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Who likes to shoot in the wind?

Michael

Administrator
Staff member
In the past I often looked forward to the calmest days to shoot. Then, last year I made my first trip to the Extreme Benchrest Competition in Arizona.

My favorite event was the 75 & 100 yard competition.

On Friday the winds were light to moderate and I shot a 230 (6x). On Saturday the winds were moderately strong and I shot a 217 (1x). With a total score of 447 (7x) I made it into the 100 yard shoot-off.

On Sunday the winds were ridiculous and I ended up shooting a 160 (0x). The winner shot a 190 (1x). I strongly believe that the winner of the competition was the person who figured out how to dope the wind the best that day. 

So again... in the past I often looked forward to the calmest days to shoot. But now I look forward to challenge.



No pictures to share from today, I was lucky the wife gave me a few minutes to shoot. But every time I shoot in the wind I learn something new!

Aloha

 
Some days it seems like I have no choice but to shoot in windy conditions, it can be dead calm at home but a 45 minute drive to my local club and it will be blowing a gale, lol
I don't worry about it too much as I learnt a long time ago with my powder burners that calm conditions are only good for load development and sighting in, the same with air rifles only it will be sorting which pellet your airgun prefers, with enough practice it is possible to shoot reasonable groups/scores in less than ideal conditions.
 
I am spoiled because there is an indoor 100 meter range that I visit....at least while I am still learning my new PCPs and until I find an outdoor place in the congested and anti-gun DC area.

After some research, I bought this (have not tired yet) Vaavud V2 because it also gives you the wind direction by using a clever wind-vane design. But I do not think it works with Strelok...maybe someone could ask Strelok to add it. 

http://www.amazon.com/Ronstan-Vaavud-Speed-Direction-Smartphones/dp/B00R9X8TIG/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1464034847&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=windemeter+direction
 
As I shoot Filed Target having a day without wind is near never.I'[m still learning how to read it without the use of downrange wind veins as are common in outdoor benchrest but man is it tough. I recently attended a match in Tenn and had my behind handed to me by the wind. While I do practice regardless of wind conditions I've still yet to have what the forest/plants are doing and what the wind direction is correlate with a consistent hold off. It will click at some point though. Hopefully sooner than later.
 
I'm TIRED of shooting in the wind! I agree that it is important to know how to and to know how your pellets will react. Where I shoot, it is windy 90% of the time. Or, it's too cold 75% of the time. Those few times when it is calm and warm enough to shoot, I generally drop everything I'm doing to get a few shots in before the wind picks up again (which is usually right when I line up to take the first shot. 
I enjoy the challenge of shooting in the wind to a degree. The tough part, for me, is finding my "0" for the rifle. I need a calm environment to achieve that starting point. Otherwise, how am I to know where I'm going to hit when there is no wind?
I suppose if my environment were flip flopped, and I had calm 90% of the time, I would go seek out windy areas to shoot at in order to learn and refine that skill. 
Tom
 
Also windy for me 90% or more of the time. I am on a hilltop just above a saddle in a ridge which is directly between me and the prevailing wind direction. That puts me in the neck of the funnel. The only time it's calm here is when the wind is changing direction. To sight in a scope I generally get the wind to my back which seems to more or less remove the wind from the equation. I don't know how to shoot if it's calm! LOL

Thurmond
 
I too shot at the same Tenn 120 with John above. The gusts in the mountains will test your strength in doping the wind.

I live near the coast in NC and shoot in the early morning for sighting in my guns. Later in the mornings, the wind picks up and can blow hard. I then pratice my doping. It is usually consistent angles but gusts some.

I actually look for the wind now after advice from a new friend and WFTF shooter from Atlanta ken Hughes. He was the top over all shooter in the 2015 nationals we hosted in Ennice NC. This guy can Shoot! And at 12 FPE to boot.....!
So when he told me to pratice in the wind, I listened. It has improved my scores at field target events this year.

So I say "Feel the wind, be the wind"!
Lol
 
I'm pretty new to this (air guns and shooting at all) and until just a while ago, I avoided the wind and only shot when it was mostly calm. This included getting up at six in the morning and putting lights on my range so I could shoot at the times or the day (morning and evening) when it would most likely be calm. Lately I've gone ahead and started shooting in the wind and it has proven difficult, but also proven to be a whole new avenue of learning and aspect of the sport that I was missing. I got a couple of wind flags which really, really help. The sideways doping is mostly straight forward, but the up and down depending on if it's blowing against or with the path of the pellet complicates matters!! So, I've put my toe in and will continue to shoot more and more in the wind.