Reading the wind

Wadi14

small bore .22lr at 100 and 50m, Im hoping to do some shooting over the winter months, and do some work on shooting in the wind. Im looking for some tips on reading the wind

Im guessing some sort of wind flags will be of benefit. Then I need to know how to read them.
I think I'd be ok in a constant wind, but lost when it come to changing or worse again say if its one direction at firing point and different direction at target.
Any help on reading and shooting in the wind would be greatly appreciated.

Baker.22

Reading the wind is what Rimfire Benchrest is all about. 50m target distance shooting from a bench using wind flags. The NRBAI organise competitions and introduction days for this. I personally use 4 wind flags in a row but will change next year. The flags will be in different positions and angles down the length of the range with the closest to the shooter normally being the most important. You need each flag to indicate wind direction and speed.

Wadi14

Thanks for that, so its the wind nearest the muzzle that will move the bullet most, Im shooting prone mostly with a small bit of informal Bench, 50 and 100m but reading the wind is something I have never worked on, so its time to address that lol. I want to try and shoot different wind conditions and log what is happening on the target, and try and learn from that.

crosshair1

This is a good read on the topic, covers the basics up
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wind-Book-Rifle-Shooters/dp/1581605323/ref=sr_1_1/258-4364862-9877308?ie=UTF8&qid=1511458298&sr=8-1&keywords=the+wind+book+for+rifle+shooters

Walter Mittys Brother

You need lots of practice, a small bit of knowledge (knowing about "Kentucky Windage" is often enough) and get used to making "SWAG's"

Wadi14

Walter Mittys Brother wrote: »

You need lots of practice, a small bit of knowledge (knowing about "Kentucky Windage" is often enough) and get used to making "SWAG's"

Thanks, I'm looking to be able to read the wind so that I don't have to use Kentucky windage, read the wind know what its doing and dial it in, that's the goal lol.

oh and what is SWAG's ?

Walter Mittys Brother

Wadi14 wrote: »

Thanks, I'm looking to be able to read the wind so that I don't have to use Kentucky windage, read the wind know what its doing and dial it in, that's the goal lol.

oh and what is SWAG's ?

Reading the wind is a skill that can be learned, to a degree.

It appears you will be only on a range environment so use a stick/s with a very light ribbon/s attached (no need for fancy stuff some BR types use )

Consistency is what you're hoping for eg all "flag/s" in same position for all shots. Dialling in for every shot is OTT & unnecessary in my opinion.

I shoot old school. Fire with flag/s in a position of least wind, get point of impact, work out kentucky windage (or if you're into the new techno scopes diall in correction), shoot when flag/s are in same position as original shot. Won more than I've lost this way

SWAG's = Scientific Wild Ass Guess ...... what you end up using as wind reading is NOT an exact science

Wadi14

Thanks, I believe I am on your wave length, instead of ribbon I was going to cut a bin liner into strips and use that.
I may have worded it wrong when I said I was going to dial it in, agree with what u say, I wont be dialing every shot, but think I'd dial to get my zero and try and shoot those conditions .

Oh and I got the G correct in SWAG's I knew it had to be guess, cus at the end of the day that's what we r doing when reading the wind, or in my case not reading the wind lol

Thanks for your advice, much appreciated