learning to read wind flags

R

recon1st

Member
I am new to this game, my first season. I am getting comfortable with my techiniques and equipment.
In calm conditions I can be competitive, but when the wind kicks up my inexperience really shows.
I be a babe in the woods.
Any advice on how I go about learning how to read the wind?
I do understand this is the Holy Grail but any hints would be appreciated.

Dean
 
Wind

Hello Dean! Once you have your equipment down, and get into matches...The reading of conditions becomes everything, there is no doubt. Try this....for all it worth, or not. www.benchrestmainia its a game , but like a simulator for shooting wind with flags. It's really quite close and gives a rough idea of how diffrent combinations of cond's will affect bullet travle. Just a thought. good luck. Ed. Here.....www.bench rest mania.com
 
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Ed the program looks really good. I am trying to download it now.
This looks like axactly what I need. Should save me a few thousand rounds
trying to understand the basics.

Dean
 
Benchrestmania

Dean: That's pretty cool huh? The download is quite extensive, but when you get it you can tailor it how you want to. Here is something to consider, When you get a condition that seems sustained, some will make a scope adjustment rather than trying to remember the exact holdoff. but then you'll find yourself waiting for it to return after it changes. Ive gotten down to the wier doing this. Just a thought.
Here's another thing,....I make my own wind flag's, & I have a friend who is a state of the art kite guy, he supplies the ripstop fabric that I make my tails out of. He recently asked me to make a wind flag for him and his kite thing. He brought me a "light stand" that extends 10 feet high! I asked why so tall? He said they need to stay above the " crazy"zone the nutzo zone!! said everything below 6' off the ground is just nut's and completly unpredictable. I said Damn....I live there! He laughed, said good luck with that! Ed.
 
Ed yes it really helps. At least I get an idea. The program seems to be a little more extreme than
what I am finding out about my rifle. I made my own flags, and they seem to be just right for me.
I have noticed if they are to sensitive it actually hurts me. I have enough trying to keep up
with these, without getting confused. Maybe after I get a little experience I will put bearnings etc in
them. I used light weight garbage bags 3" wide for tails.
I really enjoy this game and look forward to improving.

Thanks again for your help

Dean
 
heavier tails can slow the flags down but then you miss the uppy/downy/swirly nasties. If there is only a bare breath of moving air then the mirage tends to mess you up.
 
blades said:
heavier tails can slow the flags down but then you miss the uppy/downy/swirly nasties. If there is only a bare breath of moving air then the mirage tends to mess you up.
Click to expand...

I can't agree that tails slow a flag down. They add area to the rear of the flag, creating drag. Drag is what makes a flag point into the wind. Tails add a lot of effective area for their weight, to the vane. I may agree if we were talking about a significant amount of weight, but it would have to be enough to overcome the effect of drag on the tail, in which case the tail won't lift.
 
Foster Arvin said:
Hey Mike, come back over to 'Buck Creek" tomorrow and you might get a chance to use those wind flags again. Catch a ride with John and Joe they should be there.
Click to expand...

Thanks Foster, but work is getting into my play time, right now. I owe you, though! Thanks!
 
Mike ya missed the first word of my post. "Heavier" there are days around here where tails such as the OP describe won't cut it due to the hurricane blowing through, then ya need the thicker heavier tails to get a better reading. There is such a thing as flags that are too sensitive for the conditions in which case they really won't help much like when the wind is blowing over the stands I mount my flags on with out the flags.
 
recon1st said:
I am new to this game, my first season. I am getting comfortable with my techiniques and equipment.
In calm conditions I can be competitive, but when the wind kicks up my inexperience really shows.
I be a babe in the woods.
Any advice on how I go about learning how to read the wind?
I do understand this is the Holy Grail but any hints would be appreciated.
Dean
Click to expand...

Purchase about 4 of these: http://www.brflags.com/flags.html and one uppy/downy flag and 5 sail tails.

Find a prevailing condition to shoot in, then spend hours shooting over them. Wait until they pretty much all line up before pulling the trigger. Then shoot fast before the condition changes on you.

Watch how far the bullet is moved and in which direction as your condition changes. Take notes if need be.

The more you shoot over your flags, the more the wind will become your friend and you'll be able to anticipate where it's going to push the bullet and its point of impact.

I doubt if the wind knows its suppose to follow a computer program's algorithms.:)
 
There really are no shortcuts. Just take plenty of ammo, a gun that you can trust, and never shoot without flags. Then just pay very close attention to what the flags are doing and where the shots land. Simple huh?:eek:
 
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