Doping The Wind - I'm Clueless, Are You?

[AfricaHunting.com]

Bullet Performance In Long Range Shooting

 

[rinehart0050]

WeatherFlow Wind Meter

View attachment 149771

Cool accessory Jerome.

Wind is always tough, especially due to the inconsistency across distances. Might be no wind where you are, but a gust half way to the target.

I used to be a tank commander on M1A2s and we actually had a wind sensor on our turret (see photo). We would shoot between 3-5 km. Even with the fancy sensor, it only provided the wind data for our exact location, not the target location.

Take a shot, adjust from there

 

[Art Lambart II]

Long range shooting and doping the wind is an art understood by few and mastered by even fewer but the single most important factor in long range shooting is get as close as you can before you shoot. If your hunting in the mountains or the open plains 300 yards may be as close as you can get and a long range shot is your only option. Personally I feel long range is not a function of distance but a function of the shooters skill, any distance which the shooter can consistently shoot a 2" group is short range, anything past that distance is long range. Most good hunting rifles shot 1 MOA or slightly less, that means at 200 yards with the same rifle your group is now 2" using up all of your margin of error requiring you to make a perfect shot under pressure in field conditions. You may disagree with my 2" requirement and that's ok, but you get the idea. Long range is more a function of the shooters skill and the accuracy of his equipment than it is a function of distance.

 

[CAustin]

I'm absolutely no good at judging wind speed!

 

[stug]

Get a handheld anemometer like a Kestrel 3500 or similar. My personal one is a bit cheaper. As mentioned earlier they only give you wind speed at our location, but it does give a starting point.
Shawn Carlock on longrangehunting has some very good advice on reading and allowing for wind. I try and visualise it like water, if this was a a river what would the water be doing. Doing some "rock hunting" in the mountains is great practice.

 

[vinnymbogo]

"Wind" is the biggest reason that I always shoot the heaviest bullets with the highest BC/per calibre. Speed is irrelevant for me; you can always adjust for drop.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

The only thing I know about wind is you don't want to be stuck in a car when Jaco Strauss breaks it.......I promise you!

 

[Brent in Az]

What about ballistics software that has wind factors?

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I use a low tech approach........

 

[BRICKBURN]

What about ballistics software that has wind factors?

I have iSnipe, but you still have to know what the wind speed is.
Perhaps J's suggestion and iSnipe I could have a start.

It would take a lot of practice to get comfortable.

 

[Clayton]

Well 375 the rock is wet right now!

 

[Brent in Az]

I have never had to deal with much extreme winds hunting in AZ. I did pass on a shot once because the wind was swirling way too much.

It gets pretty breezy in Montana

 

[gizmo]

Better late then never, I got busy and forgot.
Ok so the way I do it is by MOA as I'm kinda dumb and mils and metrics confuse me. Below is about the best info I've found on how to use MOA. In this example he's talking about yardage but the same calculations are used for windage as well. Your just making the adjustments via the windage turret as opposed to elevation everything else is the same.
http://www.nssf.org/video/facts/MOA.cfm

 

[gizmo]

Below are some helpful charts and I will post the link to the article also. Like I said before there are several ways to do it this is just the one my simple brain uses the best.
http://www.rifleshootermag.com/shooting-tips/shooting_tips_determing_wind_values/

 

[gizmo]

As far as determining wind speed there are several methods ranging from looking at plant life sway to measuring vertigo or mirage if you will. It can be quite complicated and I am by no means an expert. I generally know just enough to get myself in trouble.

 

[gizmo]

The best advice I can give is to use ballistics software, it will determine wind drift and elevation for you. You just input the load data and bc of the bullet along with the velocity and it will give you nice charts you can print for elevation and wind drift in MOA, inches, or mils. Which ever you use print the charts off and laminate them. I attach them to the rifle via zip tie for reference. From there use a wind meter or use natural vegetation or mirage to determine wind speed, make your adjustments, and let it fly down range. Good equipment is a must. To work you optics needs to be set up with easy to use turrets that are accurate and resettable. Entry optics are going to be in the 800-2000$ range. Worth every penny if you are actually going to start shooting at distances where doping the wind is a must for accurate shooting. Unfortunately it's no longer a rifle and it becomes a weapons system which costs money$$$$. Hellava lot of fun poking holes in targets at 1000 plus yards tho!

 

[gizmo]

I have never had to deal with much extreme winds hunting in AZ. I did pass on a shot once because the wind was swirling way too much.

It gets pretty breezy in Montana
View attachment 149848

Lol that's funny. Sad to say but I've actually seen chain link wind socks here in the panhandle at airports.

 

[Brent in Az]

Lol that's funny. Sad to say but I've actually seen chain link wind socks here in the panhandle at airports.

The big canyon country I hunt in AZ, can often create shots of 300-400 yards or more. If it's too windy, I''ll pass on the shots or wait for another opportunity. I don't know how to dope the high winds good enough to try a shot

 

[gizmo]

The big canyon country I hunt in AZ, can often create shots of 300-400 yards or more. If it's too windy, I''ll pass on the shots or wait for another opportunity. I don't know how to dope the high winds good enough to try a shot

For me it boils down to ethics and I think that makes you an ethical hunter. Like I said I know just enough to get my self in trouble so I too will pass on shot with in my theoretical range as it's simply not worth it to me to risk wounding an animal. I'll kill the hell outta some paper or water jugs, or at least give it the ol' college try, any time to hone my skills but no way will I take a shot that I'm not 1000% confident I can make on an animal.
Wind is a tricky mistress especially when terrain is involved. At my place the wind can be 14 mph from the south where I am. 12 from the west half way across canyon and 20 from the east on target. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration but you get the idea. Real hunting situations aren't in a vacuum and too many variables come into play. A 7 inch group at 1000 yards is pretty darned good shooting. 7" on a whitetail or Muley can be the difference between a clean kill and a wounded/lost animal. Not worth it to me.

 

[gizmo]

Here is a mirage chart to help determine wind at target.