Competition wind reads technique

[garandman]

I think I found my problem (prolly obvious to everyone else) but I think I'm just late breaking the shot after my wind read (wind flags w/ tails) after the wind has already changed.

So.... what's proper technique?

1. Read wind with left eye ( RH shooters) while simultaneously sighting target with right eye, and break the shot doing both?

2. Or get more aggressive on the trigger, read wind with left eye, then switch to right eye, and break the shot fast?

I was practicing #1 today, and when I got it right, it seems to work well. I'm gonna need to develop that skill tho....

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

All of the above but more importantly, watch the other competitors flags, as they'll show the condition change before it gets to your bench. For practice, it's a good idea to set a flag or two to either side of your main flags. Keep in mind, a 10mph wind is moving at roughly 14.6fps, so 15ft apart only gives 1 second of time for you to put on the brakes...minus their reaction time. A slow flag placed 15 ft away is basically worthless. Get a more responsive flag or simply move it further away. I think it's best to have the same flags on both sides but you can't always have that. And a slow flag, is just that..slow.

 

[Fuj]

Watch a Tony Boyer video.

 

[garandman]

All of the above but more importantly, watch the other competitors flags, as they'll show the condition change before it gets to your bench. For practice, it's a good idea to set a flag or two to either side of your main flags. Keep in mind, a 10mph wind is moving at roughly 14.6fps, so 15ft apart only gives 1 second of time for you to put on the brakes...minus their reaction time. A slow flag placed 15 ft away is basically worthless. Get a more responsive flag or simply move it further away. I think it's best to have the same flags on both sides but you can't always have that. And a slow flag, is just that..slow.

Thus far, I'm using 1 flag at 15-20 yd for 50 yd BR.

The thinking there is the wind at 15 yd is going to have the most impact on a 50 yd target. The wind at 30 and 40 yd will have an effect but less so than the wind at 15. Or so some guys who've been competing 30 yrs told me.

Right now I think using multiple flags in my shooting lane and especially looking at other people's wind flags all at the same time are just too much data for me to process just yet.

I'll give it a try, tho. Thx.

 

[Shooter13]

Thus far, I'm using 1 flag at 15-20 yd for 50 yd BR.

The thinking there is the wind at 15 yd is going to have the most impact on a 50 yd target. The wind at 30 and 40 yd will have an effect but less so than the wind at 15. Or so some guys who've been competing 30 yrs told me.

Right now I think using multiple flags in my shooting lane and especially looking at other people's wind flags all at the same time are just too much data for me to process just yet.

I'll give it a try, tho. Thx.

Humm, at 15 yards the bullet is going faster than at 50 yards so it looks like the opposite would be true...but again that show how much I know, I don't think God is going to give me long enough on this earth to get that good but hey! You never know, right????

 

[std7mag]

Minute of angle.
A small movement close to the shooter is going to have a bigger effect the further down range you go.

 

[garandman]

Minute of angle.
A small movement close to the shooter is going to have a bigger effect the further down range you go.

That's why my main wind read is 15ish yards from the muzzle.

 

[Cloudrepair]

I think I found my problem (prolly obvious to everyone else) but I think I'm just late breaking the shot after my wind read (wind flags w/ tails) after the wind has already changed.

So.... what's proper technique?

1. Read wind with left eye ( RH shooters) while simultaneously sighting target with right eye, and break the shot doing both?

2. Or get more aggressive on the trigger, read wind with left eye, then switch to right eye, and break the shot fast?

I was practicing #1 today, and when I got it right, it seems to work well. I'm gonna need to develop that skill tho....

I'm blind in my left eye so I'll need a different approach

 

[Greyfox]

While one flag is certainly better than none, it's not much. Of course, your range may be different than most where I compete, but on my home range and most of the ones where I compete a minimum of four at 100 is necessary to get a semi-accurate picture of what the wind is doing. It's not necessary for all four to be doing the same thing for your shot consistency, just they they all are individually consistent. For example, you may have a swirl where the first two flags are in one direction and the second two are opposite. That's fine as long as they stay that way. Your sighters will tell you what to do.

One thing to keep in mind that many overlook, is the fact that if you don't have a very accurate rifle that is in tune, wind charts may not help you much. The flags will help, but you won't stack them in the same hole without and accurate rifle in tune and enough flags to see the variance. Additional flags may initially give you more information that you can handle, but they are necessary. Attend a benchrest match and see how many, if any, only use one flag.

Rick

 

[garandman]

I'm blind in my left eye so I'll need a different approach

I'm not, but I feel that.

 

[garandman]

@Greyfox .... (as stated above) this is for 50 yard rimfire BR. But I get your point.

 

[Shooter13]

While one flag is certainly better than none, it's not much. Of course, your range may be different than most where I compete, but on my home range and most of the ones where I compete a minimum of four at 100 is necessary to get a semi-accurate picture of what the wind is doing. It's not necessary for all four to be doing the same thing for your shot consistency, just they they all are individually consistent. For example, you may have a swirl where the first two flags are in one direction and the second two are opposite. That's fine as long as they stay that way. Your sighters will tell you what to do.

One thing to keep in mind that many overlook, is the fact that if you don't have a very accurate rifle that is in tune, wind charts may not help you much. The flags will help, but you won't stack them in the same hole without and accurate rifle in tune and enough flags to see the variance. Additional flags may initially give you more information that you can handle, but they are necessary. Attend a benchrest match and see how many, if any, only use one flag.

Rick

Attend a benchrest match and see how many, if any, only use one flag.

None

 

[garandman]

None

Understood. I compete regualrly, and I'm right there with all the guys using a half dozen flags on a 50 yard course.... flag w/ tails, whirly birds, gigs, uppy-downers, propellers, etc I'm top 3 with them 90% of the time.

But for sake discussion, what I'm not understanding is how you process all that data from 4+ flags at once, in real time, to get a shot off, before winds change.

Its prolly same where you shoot as I do.... winds swirling, switching, constant change being the only constant.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Understood. I compete regualrly, and I'm right there with all the guys using a half dozen flags on a 50 yard course.... flag w/ tails, whirly birds, gigs, uppy-downers, propellers, etc I'm top 3 with them 90% of the time.

But for sake discussion, what I'm not understanding is how you process all that data from 4+ flags at once, in real time, to get a shot off, before winds change.

Its prolly same where you shoot as I do.... winds swirling, switching, constant change being the only constant.

Yes, there are times when it's not easy but look at it this way...just because you didn't have 5 flags out doesn't mean the wind isnt doing 5 different things. I'd rather know, than not. If it's too confusing, try to wait it out. If you can't, do the best ya can.

 

[garandman]

Yes, there are times when it's not easy but look at it this way...just because you didn't have 5 flags out doesn't mean the wind isnt doing 5 different things. I'd rather know, than not. If it's too confusing, try to wait it out. If you can't, do the best ya can.

Next logical step would be 2 flags at once, I think.... or a different flag that tells me something different.