winds.
Wind outline from Long Gun Training LLC
Wind is a female, she needs to be figured out, caressed, softly talked too, pampered, squeezed and at times manhandled, but in the end, can still be a bitch.
Ballistic Analysis cause and effect
A shooter needs to understand measure and correct for the magnitude of the crosswind component perpendicular to the bullets flight. To generalize how wind affects a bullet, it does not push the bullet off course; a crosswind makes the bullet yaw like a weathervane into the wind. A bullet’s drag force is in the direction directly to the rear of it while in flight. Once a yaw of the bullet takes place, this drag force now has a side force to it in relation to its flight path. So in essence, the bullet is actually pulled or sucked by the force vector of its drag during its yaw in flight.
The greater the crosswind, the greater the bullet yaw, the greater the drag force vector.
How to read and measure
How does one read it? For those who paid attention in physics and earth science class, wind is not a linear force but we do calculate it that way. (Example: Ever been in an open field of tall grass or grain on a windy day, look at the grass, it moves much like waves on the open sea moving back and forth, ebbing and flowing so to speak, varying in its strength and direction.) We try to input this into a linear force based on time of flight equation best we can.
Which wind zone matters most
The total range to a target is generally broken down into 3 zones. Near the shooter (first 1/3), Mid-range (second 1/3) and near the target (last 1/3.) All wind zones matter for a quality solution in the end. Here are the percentages of influence.
For target ranges out to 500 yards the wind zone breakdown of influence on total bullet deflection is:
Near the shooter – 56%
Mid-range – 33%
Near the target – 12%
For target ranges between 500 yards and 1000 yards the wind zone breakdown of influence on total bullet deflection is:
Near the shooter – 44%
Mid-range – 39%
Near the target – 17%
Start Wind calls at your position
This is the foundation of all wind calls. It starts with you the shooter at the firing position. Depending on how much time you have, take several minutes and measure, average and evaluate the wind conditions at your position.
Down Range Wind Calls
Most that use "down range" calls have coaches, spotters or a lot of experience, and those coaches and spotters are watching the changes for you and relaying the data. You can't watch mid-range changes while you are focused on sending a round. It divides your attention. We can begin a call using mid-range but it can quickly change as wind is not constant. Back to judging changes at your position…
Breaking down a total range into zones has value. As your experience grows, so does the distance down range where you can accurately call the wind depending on which indicators you may get. For a new shooter with little to no experience, again, you need to keep detailed accurate notes. As an example, if you say, "that is an 8mph to 12mph wind"- which is it - because a 1mph wind at 1000 yards moves a 175gr SMK 10". If you are 4mph off in your call that is a theoretical miss by 40". Knowing its 9 mph, would require you to actually “dope” it at your position. In order to build that personal database of experience, you have to keep notes and shoot. The better the notes, the quicker you'll be up to speed.
How to adjust sights to account for deflection
Taking a wind solution and adjusting your scope is done two ways. You can either dial the correction on the turret, or you can use your scale reticle to hold off for it. If there is a constant wind and you have time, dialing is a commonly used method. If you are hunting or in a tactical scenario where time is a factor, scale reticle hold off is preferred. One can also use both, in a changing wind scenario . The wind is averaging around 7 mph but gusts up to 12 mph and reduces down to 4 mph. Dial a solution for the 7 mph and use your scale reticle to adjust for your read of the changes in magnitude just before you fire.
Wind Gradient
As moving air (wind) gets higher away from ground terrain it tends to increase in velocity. A shooter must have an understanding of the trajectory of a bullet and gage how high above the ground it will travel. Also, as a bullets travels up to the maximum ordinate of its ballistic arc and then back down, its time of flight is not whole in the maximum wind gradient. A generic increase of wind velocity per increase in altitude above the ground cannot be done without a study of the terrain and direction of the wind first.
Wind is a female, she needs to be figured out, caressed, softly talked too, pampered, squeezed and at times manhandled, but in the end, can still be a bitch.
