Wind Reading in a Gale

[SST2500]

OK folks. We shot a 1000 yd. Match here in Texas yesterday and as usual, the wind was ripping. The flags were straight out and I couldn’t see much change during an entire relay (there were definitely let offs and pick ups but the flags weren’t any help in indicating that). I didn’t have a Kestrel but I heard someone that had one say it was 20mph and gusting. Wind was at about 9:30 to 10:30 on the dial. We had solid cloud cover and almost no mirage so that was of no help. I fired 2 sighters (both 10’s) and began the string. As you can see, the first shot was a lovely 8 (8 ONE ON). I compensated and shot an upwind low 9 (I credit the low shots to the wind moving more to the 10:30 angle and pushing the shots low, also acting as a let off). My question here is: When you run into this type of wind condition, does anyone have a method they use to catch the pick ups and let offs in high wind conditions? I heard one shooter say he was watching the flag poles bend for a clue. In a different relay, I had the wind pick up and I didn’t catch it (another 8 out the right side). Mabee one of you wind reading savants could give us some pointers.
Thanks.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Last summer shooting a 100 yard rimfire match I used the sound of a tarp overhead. Down range flags/ indicators were weren't much help as they danced around in gusting 2-3 o'clock winds. The tarp made an easy to hear sound as the gusting would begin to drop, than I could shoot by my zero adjustments.

 

[Alan Warner]

OK folks. We shot a 1000 yd. Match here in Texas yesterday and as usual, the wind was ripping. The flags were straight out and I couldn’t see much change during an entire relay (there were definitely let offs and pick ups but the flags weren’t any help in indicating that). I didn’t have a Kestrel but I heard someone that had one say it was 20mph and gusting. Wind was at about 9:30 to 10:30 on the dial. We had solid cloud cover and almost no mirage so that was of no help. I fired 2 sighters (both 10’s) and began the string. As you can see, the first shot was a lovely 8 (8 ONE ON). I compensated and shot an upwind low 9 (I credit the low shots to the wind moving more to the 10:30 angle and pushing the shots low, also acting as a let off). My question here is: When you run into this type of wind condition, does anyone have a method they use to catch the pick ups and let offs in high wind conditions? I heard one shooter say he was watching the flag poles bend for a clue. In a different relay, I had the wind pick up and I didn’t catch it (another 8 out the right side). Mabee one of you wind reading savants could give us some pointers.
Thanks.

I've found on a good number of occasions the number of ripples in the flag that's above 20 to 25 mph is a good indicator of wind speed increase

 

[David Mayfield]

This is exactly why electronic targets suck! They take away one of the tools we all used, by seeing the targets up and down the line along with reading conditions one could get a better idea of what dope to put on the sights.
David

 

[Alan Warner]

This is exactly why electronic targets suck! They take away one of the tools we all used, by seeing the targets up and down the line along with reading conditions one could get a better idea of what dope to put on the sights.
David

I'm with you there

 

[SST2500]

Forgot to mention I had 5 MOA of wind dialed into the gun.

 

[Sandstorm]

Been there and fared no better than you Sir.
When its above 20 - 25 mph and picking up a letting off your on you own with electronic targets.
Its gonna byte you sooner or later at least for me.

 

[TexasC]

This is exactly why electronic targets suck! They take away one of the tools we all used, by seeing the targets up and down the line along with reading conditions one could get a better idea of what dope to put on the sights.
David

If you want to view other shooter's impacts, just press their target number to view their latest impact. This is of course with a Shotmarker.

 

[Sandstorm]

view other shooter's impacts,

Yes agreed..can be done however not as quickly as glassing your target flags and mirage.
Usually in conditions like that by the time you check your shoot marker screen conditions have changed,
and you have moved your head and or position slightly....
I do prefer a pulled target.

 

[Mike Samer]

In addition to the number and speed of the ripples, the tails tipping up are an indicator.

