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Ray Hill/Wicks Style Wind Flags

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MikeAllen

MikeAllen

Member
Feb 4, 2021
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Canyon Lake Texas, United States
First of all, Ray Hill is alive and well and, thankfully, still making Wicks Style Wind Flags. And boy are they beautiful! I ordered and received three of them and couldn't be happier. They are beautifully made and highly sensitive and accurate. Best of all Ray is a great guy! He and his son are accomplished shooters - actually award winning. Ray can be reached at [email protected] . If you order his flags don't expect a rush job, but you CAN expect to receive what I believe to be the best wind flags available. By the way, he also has some very good advice on benchrest shooting using wind flags. Here's my previous post where it was suggested I contact Ray -
https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/looking-for-good-wind-flags.1314317/ and below are a few photos he sent to me.

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igolfat8 said:
You might want to balance your flag before using it? Hang your tail on and let it hang over the edge of a table. Then rest the black female fitting over a knife edge. Loosen the set screw above it and slide the brass rod or the nose weight either way to balance it then snug the set screw(s).
Click to expand...
Ray balances every flag before shipping it!
 
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I balance my flags slightly tail heavy because it dampens the bobbing around that occurs with an even balance. Ray and I disagree on this subject. I think he must get much lower wind speeds where he lives because the super light , and short dual tails he usually provides are not very useful above about 3 mph.

Mike
 
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I have three stands from an old photo lighting kit bought at a yard sale for $20. The top of each stand is a 3/8" post which I had to adapt to 1/4x20. There is something similar, although lighter weight, available from Amazon that comes with 1/4x20 and also a swivel ball adapter for $16.99.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CF5WY228?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
I'll try to post some photos later today or tomorrow.
 
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thomasair said:
I balance my flags slightly tail heavy because it dampens the bobbing around that occurs with an even balance. Ray and I disagree on this subject. I think he must get much lower wind speeds where he lives because the super light , and short dual tails he usually provides are not very useful above about 3 mph.

Mike
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Would what you mention be resolved if you put longer tails on Ray’s flags?
 
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I don't want to speak for Mike but longer tails will most likely not help . Those light tails are flapping straight out level as Mike mentioned about 3-5 mph wind. So, what happens is you have no indicator how strong the wind actually is with the light streamers. I found that out at EBR a couple years back. The wind rendered my flags almost useless it was blowing so strong that the streamers were just straight out the whole match. I had to figure out another way to judge the wind. You should experiment with the existing flags as is, in the wind, and then try different weight and possibly length streamers (18 inch is really good) to help you with wind reading. You want to play with them until your set up allows you to notice the streamers and how they move which might indicate the wind change before you shoot. I will say I more or less copied Mike's set up with a heavier streamer and only one streamer in between the middle of the vanes. I was shooting a match and it was raining off and on and those 2 streamers got wet and stuck together and just hung straight downward behind the vanes. I chose to go one streamer shortly after that and never looked back. I will never be able to come close to reading the wind as well as Mike in this lifetime but you would do well to ALWAYS use flags every time you shoot even if only 5 minutes plinking in the back yard. Maybe not even shooting at all sometimes. Just sit and watch the wind flags in the different winds to see how they react and try to establish a "tell sign" on the streamers and how it affected your shot. Best of luck but you just opened up another BIG rabbit hole!(y):D Wishing you the best on your journey!
Thx
Dan
 
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A heavier and longer single tail is what I prefer. I've tried 18"-26" and prefer around 24 now. I can get a good read up to about 8-10 mph. I use 4.5 mil flagging tape.

Presco PresGlo Taffeta Roll Flagging Tape @ FindTape

Presco PresGlo Taffeta Roll Flagging Tape is a non-adhesive, brightly colored tape used for surveying, trail marking, and other industrial applications.
www.findtape.com www.findtape.com

Mike
 
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I was at the range yesterday and a friend showed me the flags he made a few days ago. One thing I noted was the way in which he mounted the tail (surveyor's tape) to the flag. I use a fishing lure swivel on mine as do a lot of other shooter's flags. This allows the flag to spin or rotate. He mounted his to a short horizonal dowel so that the flag hung horizontally of vertically to the ground. In a full value wind that tail would be parallel to the ground and would not spin or rotate. He is shooting in our N50 match tomorrow so it will be interesting to see how this set up performs for him.
 
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XSUltimate said:
I don't want to speak for Mike but longer tails will most likely not help . Those light tails are flapping straight out level as Mike mentioned about 3-5 mph wind. So, what happens is you have no indicator how strong the wind actually is with the light streamers. I found that out at EBR a couple years back. The wind rendered my flags almost useless it was blowing so strong that the streamers were just straight out the whole match. I had to figure out another way to judge the wind. You should experiment with the existing flags as is, in the wind, and then try different weight and possibly length streamers (18 inch is really good) to help you with wind reading. You want to play with them until your set up allows you to notice the streamers and how they move which might indicate the wind change before you shoot. I will say I more or less copied Mike's set up with a heavier streamer and only one streamer in between the middle of the vanes. I was shooting a match and it was raining off and on and those 2 streamers got wet and stuck together and just hung straight downward behind the vanes. I chose to go one streamer shortly after that and never looked back. I will never be able to come close to reading the wind as well as Mike in this lifetime but you would do well to ALWAYS use flags every time you shoot even if only 5 minutes plinking in the back yard. Maybe not even shooting at all sometimes. Just sit and watch the wind flags in the different winds to see how they react and try to establish a "tell sign" on the streamers and how it affected your shot. Best of luck but you just opened up another BIG rabbit hole!(y):D Wishing you the best on your journey!
Thx
Dan
Click to expand...
Thanks Dan - good advice and a lot to think about. I do know I’m pretty good at sittin’ and watchin’ so that part works for me!
 
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igolfat8 said:
I was at the range yesterday and a friend showed me the flags he made a few days ago. One thing I noted was the way in which he mounted the tail (surveyor's tape) to the flag. I use a fishing lure swivel on mine as do a lot of other shooter's flags. This allows the flag to spin or rotate. He mounted his to a short horizonal dowel so that the flag hung horizontally of vertically to the ground. In a full value wind that tail would be parallel to the ground and would not spin or rotate. He is shooting in our N50 match tomorrow so it will be interesting to see how this set up performs for him.
Click to expand...
Let us all know how your friend does!
 
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Hey guys - have read this thread a couple of times and I am spinning, or my head is anyway.

I’m coming late to the party/discussion, but I am having a hard time visualizing the various approaches you all have been using. I have the Ray Hill Wicks flags and stands, but the tail lengths are the original lengths. To be honest, I’m also not fully understanding the relationship between the balancing req’d or using different tail lengths.

Would you mind taking some close up pics the next time you get a chance so we can see your individual solutions?
 
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igolfat8 said:
Tom,
Different tail materials and or lengths have differing weights. If one wants the flag to spin with the least resistance at the post then the balance point at the post pivot point is critical. Therefore, one must either move the forward weight or the pivot point fore or aft.
Click to expand...
Thanks Tim. I understand.

Next time you can, can you attach a close up picture?
 
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