| Shooting Tip of the Month |
Reading Wind
Here are some extracts from a good web article on Reading the Wind by Shawn Carlock...
Study of the wind and its effects on a given long range shot will never end and you can never know too much. They more time you spend studying the wind and its effect over varying terrain the more successful you will be as a long range shooter and hunter. Remember the cardinal rule, "There can be a no-wind shot, but in the field if there is wind it has a value in windage, elevation or both".
Wind speed estimation takes practice. With practice you can get very good at making an accurate estimate of wind speed and affect, however no matter what you do, it will always be your best guess. This is not an exact science for the field shooter -- it is an art!
Notes on wind velocity:
1-3 mph will move dry tall grass
2-4 mph - you can just feel on your face, large leaf, light stems (like maple leaves) move
4-8 mph - will make small leaf, heavy stalks (like alder) move
5-6 mph - flat-lines a 24" piece of flagging ribbon
6-10 mph - will move the tips of short needle trees like larch & spruce
8-12 mph - will make brush like alder, small aspen etc start to move
10+ mph will make trees start to move
5-6 mph - mirage tips 45 degrees
10 mph - mirage starts to flat line
Open air moves faster than air close to the ground, if you are on a canyon wall and the wind is 10 mph it is a pretty safe bet that in the open of the canyon where you have to shoot across it will be 25-50% stronger.
Giving a value to the wind is easy once a direction is determined. A 90 degree wind from either direction is a full value wind. These next angles get the following values:
90 degrees - full value
60 degrees - .85 value
45 degrees - .70 value
30 degrees - .50 value
Read the whole article!
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