Windy LR Practice

.300winmag

Handloader
Oct 17, 2011
660
1
Buddy and I snuck to the range today after church, it's been a blustery day in the hundred acre wood for sure, winds 15-30MPH all day. But, the winds gonna blow in competition and while hunting, so why not shoot in it? :mrgreen:

215 Berger's from the .300 definitely have an advantage in the wind compared to the 140 Hybrids he was pushing out of his 6.5x47 F-class rig at a modest 2,735fps, but they're no slouch and he's got a hummer of a rifle and can shoot. My 6BR with 108 Berger's didn't do too terrible either, but those little bullets just don't push through the wind as well as the 140's, the BC of those 140's definitely help a lot. Started at 700 yards and walked out to 900 with the little guns, then we pulled out the big boy for a couple shots at 1,185 yards. Overall, a success

Buddy smacking a clay at 700 yards in a lull in the wind, first shot was just a tad left (antelope would have been down, however), nailed it with the he second one

https://vimeo.com/207064184

Me with the .300 at 1,185 yards, just missed off the left edge of the plate the first round, second one found its mark

https://vimeo.com/207064094

It was a fun and educational day. I recommend anyone who likes to shoot long range in competition or in hunting situations shoot on days with less than ideal conditions. It's good to get humbled and laughed at on the range by a good buddy every now and then!
 

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Encouraging videos. I surely agree that we will encounter wind when we hunt, especially on the prairies or in the mountains. Okay, that's about anywhere I hunt. :wink:
 
do you dial or hold off for wind ? do you do the same way regardless of the wind conditions ?
 
jimbires":3e2ps8ou said:
do you dial or hold off for wind ? do you do the same way regardless of the wind conditions ?

Typically I'll use the resources around me Kestrel, flags, mirage and dial my first shot based on what I see. When hunting or practicing for hunting, I can spot the majority of my shots through my scopes, so if a correction is needed, I'll hold off for a follow up, it is just faster.

In F-class, I will dial my best guess for wind on the first round, and if conditions are consistent, I will dial in to the x ring with sighters. If they are switching a little bit, I will get dialed in for one condition and remember that, then I will shoot a few more sighters with different wind indications and see where the bullets are impacting to gauge hold of for carrying conditions, peaks s d lulls in wind speed. If there is a reversal in wind direction, I will typically wait for the predominant wind condition to return before shooting. The exception to that is if there is very little time left or the condition seems to be permanent, then I will write down my previous Windage, adjust my Windage on my scope and repeat the process above, the only down side to doing that, is every shot counts for score at that point, so you've got to get it dialed in fast. It's really easy to get lost on your dial if your adjusting it for every shot, and not uncommon for people to move the scope the wrong way, which loses points, plus it's more time Consuming than holding off, which gives wind time to change. I'm lucky enough to share a home range with Dave Gosnell, so I get to pick his brain and develop strategies with his help. I'm no where near his level, but he's an excellent resource to utilize.
 
I've been dialing for the wind , but I just hold off if I see the wind change from what I've dialed . I can't spot my shots on paper with the rifle scope . I'm shooting into a paper target that is leaning against a tree , so I don't have a dirt splash to look for either . I need to take my spotting scope to see if this will help . I've just been shooting at different targets at different distances and after I'm done shooting I go get my target and see how I did . I'm really getting to see how useful a second person would be as a spotter . yes sir , the winds have been blowing here too . I get my tail kicked , but I'm learning . I know of a group of guys that shoot far , and shoot often . I've recently heard they are looking for a 2 mile range to shoot at . they have 1800 yards at their home or shop . I might go introduce myself and see if I can tag along a few times , I'm sure it would shorten my learning curve . thanks for the info Jim
 
My gun club, the "North Central Washington Gun Club" has long been known as "Home of the Wind Buckers" because of the windy conditions that often prevail.

We only have 600 yards avail most of the time, but occasionally we're able to set targets out at 1,000 and beyond, by coordinating with a neighboring land-owner.

Wind is so much tougher than elevation... For me it's simply because it's harder to judge and the doggone let-offs are something I often don't pick up on.

With my scope, I'll often hold-off for the wind. Interestingly, when shooting sights in competition, I'd often dial for the windage, in order to maintain a good sight picture by continuing to hold dead center on the target. Shot some real good scores that way, actually better with the sights!

Guy
 
Let offs are tricky, you've definitely got to watch for them like a hawk! I've been caught Many times from that as well, Guy!

Scotty I think you need to build one just like mine :mrgreen: you won't regret it man! And it's only money, you can always make more.
 
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