Ballistic Analysis cause and effect
A shooter needs to understand measure and correct for the magnitude of the crosswind component perpendicular to the bullets flight. To generalize how wind affects a bullet, it does not push the bullet off course; a crosswind makes the bullet yaw like a weathervane into the wind. A bullet’s drag force is in the direction directly to the rear of it while in flight. Once a yaw of the bullet takes place, this drag force now has a side force to it in relation to its flight path. So in essence, the bullet is actually pulled or sucked by the force vector of its drag during its yaw in flight.
The greater the crosswind, the greater the bullet yaw, the greater the drag force vector.
How to read and measure
How does one read it? For those who paid attention in physics and earth science class, wind is not a linear force but we do calculate it that way. (Example: Ever been in an open field of tall grass or grain on a windy day, look at the grass, it moves much like waves on the open sea moving back and forth, ebbing and flowing so to speak, varying in its strength and direction.) We try to input this into a linear force based on time of flight equation best we can.
Which wind zone matters most
The total range to a target is generally broken down into 3 zones. Near the shooter (first 1/3), Mid-range (second 1/3) and near the target (last 1/3.) All wind zones matter for a quality solution in the end. Here are the percentages of influence.
For target ranges out to 500 yards the wind zone breakdown of influence on total bullet deflection is:
Near the shooter – 56%
Mid-range – 33%
Near the target – 12%
For target ranges between 500 yards and 1000 yards the wind zone breakdown of influence on total bullet deflection is:
Near the shooter – 44%
Mid-range – 39%
Near the target – 17%
Start Wind calls at your position
This is the foundation of all wind calls. It starts with you the shooter at the firing position. Depending on how much time you have, take several minutes and measure, average and evaluate the wind conditions at your position.
- It’s the only location you can “dope” the wind to within 1 mph.
- It’s where we are. When people talk about "feel" this is at the shooter.
- It is where the highest percentage of influence on bullet deflection will occur.
- Judge how constant the wind is moving (constant vs gusts and let offs).
- Judge the direction at your position. Direction is most commonly put onto a clock with 12 being the direction towards the target. 9 and 3 are considered to be full value in equations, 10:30, 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 or quartering wind direction are referred to as half value (1/2) but in actuality are three quarter (3/4) of the wind velocity in equations.
- Judge the speed of the wind using a hand held wind meter like a Kestrel.
- Calculate a Solution using your ballistic program or formulas. Also keep separate data with real numbers of initial call and final call on this with target range and adjustment, to either reinforce or modify your personal wind calling tendencies (Peoples’ wind calls are different from each other)
Down Range Wind Calls
Most that use "down range" calls have coaches, spotters or a lot of experience, and those coaches and spotters are watching the changes for you and relaying the data. You can't watch mid-range changes while you are focused on sending a round. It divides your attention. We can begin a call using mid-range but it can quickly change as wind is not constant. Back to judging changes at your position…
Breaking down a total range into zones has value. As your experience grows, so does the distance down range where you can accurately call the wind depending on which indicators you may get. For a new shooter with little to no experience, again, you need to keep detailed accurate notes. As an example, if you say, "that is an 8mph to 12mph wind"- which is it - because a 1mph wind at 1000 yards moves a 175gr SMK 10". If you are 4mph off in your call that is a theoretical miss by 40". Knowing its 9 mph, would require you to actually “dope” it at your position. In order to build that personal database of experience, you have to keep notes and shoot. The better the notes, the quicker you'll be up to speed.
How to adjust sights to account for deflection
Taking a wind solution and adjusting your scope is done two ways. You can either dial the correction on the turret, or you can use your scale reticle to hold off for it. If there is a constant wind and you have time, dialing is a commonly used method. If you are hunting or in a tactical scenario where time is a factor, scale reticle hold off is preferred. One can also use both, in a changing wind scenario . The wind is averaging around 7 mph but gusts up to 12 mph and reduces down to 4 mph. Dial a solution for the 7 mph and use your scale reticle to adjust for your read of the changes in magnitude just before you fire.
