Wind flag contradicting mirrage

[Dylanm1212]

Got done with my first 2 day long range class 0-500 yards. Was my first time ever goimg past 300.

One issue came up at 500 and the mirrage looked like it was going very slightly L to R maby 1-3mph but a small ribben on a post about 20 yards closser than the target was obviously going R to L easy 7+. After a short disscussion i got some good info, but also knowing its an entry lvl class 1 of 3. I still had some questions.

With mirrage how do you guys go about compairing it to wind Qs or guestamate at what distance the mirrage u see is at weather at the target or well before the target.

 

[Dthomas3523]

When shooting fairly close (inside 1k), generally speaking this is the order of importance of wind:

1: at shooter
2: midway
3: at target

With the target being far, far less important. The reason so many use things like dust direction when they miss, or from the spawling from an impact is because most don’t do their homework before shooting and pay attention to the wind queues.

So, they get down and shoot are now laser focused on what’s happening at target because that’s what the see through the optic and get feedback from the bullet be it a hit or miss.

Personally, the only time I look at wind at the target is if I have conflicting directions. Say the wind at shooter is left to right, but midway it’s right to left. I’ll let the direction at the target be the tie breaker on which side I will start my wind call on.

These are of course very general examples. Wind is extremely situational. For example, you make have almost nothing between the shooter and the target to use, so you have to use shooter and target location.

But, for the most part, mirage reading is normally midway. And if needed, at the target.

 

[Dthomas3523]

As a new shooter, I’d focus on my wind calls at the shooter position, as it’s the most important.

Then, once comfortably making good calls, advance to reading wind between shooter and target.

If you can’t effectively read wind at shooter location, you won’t read it anywhere else.

 

[308pirate]

Got done with my first 2 day long range class 0-500 yards. Was my first time ever goimg past 300.

One issue came up at 500 and the mirrage looked like it was going very slightly L to R maby 1-3mph but a small ribben on a post about 20 yards closser than the target was obviously going R to L easy 7+. After a short disscussion i got some good info, but also knowing its an entry lvl class 1 of 3. I still had some questions.

With mirrage how do you guys go about compairing it to wind Qs or guestamate at what distance the mirrage u see is at weather at the target or well before the target.

Those are excellent questions to have asked the instructor

It's mirage, not mirrage BTW

 

[308pirate]

As a new shooter, I’d focus on my wind calls at the shooter position, as it’s the most important.

All of it matters. If the wind at the shooting position changes dramatically 100 yards out on a 700 yd shot, it may not be.

But I get your point. Newer shooters almost never have the experience to see and estimate wind anywhere else but where they are.

 

[Dylanm1212]

When shooting fairly close (inside 1k), generally speaking this is the order of importance of wind:

1: at shooter
2: midway
3: at target

With the target being far, far less important. The reason so many use things like dust direction when they miss, or from the spawling from an impact is because most don’t do their homework before shooting and pay attention to the wind queues.

So, they get down and shoot are now laser focused on what’s happening at target because that’s what the see through the optic and get feedback from the bullet be it a hit or miss.

Personally, the only time I look at wind at the target is if I have conflicting directions. Say the wind at shooter is left to right, but midway it’s right to left. I’ll let the direction at the target be the tie breaker on which side I will start my wind call on.

These are of course very general examples. Wind is extremely situational. For example, you make have almost nothing between the shooter and the target to use, so you have to use shooter and target location.

But, for the most part, mirage reading is normally midway. And if needed, at the target.

How do u judge midway? My location is easy the target well that one had a flag i read a lot about mid range wind and mid range mirage but that seams to be the biggest area with no clues do u just pick a spot on the ground?

 

[Shootin Stuff]

How do u judge midway? My location is easy the target well that one had a flag i read a lot about mid range wind and mid range mirage but that seams to be the biggest area with no clues do u just pick a spot on the ground?

Roll your parallax to see mirage at different distances.

 

[Douglas-001]

Sorry, couldn't resist......................the mirage has not lied to me.....I focus my spotting scope best I can at the target on the long line, then bring the focus back a little bit so the target gets blurry and I am now reading about the halfway mark. My shooting is obviously different than the style mentioned previously, thought it may help...good luck and good shooting!

