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Hada frustrating day with 2 rifles that I am taking on a hunt that I thought I had shooting fine - just running through the final check. It was a little too windy to actually shoot groups but I didn’t think beyond reasonable. Wind 10-15 with 20mph gusts. I could see my target (big box with a rock in it) moving sometimes and tried to wait for a lull. Generally I don’t see much effect from wind at 100 yds. Today…my sub 1” rifles (a .308 Win and a .375 H&H) were 1.5 -2” rifles. Can I lay that onto the wind? (I know only another shooting session will tell.) What is the opinion? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Lane Easter, DVM A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991. | ||
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The thing about a lull is, the wind is probably changing direction during the lull. Effects are not necessarily predictable. Better to use wind flags and try to shoot a known condition. I'd think twice about changing scope settings on a windy day. TomP Our country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept right, when wrong to be put right. Carl Schurz (1829 - 1906) | |||
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I believe the wind isn't to blame for groups opening up from bullet drift as much as causing the shooter to lose hold during shot placement, especially at only 100 yds. Dennis Life member NRA | |||
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What is the plan if it is windy when/where you are hunting? Point is, (and I have friends who do this), is that guys will strive for .5 MOA groups from the bench under perfect range conditions, and forget that once they actually get into the field, shooting is entirely different. Train as you fight. (hunt) | |||
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I would have killed what I shooting at no problem. I have been pressed for time and finally got a day and went for it. I was just surprised I shot such poor groups — thought I had everything dialed in better. Hoping it was the wind. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Lane Easter, DVM A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991. | |||
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which way was the wind blowing? front back side all do different things to a bullet. and it magnifies it if the bullet is over or under spinning, or is light for the caliber. wanna see something cool? look on the U-tube for some bench rest shooters. 5 shots in under 6 seconds and a 5 shot group in the .2range. | |||
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A wind fluctuating from 7mph (perceived lull to 20 mph could easily open groups by 1 inch. At 15-20 there is both effect on the bullet and your hold. Mike  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Thats just a gentle breeze, go hunting! | |||
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Agreed! I was just disgusted yesterday that my groups were crappy and hoping it was wind effects. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Lane Easter, DVM A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991. | |||
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It was! A 10+ mph wind change can open a group by over an inch and the box moving around didn't help you a bit. I shoot in all kinds of wind, on purpose, and it can wreak havoc on bench groups and gongs at 600 and 900. Like others said "you still have to hunt in it" but it'll still affect your shooting so compensations must be made. Zeke | |||
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Anyone who thinks wind doesn’t affect bullet flight at 100 yards, should attend a BR match, and ask the shooters why each of them have placed 4-5 wind flags per bench. Missing a 5 mph pickup, or let off will cost you maybe .200”, but miss a full reversal of 20mph, and watch that bullet sail into the next county. I wouldn’t worry about a 2” group in a hunting rifle in those conditions. | |||
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A little bit of wind can have an effect. Just look at wind drift values on any box of ammo. But bear in mind that is calculated on the basis of steady wind. In any wind that is strong to sway branches on trees - 15 to 20 mph - you will pretty turbulent wind in the layer between the ground and the air - and this can be pretty rough. Think river run over rocks gravel, or even just two streams joining. Add all the effect on the bullet and that it will be pushing it every which way to the buffeting that you will experience and that the target is also being moved it is very surprising that your bullets are only an inch or two from point of aim! I think as hunters we obsess about tiny little groups, when what actually matters is whether you can put a bullet through the vitals from s crampt awkward position at an awkward angle before the buck of a lifetime, or the only one seen after several days, is looking at you at is on the point of disappearing. Here in Scotland we only think its windy if rocks are moving. There is a very simple method we use to dope the wind - it involves getting close enough so wind effect is minimal. | |||
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All the rage these days is to buy a scope with the elevation turret the elevation is the easy part. Any ballistic calculator can tell you that! Judging wind as we know is the real art! I was watching a clip on youtube on this by a well known sniper. He said something which made a lot of sense. He said say if say your kill area is 6 inches and the bullet landed anywhere in that circle it would do its job. He said if there is ANY wind then you should hold for wind and at the very least hold at say the left edge of the circle if there is a L to R wind blowing. So even if you got it wrong and have a 6 inch change in POI it will still work! Better than aiming at the center of the 6" target and missing it completely. I am also pretty anal about shooting small groups especially when working up loads, even with my big bore guns, but the reality is that its not so important for hunting. | |||
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Unless you are hunting sheep or goats at 500 yards or more, rifle accuracy is irrelevant. You, as shooter, is the weakest link in the field. | |||
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Even the benchrest shooters believe in practicing in the wind. NRA Benefactor Member US Navy Veteran | |||
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In Wyoming 40 mph is a gentle breeze.  | |||
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I don't agree, the worst thing anyone can do is come away from the range before a hunting trip with doubts about rifle, ammo, scope or themselves. I rarely shoot in my rifles at over 50m. Sure I do shoot longer range to check trajectory initially but once I have dialed in a rifle with the load I'm using I want to come away from the range with the bullets nicely grouped at the correct trajectory 50m POI. If that is a three shot group down one hole or almost one hole I'm happy and confident that rifle, scope, ammo and myself are good to go. Sure in the field, especially long range open exposed country, there will be altitude, wind, range and angle of shot to contend with but at least I'm starting with a rifle combination that is as accurate as possible and dialed into a trajectory in perfect conditions. It's now up to my experience with perhaps a rangefinder, the latter in my case not yet, to make the necessary corrections. This has stood me in good stead for 6 decades of hunting from sea level to high alpine. | |||
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