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Ideas for a wind indicator

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Hello Jimmy. For what it's worth. I've spent days trying to figure out the wind and it's affects. I've built 8-10 different mechanical wind indicators and dozens of different flags. At one time had a bunch of old road flares I would line up, light and watch the smoke. Success? Somewhat. First there are two types of wind. Unobstructed like coming across an open field or water and obstructed. Coming through trees, over uneven ground and around buildings. In unobstructed, the wind is EASY to figure out. Simple tape on a stick wind flag to give you direction and a sighter shot puts you right on. only variable is the velocity. Obstructed is a completely different animal. Think of a fast flowing stream or river with the water flowing around and over rocks and boulders. There will be places where the water will be completely still, places where it's going sideways and even places where it's changed direction 180 deg and going upstream. It's the same with the wind. Only the wind changes all the variables extremely fast with different gusts and velocities. In my shooting range I shoot out of a shop with buildings on both sides for about 50 yards, then through a line of orchard trees out to my 100 yard target. Lots of obstacles to push the wind around. Trying to predict the shot in extremely windy conditions has become an obsession. Along with the wind flags I've filmed the pellet flight for a 10 shot string spaced about 15 seconds apart. I've been able to watch the pellet flight move left and right and UP and down depending on wind velocity with the wind coming from the same direction for the same shot. Just amazing to watch. Some with the exact same POI and some with wild unpredictable POI within the same shot string. If you have noticed at EBR the last couple of winners have shot quickly. What they are doing is waiting for a consistant condition and then shooting fast before it changes. I had good luck doing this in the extreme relays, but then tanked in the finals. SO. How do we figure it out? I have found fancy mechanical wind flags to not be much help. The best I have found is a string of simple wind flags with a tape or ribbon about 24 inches long. Any longer and they become slower showing changes. Also have found that light ribbons like surveyor tape do not work as well as a ribbon that is heavier. I use a 1 1/2x 24 inch bright fabric ribbon. With all of this there are times when I simply CANNOT predict the POI. At 100 yards my POI will go from 1 MOA to 5 MOA. Go figure? One thing that did work that was kind of funny was I built a whistle so I could listen to the wind. At EBR you can watch the whole field of wind flags and there will be some going every direction. Can you imagine a whole field of wind whistles blowing different pitches? What I would suggest is that you forgo all the expensive mechanical wind gizmos and build yourself 5 or 6 simple ribbons on a stick all the same and start watching the relation of the flags and your shot. That's what has worked best for me. So, as I read this I realize I've been rambling. Good luck. If you get it figured out let us know. Sylvan
 
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In my opinion the windmeister and other mechanical wind flags do a great job. The problem I had was they worked really good in one location. 50 yards down the shot path the wind might be 180 deg different. Multiple mechanical wind flags may give you more information then you can process plus it gets expensive. For myself, I found the simpler the better. I try and set my wind tapes up so they blow across my field of vision while looking through my scope at the target. Watch and when they settle take the the shot. On one shot at EBR on the first relay a gust picked up one tape so quickly that I shot through it. Sometimes I feel as slow as Tim Conway. The other thing is no mater what wind aid you use there is no substitute for simply shooting a lot. Sylvan
 
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Go to BENCHREST CENTRAL..............these guys [myself included] have been at this wind reading thing for so long we don't even lose sleep over it anymore. All your questions should be answered. Never say the wind is your friend......I would never do to a friend what the wind has done to me. That old wind sez......bend over dummy......you will never be the same [or SANE] again. Always remember...up and down is just math but right and left.......well, that's VOODOO. Bledat.
 
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