Windflags

[sevenfal]

Hello,

I'm trying to learn to use windflags to help with my shooting, and I have a question? when you set the flags to shoot witch flags are more important the flags that are close to you or the flags that are at the target? They will be used at one hundred yards most of the time.

thanks a lot
sevenfal

 

[rayjay]

The one showing the highest wind velocity is the most important one !!

 

[P1ZombieKiller]

OH BOY!!!!!

They all mean something. Some say the first one is the most important because if the wind knocks it off at 25 yards, it's off even more at 100, 200, etc. Some say that the last one has more effect as the bullet is traveling slower thus the wind is able to move your bullet more with less.

Since I shoot short range benchrest, I have always been of the mind set that I want to pull the trigger with them all same way for each shot. I study the wind while others are up and talking, and when I figure out the dominant wind speed and direction, I try to wait for them to line up in that same condition, and shoot then.

It's always much easier said than done.

 

[Frankr]

I just got a set of wind flags and im trying to learn something from them, ah! i can make no sence of them.
it would be nice if they were all going in the same direction, but when four flags are all doing something different and not one flag is ever doing the same. The mixing bowl effect. what do you shoot?
I shot in my club match and did fair for the conditions but not as well as i know i can.
so yea trying to learn something about wind flags looks to be a life long carreer.
i just looked over the super shoot results and i seen some very good shooters post some big targets due to the conditions, so it seems even seasoned veterens still cant allways read them flags.

 

[Frankr]

Ok Thanks lawrence, yep i will keep at it.

 

[queen_stick]

FJIM,

great question! I'm in the same boat as you... I put the flags up, then get frustrated because I'm ending up with groups that look like they came out of a shotgun. I'm the only person I know locally that does this stuff, so I don't have anyone to tell me what I'm doing wrong. I'm pretty good at teaching myself how to do things, but this wind reading thing is driving me nuts! I can't seem to get it.

frustrating!!!

 

[FergusBailey]

The only way to get good at reading flags is to shoot groups over flags, although it helps if you have and experienced BR shooter coaching you. Also, getting the correct bench technique will help you read the flags. You need to sit at the bench fairly square on so you can see the flag the whole time you shoot your group. Everything about your bench setup should support this. You should be able to shoot a group without taking your eyes off the flags. Good shooters shoot with both eyes open - one centring the crosshair on the point of aim, and the other watching the flags. If you only focus on the point of aim, you may miss a switch in the flags just as you let the shot go.

Take a look at some of the BR books that are out there if you haven’t already. The Ultimate In Rifle Accuracy by Glenn Newick has a good section on wind and wind flags, and Extreme Rifle Accuracy by Mike Ratigan covers wind flags & also a very good section on bench technique.

You need to look at the different angles/directions of the flags and determine which condition will affect a bullet, and which ones have less affect. You may find a left direction wind will push a bullet a lot more than the same level blow from the right (or visa versa). Or that a strong sideways blow will push a bullet up, while a let-up in the blow will really drop the point of impact down vertically on the target. These things will vary from range to range. So will which flags to watch. On some ranges the front flags a critical, at others its the back flags that tend to have more influence. There is no set rule on which has the most influence, but generally I tend to agree with Mike Ratigan's comment that you cannot neglect the back flags.

The other thing to consider about wind reading for a competition is when, in the 7 minutes you have to shoot your 5 shots, you should start your group. This is a critical skill and only comes with practice. Sometimes you are better to fire an occasional shot on the sighter portion of the target and let conditions settle, and other times you may get the best conditions on the relay right after the "commence fire" command. You need to get used to shooting under time pressure as well as reading the conditions.

 

[Frankr]

Fergus i agree, adding the wind flags to shooting practice is a must but adding a timer changes everything.
it puts the jitters ON, its crazy.. i never used a timer because i know i can allways shoot 5 long before 7mins but once that timer go on its like a whole other ball game.
so it seems to me tuneing in the mild morning conditions is ok to really find out if you and your rifle can punch bug holes, but once that is known, all practice and tuneing should be done with all the gagets out and running in the time of day conditions that your match will be shot in.
at least that is my new thing, will see if i get any better at it. but the wind and that timer can cause the shooter to
have more of a unsteady hand than normal. at least it has for me.

 

[AlNyhus]

Sometimes the best thing a set of flags can tell you is when not to shoot.

That can narrow things down pretty quickly........ -Al

 

[artbosco]

i never used a timer because i know i can always shoot 5 long before 7mins but once that timer go on its like a whole other ball game.

Seven minutes is a l-o-n-g time. If you don't believe me, sit at your range bench and watch the timer's clock count down for 7 minutes. Relax!

 

[sevenfal]

hello,

I want to say thank you to all who replied to my question on wind flags. I will do some real long shooting time at the bench and watch the flags and learn from them. alot of the shooting will be at 100-300-and 500yds and I'm sure the flags will do good as long as I do my part.

thanks again
sevenfal

 

[queen_stick]

hello,

I want to say thank you to all who replied to my question on wind flags. I will do some real long shooting time at the bench and watch the flags and learn from them. alot of the shooting will be at 100-300-and 500yds and I'm sure the flags will do good as long as I do my part.

thanks again
sevenfal

+1 ... Thanks guys!

And, thanks sevenfal for starting this thread.