Wind Questions

[Wesley Thrift]

Hopefully this is the rite section for this post. I've noticed that when I shoot in either a left too right of right too left wind the bullet seems to impact at higher point than when I shoot in a still.(I'm guessing because the bullet is floating on the wind?). According to wind charts I've seen a left to right wind should lower the shot not raise(because of bullet rotation). Which leaves me with the question of how in the world do people adjust their elevation based on wind? (purely off sighters?) Please help!

 

[Gene Beggs]

Hopefully this is the rite section for this post. I've noticed that when I shoot in either a left too right of right too left wind the bullet seems to impact at higher point than when I shoot in a still.(I'm guessing because the bullet is floating on the wind?). According to wind charts I've seen a left to right wind should lower the shot not raise(because of bullet rotation). Which leaves me with the question of how in the world do people adjust their elevation based on wind? (purely off sighters?) Please help!

Wesley

The manner in which wind affects bullets in flight is probably the most misunderstood subject in shooting. I will soon be 67 years old and have spent a lifetime flying and shooting but only in the last few years have I truly understood how wind affects airborne projectiles. I'm not saying I know it all; far from it, but I have learned so much from studying the works of Vaughn, McCoy, Litz and others and through discussions here on the forum.

I encourage you to obtain a copy of "Rifle Accuracy Facts" by Harold Vaughn and Dr. Jack Jackson available from Precision Shooting. The chapters on barrel vibration and exterior ballistics are very informative. You should also obtain a copy of "Extreme Rifle Accuracy" by Mike Ratigan. Brian Litz' website on long range rifle accuracy is also very informative.

Best of luck to you with your study of rifle accuracy. It is a fascinating journey.

Gene Beggs

 

[abintx]

Wesley ...

Hopefully this is the rite section for this post. I've noticed that when I shoot in either a left too right of right too left wind the bullet seems to impact at higher point than when I shoot in a still.(I'm guessing because the bullet is floating on the wind?). According to wind charts I've seen a left to right wind should lower the shot not raise(because of bullet rotation). Which leaves me with the question of how in the world do people adjust their elevation based on wind? (purely off sighters?) Please help!

Bullets don't follow charts. They flow with the prevailing conditions. WATCH YOUR SIGHTERS!

 

[jackie schmidt]

Wesly

With every Benchrest Rifle I own, a left to right condition will tend to drive the bullet impact down, and a right to left will tend to drive them up.

It is just one of those things you have to keep in mind when shooting in varying conditions, and you are forced to shoot in a reversal.

Shooting in a seemingly still condition can sometimes be more challenging than shooting in a readable condition. A Rifle that is a tad out of tune has a better chance of shooting small in a readable left to right or right to left than it does in a dead calm.

Joe Krupa has a thread running on reading the conditions, it is just downstream. It is a very good read............jackie

 

[Stephen Perry]

Barrel Twist

Wesley
Most likely your barrel twist is causing higher shots left or right as compared to a head on calm condition which if you shoot in enough could cause high and low shots too. In group shooting you need to shoot a sighter or 2 or more to check for what your asking and hold accordingly. NBRSA/IBS Group shooters have to be the best at that to shoot winning groups and aggs.

BR shooters shooters use windlags, mirage, common sense, observation of Range as a whole and guts to hold off and shoot that good group they need.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR

 

[goodgrouper]

Only in a perfect world with a perfect "parallel to the ground" wind will that chart do you any good. Not to mention obstructions such as berms, trees, shrubs, mountains, and other things getting in the way of that wind and messing up the chart. Unfortunately, air masses in a hurry to get somewhere seldom are perfect in the way they flow. In fact, very rarely are they clean or singularly directional. They usually have downdrafts and such associated with them. Think of watching the wind gusts blow atop a pond or small lake. You can see that the entire surface of the water is not being affected equally.

As stated earlier, a sighter shot is better than any chart.