THE INVISIBLE ENEMY

[Dr5x]

THE INVISIBLE ENEMY
This is a tough one to explain because it's invisible.You can see its effect when it shakes and swayed the trees but you can't see its effect on a ball you fired until it shows up on the target away from the point of aim having been moved to the right or left in the direction that cross wind is going.
My simple advice is to fire only when the gust of wind is dying down. That gives you some advantage but the wind is more complicated than that.
Charlie who is shooting from a bench 25 or so feet to your left feels the gust before you do and feels that lull between gusts before you do.
I have come to think of the sea of air we are living in as rather like water.
If you have a lighter than air balloon in your station wagon,SUV to sedan and you accelerate. the bolton will come forward as the water like air is thrust to the rear.
Step on the brakes, the air will go forward and the balloon will zip to the rear.
People will erect small flags or cloth strips on a short pole to let them know when a "wave" of air is coming their way but that's only happening out there and not where you are waiting.
One wind fighter had a series of small flags, One every few yards from out there to near here to be able to judge what the wind is doing and the best time to touch the trigger.
If you are aiming North at a target and are compensating for wind from the west or northeast by shifting your point of aim a bit to the left of the point of aim but fire during a lull you have only increased the problem.

It's something to think about and is all part of the fun of seeking accuracy.

 

[Carbon 6]

but you can't see its effect on a ball you fired until it shows up on the target

Well, you can't see the ball in flight either can you ? How would you expect to see one without seeing the other? Also, target impact is the effect, deflection is the cause. If you could see the affect, you could see the future.

 

[Griz44Mag]

LOL, Right on Doctor!
I do shoot those other things out to 1K, and not just the wind is a factor. Wind at longer ranges is aloft - the bullets/balls passing in an arc that can be many feet off the ground and out of the line of sight.
I have see heat mirage on targets out at 100 yards and less.
The waves of heat can be horizontal rising waves and vertical passing waves from the side.
You have to aim between the waves and take that shot.
These bend the light so what you see is not where you see it, it's seeing it through a fun house mirror.
However - Things like this are what keeps our hobby and sport interesting and for me at least - a lot of fun...

 

[mushka]

I shot a lot of high power rifle and over time just learned to read the wind. Ground mirage, light or lack there of, temps, humidity. Takes a while to figure it out. The bullet rises way over the sight picture at the longer ranges. About three stories high with a good .308 load at 1000 yds. What all this means is that one must shoot in the wind to learn how to do it well. I was amazed at how much the breeze affects round balls at the much closer ranges. Got to learn a whole new skill. Keep banging away and you will figure it out.

 

[Rifleman1776]

fire only when the gust of wind is dying down.

Yes, Dutch that is how I do it. But, I also watch for other indicators such as other shooters wind flags, grass waving and I have a feather tied near the muzzle of my rifle. It is interesting how often a wind flag will be blowing one direction and my feather the other. Another tip for the serious 'X' hunter is to shoot the very first relays in the morning. Wind is usually quite calm then.

 

[Maven]

Dutch is right about waiting for the wind to fade. To wit, I used to shoot .22 Bench Rest @ 50 yd. (X ring was ~diameter of a .22 cal. bullet for my class of rifle; was much, much smaller for the custom guns with 16x or more scopes). If you didn't read the wind or watch the wind flags, you could miss the X-ring or even the 10-ring and almost certainly lose the match. This applies to ML's as well. (Don't ask....!)

 

[Dr5x]

Dutch is right about waiting for the wind to fade. To wit, I used to shoot .22 Bench Rest @ 50 yd. (X ring was ~diameter of a .22 cal. bullet for my class of rifle; was much, much smaller for the custom guns with 16x or more scopes). If you didn't read the wind or watch the wind flags, you could miss the X-ring or even the 10-ring and almost certainly lose the match. This applies to ML's as well. (Don't ask....!)

WELL said.
I have a retired Rabbi who is very much unlike one would expect who looks to be 45 years old who wanted total to you.
I can understand your hesitation
We are woking to get him set up with a .50 TC Hawken but first he needs a cataract operation
If you have any interest at all, contact me at
[email protected]
Dutch

 

[Dr5x]

THE INVISIBLE ENEMY
This is a tough one to explain because it's invisible.You can see its effect when it shakes and swayed the trees but you can't see its effect on a ball you fired until it shows up on the target away from the point of aim having been moved to the right or left in the direction that cross wind is going.
My simple advice is to fire only when the gust of wind is dying down. That gives you some advantage but the wind is more complicated than that.
Charlie who is shooting from a bench 25 or so feet to your left feels the gust before you do and feels that lull between gusts before you do.
I have come to think of the sea of air we are living in as rather like water.
If you have a lighter than air balloon in your station wagon,SUV to sedan and you accelerate. the bolton will come forward as the water like air is thrust to the rear.
Step on the brakes, the air will go forward and the balloon will zip to the rear.
People will erect small flags or cloth strips on a short pole to let them know when a "wave" of air is coming their way but that's only happening out there and not where you are waiting.
One wind fighter had a series of small flags, One every few yards from out there to near here to be able to judge what the wind is doing and the best time to touch the trigger.
If you are aiming North at a target and are compensating for wind from the west or northeast by shifting your point of aim a bit to the left of the point of aim but fire during a lull you have only increased the problem.

It's something to think about and is all part of the fun of seeking accuracy.

A more visible enemy is rain which must be going out of style as we are getting it daily here in East Missouri and much of the great plains.
The mud bust be ankle deep at most ranges.
There is a range about 30 miles northwest of Paris that has both indoor and outdoor ranges, a complete restaurant attached and the admission is affordable.
It's that dam long bus ride..I have recently been hearing rumors about on on the East end of Long Island h might have some rainey day benefits but I doubt it.
They say the next worse thing about the battle of Shilo was the almost unending rain and the sea of mud it produced
We had the the northwest test end of the Monsoon rains in Korea but everything was pretty much paved by the Japanese who had left suddenly before our arrival
The Monsoon rain is very heavy for about 20 minutes followed by another 20 minutes at about twice the heaviness. This for quite a few day running./ You could watch the green mold grow on the leather of you boots. Which I think was the creation of a non leather boot for Viet Nam.
(cinnamon grown in Viet nam is also a sweetener)
Were I younger and I could still see well enough to use my now absent rifles I would be jumping up and down by this daily creation of a mud swamp of my favorite Rifle range which is somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico, having been dissolved and sent down the Mississippi none of the floods we enjoy as a gift one the Core of Engineers.
Shoot as muck as you can because after one thing or another removes that opportunity you will miss it BIG time,
Dutch