Wind reading and 1000 yd BR
Al:
It is hard for me to express the need for wind reading skills when minds are set to the contrary, i.e., the skill is not worth learning. I can try to find the words to sway a shooter's thinking to understand why reading the conditions is so important without being offensive, but it is very difficult. On the other hand, many in the long range prone game seem to believe that NOTHING matters but the shooter and his wind reading ability -- nothing even close to precision reloading at a BR level. All of this drives me nuts.
I think we can all agree that great equipment (especially barrels and bullets), a great gunsmith and precision loads go a long way in 1000 yd BR success. Since we do not shoot in a vacume, I think we can also agree that the big varriable are the conditions -- the wind. Having said that, how can anyone deny that having a grasp of wind reading skills is not mandatory to milk the last drop out of your precision package?
The bottom line is that, everything else being equal (never is), the shooter who can narrow his condition bracket has a better chance of shooting a small group and big score than another shooter who uses the "poke and hope" technique.
As respectfully as I can say it, and I pray that no one is offended, few on this thread believe in reading the conditions in 1000 BR because -- they don't have any clue whatsoever how to get it done! There I have said it. Many of the prone shooters could not load precision match ammo if their life depended on it -- many of the BR shooters can't read more than "it sure is windy". Just a fact. I know because I was one of them.
If you (a collective "you") spend one day training with a world class wind reader (like John Whidden) at 1000 yards, it would change your thinking on the subject forever. You would learn more in that one session that you would ever think of learning in a life time of 1000 yard BR. The reason is that your would learn when to start shooting and when to stop. You would learn to start your record rounds based on data from your sighters when you would selected the narrow window. If you pick a .5 minute window to shoot in during a fast run, or you decide to make your fast run in a window that varries 2 minutes during that run (because you can't read the conditions), they you will pay the price at the target -- if you do not, you just got lucky.
Everyone please forgive me, but if you think you can shoot at 1000 yards, and max out your abilities to the last drop, without being able to read and select a narrow bracket window in which to make your run -- you are just wrong. And just because you don't have the skill set it does not make it OK.
BTW, any response to my post which says anything close to "well come beat me in 1000 yd BR" is not addressing the issue of improving your skill set to deal with Mother Nature who does not gave a dang about your equipment or the wood you won at your last match. Again, been there and done that.
Knowing what I know now, I wish I had been mentored by John Whidden when I shot 1000 yd BR as I would have been much better at that game.
Thanks for listening to my $.02,
Jim
Al:
It is hard for me to express the need for wind reading skills when minds are set to the contrary, i.e., the skill is not worth learning. I can try to find the words to sway a shooter's thinking to understand why reading the conditions is so important without being offensive, but it is very difficult. On the other hand, many in the long range prone game seem to believe that NOTHING matters but the shooter and his wind reading ability -- nothing even close to precision reloading at a BR level. All of this drives me nuts.
I think we can all agree that great equipment (especially barrels and bullets), a great gunsmith and precision loads go a long way in 1000 yd BR success. Since we do not shoot in a vacume, I think we can also agree that the big varriable are the conditions -- the wind. Having said that, how can anyone deny that having a grasp of wind reading skills is not mandatory to milk the last drop out of your precision package?
The bottom line is that, everything else being equal (never is), the shooter who can narrow his condition bracket has a better chance of shooting a small group and big score than another shooter who uses the "poke and hope" technique.
As respectfully as I can say it, and I pray that no one is offended, few on this thread believe in reading the conditions in 1000 BR because -- they don't have any clue whatsoever how to get it done! There I have said it. Many of the prone shooters could not load precision match ammo if their life depended on it -- many of the BR shooters can't read more than "it sure is windy". Just a fact. I know because I was one of them.
If you (a collective "you") spend one day training with a world class wind reader (like John Whidden) at 1000 yards, it would change your thinking on the subject forever. You would learn more in that one session that you would ever think of learning in a life time of 1000 yard BR. The reason is that your would learn when to start shooting and when to stop. You would learn to start your record rounds based on data from your sighters when you would selected the narrow window. If you pick a .5 minute window to shoot in during a fast run, or you decide to make your fast run in a window that varries 2 minutes during that run (because you can't read the conditions), they you will pay the price at the target -- if you do not, you just got lucky.
Everyone please forgive me, but if you think you can shoot at 1000 yards, and max out your abilities to the last drop, without being able to read and select a narrow bracket window in which to make your run -- you are just wrong. And just because you don't have the skill set it does not make it OK.
BTW, any response to my post which says anything close to "well come beat me in 1000 yd BR" is not addressing the issue of improving your skill set to deal with Mother Nature who does not gave a dang about your equipment or the wood you won at your last match. Again, been there and done that.
Knowing what I know now, I wish I had been mentored by John Whidden when I shot 1000 yd BR as I would have been much better at that game.
Thanks for listening to my $.02,
Jim