pursuing the "no wind zero"

[whysman]

Ok... this is a dumb question, but I am going to ask it anyway.

For those of you who live in areas where wind is just a daily part of life, I wanted to hear your feedback. I am in San Antonio and finding a day/time with no wind (which is rare in the first place) and then having that synch up with a time that I can actually get out and get a no wind zero, is.. problematic.

I am shooting f-class and prefer to hold-off shoot rather than clicking L/R several times a match. In the interest of consistency, I would like to get a true no wind zero and use that instead of making due with my last adjustment and holding off based on that (that last part made more sense in my head).

I fully realize that even if one were to get a perfect "no wind" zero at say 100 yards, etc... that due to spin drift and other factors shooting at another distance (say 1000 yards) would require a different "no wind" L/R zero. So given all my blathering on, give me your thoughts on how you get your no wind zero.

In the past I have heard the following..
1) just wait it out until you get a no wind day and zero at your desired distance (most obvious, but as I said, problematic for me)
2) establish a "no wind" zero at extremely short range, say 25 yards. (the thought here is that as long as the wind isn't crazy, the short distance will render it negligible)
3) find the longest indoor range that you can.
4) use a bore laser to as long a distance as you can see it and use that as your "no wind zero" (I have only heard this one once and it was from a shooter I have a lot of respect for. I understand the theory that regardless of elevation it will give you a good representation of where you want to be regarding L/R adjustment with zero wind, but it just doesn't seem right to me)

I have a 100 yard indoor range that is a couple hours away that I think I am going to try out and once I establish the zero, I may want to compare with #4 to see if that is realistic.

Thoughts?

 

[Nomad47]

For my 284 Winchester shooting 180 Hybrids, what I would do for my no wind zero (and including spin drift) is find a location where the wind is from 6 or 12 o'clock and zero at 100, maybe 200 yards. Then I would click another .5 MOA left to counter spin drift.
Of course every rifle and every bullet/load is different, but I will bet for most F Open shooters that spin drift is close to the same as a 1 MPH wind from 3 o'clock.

 

[Steve Blair]

Same as you, Bill. I figure 1/2 MOA from 300 to 1000. I get to the range at 0800, when they open, zero at 300 and put another 1/2 MOA left. This is with my .284 Shehane and .300 WSM. It ends up pretty close at 1000.

 

[Erik Cortina]

whysman, just sight in 3/4" left at 100 yards and it will put you really close on your drift at 1,000 yards. You don't need to drive to Red's in Austin, just go to "A place to shoot" or "Bracken" or any if those ranges and do like I suggested.

Do you shoot in New Braunsfels or Bayou?

 

[Texas Solo]

Whysman, if you're shooting at CTSA, a no wind day is rare. However, you may want to do as I do: I check the weather report for winds at zip code 78132. If it's a South or North wind, you're good to go, as the range faces due South. When the wind prediction aligns with my time off work, I'm there. Also get there early, about 0800. The winds are usually very mild then, if at all. I set my windage zero at 500 meters on those days.

Also listen to Erik. I met him at the last CTSA shoot, nice guy. And I loved all the motel room stories from his travels.
Like the redneck muddy truck at a 5 star hotel, or the shower stall door he couldn't figure out how to open. LOL!!!!
Thanks for the laughs Erik.

 

[Erik Cortina]

TX solo, I think BJ's story was the best or all. The one when he went to shoot at Bayou Rifle Club and didn't know where to stay and it was late at night and he was very tired. He said he pulled into a motel in south Houston and as he was unloading his gear, he noticed the room had a round bed and the whole ceiling was a mirror! ROFL

 

[whysman]

Thanks Erik & Texas Solo -

It's a small world. I was at the "aggregate" match last week and was in slotted in relay 5 & 7... Erik, I believe you were also in relay 5 and I bow to your superior skill and ability to read the wind, that was impressive. I'm still fairly new to f-class and I found those conditions to be quite humbling. Even so, I enjoyed the experience and came away with a greater appreciation for holding off vs. tracking clicks as in relay 5 I was still messing with clicking around even after the sighters, but in relay 7 I took my sighters and just held off accordingly. I still didn't score what I would have liked, but did a helluva lot better than relay 5! I haven't been to Bayou yet, but that is definitely the plan.

