Wind observation and hanging a ribbon

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Arizona_Mike

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I was shooting two rifles at a 9" gong at 300M today (M193 5.56 in a 20" .223 Wylde and 140gr 6.5x55 in a McGowen barreled Savage). I was really able to experience first hand how much more the smaller projectile was effected by the wind. It also got me thinking about hanging a ribbon to judge the wind. Is there a standard ribbon material, length, and fabric weight people use for repeatability?

a2657632-154-windsock.jpg

Mike
 
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I like simple and use homemade windsocks made from driveway markers, cut up coat hanger and surveyors tape. Works well, is inexpensive and if I forget or lose them no big deal.

There are also many high end options available but I don't own any. So can't help with those.
 
I did some research and a proper wind sock is supposed to be 3kn (3.5 mph) per stripe "inflated".

The following wind sock is indicating a 4kn wind:

11_windsock_large.jpg

I was just wondering if there was a standard ribbon for rifle use along with a documented way to read it (perhaps coming from the Military)?

Mike
 
My grandfather told me once of a friend of his on the reservation that would tie an eagle feather to the barrel of his rifle as a guide to wind direction and speed. Perhaps one of those little pine tree thingies truck drivers hang on their mirrors would work just as well...
 
We hang about 18" of orange surveyors tape from stakes every 50 yards. The wind speed and direction is rarely the same at the muzzle as it is downrange. it isn't windy enough here in GA to need the chains they use in Wyoming.:D
 
I was driving west out of Cheyenne toward Laramie in my Jeep CJ-7 when I thought something was wrong with the motor. I couldn't get my speed up over 45 mph. I pulled over on the shoulder, stepped out onto the pavement and the wind almost knocked me down. The wind was hardly blowing when I pulled out of Cheyenne. Next time I'll look for low flying trains!
 

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Bright colored yarn, same kind grandma used to stitch socks and sweaters. Red or orange works best. Tie a 4 or 5 ft. strip to your car antenna if you're parked nearby.
 
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OK, that Wyoming wind sock picture is hilarious... I moved around the corner to new place yesterday ( in Wyoming), moving is always a pain, but luckily the winds stayed at a sedate 45 mph, so things weren't as tough as they could have been.
 
Go attend a bench rest match in your area. Have cold adult beverages with the folks afterwards. You will learn tons. I have found these folks in whatever sport you are interested in being very willing to pass along information. I've seen high tech to low tech at the matches used.
 
CF range flags are nylon or cotton and about 6 feet long.
A feather on a rifle won't tell you much about anything down range. Neither will bits of string on your vehicle. Even at 300 you need to learn to read the mirage. Tell you more about the wind than anything else.
 
GTscotty:

I see your location is the "Real Windy City". You must live in Casper.
 
go to your fabric store and buy some nice heavy duty Nylon material. surveyors tape is far to flimsy and light and to get reliable info from....with surveyors tape, a 5 mph breeze look just like a 10 mph breeze.
 
Learned a little field expedient trick from a 1942 garand training film. Stand in a spot and throw a leaf or bits of grass in the air. Point at it with your arm. Estimate the angle of your arm. Divide that number by 4. For example, your arm looks to be at 60 degrees. Divide by 4 gives you 15. Your arm is pointing in the direction of wind. I tried this out last weekend and estimated a 20mph cross wind out of 3oclock. The requisite number of clicks for the range I was shooting moved my POI right where it was supposed to go. I'll keep trying this but it seemed to have worked.
 
ribbon works

037.jpg Simple homemade wind flags placed at 25 &65 yds can shrink group size. The size of the aiming point also has an effect. High power scopes can use a smaller square. Black cross hairs in a white square show up great for me.
 
Average_shooter made a good point. Learn to estimate wind using things between you and the target. No wind at your location and a 40 MPH wind at the target (yes, extreme example) is something you need to know before sending a round downrange.
 
Uncle Nubbs said:
Learned a little field expedient trick from a 1942 garand training film. Stand in a spot and throw a leaf or bits of grass in the air. Point at it with your arm. Estimate the angle of your arm. Divide that number by 4. For example, your arm looks to be at 60 degrees. Divide by 4 gives you 15. Your arm is pointing in the direction of wind. I tried this out last weekend and estimated a 20mph cross wind out of 3oclock. The requisite number of clicks for the range I was shooting moved my POI right where it was supposed to go. I'll keep trying this but it seemed to have worked.
Click to expand...
Yep, that is a legitimate way to estimate wind speed. Not exact, but good enough for most applications. A method still taught by AMU instructors as well as in the Squad Designated Marksman course in the army.
 
Cool. I sure do love learning a little trick like that. Takes me back to my scouting days. Scoutmaster had tons of little tricks like this. Wish I could remember more of them
 
That is a useful tip that I intend to use. I'll see what the equivalent rule is for surveyor's ribbon I have a wind meter) but I was asking to avoid having to reinvent the wheel.

Mike
 
Uncle Nubbs said:
Learned a little field expedient trick from a 1942 garand training film. Stand in a spot and throw a leaf or bits of grass in the air. Point at it with your arm. Estimate the angle of your arm. Divide that number by 4. For example, your arm looks to be at 60 degrees. Divide by 4 gives you 15. Your arm is pointing in the direction of wind. I tried this out last weekend and estimated a 20mph cross wind out of 3oclock. The requisite number of clicks for the range I was shooting moved my POI right where it was supposed to go. I'll keep trying this but it seemed to have worked.
Click to expand...

Interesting, about how far up do you drop the grass from? Like hip level, or shoulder level?
 
I just kinda underhand tossed it up in the air and let 'er drift. I'm sure it's not precise but close enough for govt. work :)

My rear sight adjustment did seem to be pretty correct using this method.
 
What drift did you experience with the different calibers? Were they both the same velocity?

Not trying to be a grunt but Google on wind speed estimation provides links to some very informative bullet drift and methods for estimation. Uncle Nubbs military angle divided by 4 is listed using flag angle.

I shot a buck as a teenager from a bluff at the rancher estimated distance of 450 yards and a mas o menos wind speed of ten miles per hour. The bullet hit almost exactly on the animal from point of aim as one of the linked drift charts shows. 30-06 probably 180 gr.

Thanks for the thread.
 
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