Newbie and wind flag question

82boy

82boy

Patrick Kennedy
Hi guys I am a newbie to both the site and bench rest shooting. I have shoot in a few local matches, and I have not done to bad. I dont have a bunch of money so I try to do the best I can with what I can. I shoot a savage I built myself in a mod factory class. I use a caldwell rock br front stand and a protektor bumble bee rear rest. I am not totaly happy with my front rest so this is why I ask the following question. Latter down the road I plan on building a open gun, and getting a better front rest.

My question is this where can I get a set of usable windflags without breaking the bank? I see midway sells their house brand caldwell and they are in my price range, actualy I could go a bit higher. there flags are 46.99 for a set of 3. http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=135184&t=11082005

I want a set of three flags for when I shoot by my self. At the matches there are so many flags I doubt there is room to add any more, so I can use others flags.

So what is the best flags for under 100 bucks a set?
Second question is there a book or could someone tell me how to better understand the wind?
 
Best Flags..

The Calswell flags from MidwayUsa are a poor choice, and when you ad the price of a stand you are right in the price range of the very good flags made by Danny Keeney of Ennis Texas..You get 4 flags and stands for $130...
See his ad in the classifieds..and contact him at "dkkeeney@sbcglobal.net"
 
Keeney flags are nice for the price. He makes small and large sizes so if you plan on shooting out to 200 yards you will need the large ones.
His stands are nice tripods that you will be able to use down the road if you decide to go with something else.

Good luck..
Jon
 
82boy said:
My question is this where can I get a set of usable windflags without breaking the bank?
Click to expand...

Don't waste your time with the Midway flags. The daisy wheel doesn't even spin unless there is a category three... I strongly recommend Graham Flags. Rick Graham makes the best flags I've seen. They cost $30 each are are very well worth it. I use the daisy wheel version so I can get a better idea of higher speed wind. Rick balances the wheel before they are shipped. Graham wheels are turning when the rest aren't!

His website is: http://www.brflags.com/flags.html The pictures on his site don't do the flags any justice.

Rick Graham
(206) 214-6484
rgart@zipcon.net
 
82boy

Go to the Benchrest Central home page. Click on FAQS,
Then click on miscellaneous, then click on wind flags.

Thes flags are inexpensive and they work.
The most expenive items will be the stands.

You can get them at Radio Shack or Fry's.
Try to buy them on sale @ $8 apiece.

You can make a set (6) for under $100.


I have used these flags for over a year now and like
them alot....Vic
 
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82:

Go with Rick Graham's flags. You can't go wrong with his flags and sail tails. You can add them one or two at a time. No need to buy four or five or more at once. If you've got one or two you can piggyback your wind evaluation off the others on the range. Here's his site: http://www.brflags.com/.
 
82boy

Yes, thats them. You can get all the materials from Hobby Lobby.
Go to the section where they sell corigated cake trays.(12"x14")
Cut to size.They are light, very tough and make great vanes.
Pick up the brass tubing and bar Steel stock for the pivets while
you are there. And don't forget the wood dowels.

I made my vanes a bit larger than the ones in the faqs.
Easier to see.

Use surverers tape for tails. $2 a roll @ Lowes

Buy the way the camera stands I got at R/S have ajustable legs
so you can level them. You can't beat that for $8 apiece.

I thought I was the only one using this style of flag until I read
Mike Ratigan's book.(p169-185 ) Buy It and take a look.

If you don't have alot of money give them a try.

Hope this helps....Vic
 
Flying fish

My wife bought me some flags from Flying Fish Fundamentals. Two doubles and four singles with the weighted daisy wheels. The doubles make it easy to read wind angle. Price was right at a buck fifty($150) shipped. I couldn't be happier. But what do I know....I'm fairly new too. You can find the info on the home page of this web site in the side bar. I am going to make the poles out of telescoping golf ball retreivers. Stay Safe, Doug:D
 
Doug Knowles said:
My wife bought me some flags from Flying Fish Fundamentals. Two doubles and four singles with the weighted daisy wheels. The doubles make it easy to read wind angle. Price was right at a buck fifty($150) shipped. I couldn't be happier. But what do I know....I'm fairly new too. You can find the info on the home page of this web site in the side bar. I am going to make the poles out of telescoping golf ball retreivers. Stay Safe, Doug:D
Click to expand...