TX solo - I do practice at CTSA quite often and absolutely agree that the morning is the time to go...I usually try to get there by 8:00/8:30. Unfortunately at least the last 3-4 times I have been able to go there has been just enough crosswind to get into my head that I can't get a "no wind zero". It is very possible that I am just overreacting and should go with what I have and adjust accordingly during the sighters.

Thanks for all the insight guys, I greatly appreciate it!

 

[whysman]

Also wanted to thank Nomad47 and sleepygator for their input! Much appreciated!

 

[effendude]

The same trick works on hunting rifles too. I sight in all of my rifles for about 1 MOA of left windage at 100 yards, that keeps them real close to a perfect no wind zero out to 1000 assuming the scope/rifle is level.

No comment on the round bed and mirror story...

Scott

 

[Erik Cortina]

The CTSA match actually was not that hard, conditions were tough but very readable if you know what to look for. Hint: Ignore the flags there, they are too small and too low to tell anything useful. Mirage is usually like an open book at CTSA.

whysman, are you shooting T/R or Open class?

 

[whysman]

Maybe not that hard for a high master! 8) Seriously though, thanks for the insight!

I'm shooting T/R (.308)

 

[Jim See]

To negate the spin drift compensation using your windage dial, you can set your scope slightly off of level so as you crank up elevation, your reticle moves slightly to the right, thus you counter this by moving the gun to the left with-out moving your windage. This creates an incremental movement as you dial up, so it is not a set 1/2-1moa error to a true no wind zero thru the yardage spread from 100-1000. But you must then use a bubble level on your gun, that is level to the gun, and not level to the cross-wire in the scope. Don't ask, think about it for a day, it works.

and it is much easier to do with a ebr, np-r1, ect. style reticle with moa hashes up and down for 20-40 moa. with the hash marks being a known moa dimension. I try and get this type of scope setting before the gun is ever shot.

All this no wind zero talk relies on ones own ability to keep a gun perfectly level as possible during all shooting outings. If you could shoot under a "perfect world" conditions with no wind and no phenomenon of spin drift you could still have a right to left shift, noticeable at LR, if you cant your gun one degree right or left, from what your perfectly level 100 yard zero was.

 

[4xforfun]

I don't wait for "no wind days". I shoot at night....like midnight...2 am....whenever!!! I shoot out to 1200 yards.

 

[Bob Sebold]

One fool proof way of getting a no wind zero is have Bob Mead or Ricky Hunt coach you for a string. By the time you are done with 20 rds for record they will have your zero. I think either might be available for a small fee. Look them up under US F class coaching team.

 

[Erik Cortina]

One fool proof way of getting a no wind zero is have Bob Mead or Ricky Hunt coach you for a string. By the time you are done with 20 rds for record they will have your zero. I think either might be available for a small fee. Look them up under US F class coaching team.

That's true, Bob Mead coached for Team Lapua in Phoenix and by the end of a windy string, he would tell us what our no wind zero was. I kept the same no wind zero the rest of the week. ;D

 

[Steve Blair]

One fool proof way of getting a no wind zero is have Bob Mead or Ricky Hunt coach you for a string. By the time you are done with 20 rds for record they will have your zero. I think either might be available for a small fee. Look them up under US F class coaching team.

That's true, Bob Mead coached for Team Lapua in Phoenix and by the end of a windy string, he would tell us what our no wind zero was. I kept the same no wind zero the rest of the week. ;D

[br]
I still use that zero Bob set.

 

[effendude]

For al of you up in the Midwest, Rick Hunt and Steve Knutson will be giving a wind reading clinic and helping coach some 600 yard/2 man team shooting this Saturday. Details are in the item titled Wind Clinic Event on the competition page!
Scott

 

[Leaddog]

I don't worry too much about a perfect 100 yard zero. I use my sighters to bracket the conditions and dial to the center of that. If I have to start holding outside of the 9 ring under changing conditions, I make a minor windage adjustment.

Mirage is your friend. Learn to read it and use wind flags to confirm direction. Stay in your scope at all times when shooting a record string. Don't worry about putting your fired cases back into the box until you are finished. I like to lay out all my rounds on my mat so that I can stay in the scope. If you miss a let off and shoot an 8, it will probably take you out of the competition.

Good shooting and have fun.

 

[CZ550]

I don't wait for "no wind days". I shoot at night....like midnight...2 am....whenever!!! I shoot out to 1200 yards.

^^^^ Works for me