Wind Flags?

[RabbitSlayer]

I do already use surveyor ribbon at the target for 100 yards and at 1100 yards.

There are no trees or grass.

There is often little to no mirage to speak of. I guess it is because it is so dry? Or maybe it is because I dont shoot when its hot? Or because the ground surface is very uniform desert pavement? It was about 90 last weekend and there was a lot of mirage at 100.

I currently wait for calm days < 10 mph forecast for load development and shooting 1100. Thats not helping my prairie dog skills as its usually 15 to 30 mph.

This is how it is around here, barren.

 

[DaWhit]

Guy at our club uses these DIY flags to supplement his bigger, more expensive flags and cover more yardages. Relatively cheap to make and light weight. Electric fence posts from Tractor Supply, coat hanger, ribbon, and a fishing swivel.




Drill a hole down through the top short of the length on the hanger leg so it swivels around, they work pretty well for the cost and effort and could be used in a hunting situation if a person wanted to pack them in.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I agree to use everything at your disposal but the OP didn’t mention shooting short range BR or ground hog matches in PA, he mention shooting on public land in the dry and from what I gather rocky ( high country) that a 4x4 is used to get there.

True enough but load development time is prime wind flag time, too. I totally understand flags aren't often practical for hunting but doing load work is tough unless you know why a shot comes out of your groups. Skipping over sweet spots is chasing your tail doing load work in an accurate rifle. I'll also add that I wouldn't waste much effort on flags if the gun is a 2 moa rifle and the condition is only worth 1/2 moa. This is an accuracy forum and wind flags are paramount to consistently good accuracy, imo. But no, they aren't always feasible.
On ribbon, the worst part about it is that it's almost impossible to see head or tail wind components at distance. You can see it's going left or right easy enough but hard to say if it's coming at or away from ya at the same time. It's all relative. I don't know a soul that started their shooting or hunting careers with flags unless it was strictly br related from the start. We all managed to put meat in the freezer without them. But our ranges have extended and our efficiency has improved. Our equipment is better and so are our loads and components. All to the point where if someone wants sub condition accuracy, it's relatively easy to get today. That's when flags are golden.

 

[tmwinds]

Go with the Ezell flags and stands. They won’t lie to you.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Go with the Ezell flags and stands. They won’t lie to you.

I build lies into every set. Lol! They sure enough have lied to me. Lol! Thank you for the kind words though. They really are good flags. To each their own but yes, IMHO, the best available. Everyone should check them out before buying whatever they decide on.

 

[cem]

My own are long discontinued Sinclair. I started with tripod music stands from charity resale with surveyor's tape just to explore the notion at minimal expense. These days I might use tripods from an Oehler 35P - I have two of the Oehler when a second one was offered to me at a price I could not turn down as obsoleted by a radar rig - but those may need sandbagging depending on actual winds and location.

I do believe that shooting to test equipment or maybe the shooter on a range without wind flags is just plinking. I can't say it's worth the time, effort and money but I also believe an unlimited a rail gun is the better way to learn to read the wind; know when the group size grows it's the wind and not the rifle.

My observation is that wind flags in use have become more and more sensitive with finer and finer gradations so to speak as accuracy standards have grown finer and finer. I am not competitive, and make no effort to be, so the less sensitive Sinclair work for my purposes and pocketbook.

For a buy once cry once approach buying a current top end set of at least five may be the way to go.

So bottom line, I suggest improvising something that may have more friction than the best and shooting until you decide you need/want something more sensitive with more information to allow finer adjustments at the cost of actually making ever finer adjustments in point of aim.

 

[JEFFPPC]

I agree to use everything at your disposal but the OP didn’t mention shooting short range BR or ground hog matches in PA, he mention shooting on public land in the dry and from what I gather rocky ( high country) that a 4x4 is used to get there.

Shooting is shooting. I certainly use what at learn in the brain game while hunting. Just saying.