Wind Gradient
As moving air (wind) gets higher away from ground terrain it tends to increase in velocity. A shooter must have an understanding of the trajectory of a bullet and gage how high above the ground it will travel. Also, as a bullets travels up to the maximum ordinate of its ballistic arc and then back down, its time of flight is not whole in the maximum wind gradient. A generic increase of wind velocity per increase in altitude above the ground cannot be done without a study of the terrain and direction of the wind first.
Wind Reads yesterday included reading clouds and falling rain. FWIW, depending on intensity, rain can be like a highlighter for mirage. (FYI - white dot in line with muzzle is the target - 800 out, and across the draw)
Learning about wind via reading about it is limiting - it’'ll give you an overview. However, you just have to shoot in every condition you can - esp the shitty ones. ‘Wind’ needs to become intuitive. The ability to arrive on site, look at / listen to the current weather, look at the immediate and near terrain, look at the weather that is moving in - and before ever looking through your optic or pulling out a Kestrel - be able to say to yourself - looks like / feels like “- X wind call”. I think Wind is 50% science and 50% art.
Learning about wind via reading about it is limiting - it’'ll give you an overview. However, you just have to shoot in every condition you can - esp the shitty ones. ‘Wind’ needs to become intuitive. The ability to arrive on site, look at / listen to the current weather, look at the immediate and near terrain, look at the weather that is moving in - and before ever looking through your optic or pulling out a Kestrel - be able to say to yourself - looks like / feels like “- X wind call”. I think Wind is 50% science and 50% art.
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Your problem is compounded by shooting in a head wind ( see http://bisonballistics.com/articles/why-headwinds-are-more-difficult-than-crosswinds ). It's a very difficult condition because even small changes in direction have a large impact in wind deflection. It's just hard, but the answer is pretty much to keep at it. There are some good books out there that can help speed things up. The one by Nancy Tompkins is a good basic intro - I think you can get it at Brownells.
When I was starting out with making the break from 300yd max distance to 1000yd max distance, I put a lot of effort into dialing for wind changes. I soon found out that somewhere along the way, I could lose track of my adjustments, and soon after, lose my zero reference. So, I reverted to a 'Dial for come up. make a stab at dialing in a basic wind zero, then resort to hold offs for wind changes" philosophy. I stuck with it, for better or worse. On the balance, it was for the better.
There is the danger of ending up 'chasing the spotter'; altering one's hold off with the marking of each preceding shot. Trust those changes at your peril, and only allow yourself to alter your POA based on trends, and not on individual impacts.
I never really picked up the habit of using a data book because I had acquired a distrust for depending on a specific object, like a notebook, that can be destroyed or lost. Harder to keep it all in the head, but less likely to get destroyed or lost. Besides, the accumulated data builds trends in your thinking that align more correctly with the reality of your experiences. I don't especially recommend this, it's just my own way of dealing with this stuff.
Now that I am in my dotage, that philosophy has developed a few holes, and I write more things down. I think of my memory a being like a fine Swiss cheese, with more holes developing over time. I now like to employ drop/drift charts taped to the rifle's stock, customized for local altitudes and the load's specific ballistics. I also note the load data on each ammunition container. I am considering making up drop/drift charts to include on those containers; but one needs to draw the line somewhere, and I think I'm probably in danger of crossing an important one.
Clear your mind's eye and build the following mental pictures:
Imagine you are rolling a cue ball along a very long pool table. While it's rolling, imagine tipping the table slightly to one side, then the other while the ball is rolling. These tipping upsets affect the ball's path very similar to the way a cross gust affects the bullet's path.
If the crosswind is constant, the deflection becomes cumulative. If it is momentary, and rights itself immediately, the ball continues straight on its new path. If it later tips opposite, the path reapproaches the original heading, but off to the side of that original heading. The earlier the upset, the longer it travels along the resultant heading. with upsets at or near the target influencing the path in the least or to even no degree
In observing, we see that the bullet's path, as seen from above, follows a series of gentle curves while the wind is deflecting it, then straightens on the latest heading when the local wind dies.