 

[ma smith]

This is all another good reason to back off the scope magnification
so you don't get tunnel vision and miss other indicators in the field


just my $0.02

 

[Holliday]

This is all another good reason to back off the scope magnification
so you don't get tunnel vision and miss other indicators in the field


just my $0.02

Yea I tend to be a full magnification junkie. On my hunting rifle this is good because I have a SFP and use the mildots for wind holds. On the range its just a bad habit. Next year hopefully I’ll go to a FFP on the hunting scope.

 

[smoothy8500]

 

[SporterII]

Wind along a berm where targets largely are posted is not sufficient information. Tree lines etc are helpful observations. The instructor likely knew the answer on that property. Call him.

 

[sinister]

Flags tell you what the wind did. It will always lag, because air has to lift or move the fabric (heavy cotton or light nylon, it makes no difference).

Mirage tells you what the wind is doing. You are seeing through optics or naked eye how moving air is diffracting light.

With trees on either side of the range at Camp Butner, North Carolina, you can occasionally see wind flags on the right and left sides of the range all point toward range center at the same time.

 

[Seymour Fish]

When shooting fairly close (inside 1k), generally speaking this is the order of importance of wind:

1: at shooter
2: midway
3: at target

With the target being far, far less important. The reason so many use things like dust direction when they miss, or from the spawling from an impact is because most don’t do their homework before shooting and pay attention to the wind queues.

So, they get down and shoot are now laser focused on what’s happening at target because that’s what the see through the optic and get feedback from the bullet be it a hit or miss.

Personally, the only time I look at wind at the target is if I have conflicting directions. Say the wind at shooter is left to right, but midway it’s right to left. I’ll let the direction at the target be the tie breaker on which side I will start my wind call on.

These are of course very general examples. Wind is extremely situational. For example, you make have almost nothing between the shooter and the target to use, so you have to use shooter and target location.

But, for the most part, mirage reading is normally midway. And if needed, at the target.

Since disagreeing with you is such good sport, consider an outlier : prone with bipod, wind from 4 at 10 mph, flags at 500 and 750 showing 6 mph from 9 o clock. To center up 1 K required ignoring the wind at the firing point completely and hold for the flags. The wind at the maximum ordinate “turn turtle” was the over riding factor. Realize this flies in the face of convention, but it does happen

 

[ma smith]

"believe the bullet"... trumps all

 

[1moaoff]

To the original post.

Maybe the mirage is showing you wind where you see the mirage but the flag is in a different wind. Happens all the time.

 

[1moaoff]

Popcorn?

 

[hlee]

View attachment 7699888

Sterling Shooter, who regrettably doesn’t post here anymore, was a high power high master- if my memory is correct- and he preached reading the wind at the 1/2 way mark. But, your point is valid that wind can be flowing in numerous directions along the flight path of a bullet.

 

[Longhorn in Utah]

Read the midpoint, reload enough rounds, practice your form enough to see the impact and adjust, and then just shoot, adjust, and enjoy.
Unless you are a one shot one kill guy, or a competition guy, then your better than me, so just ignore.

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

Lets add a few more items. Wind picks up temperatures. Water holds heat in the winter, coolness in the summer but water tends to be very stable. Water can hold heat, but in reality, the heat it holds may be 55 degrees when on a nice spring day the air over the land may be 75-80 degrees. So, wind blowing off of a small lake or large pond my well change the entire ballistic situation. What has wind to do with this, wind picks up the cooler (or warmer temps off of the water and your bullet flies through this different atmospheric condition of much cooler air.

Next, trees. Trees are wonderful for shade, great for tree stands and really good wind blocks. But a lane between two rows of trees can catch and reverse the wind. Example, a south to north wind blowing over a tree line range running from east to west (making for really bad sun angles by the way) the south wind blowing over the trees on the south side, tend to be caught by the trees on the north side and reverse over the range in a circular type motion. Even more fun would be a partially tree covered shooting lane.

Wind is fun. To really understand it, become a lake sailor. See all the crazy things wind can and will do.