Shooting in a brisk wind

Last Wedsday was the first really great day we had around here this year,so I brought my Blue Ridge flintrock up to the range.It was great weather,but the wind was blowing around 25 to 30 miles per hour sustained winds,not counting gusts.I had more misfires than I think I would have on a reasonbly calm day,and finally gave up as with misfires and everything blowing around on the loading bench it just became too much work.
Do any of you experts out there have any words of wisdom about shooting in heavy wind?I think that sometimes the wind was blowing the sparks away before they had a chance to ignite the powder.

 

I'm no expert but I'll give this a shot. I have found that it is more convenient to load from the pouch rather than having things laying out on a shooting bench. When I have time to go shooting it seems as if it is always windy or raining or both. I turn my back to the wind when measuring and pouring the main charge and when priming. I haven't noticed any misfires in windy conditions. My vent liner is opened up to at least 5/64s and I maintain a good Tom Fuller flint in the jaws. My ignition time is way too fast for the wind to act upon it. The worst drawback for shooting into the wind is the smoke and particles coming back into my face and eyes. I wear glasses but not "shooting glasses". Check your touch hole size, amount of prime used and flint condition as well as touch hole location. Don't blame the wind.

 

[jtmattison]

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/ubbthr...mp;page=2#80044

See my post an that subject.
I had the same problem.

Huntin

 

My vent was enlarged to 5/64 and I use Tom Fuller flints.I looked at the previous thread on this,and think that I might just shoot cap guns in that kind of weather.Hell I knew they might come in handy again someday.

 

[roundball]

Last Wedsday was the first really great day we had around here this year,so I brought my Blue Ridge flintrock up to the range.It was great weather,but the wind was blowing around 25 to 30 miles per hour sustained winds,not counting gusts.I had more misfires than I think I would have on a reasonbly calm day,and finally gave up as with misfires and everything blowing around on the loading bench it just became too much work.
Do any of you experts out there have any words of wisdom about shooting in heavy wind?I think that sometimes the wind was blowing the sparks away before they had a chance to ignite the powder.

I carry a 10'x15' sheet of very heavy plastic in the truck, and in Jan-Feb often staple it up along one side of a shooting table as a windbreak mainly to eliminate wind chill but get the other benefits as well...it's a permanent part of my shooting stuff

 

[OTHERN]

I would think it might be something other than the wind. I've shot flinters in the wind(Wyo wind) for years and never had any missfires. I've had the wind blow the powder out of the pan as it opens, but always the sparks cought and the rifle fired fine. The only concession I make to the wind is fill the pan more than normal and if possible use one of my halfstock rifles to help keep the gun from moveing so much.

 

[roundball]

I would think it might be something other than the wind. I've shot flinters in the wind(Wyo wind) for years and never had any missfires. I've had the wind blow the powder out of the pan as it opens, but always the sparks cought and the rifle fired fine. The only concession I make to the wind is fill the pan more than normal and if possible use one of my halfstock rifles to help keep the gun from moveing so much.

That's been the main concern I've experienced in heavy wind...that I can't hold the muzzle steady on target unless I sit down and brace against my knees, etc (or get out of the wind of course)...but otherwise, I turn my back to the wind, prime, close the frizzen, shoot, etc...

 

[Leonredbeard]

I. I.
Recently I was trying to show off my prize flinter and my wheellock to an Amish friend at his farm. It was windy and nasty to be out there. I haven't had that much trouble getting a flinter to fire in a looooong time. I don't know what the cause was, but that particular flinter is almost one hundred percent reliable. She proved it again on this past Saturday. Who knows? :master:
God bless.
volatpluvia

 

[rrgr40]

Personally, unless it becomes absolutly necessary, (hunting situations), I don't do much shoot in a wind that stout. Especially since I like to practice shooting offhand. I found that in a wind like that it's easy to develope bad habits due to compensating for the wind. Even when bench shooting in a wind like that the groups would spread. I have had no problems with my flinter going off in the wind. :redthumb:

 

[2172]

We had that kind of a wind at our last shoot...blew spotting scopes over, blew a shooting box off the bench, et c. We had no trouble with ignition with either flinters or percs, but my 100 yd score was 0..2 visible misses, 3 ?..
I was shooting off hand, and loading from the bench...I think I'll try loading from the pouch next time we have that kind of wind...makes sense..Hank Oh, and advice on how to deal with it? Go home..

 

[CoyoteJoe]

:agree: With Hank's advise, Go Home! As a rough rule of thumb, expect a .50 roundball to drift about one inch for each mile per hour of cross wind at 100 yds.
Even a slight breeze may open groups, so I shoot roundball only on calm days. Since such days are rare at this time of year in my location I get in a lot of time with modern handguns where at 25 yards my only problem is keeping targets from blowing away.
Only good thing about practice shooting in the wind is it teaches us when NOT to shoot on game.

 

[musketman]

:agree: With Hank's advise, Go Home! As a rough rule of thumb, expect a .50 roundball to drift about one inch for each mile per hour of cross wind at 100 yds.
Even a slight breeze may open groups, so I shoot roundball only on calm days.

That's fine except how many calm days are there during hunting season?

It is wise to shoot in all kinds of weather, knowing you and your gun's limitations is a good thing...

 

[11th corps]

I have to admit that during cold weather months I shoot smokeless. Yes, I am ashamed to admit it, but I own a few of these. Chances are they will never catch on though
The reason is, I just don't want to be outside cleaning my t/c in the cold.

 

[SAJones]

Like Othern, I've shot in the Wyoming wind, fer about 6 years. Had to learn to shoot in the wind, as the ranges I used were on the open prarie. Never had problem w/ my rifle firing if the pan flashed & the vent was clear. Besides the wind pushing rifle, shooter & targets all which way, the biggest problem I had was priming, so I learned to hold the lock leeward of my body, prime & shut the frizzen real fast. If I got a klatch (yeah, it happens), the priming powder would often be gone by the time I got the rifle down. Also shot in the rain in Oregon & freezing temperatures in Wyoming and Idaho. Just gotta learn how to take all these adverse environmental factors in stride, 'cause you never know what kinda day you might have.