[longbow]

I know this will be boring for most of you. That's OK. Some of you might share my enthusiasm for it.

My biggest enemy while shooting longrange is that [email protected] wind. I'm use to shooting across a canyon or the Utah/Wyoming deserts. The wind is comparatively consistent there. But add a lake, some rolling clearcuts, old growth timber and a quiet bay at the end and I don't know where to hold. This place is killing me. I have a quest..beat that wind. This last month I've been taking my windmeter with me hiking, boating and shooting just to practice guessing the wind. I been taking wind readings along a good flight path and go back to a suitable shooting spot and try one shot to see if my calculations are right. Yesterday I had a 15mph/9oclock at my shooting position, a 5mph/11 at the closest shore, a 8-12/9 in the middle of the lake and a 0mph/0 for the last 200 yards on the far shore. I took an average of the 15, 5 and 8-12 readings and dialed in my windage and drop.
I nestled into my prone position for the 1027yd target and took a shot. DING! I got it on the bottom of the target. At least my windage was correct! Awesome. I dialed up 1 MOA and fired a five-shot group. My vertical spread was about 8 inches which is pretty typical of my groups on windless days at 1000yds. But my horizontal spread was about 22+ inches which shows me the wind was changing at some point between shots.

I moved to the 1230yd target and waited for the wind to start rising. The wind speeds up slower than it dies down so my window to shoot is longer. I hit it the first two times on the upper left, adjusted my sights and missed twice. I went back to my original setting and hit it one more time. I was happy with the group and wondered what it would have been if I hadn't fussed with my scope settings.

This is the view from the target back to my shooting sight (above the boat motor).

 

[Springville Shooter]

Looks like fun. I'd be down for some of that.

I've done a little experimenting with opposing winds and found that "the first wind is the worst wind". In my experience, if there is a 10 mph 90degree R to L crosswind at the muzzle and a 10 mph 90 degree L to R crosswind at 500 yards you would still have to hold for the R to L wind at 1000. Maybe 1/2 to 1/3 of a full value for a 10 mph drift.

Maybe I'm full of crap, but that's my experience. It's all witchcraft after about 800 yards anyway.-------SS

 

[longbow]

I think you hit it right on the head. I've seen the same thing. (Actually I read it somewhere). Here's how it was explained to me. If the wind nudges your bullet sideways one inch at 100 yards and you have no more wind out to 1000, you will hit 10 inches off. If you have no wind until 100 yards before the 1000yd target your bullet will only be blown off 1 inch. Of course, wind drift is a parabolic curve just like your trajectory but you get the idea.
I could talk about this stuff all day. :mrgreen:

 

[waspocrew]

Looks like a fun time to me! What round were you shooting?

 

[Nambaster]

I bet it is his 338 EDGE

 

[longbow]

I bet it is his 338 EDGE

You are correct.

 

[BPturkeys]

Looks like a fun time to me! What round were you shooting?

First off I can't see no target out that far and second, way to much arithmetic for me. Must I quote one of my favorites..."numbers, there's so many of 'em"