Shooting in the wind

[MUP]

I've shot local club matches with hail coming down before, wind, rain and freezing temps. The only way our club will cancel a match is for lightning. If nothing else it'll be a learning experience!

And, as a side note, I was actually shooting my bonus round (single bench, one at a time KYL paper targets) in the hail. One shot just didn't make it to the paper, at all. I can't swear to it but I say I hit a chunk of hail that day. Hands down THE worst conditions I have ever shot in!

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

This weekend is our second to last club .22 benchrest match and so far the forecast is showing some pretty high winds. Being that it is just a club match I am sure that many of the guys will probably skip the match and not want to waste the ammo. I am curious if this is common these days and if so what would you consider to be too windy to shoot a rimfire match?

For me strength of how the wind is, is not that much of a concern if it is consistent in direction. but when it is variable in speed and direction then I struggle.
in this kind of condition, I get caught when holding for a shot then it either lets up or picks up for at best (ARA) 25 at worst 10. our club range is famous for this condition!

Lee

 

[Raydee]

Wind was much less than predicted today, finally got to shoot my new lot of Lapua Center-X and had a pretty good day. Seems even on calm days the wind is very "shifty" at our local range. Waiting for the right condition is almost a must if you want to hit the 10 ring on every shot

 

[PWNolan]

For me strength of how the wind is, is not that much of a concern if it is consistent in direction. but when it is variable in speed and direction then I struggle.
in this kind of condition, I get caught when holding for a shot then it either lets up or picks up for at best (ARA) 25 at worst 10. our club range is famous for this condition!

Lee

We see this a lot here in TX. We have a match tomorrow at NTSA. Wind was from the south (toward me) when I practiced last weekend. Now it's from the north this weekend. I'm heading to the range in a little while to shoot factory class just to mess around. Unlimited tomorrow will be interesting as usual

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

We see this a lot here in TX. We have a match tomorrow at NTSA. Wind was from the south (toward me) when I practiced last weekend. Now it's from the north this weekend. I'm heading to the range in a little while to shoot factory class just to mess around. Unlimited tomorrow will be interesting as usual

Good luck, if you range is like the one here today will be one condition then tomorrow another.

Lee

 

[Dannybcc]

I have been trying very hard to make two great friends. Wind and mirage. Figuring the wind is one problem then add in which dot is actually the real one, at the same time, is a bigger problem for this old fella.

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

I have been trying very hard to make two great friends. Wind and mirage. Figuring the wind is one problem then add in which dot is actually the real one, at the same time, is a bigger problem for this old fella.

I don't know about trying to make friends with the wind. at best I can hope for is it likes me better than the other shooters!
As for mirage well, he has no favorites and treats most the same.

Lee

 

[PWNolan]

Good luck, if you range is like the one here today will be one condition then tomorrow another.

Lee

Seems like it's either from the south or north. Last week it was from the south. The tropical storm that came through east of us caused the wind to change to be from the north. It was blowing pretty good this afternoon. Hard to get a read on any one condition. It's supposed to be the same tomorrow but hopefully not quite as strong in the morning. Tomorrow we have a six card club tournament. I'm pretty sure the last two cards will be challenging

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

Seems like it's either from the south or north. Last week it was from the south. The tropical storm that came through east of us caused the wind to change to be from the north. It was blowing pretty good this afternoon. Hard to get a read on any one condition. It's supposed to be the same tomorrow but hopefully not quite as strong in the morning. Tomorrow we have a six card club tournament. I'm pretty sure the last two cards will be challenging

Our range faces south and majority of the time the wind comes from the east, north-east, so we get a left-right. it never stays consistent always changes.

good luck today.

Lee

 

[boltman13]

I do most of my shooting at 2 different ranges, one typically has little or no wind, the other is almost always showing tricky and gusty wind. We shoot both 50 and 100 yard BR Score matches at the windy one and 50 yards at the other. The same shooters seem to score near the top on both ranges and distances. Often with near perfect scores. Funny how practice, good equipment, good technique, experience and skill keeps your shots well centered in any condition.

 

[JimSC]

There is a more to wind reading than I ever guessed. I try to learn a bit every time I go to the range, and I practice in the wind whenever possible.

 

[TRSR8]

IMHO, in competition, the single biggest challenge for wind shooting is when you must shoot a target with two switching conditions in higher wind values. Here it happens with regularity.
Second choice would be, particularly for newer guys, establishing the “ prevailing/repeatable” condition.

 

[JimSC]

I tried a new fun game yesterday,. Fire the first shot of a group at the bull, not using any old off for the wind. Then try and get the second through the 5th shot in the same hole as the first either by waiting for the initial condition to return or by using varying hold offs

 

[spclark]

45-70 in a high wind, over 30 minutes windage to hit a 4x8 ft target at 800 yds. (Soule sights). This wasn't over flat land which also affected vertical.

Just saying you have to learn the wind. Practice in windy conditions.

Sacre you posted this in a Rimfire & Smallbore forum you know?

(You really, really shoot targets at 800 yds? With 22lr?)

 

[sacre]

Yes I know, but actually a 45-70 shooting black powder has short range ballistics pretty close to 22lr. Both are pretty close in wind drift too. Was just used as an example of reading the wind. I have shot 22lr out to 400 yd gongs used for bpcr shooting. Not that hard to hit!! It is hard to hear the hit... need a still, quiet day.

 

[1813benny]

Nothing beats direct experience shooting in the wind and knowing how your rifle / ammo combination performs in a wide range of conditions.

 

[Downhill]

Not rimfire but I remember a Service Rifle Match (late 90's early 2k's) we shot in the rain. Had to blow the rain water out of the rear aperture for every shot at 600 yds. Laid in about 1 1/4 inch of puddled rain water. Don't remember anyone laying out. Actually one of my highest scores in Across the Course.

 

[BowChamp]

Nothing beats direct experience shooting in the wind and knowing how your rifle / ammo combination performs in a wide range of conditions.

This is true!!

 

[davidjoe]

Perfect day in south Texas. Driving the match gear to the range this morning, on an elevated interchange arm I look east to see this wind indicator, and grab the phone camera.



The bright dot over that “i” is a starship going about mach 12.

And that plume magnified 5X through a dirty window, at speed, is 10 million pounds of spent fuel!

 

[Williwaw]

Seems excessive, I just use flags.


Thanks for the picture @davidjoe.