Wind ?

[Steve Anderson]

So, does a new guy watch the wind at the target or on the line? Inquiring minds want to know. Steve

[powderburner]

watch it both places and the mirage as well.

[Don McDowell]

watch it both places and the mirage as well.

What he said plus inbetween and old guys need to keep an eye on it all as well.

[Steve Anderson]

So you don't pay more attention to target wind? The more I watch the wind, the more confused I get. Wind at the target is most often different in velocity and direction than at my firing point and who knows what it's doing betwixt here and there!

[Don McDowell]

The wind the bullet first encounters will have the first affect on the bullet. Tail wind, head wind, quarter left, quartering right all have a different affect than a simple cross wind. Winds at the peak of the bullets trajectory will also have a big affect.
Mirage is also a wind indicator.
My thoughts and any "calls" I give a shooter are based first on the first 100 yds, then if there are wind flags or something else to use about half way to the target to indicate wind direction/speed, and then the conditions at or just in front of the target. Then you roll all that together do a quick calculation and tell the shooter what you see, and give your best guess as to what if any sight corrections need to be made.
It's very easy to get caught up in minute adjustments, but the prudent thing to do is keep in mind about what sort of foot print a 2 minute group would look like on the target. Then before making a wind call , you need to ask the shooter if that last shot was a good break or not.
Don't chase shots unless they are way off the mark.
Lastly it helps to know what the group size the shooter is capable of delivering , and whether or not the ammunition has been tested good at the range being shot.
Getting one of the wind charts that Shiloh sells will also go a long way to help make good wind calls. Kenny and Jimbo put an awful lot of time and testing into that thing, and it's a true assest to shooters that use it.

[Kurt]

Steve.

It makes a big difference in the direction the wind is coming from. With a variable velocity head quarter value, left or right, I pay attention to the down range wind flags. They are an indicator what is coming at the firing line. The bullet is most effected in the first 100 yards. The winds coming from the rear I watch the close and midrange.
Mirage is the best but when it is in a flat line it's tough to make a call unless your a very experienced spotter. Then the flags and what you feel hitting you in the back of your neck or face. If there are no flags like at the Quigley, then pay attention to what the grass and the little butterflies are doing a lot of time you cant see the mirage.

Kurt

[Old Jim]

If IRC, it was 2012 when a breeze came thru the Quigley shoot and lotsa folks did not have enough windage in their rear sight , including yours-truly ! !

I put in 35min and held 2 buffalo into the wind, DUH!

[Kurt]

Jim I remember that morning I used my .50 for that match with the LR MVA Soule and had just 24 min left cranked in

[Don McDowell]

We couldn't see half the targets.

[Steve Anderson]

This year at the Quigley, I tried to watch the dust of the "others" bullet splashes. Sounds as though I might do well to watch what's happening up close first. I was doing it backwards.

Thanks for the tips, got any other thoughts that would help me? Steve