Now, imagine that the table is on an elevator. The elevator's motions induce vertical deflection which resemble the effects of updrafts and downdrafts.
Finally, imagine the table is on casters. Moving the table toward the target or toward the shooter demonstrates the effects of headwinds and tailwinds. Remember, the bullet is also accelerating downward under the effect of gravity.
Rotating it demonstrates Coriolis and spin drift. These last two are seldom serious factors except at artillery distances.
All of these degrees of motion apply to the ballistic path and to the overall air mass independently.
Analogies like these can help one mentally visualize the interactions between the ballistic path, the local motions within the air mass, and the overall motions of the air mass as a whole.
But the complexities can become quickly compounded. Reality usually requires the shooter to draw the line at concentrating on the gross effects, and dispensing with the minutia. The shooter who sets out to precisely plot the POI will quickly become overwhelmed. More importantly, the problem's solution will also quickly become invalidated by constantly changing conditions.
This is where the experience comes in, allowing the shooter to develop intuitions. I am talking here about those gut feelings. The more experience you get at shooting in the wind, the better you can trust them.
You can't get them by cherry picking your practice conditions to select only calm ones. They never occur when you need them. The real insights come from when the wind is up.
Shooting groups serves no real purpose in this exercise, because the good ones only come when it's calm, and we can usually only shoot 'for real' when it's not.
I advise my friends who want to shoot better to get Cleckner's book. I have already handed out four copies..
Greg
There is the danger of ending up 'chasing the spotter'; altering one's hold off with the marking of each preceding shot. Trust those changes at your peril, and only allow yourself to alter your POA based on trends, and not on individual impacts.
I never really picked up the habit of using a data book because I had acquired a distrust for depending on a specific object, like a notebook, that can be destroyed or lost. Harder to keep it all in the head, but less likely to get destroyed or lost. Besides, the accumulated data builds trends in your thinking that align more correctly with the reality of your experiences. I don't especially recommend this, it's just my own way of dealing with this stuff.
Now that I am in my dotage, that philosophy has developed a few holes, and I write more things down. I think of my memory a being like a fine Swiss cheese, with more holes developing over time. I now like to employ drop/drift charts taped to the rifle's stock, customized for local altitudes and the load's specific ballistics. I also note the load data on each ammunition container. I am considering making up drop/drift charts to include on those containers; but one needs to draw the line somewhere, and I think I'm probably in danger of crossing an important one.
Clear your mind's eye and build the following mental pictures:
Imagine you are rolling a cue ball along a very long pool table. While it's rolling, imagine tipping the table slightly to one side, then the other while the ball is rolling. These tipping upsets affect the ball's path very similar to the way a cross gust affects the bullet's path.
If the crosswind is constant, the deflection becomes cumulative. If it is momentary, and rights itself immediately, the ball continues straight on its new path. If it later tips opposite, the path reapproaches the original heading, but off to the side of that original heading. The earlier the upset, the longer it travels along the resultant heading. with upsets at or near the target influencing the path in the least or to even no degree
In observing, we see that the bullet's path, as seen from above, follows a series of gentle curves while the wind is deflecting it, then straightens on the latest heading when the local wind dies.
Now, imagine that the table is on an elevator. The elevator's motions induce vertical deflection which resemble the effects of updrafts and downdrafts.
Finally, imagine the table is on casters. Moving the table toward the target or toward the shooter demonstrates the effects of headwinds and tailwinds. Remember, the bullet is also accelerating downward under the effect of gravity.
Rotating it demonstrates Coriolis and spin drift. These last two are seldom serious factors except at artillery distances.
All of these degrees of motion apply to the ballistic path and to the overall air mass independently.
Analogies like these can help one mentally visualize the interactions between the ballistic path, the local motions within the air mass, and the overall motions of the air mass as a whole.
But the complexities can become quickly compounded. Reality usually requires the shooter to draw the line at concentrating on the gross effects, and dispensing with the minutia. The shooter who sets out to precisely plot the POI will quickly become overwhelmed. More importantly, the problem's solution will also quickly become invalidated by constantly changing conditions.
