PRB in the wind?

[Sparkitoff]

I have been shooting a lot lately in preparation for an upcoming hunt. I am shooting off sticks in various positions at 100-yards. .54 caliber PRB running around 1675fps. There has been a fair bit of wind lately and I noticed a R-L wind indeed pushed my groups left during my last trip. Today, the wind was L-R although not 90 degrees to my line of trajectory. Nonetheless, my shots grouped somewhat right.

Curious, I consulted some ballistics software. Averaging my findings from more than one program I am being told a 5-MPH wind moves the ball just over 5-inches at 100 yards! Double the wind to 10-MPH and the ball moves around 11.5-inches. This seems lot an awful lot of drift!

First, I have no way to measure the wind speed. Next, if I had guessed the wind speed right my shots would have been much further off than they were. I guessed 15-20 MPH on at least one of those days and gusts on the lower end today.

So, what are some ways to figure out approximate wind speed and correct my point of aim? I have not hunted pronghorn in a long time but the fact that they inhabit pretty open country where the temperature is rapidly changing this time of year makes me expect some steady winds. If I think the wind is X-MPH do I hold into the wind the full amount the chart indicates? Thanks

 

[hanshi]

Another problem is that the wind near the muzzle and the wind at the target are not always the same speed. The farther the shot the more complicated the problem becomes. "Doping the wind" is a skill that needs practice to do accurately - I probably should have said "adequately" and not accurately.

 

[biliff]

FWIW, rough rule of thumb is one mph of crosswind component results in one inch of drift at 100 yds..Yeah, PRB drifts in the wind.

 

[SDSmlf]

For most hunting situations with a roundball (less than 100 yards), unless you are in gale force wind, find it to be a non issue. May shade my shots into the wind, but still keep my aim point in the kill zone. Realistically, find wind in the conditions where I hunt (think hills and valleys) fairly difficult to judge and tend to ignore it. At the range.......

One of the advantages of larger caliber roundballs (54 and up) in my experience is their ability to buck the wind. Shoot a 32 caliber and a 54 in the same wind conditions and you could be off the paper vs a few inches off the center of the bull.

If you are serious about understanding the wind and what it does to your roundball, consider one of those handheld wind meters. You can then use ‘real’ numbers, at least at your shooting position, to understand wind drift at various distances.

 

[nhmoose]

Welcome to RB shooting! I use flags on the range and shoot when the conditions are the most alike for competition and dial the sights for it.

Hunting in the woods like I do I may or may not hold off on the wind side unless the range is 100 yards. But then around 70 yards is the furthest I have shot a deer at.

Hunting other stuff will be more apparent on your shot such as aim point and is the deer quartering or not. Wind and distance the ball falls means the deer is more than likely out of range for the shot. Get closer.

 

[Boomerang]

Wind will definitely effect a round ball. When I'm out shooting in my back yard at 35yds and there is a slight breeze of about 5 mph, it will change my POI about 1 to 2 inches at that distance shooting off a bench.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Estimating wind speed

Beaufort Force Wind Speed (mph) Seamen's Term Effects on Land
Force 0 Under 1 Calm Calm: smoke rises vertically
Force 1 1-4 Light Air Smoke drift indicates wind direction; vanes do not move
Force 2 4-7 Light Breeze Wind felt on face; leave rustle; vanes begin to move
Force 3 8-12 Gentle Breeze Leaves, small twigs in constant motion; light flags extended
Force 4 13-18 Moderate Breeze Dust, leaves and loose paper raised up; small branches move.
Force 5 19-24 Fresh Breeze Small trees begin to sway
Force 6 25-31 Strong Breeze Large branches of trees in motion; whistling heard in wires
Force 7 32-38 Moderate Gale Whole trees in motion; resitance felt in walking against the wind
Force 8 39-46 Fresh Gale Twigs and small branches broken off trees. Why the hell are you still in the woods...

 

[Sparkitoff]

Thanks

 

[Rifleman1776]

Another problem is that the wind near the muzzle and the wind at the target are not always the same speed. The farther the shot the more complicated the problem becomes. "Doping the wind" is a skill that needs practice to do accurately - I probably should have said "adequately" and not accurately.

Wat Hanshi said is on point. Experience is your most important tool when it come to judging wind. Learn to watch how grass, leaves, etc. are behaving in the wind. And/or keep your shots under 100 yards if possible.

 

[longcruise]

I was shooting at my club one year with a very strong wind coming straight at me. Shooting a .54 at 50 yards. I figured it would not effect the ball very much since it was coming straight on. Well, it may or may not have been effecting the ball at 50 yards, but when I went to 100 yards I had to shoot over the top of the 50 yard berm with the target stand at 100 yards. All of a sudden my groups were about ten inches high. That does not compute with a POI at 50 yards being about 1.5" above POA.

After a few groups it dawned on me that as the ball passed over the 50 yard berm the wind was coming up the back side of the berm and smacking the ball hard enough to make it shoot way high.

I packed it in for the day!

Not really relevant to the OP's topical question but it shows you what the wind can do to a ball!

 

[45man]

Wind and light are both a curse. Shooting ML silhouette had me aiming at the next target but after a while it became natural to still hit steel by the way the wind felt.
Do not forget the sun and where the target is really compared to where you think it is. You can shoot at empty space.