 

[jpjulian]

Chase the spotter.... shoot fast..... or shoot slow...... I tended to shoot fast, about 7-8 minutes or so for a 20 shot string at 600 when I was still shooting service rifle. It worked well for me when I did my part and payed attention. When I didn't I got burned, just like everyone else did.

 

[SST2500]

JP, I agree that’s probably the best method. It’s usually a slow build so you can adjust accordingly but the quick let offs can ruin you. Thanks to all who piped in. Some good info.

 

[SST2500]

One other quick note. You can use a split screen on your IPad with electronic targets to look at another target at the same time you have your’s up. The only problem I had was I was shooting on the first target on the upwind side so any other target I watched was after the wind had already come through.

 

[tvaught]

Wind Zero

Advanced wind analysis for precision shooting

windzero.store

Set it up every time you test or practice at distance. Just like you do your Garmin or LabRadar to characterize your rifle/ammo MV.

You’ll learn to characterize wind faster than your peers without one. The development of strategies for different condition sets will now be based on facts instead of assumptions. When your shooting buddy gets one, now you can pair them up to learn a range and it’s “ism’s”.

Sometimes the wind just gives us all a good ass kicking though, no matter the strategy, time devoted to practice, skill level, etc

 

[SST2500]

Thanks Tim. I'm sure that would help a lot but I'll have to work on convincing the Boss that spending another $1100 will make me a better shooter, lol. I've told her that on a number of other products I've purchased for F Class and the convincing is getting harder every time, lol. See you at TSRA in two weeks.

 

[F Class John]

First off, Erik and I were talking yesterday and this topic came up and he reminded me it only takes roughly a 2mph change to move you one MOA which ain't much when you're talking 20+ winds so don't beat yourself up too much.

I'll also echo what Tim said and say that with or without the Wind Zero (which I'll agree is a game changer as he said) you just need to practice in big winds the best you can to learn patterns to look for no matter what they are (bushes, trees, flags, dust, other targets, even wildlife movements) and then it's just a bit of dumb luck whether you chose the right condition and how you ran it.

But in this sense I'll say practice also means being ok with throwing away a match in the effort to learn and take swings you normally wouldn't even if it puts you in last place and this isn't an easy thing for most of us to do. I've thrown away plenty of state and regional matches that I knew I was out of in the effort to learn for National level matches where it really matters.

There are some amazing big wind shooters out there but I can guarantee you all of them, if they're being honest, will tell you that once you're in that category of wind, luck has to be on your side no matter what your level of experience is.

I say all this to say that I think you actually shot a pretty good target, but as an observation, both your sighters were on top of each other so I'm guessing that you did one of the following.

A) you made the same hold on sighter two and then slightly moved out on your first record round not realizing it was building

B) saw a build and you held out on sighter two as it built and landed on top of sighter one and then didn't move much if any on the first record round assuming it wasn't worth that much

In either case, you now realize you undervalued the build at the time and you were already down wind on both sighters and losing ground, so the only immediate advice I could give (and I got this advice early on from a National Champion) is if you're going to take a half ring, take the whole ring or in BIG wind if you're going to take a ring, take two. This might not have landed you in the 10 ring but it might've saved you a point and possibly helped you better evaluate your follow up second record shot (which went upwind because I'm guess you then overvalued the wind).

Just my thoughts for what they're worth.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

FCJ, I read your post and went back and looked at the posted target. I like the statement about holding a full ring vs 1/2. With the wind direction and gusts talked about, target still shows not enough left/up. Having more than 1/2 the rounds left/above center would save a few points.

 

[SST2500]

John, watch your videos all the time and you give some of the best product reviews for F class shooters. You're right, it's definitely hard to make those big moves. Once you get into the moves between shots and you blow one or two out the upwind side after a big downwind fail, it spooks you with all the rest of your calls as you unconsciously don't want to move big one way or the other trying to avoid a really bad mistake like another 8. This was just a local match and I always try to learn something in these matches but I didn't gain much knowledge from this particular match, lol. Learned more from this post than I did at the match.
Thanks to all who interjected some of their wisdom in helping with my Gale force dilemma.