Range Report shooting in canyon winds

[obilly]

Any tricks on calculating three different wind values or even just a midrange wind? I know the speed of the wind but can’t figure out how to adjust for it when it only affects the last 600 yards of the shot. Its most of a mile away and that last little bit is making a huge difference. Everyone around me told me to just do it more and get used to it. Needless to say that’s not much to go on

 

[Bigwheels]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

Field Firing Solutions can correct for up to 3 wind speeds, & directions. Now getting all the indicaters for those winds, & inputting them before they change... It helps but a lot of practice is still required.

 

[MontanaMarine]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

Make your best call, then if you miss try to get a quick second shot, corrected by holdoff (for speed), before conditions change too much.

 

[temecula]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

I love to see how the shot gone

 

[jrob300]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MontanaMarine</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Make your best call, then if you miss try to get a quick second shot, corrected by holdoff (for speed), before conditions change too much.

</div></div>

This.

The most challenging conditions I've ever shot in were from ridgeline to ridgeline. Factor in nomimal winds with updrafts, swirls, not to mention surface vs. elevated, and you have a crapshoot for first round hit.

Send it, watch for hit and get ready for a corrected follow-up.

John

 

[lanwickum]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

You can try to figure an average wind. Say you were shooting 1000yards and had 0 wind for 500yards then 10mph for 500yards. Figure an avrage wind. 1/2 of 10mph is 5mph. Similar with direction. If wind is at 45deg toward you. Figure 1/2 value. Not easy and not perfect. Like John said, throw in updrafts and downdrafts into that also. For me wind has always been the hardest thing to predict when shooting.
If you can learn to read wind speed with mirage then you can use the speed you see. I offten do this on calmer days, easier to see 1 or 2 mph wind changes than try to measure them. Like alwys, not perfect, can get you close.
I have heard of a wind measuring tools that use lasers to measure wind speed at a distance. That would be handy. Never seen one. It may have been fiction.

 

[obilly]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

Thanks for the help everyone. At least I know im not the only one scratching my head at this one.

 

[psinclair]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

I'll tell you everything I know about it.......


















That should just about cover it.......grin!

 

[Graham]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

It's simple: Watch PGS shoot; then get his wind call and do what he did. It worked for me at the Cup - but too late to do my scores any good.

 

[DIBBS]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

I suck at wind reading, and this was blatantly obvious when I took a class last spring with one of our shooting positions located near a mountaintop. We had a couple different ridgelines running in different directions, as well as two canyons to deal with. Frustrating and humbling to say the least. However, I now try to find areas like that to practice in...because I need a LOT of work.

If it is an obvious constant wind, I have some success, but for variable/switching/inconsistent winds, I try and do what another poster suggested, make your best guess/calculation,send it, and if you can spot your miss, make a correction on your hold and send a second shot quickly before conditions change too much. For me its a continuing work in progress...someday I hope I'll subsantially improve my first round hits in these conditions.

 

[seanh]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

the only way to get better is to practice. There is plenty of literature on judging wind such as how to read marriage, grasses, trees- find it, learn it.

One thing you can do is to get a wooden stake, tie surveyors tape to it (about 2') and watch it. Set several of them out and just observe- when you do this watch the surrounding trees/grass.

get you a wind meeter and tie to one the stake, set the stake out 100-200 yards...look at it through your scope and make notes on the flag angle vs speed.

get you a 22 and start shooting @ 200-300 yards...you'll get real good with judging wind with. ((50 yards with Aguila Super COlibri- it's a 17grn pellet @ around 750fps))- you can watch it fly through the air

 

[TimK]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

If the wind is switchy, you might as well go home. If steady, shoot and correct as mentioned.

 

[Rthur]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

There was a shot at the cup with mostly 2 and sometimes 3 winds on d1 at the cup last year. There may have been more that I missed. Shooting from a ridge through a canyon to a mountain side. A best guess shot with the bullet giving the answer was really the only "qualified" answer for the next few seconds.

 

[psinclair]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rthur</div><div class="ubbcode-body">There was a shot at the cup with mostly 2 and sometimes 3 winds on d1 at the cup last year. There may have been more that I missed. Shooting from a ridge through a canyon to a mountain side. A best guess shot with the bullet giving the answer was really the only "qualified" answer for the next few seconds. </div></div>

I remember that station....there was a gravel quarry about a mile to the west.....I read the wind blowing dust out of there and used that for swag. It was more of a tail wind than a cross, but there was some left right push. I hit the 1100 yard plate with 1.0 left.

 

[jbailey]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

Alleghany Sniper Challenge has some amazing "across the canyon" shots out on their beautiful WV mountains. Some of the most fun shooting I have done.

Like mentioned above - send it with your best call, watch for splash, cycle the weapon and re-engage quickly with a hold before conditions change. If done right, very effective and boy is it fun.

Thanks to Don the RO for his call on my "Across the Canyon" run - you saved me a point there buddy!

 

[Rapidrob]

Re: shooting in canyon winds

In New Mexico, these Canyon winds ( really cooler air draining off of the mountains ) never stops. We follow how the mirage reacts. When we see the same conditions in the mirage,we fire.
It seems to help.