• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

Wind flags

With wind flags for short range benchrest do you find that the daisy wheel flags are slower to read direction change when the wheel is spinning ? Also do you find the speed change of the wind hard to read do to the momentum of the wheel being slow to speed up and slow?

Im currently using Grahm ball flags and find the quick to react to direction change but am thinking about adding something in to help with wind speed changes.
 
Daises are like flywheels, slow to start up and slow to stop. Graham makes good flags, but if I added anything it would e a pinwheel. They respond instantly to wind changes.
Could you possibly give me an example of a pinwheel wind flag? I wouldnt mind adding another flag into the mix. my last .22lr shoot the majority of the x's i missed were from wind speed changes not direction changes.

I find that some of the daisy wheel flags at the range when they are up to speed seem to resist changing direction do to the momentum of the wheel. Maybe im imagining things.
 
Could you possibly give me an example of a pinwheel wind flag? I wouldnt mind adding another flag into the mix. my last .22lr shoot the majority of the x's i missed were from wind speed changes not direction changes.

I find that some of the daisy wheel flags at the range when they are up to speed seem to resist changing direction do to the momentum of the wheel. Maybe im imagining things.
Mike Ezell's flags react to changes quickly. I personally use them with sail tails and find the tails easy to read now that I have been behind them for a while.

Regards
Rick
 
Ive noticed both the BRT and Ezell flags have the pivot pin on the flag where my Grahm has it on the adapter. With the Grahm adapter i just screw it onto a light stand with a 1/4 ×20 post. Is there an adapter to use either the BRT or Ezell on the same stands? I also use a swivel ball top to level my flags.
 
I’m with you on the response time for flags with the daisy wheels. I don’t use daisies and rely on the sail tail angle to tell me wind speed. I’ve also noticed the flags with pinwheels aren’t slowed in direction changes.
 
I’m with you on the response time for flags with the daisy wheels. I don’t use daisies and rely on the sail tail angle to tell me wind speed. I’ve also noticed the flags with pinwheels aren’t slowed in direction changes.
How do you like the sail tail over the standard ribbon tails?
 
Ive noticed both the BRT and Ezell flags have the pivot pin on the flag where my Grahm has it on the adapter. With the Grahm adapter i just screw it onto a light stand with a 1/4 ×20 post. Is there an adapter to use either the BRT or Ezell on the same stands? I also use a swivel ball top to level my flags.
Mike Ezell made me a set adapters to use his flags with my light stands.
 
Because the daisy wheels are like flywheels, they are slow to start turning and also slow to stop turning. You can't use them to give you wind speed because they are always behind the curve so to speak. I really only use the daisy to help me estimate the angle of the flag and it helps you to easily determine if the flag is pointing at you or away from you if you paint one vane a different color. That way, you can quickly determine if you are looking at the front or the back of the daisy.
Wind speed is better estimated by the angle of the tails. You just learn how much push you are going to get from a certain angle the tail is showing.
sail tails tend to flutter less than ribbons or surveyors tape but they are heavier and work better when the winds are a little stronger. For very light winds, the ribbons or surveyors tape probably reacts quicker than sail tails.

I am not a rimfire shooter but recently spectated at a large rimfire match. Many of the shooters were using a somewhat smaller double vane flag with no daisy. One of the shooters told me they were able to read the angle of the wind better using these double vane flags as opposed to the traditional single vane flag. It also seemed that most of them used flags without daisies or pinwheels. Some were using flags with a small two blade propeller on the front. They seemed to react pretty quickly as well. But note again, I was not shooting this match. Only watching.
 
I have a set of Hood flags, with all the options. Regular vanes, large vanes, daisy wheels and they can be set up without. IMO the ribbon is the most responsive indicator for speed changes, and for that matter changes in direction. That is where I keep my attention focused if I am in doubt, if things are switchy. With all the parts and pieces I have been able to test for which configuration is the most responsive. The winner was the regular vanes, with the counterweight that is meant to work with the daisy wheels, extended far enough out in front of the pivot to balance the flag.
1629271227995.png
 
I have a set of Hood flags, with all the options. Regular vanes, large vanes, daisy wheels and they can be set up without. IMO the ribbon is the most responsive indicator for speed changes, and for that matter changes in direction. That is where I keep my attention focused if I am in doubt, if things are switchy. With all the parts and pieces I have been able to test for which configuration is the most responsive. The winner was the regular vanes, with the counterweight that is meant to work with the daisy wheels, extended far enough out in front of the pivot to balance the flag.
View attachment 1274116
Are these still in production?
CW
 
Ive noticed both the BRT and Ezell flags have the pivot pin on the flag where my Grahm has it on the adapter. With the Grahm adapter i just screw it onto a light stand with a 1/4 ×20 post. Is there an adapter to use either the BRT or Ezell on the same stands? I also use a swivel ball top to level my flags.

By some 1/2" aluminum rod, cut in 1" lengths, drill and tap 1/4x20 and turn and drill the other end to fit your pin.
 
I prefer the sail tail because they help in determining wind speed due to the fact they act like an airfoil. I store them in a 1 inch PVC tube to form the the tail in a cupped form. They stay straight and don’t flutter like surveyor’s tape. I made mine out of 1.5 ounce per square yard kite material. Mine are two inches wide and I have various lengths for different ranges.
 
When I shot benchrest I made my own flags with dual rear fins, and daisy wheels. After some trial and error, I clipped every other blade off the daisy wheels and painted one blade black. They were much more responsive to direction changes. Just an FYI that worked quite well for me.

Paul
 
I bought delrin 1" x 12" and cut & drilled to attach ezell flags to light stands & golf ball retrievers. Not too hard to do.

Big daisy blades are slow. Small daisy wheels do ok. I prefer ezell flags they are what im use to.
 
I shoot long and short range benchrest.. also shoot rimfire and air rifle benchrest.

I can say that wind flags are different for each of these shooting venues.

The main difference for rimfire and air rifle venues are the flag and tails are smaller and more responsive. The flag vane is smaller lighter, the spinners move with lighter air flows, the tails are made from VCR tape, they flutter with a puff of air.

One of the best flags for each of these venues are the Graham Flags. For long range he makes a giant wind vane configuration to see at longer distance.. Go to a short range centerfire bench rest match.. all Graham flags.

Graham makes one of the best air rifle and rimfire flags,... lighter, more responsive, simple, they just work....
 

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Forum statistics

Threads
165,634
Messages
2,199,993
Members
79,028
Latest member
Stanwa
Back
Top