practicing with new flags

[Eric Leonard]

just got flags and trying to get a grip on how much each change will actually move a 105 VLD at 300 yards from a 6BR,,shot these 3 groups today in what seemed like not to bad wind until I put flags out and the head wind would change from 10 to 2 oclock and back sometimes every 2-3 seconds,,

shot group in middle first and first 3 shots are in one hole to right,,my first flag at 15 and second at 70 picked up on 4th shot and the 3rd flag at 150 cranked up on the 5th as in the first flag picture,

second group shot is on the right and had a head wind that was switching to the left and speed up and slow down then the last group on left shots were alternating back and forth between the two spots,,

I gots plenty to learn but a lot of fliers I been having were nothing but small switches that are impossible to see without something to show me what was happening,,

maybe I will catch on ,,

 

[370bc]

With a forum name such as yours, you need a sig such as this. http://tinyurl.com/htrqxmc
I have used the sinclair windflags. Cant really make any group analysis w/o out them.
Good shooting my friend!

 

[Jason Boersma]

You will learn a lot shooting over wind flags, especially working up a load you will know each shot was fired in the same condition.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

When you aint shooting study em in your yard. Take one flag at a time when youre shooting and wait for a change then shoot with the same aiming point. Lesson is to learn what each flag does. Each Distance does something totally different- you gotta figure out the magnitude of each. Putting them out in your yard to watch gives you a lesson on the time it takes for conditions to hold and lets you recognize the prevailing condition.

 

[Eric Leonard]

thats kinda what I was doing today Dusty,,I didnt really wait for a switch but just shot a slow pace maybe 7-8 minutes per group and walked out and adjusted poles up and down between groups,,also adjusted scope between groups to get impact in white where I can see bullet holes easier ,,

after I got done I marked the poles 1-4 and marked the poles height adjustment with a majic marker and marked the ground so it wont take but a minute to put them up and adjusted to see through the scope and shoot,,,,

 

[memilanuk]

Nice! Any info on that tall pole on the first flag?

I've got a few that I purchased from a BR guy a while ago... four heads, two tripod bases. I need to get something taller for the other two due to how our range is laid out. That and I need to start *using* them more...

 

[Eric Leonard]

all the poles are the same,,you twist them and they telescope out to 17 feet,,the 4th one at 250 yards is about 14 feet high,,

 

[memilanuk]

Any details on where you got them...

 

[dmoran]

What brand are the poles?
Who sells them?

Thanks <> Donovan

 

[Eric Leonard]

http://www.flyingfishfundamentals.com/

 

[rayjay]

Your poles really need to be as rigid as possible and they need to be vertical. If they are leaned over the flaq will bias in that direction causing confusion.

I let one of our smallbore competitors use one of my rifles in one of our RF BR matches. After sitting there all morning long watching the flags and shooting a good rifle her comment about the smallbore comps was "We have NO IDEA what the wind is really doing".

I don't know how many times I will be putting my stuff away after one of our matches and somebody shows up to do 200 yd load development with no flags. I just watched all morning long as the wind switched up enough to move even a CF an inch or more at 200 here they are expecting MOA groups or better. They could just save the effort by dumping their powder straight out of the container onto the range and throwing their box of bullets onto the berm.

 

[rayjay]

The first time I ever shot over a rudimentary set of ribbons on sticks after my second shot I said to my buddy "There's no way I missed the whole dang target!!" [ 100 yds ]. Turns out the first hole was a tiny bit more ragged after the second shot. It was a thrill. 6BR SSS bbl on a Savage 112 single shot action. I have never been to the range with a precision rifle since that I didn't have flags with me.

 

[Eric Leonard]

yea I can see that also,,this was the first time I put them up and will have a short level next time,,

 

[memilanuk]

I need to actually use mine more... I got a good deal from a guy who was upgrading his, but since I typically shoot F-class, where individual flags aren't allowed, I resisted using them.

When I go to my one BR match per year, everybody else is like "Aren't you going to put out wind flags?" Nah, I'll just use yours

The rub is, they work really, really well. So I'm thinking I probably better start using mine - at least for practice, load development, etc. At matches I may continue to just use everyone elses - too much fun watching everyone run around setting them up!

 

[Eric Leonard]

my problem is I live out in the stix and the range in these pics is my back yard,,and despite what Dawson says I will try it at home,,

 

[Eric Leonard]

With a forum name such as yours, you need a sig such as this. http://tinyurl.com/htrqxmc
I have used the sinclair windflags. Cant really make any group analysis w/o out them.
Good shooting my friend!

I had actually never heard that but it will be alright now,,

 

[370bc]

Your poles really need to be as rigid as possible and they need to be vertical. If they are leaned over the flaq will bias in that direction causing confusion.

I let one of our smallbore competitors use one of my rifles in one of our RF BR matches. After sitting there all morning long watching the flags and shooting a good rifle her comment about the smallbore comps was "We have NO IDEA what the wind is really doing".

I don't know how many times I will be putting my stuff away after one of our matches and somebody shows up to do 200 yd load development with no flags. I just watched all morning long as the wind switched up enough to move even a CF an inch or more at 200 here they are expecting MOA groups or better. They could just save the effort by dumping their powder straight out of the container onto the range and throwing their box of bullets onto the berm.

I was at the range where these two guys were testing a brand new custom rifle that was at least $6000 plus worth of rifle, shooting at 100 yards. No wind flags out,( I had just arrived. I use ribbons mostly.) Anyway, they started to shoot at 200. The groups open up wildly. They were going nuts. They soon packed up and left. I set my equipment up with ribbons and you could not only see the changing directions of the wind, but the mirage in mid saint louis summer heat & humidity. That is when I realized i have much better results that can repeat when shooting right before sunset and in the winter time. Sun goes down and the wind starts to let up along with the mirage.

 

[LHSmith]

My experience is limited to short-range BR 100-300 yds. Ditto on the importance of having the poles true vertical. Not hard to make a small bubble level on delrin rod that mimics the pivot in design. That first flag was definitely lying to you.
Use them every outing and get familiar with them.....learn to shoot BOTH eyes open and hopefully progress to the point where you can absorb the info from the flags in your oft eye (peripheral vision) and simultaneously focus on the reticle and target. It's tough to do, but takes lots of practice- although some conditions such as switching there is little to do but wait for better conditions.
Study them over the course of a an hour or more and you will usually be able to see patterns develop.......repeatable patterns and if you can identify these ebbs and flows you can avoid the shooting bad conditions.
I'm assuming you got Boyers and Ratigans books....remember the daisies are for mainly for direction, the tails are for velocity.
It's like a whole new world shooting over flags.
Two more things -1/ try to place the flags at the same height of the bullet path (in comp. they must below it. 2/ For better visuals "stack" the flags either vertically or horizontally so you can more easily interpret their info.

 

[Terry Altom]

If I still lived back home "out in the sticks" and needed a tall flag, I'd get the extendable extension pole from Home Depot or Lowes, DIY myself a three-point attachment above the bottom section twist lock and guy it out to three stakes. That should let me get it verticle and keep it that way in a little wind.