This is where the experience comes in, allowing the shooter to develop intuitions. I am talking here about those gut feelings. The more experience you get at shooting in the wind, the better you can trust them.
You can't get them by cherry picking your practice conditions to select only calm ones. They never occur when you need them. The real insights come from when the wind is up.
Shooting groups serves no real purpose in this exercise, because the good ones only come when it's calm, and we can usually only shoot 'for real' when it's not.
I advise my friends who want to shoot better to get Cleckner's book. I have already handed out four copies..
Greg
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When you've read all of the above there are some good books to pick up*. Yes, they are written for guys like me who shoot at round targets on rectangular fields, but there are those of us shooting 308s in F-TR who can hit a 10" 10-Ring more often than not at 1000 yards. There is something to this stuff. Personally I enjoy coaching team shooting, that will get some wind calling pressure on your arse, you are now responsible for 4 others peoples scores.
1. There is no substitute for time on the range. You will not learn to read wind in a book; however, they can teach you what to look for and can give you some ideas of strategies for dealing with difficult conditions. There are things that I see and understand today (even if it's sometimes after I get into the 8 ring) that 5 yrs ago I had no clue.
2. Know your bullets ballistics.
3. Spotting scope. Use 25x or 30x and learn to read mirage
4. Indicators, in NRA competition it's usually flags, but I've also been known to take cues from the trees when they were showing me things the flags didn't.
5. See #1
*The Wind Book for Rifle Shooters by Linda Miller and Keith Cunningham
*Prone and Long Range Rifle Shooting by Nancy Tompkins
I don't know Linda Miller, but I do know Nancy, she is one of the best wind coaches in the game (F class or HP), and her results as a team coach prove it (over and over again).
1. There is no substitute for time on the range. You will not learn to read wind in a book; however, they can teach you what to look for and can give you some ideas of strategies for dealing with difficult conditions. There are things that I see and understand today (even if it's sometimes after I get into the 8 ring) that 5 yrs ago I had no clue.
2. Know your bullets ballistics.
3. Spotting scope. Use 25x or 30x and learn to read mirage
4. Indicators, in NRA competition it's usually flags, but I've also been known to take cues from the trees when they were showing me things the flags didn't.
5. See #1
*The Wind Book for Rifle Shooters by Linda Miller and Keith Cunningham
*Prone and Long Range Rifle Shooting by Nancy Tompkins
I don't know Linda Miller, but I do know Nancy, she is one of the best wind coaches in the game (F class or HP), and her results as a team coach prove it (over and over again).
I just had my first outing at shooting distance. I was set-up at 630 yards with my 700 SPS Tactical .223. We were shooting in a changing 20-25 mph wind and as you can see the direction at 325 was a lot different than at my position which was a little lighter speed, guessing about 10-15. The target is 12" wide and 20" tall steel that i have circled in red and I had a chance to be at the target position, my nephew knocked the target over after 2 shots with his 300 WSM from 325, so we had to go pick it up. There was no wind at the target position.That was an eye opener to see what the wind was doing and actually pay attention to it. You can see at 325 there is a ridge that drops off to a branch and you can barely see there are tree tops at that point so it drops off pretty far then comes back up to the target. From 325 back to shooting position there is a small dip but not much, fairly flat other wise so definitely some terrain variation.
Reading the wind is an art form all on its own and makes this sport that much funner!!!!!
Reading the wind is an art form all on its own and makes this sport that much funner!!!!!
Shifty headwinds are extremely labor intensive to shoot in. I've held a half MIL left and hit my target only to have to hold a half MIL right on the following shot to connect a second time. A headwind or tailwind only have to shift a few degrees to completely reverse your hold. Novice shooters think they're awesome because a real short angle headwind rarely requires much wind correction. The problem is they also tend to shift and be unpredictable. I'll take a steady 15mph full value wind all day over a shifty headwind. Get a vane mount for your Kestrel when you are out practicing. Even if you don't have mirage the vane will shift and show you the wind direction is changing. Or buy some of those wind flags Lowlight uses.
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