Re: Most Important wind
Noel - my experience is rather simple.
800 is like a "long" 600. At 600, you can basically look most of the time at what looks like one wind from which you make your call, assuming you can get agreement that the wind is doing basically the same thing over the length of the path of the bullet. Changes seem to occur, how can I say it, more well defined. Often at 600 you can get away with just watching one indicator for wind velocity and direction, still keeping an eye out on the edges for changes. One can shoot 800 basically the same but with some watching for a mix of conditions between themselves and the target, but having a "one condition" mindset will pretty well keep them in the middle of the target.
900 is where I start to see more of a combination of values between me and the target, independent of watching the edges for changes. This is where the throwing a bucket of water on concrete effect starts to be really seen. Also, when you mess up, the value on the target will be lower than the same mess-up at 800.
1000 is a whole new game. Unforgiving under moderate/readable conditions, PUNISHING under difficult conditions. Nothing at all like a single digit percent change from shooting 900 reflected above.
Plotting the peak of the arc seems to be an indicator of just how different the 100 yards is between say 700 and 700 and 900 and 1k, though I don't have something handy that will do that.
Granted you can shoot a better 800 score by shooting it more like 1000, but I encourage shooters that have 600 experience to go ahead and shoot 800 on back, just to wet their appetite for true long range. That is why I'm running two Palma matches this year, to get the 200-300-600 shooters on back further. 800 is very doable, 900 tricky, and 1k will most likely eat their lunch. If they show up for a 1k match, establishing a zero will be a much bigger problem and once on paper the learning curve for 1k is very steep, possibly leading to them having a discouraging experience. Doing OK at 800 and 900 is confidence inspiring, even if they do get eaten alive at 1k.
My experience says 1k is a different animal. The numbers above lead you to believe it is just a little harder. I think anyone that has spent a moderate amount of time shooting 600-1k as I have would agree, which means many arguing with me have not.
People can poke all they want at square range/wind flag/sighter shooters, but the experience gained over many rounds with good indicators as to what is going on plus the confirmation of what comes up on the target can teach someone a lot about shooting in wind.