Wind flag question

[bichettereds]

What advantage does a flag with a daisy wheel have over a flag without one?

 

[hrlincoln]

I like the daisy because I can judge the angle of the wind better...but it's one of those personal preference things.

 

[WillyTP]

I can better judge the wind speed with the daisy over just the tails. I can see let ups and pick ups on tails.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

im with todd ^. wouldn't shoot without daisys

 

[Greyfox]

Daisy's & pin wheels cause the flag to react quicker to changes in wind direction. They are pretty much worthless for judging wind speed. That's what sail tails and surveyor's tape is for. That is my experience.

Rick

 

[BoydAllen]

At the Visalia, CA range, over a couple of decades I have seen a great decrease in the number of daisy wheels on flags. Due to the topography of the range, conditions tend to vary a lot down a line of flags and be switchy. Under those conditions I found that the old daisy wheel spinners cause flags to be a little slower in responding to changes in direction, and I prefer to use ribbons to gauge speed. For me, simpler is better. My advice is to go to a match and spend some time standing in line with as many types of flags and you can to see which are easier for you to understand and quickly summarize. My flags are Hoods. and I have both regular and large vanes, and all the parts for configuring with and without daisy wheels. I go without, and use the counterbalances designed for use with daisies, extended farther out so that they balance the flag due to their distance from the pivot. I have set up flags in various configurations and put them all out to see how quickly they turn.

 

[JimPag]

I personally don't like the old style daisy wheels. They are slow to react. The props like on the BRT flags or Mike Ezell's flags react much quicker. Put them side by side and you'll see the difference.

 

[BenPerfected]

Looking for (2) Rick Graham wind flags w/opposing magnets. Most unreasonably offers will be considered.
Ben

 

[Brians356]

Most unreasonably offers will be considered.

Cleanup on Aisle 5!
-

 

[cem]

Agreed that short range bench rest competition has moved to wind flags with less bulk, less friction and less inertia - also more expensive - as groups have also become smaller even in the wind. There has also been a move to joy stick front rests for competition use.

But for load testing with a run of the safe rifle off bags I still use 5 old Sinclair flags with literal daisy wheels - obsolete technology with lots of friction and inertia and no longer sold - and friends at the range find my old flags more intuitive.

All the more when there is a reluctance to make adjustments because squeezing the rear bag and such will add some disturbance to the rig.

So to answer the original question. IMHO daisy wheels are easier and more intuitive for load testing. No daisy wheels have an edge for competition when the last decimal place matters and the other equipment is up to the task. I can imagine conditions when the group is a weather report and daisy wheels might be useful.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

The only thing i can add is that the overwhelming majority of flags on the line at any given match are made by smiley hensley. They have daisys. I counted at the super shoot 2016 and 2 shooters were not using smileys flags out of a full roster. This past year there were 3 at the east west- davis halblom and dwight scott who both use their designs. One more i cant think of and maybe a couple i missed. That should answer your question at actual large matches where the top shooters haunt.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

People use what they do for a number of reasons, one of the worst of which is...cuz that's what everybody else duz.

 

[BartsBullets]

What advantage does a flag with a daisy wheel have over a flag without one?

Most has already been said however, Daisy Wheels help not only with angles but identifying heat or tail winds. They also help identify reading the intensity of the wind. The down side to daisy wheels is that they break and break often! If you travel around the country the further west you go the less daisy wheel flags you’ll see. Places like Midland Tx, the daisy wheel flags tend to get blown off the poles and break. I’ve seen Nationals at Phoenix AZ and Raton NM where after a wind storm came through there wasn’t hardly a functional daisy left.

With that said in short range group the best and most popular flag out there is Smiley Hensley’s. It is the number one choice of the top shooters hands down, nothing else is even close. If you learn to read Smiley flags. You’ll be able to request getting on a rotation of Smiley flags at the big matches, as well as most likely having them on the left and right of you.

Here’s a link if you want to check them out
http://bartsbullets.weebly.com/smiley-wind-flags--poles.html

Bart

 

[butchlambert]

Pinwheels are much faster to respond to velocity and angle changes. I no longer sell them because of expense, but they probably help a shooter as much as any equip. that he can buy. Daisys are good, but are like a flywheel and are slow to speedup and to slow down.

 

[linekin]

I wouldn't be without a pinwheel(or whatever Mike uses) for a couple reasons. One is very light air where the tails gently flutter & daisy's won't turn, his will show if any air is moving. That may not matter much in centerfire, I don't know, haven't shot when its that still that I can remember. But in rimfire knowing it is huge.
Also I feel I can gauge to an extent of the velocity of a pinwheel. Especially a letup, or if its at least staying consistent. Of course I use the tails too.
The other thing I like about his pinwheels are there's a large orange center on I think all mine. I can recognize head & tail winds faster with them, especially at the longer centerfire ranges I've been shooting. Which is SR benchrest

Keith

 

[butchlambert]

"I wouldn't be with a pinwheel(or whatever Mike uses) for a couple reasons".

Keith, this confuses me. Hopefully you meant with"out". The BRT pinwheels are tri colored to be able to she headwind, tailwind, and angles.

 

[linekin]

"I wouldn't be with a pinwheel(or whatever Mike uses) for a couple reasons".

Keith, this confuses me. Hopefully you meant with"out". The BRT pinwheels are tri colored to be able to she headwind, tailwind, and angles.

Yes sir, I meant without!

 

[butchlambert]

I thought so Keith, I started reading it and said to myself, WTF.

 

[redrockranger]

The only thing i can add is that the overwhelming majority of flags on the line at any given match are made by smiley hensley. They have daisys. I counted at the super shoot 2016 and 2 shooters were not using smileys flags out of a full roster. This past year there were 3 at the east west- davis halblom and dwight scott who both use their designs. One more i cant think of and maybe a couple i missed. That should answer your question at actual large matches where the top shooters haunt.

Does Tony use daisy flags ?
I'm new at this an have one commercial made pinwheel flag. Daisy's seem to work well in gail force winds here in iowa. Just a beginner

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Does Tony use daisy flags ?
I'm new at this an have one commercial made pinwheel flag. Daisy's seem to work well in gail force winds here in iowa. Just a beginner

He uses the flags bart and i talked about