I am beginning to shoot HFT and have a few very basic questions about the effect of wind on pellets. Do pellets react to wind direction the same as, let’s say, a .22 rimfire bullet or do they act differently due to their shape? I understand that the best way to evaluate the effect of wind is by shooting sighter shots, but would like to have a rough idea as to where a pellet would most likely hit given the direction the wind. I’m not looking for a cookie cutter approach, but rather gathering as much information as possible. Thanks, Tom
Effect of Wind on Pellet
- Thread starter TomJ
- Start date
In my narrow experience, pellets drift more than slugs or .22lr rimfire. Actually I was kind of amazed just how much wind has an effect on pellets. I compensated and on a few rare shots, shocked I actually hit the target. Youtube had some videos on HFT. I have one of those airport wind socks on my property which I find handy at times. Good luck in your venture!
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Thanks for the chart. It will give me a starting point to compare actual results against. Merry Christmas to everyone, Tom
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That chart is the biggest scam in shooting history. It would be fine if wind was constant. Or if wind only moved in the direction of the pointers on the chart. That's not what wind does. It's turbulence. And it's not a constant variable. Light a small fire in 3 places along a 50 yard path. Then watch the smoke. You will find that this chart means 0- nada- zilch.
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The information in those charts is used by every single successful precision BR shooter on the planet....for every shot. They could not possibly be as successful without that knowledge.
Mike
Mike
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I know quite a few successful Benchrest shooters that do not use that chart, " for every shot." There is absolutely no way to tell what the wind will do along a projectiles flight path. In terms is Pellets with a large sail, called a skirt, that chart is useless. You may get a little closer to the x ring....you may not. It is not a holy grail by any means.
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Of course, there are variables, but it will get you in the ballpark. Only practice and experience will refine the chart for that day/pellet and gun.
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These are two different things that can both be true at different times.
When the shooter has knowledge of the wind, by way of wind flags or environmental clues or mirage, he will be indisputably advantaged to understand its effects on the projectile.
When the shooter does not have knowledge of the wind, he will need to use some other strategy, like using sighters and then rattling off shots as fast as possible before the wind changes.
https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/carmichel-benchrest-world-record/
When the shooter has knowledge of the wind, by way of wind flags or environmental clues or mirage, he will be indisputably advantaged to understand its effects on the projectile.
When the shooter does not have knowledge of the wind, he will need to use some other strategy, like using sighters and then rattling off shots as fast as possible before the wind changes.
https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/carmichel-benchrest-world-record/
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I have four arrows with florescent orange marking tape. I have them placed every twenty yards out to my limit of eighty.
They give me an educated guess on the wind. Once the wind gets into double digits all bets are off on accuracy and consistency.
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They give me an educated guess on the wind. Once the wind gets into double digits all bets are off on accuracy and consistency.
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You are correct in terms of math but not in pellets. Navier-Stokes is a fluid dynamics equation that we know doesn't work. Yet we human beings use it successfully from aerodynamics of cars and wind tunnels, pressure calcs of every fluid and pipe on earth and even buoyancy, calculating tonnage displacement of ships at sea and how fast, not to mention how much fuel, they should be at a given displacement.
We have only recently come up with maths proofs for why a bicycle stays upright or why your shower curtain billows. Just because we can't correctly prove it doesn't mean we are unaware of how it works or that it works.
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The chart works but you also need to understand the wind may change along the flight path of the pellet or between when you checked it and when the pellet flew. When it varies along the path you need multiple wind flags to even see what is happening.
I do not remember why but the ballistic coefficient has a lot to do with wind drift. Pellets have low bc so they drift a lot. I've played with chairgun some to see the potential drift of different wind speeds and different pellets.
I do not remember why but the ballistic coefficient has a lot to do with wind drift. Pellets have low bc so they drift a lot. I've played with chairgun some to see the potential drift of different wind speeds and different pellets.
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The mechanics of downwind drift were explained here. https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/how-wind-causes-pellets-to-drift.1278969/.
The vertical effect is due to the gyroscopic stability effects. I did do a thread once, but I don't think I have ever put it on this forum.
The flare on a pellet has noting to do with the downwind drift of a pellet and has very little relation to the effects of a sail on a boat, unless your pellets have very serious stability problems.
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Nervoustrig, I am unable to print the wind charts in your posting, do you have a Word or PDF file you could provide? Thanks, Tom
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