Recommendations on wind flags

[fx77]

I like carbon river windflags
and the Wind Probe ..by Gene Beggs

 

[artbosco]

I guess the point of all of this is that the conditions in different parts of the country probably favor different wind reading equipment.

I think your right!

 

[artbosco]

Along with my flags, it sure would be nice to have one of these too. Nice!

 

[Jayman_10x]

Surveyor's hot orange ribbon tied on 48" wood lathe spaced about 50 yards apart. Total cost < $20 and lasts indefinitely. Not very sophisticated but works just fine.

Jason

 

[butchlambert]

Where can you buy a couple wood lathes for $20.
Butch

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Surveyor's hot orange ribbon tied on 48" wood lathe spaced about 50 yards apart. Total cost < $20 and lasts indefinitely. Not very sophisticated but works just fine.

Jason

While surveyor tape beats using nothing at all by a mile, it just doesn't come close to flags. It's primarily used in conjunction with flags as a visual indicator of velocity, and quickly maxes out.
By all means though, use it if you can't have better. It will at least tell you when not to pull the trigger if the condition is obviously changing, like a big switch or let up. --Mike

 

[Jayman_10x]

Where can you buy a couple wood lathes for $20.
Butch

Home Depot, for example. Last spring I purchased a bundle (50 count) for about $15.

 

[BoydAllen]

I think that Butch was pointing out that a lathe is a tool, and the thin wood things that were originally used as a base for interior plaster are spelled lath, as in lath and plaster.
Boyd

 

[Jayman_10x]

Surveyor's hot orange ribbon tied on 48" wood lathe spaced about 50 yards apart. Total cost < $20 and lasts indefinitely. Not very sophisticated but works just fine.

Jason

While surveyor tape beats using nothing at all by a mile, it just doesn't come close to flags. It's primarily used in conjunction with flags as a visual indicator of velocity, and quickly maxes out.
By all means though, use it if you can't have better. It will at least tell you when not to pull the trigger if the condition is obviously changing, like a big switch or let up. --Mike

So you are telling us you can accurately interpret wind speed from a sophisticated wind vane and adjust your point of aim accordingly? I'd have to see it first.

If you want to know wind speed why not buy an anemometer? Obviously it doesn't tell you speeds downrange, but if you want to be precise that will tell you wind speed and direction (on some models) better than a wind vane does.

I've known many shooters who show up to the range with every gadget imaginable. Looks cool. Only problem is the results never justify their philosophy. No thanks - I'll go down with my cheap ribbons before needlessly dumping money into unfounded gadgets.

Jason

 

[Jayman_10x]

I think that Butch was pointing out that a lathe is a tool, and the thin wood things that were originally used as a base for interior plaster are spelled lath, as in lath and plaster.
Boyd

That's correct Boyd. Forgive any mis-spellings.

thanks,
Jason

 

[butchlambert]

Jason,
If you go to a couple matches you will see a variety of flags. You sure don't learn to read them without a few years experience. If you are shooting a hunting rifle, the surveyor's tape will help you. I don't think the hand held wind meters help as you would need several and they would be hard to see downrange.
Butch

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Surveyor's hot orange ribbon tied on 48" wood lathe spaced about 50 yards apart. Total cost < $20 and lasts indefinitely. Not very sophisticated but works just fine.

Jason

While surveyor tape beats using nothing at all by a mile, it just doesn't come close to flags. It's primarily used in conjunction with flags as a visual indicator of velocity, and quickly maxes out.
By all means though, use it if you can't have better. It will at least tell you when not to pull the trigger if the condition is obviously changing, like a big switch or let up. --Mike

So you are telling us you can accurately interpret wind speed from a sophisticated wind vane and adjust your point of aim accordingly? I'd have to see it first.

Jason, what I'm telling you is that there are changes in what the wind is doing downrange, constantly, and that flags do a much better job of giving the shooter a visual indicator of those changes and their value than ribbon alone. And yes, holding off is part of the game, but I much prefer to know that the wind is doing the same thing for each shot and I simply hold the same POA. Flags visibly show the changes better than tails alone. It's hard to read angle changes at distance. That's why BR shooters use flags instead of ribbon alone...the flags simply do the same thing, only much, much better.

If you want to know wind speed why not buy an anemometer? Obviously it doesn't tell you speeds downrange, but if you want to be precise that will tell you wind speed and direction (on some models) better than a wind vane does.

You're right! A hand held anemometer doesn't tell you anything at all about whats happening downrange...where it matters. IBS does not allow the use of electronic wind reading devices. NBRSA does, and they are actually being used, but at this time, they aren't without their problems. There are mechanical anemometers that are perfectly legal, just not very helpful. Tough suckers to read from 100 yards away, and to my knowledge, only show speed.

I've known many shooters who show up to the range with every gadget imaginable. Looks cool. Only problem is the results never justify their philosophy. No thanks - I'll go down with my cheap ribbons before needlessly dumping money into unfounded gadgets.

Jason, I've never seen anyone show up at a registered 100-200 or 300 yard match, without flags, win. Every single winner, without exception has used flags. To the winners, flags are tools of the game, as much as wrenches are to a mechanic. Some gadgets are actually pretty good, and they work for what they are used for.....toilet paper comes to mind. Now there's a nifty gadget right there. Who'd thunk it, when corn cobs worked so well? --Mike

Jason

 

[rayporter]

well

once upon a time there was this trotline that i ran into a couple of times

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

well

once upon a time there was this trotline that i ran into a couple of times

I'm sorry, Ray...what's your point?--Mike

 

[butchlambert]

Mike,
You haven't been around much. I'll see if I still have a picture. Jerry Hensler used them at the Nationals one year and unfortunately I was on that flag relay.
Came back the next day and it caught a fish.
Butch

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Mike,
You haven't been around much. I'll see if I still have a picture. Jerry Hensler used them at the Nationals one year and unfortunately I was on that flag relay.
Came back the next day and it caught a fish.
Butch

Thanks Butch! Was that one of Jerry's electronic flag setups?--Mike

 

[butchlambert]

No,
He had a string that went out about 85yards. The string had about 10" size rollers every 20yds. They rolled on a base that had marks on it. I haven't found my photo of it yet. Somebody did find a fish or 2 and hooked them on the string one night.
Butch

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

LOL...I can certainly see the trot line analogy now.--Mike

 

[Jayman_10x]

Jason,
If you go to a couple matches you will see a variety of flags. You sure don't learn to read them without a few years experience. If you are shooting a hunting rifle, the surveyor's tape will help you. I don't think the hand held wind meters help as you would need several and they would be hard to see downrange.
Butch

Butch,

What idiot would set a hand held wind meter downrange? Please use common sense. My point was a hand held wind meter will read wind at the firing line more reliably than interpreting the same from a wind vane. Of course it cannot read wind further downrange. Yikes.

 

[butchlambert]

Jason,
Just go to some matches and see what they are using. A handheld wind indicator at the bench is not much help. It will tell you the speed at that second. You will need to be holding it in your hand to be able to turn it into the wind. What happens in the time you put it down and get back on the gun and fire. If it doesn't change in that amount of time, what about down range? If you go to a real match you won't find one of your wind meters.

If you have confidence in one by all means use it.
Butch