Doug,

I trust you'll be breaking them in at The Rock in two weeks! What are you going to be shooting? Do you have my E-mail address?

Adrian
 
82, if you're like me, you'll find that buying flags--I chose Grahams*--is easier than figuring out stands. I found a a couple fotografic lightstands at a used-camera store locally; they're a little heavier duty than many I've seen.
GrahamWFs_800w.jpg


I have another pair of lighter-duty light stands plus a taller third stand that are all surplus; they'll work just finely as flagstands. E-mail me at jeffreybehr(at)cox(dot)net if you want to see some pics. Prics will be quite reasonable. :)

* These are the larger ones.
 
I guess the reason that Smiley Hensley's flags and stands aren't mentioned much in these threads is because they need no endorsement. I shot at quite a few matches where Smiley was present and he always shows up with a pile of flags and stands for sale. When the match is over, Smiley's riding home with a lot less weight than he arrived with.
 
Ed Watson used 'em

82boy said:
Hi Smitty I never seen that section as I looked around.

Is this the flag your talking about? I did not see anyothers in that section.
http://www.benchrest.com/flags/
Click to expand...

To my knowledge, Ed used this little triangle with a braided yarn tail exclusively to shoot his way into and beyond the Benchrest Hall of Fame.

I set up some assembly jigs and made a hundred of them in two hours counting the time for the paint to dry and mixing 5 minute epoxy. My wife helped by pinning the cutouts to a big piece of cardboard for painting.

Stands are usually the choke point. Bite the bullet and get what you need for where you shoot the first time around.
 
Wilber

Thanks for chiming in. I made my first set of these particular flags
about a year ago. If you are getting started in Benchrest and don't
have alot of money. This a inexpensive option that works.

I set my flags up next to sofisticated high dollar flags and
they don't miss a beat. They react quicker because
the vanes are very light and responsive to wind changes.


Thanks for posting the insructions on faqs....Vic
 
I am on my third set - -

Of flags, the first two I made myself and then finally settled on GB flags. I watched a lot of flags before I chose the GB's. I also abandoned dasies when I bought the GB's. I use probes and sometimes Windicators along with my flags and depend on the probes and windicators to tell me the velocity in most conditions and the tails in lighter conditions. For me, this is the easiest system to be able to digest mentally.

I believe that dasies are not a good thing to have on flags. I think they intefere with the movement of flags because or autorotation and for me,once they are turning as fast as they can go, what is there to see? I also don't feel that what they say in light conditions is more valuable than what the tails say. It is only more information to digest and my capacity is deminished from the Scotch over the years. Got to cut back somewhere! :D

P.S.

I bought a dose of Flying Fish poles. They are the slickest thing since STP. Lite, Strong, Compact and easy to use. There are some places where spikes can't be used, I understand so I plan to buy a few light stands soon as well.
 
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Well I started my journey making these flags, I am using the corigated plastic like, and wow they are small ;) I thought about scaling them up twice there size, is this a good idea or should I just leave them at scale?
 
82boy

I made my first set of vanes 4"x12" and also thought they were
on the small side.

When I made a secound set of flags I increased the size
of the vanes to 6"x12".

You can also make each vane larger than the last as they will be
easier to see as they get farther away from your bench.

Hope this helps.....Vic
 
Radio Shack components

Hey Vic, The parts that you mentioned that could be obtained from Radio Shack, were they the bases? By any chance do you have a product number or description in Radio Shack terminology that would help me find them? Thanks, Peter.
 
Pete/tripod for wind flags

The part # is Targus TG-50TR $14.99.

Radio Shack will put them on sale every
once in awhile for $9.:)
 
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