Got myself a modest wind meter. Now what?

P

Pond James Pond

New member
I recently bought a small pocket Kestrel 1000.

The basic model, but serves my needs. Amongst other things I plan to use it to evaluate if our country plot is worth of a wind turbine.

However, I also bought it help me with learning to read wind for LR shooting.

So what should I do?

I've been recently just looking around and what is moving and by how much, having a shot in the dark guess at wind-speed, and then checking on the hand-held if I was close.

Will that yield results?

If not is there a better way?

And finally, which units are most often used in ballistics calculators?
Mph? Kph? M/s? Kts? Beauforts?
 
The biggest thing you'll find is that you can only measure & so compare the wind at your location.
Not a bad thing, but don't take a reading & look "out there" for wind effects.

I've only really seen MPH for speed units, but in a metric country it might be KPH.
 
If you're shooting at a range, with known distances to targets, it's best to put up wind flags (which is nothing more than a few feet of plastic flagging material off a roll) at various distances to the target (and obviously at the target itself). A piece of rebar stuck in the ground with the flagging tied to it is all you need.

It all depends on where you shoot, and how consistent the wind is- which likely varies based on it's direction/value.

At most ranges I've shot at, including the 1K yard one we frequent most, the range is flanked by tall berms. If the wind is zero value, windage effect is minimal, but elevation is affected if the wind is strong enough as it will push the bullet up/down as the wind comes over the top of, or pushes into, the berm behind the steel.

Having the wind meter is great, and comparing what you see on the meter, to how the flag is reacting at the shooting location is important to interpret/interpolate what's happening further downrange.

Everyone here that shoots long range has said time and again the most important thing you can do is spend a lot of time, and send a lot of lead downrange. If you can't spot your hits, a spotter is required to make the necessary adjustments to the wind calls or it's a waste of time and money.
 
attachment.php


Lots of ways to do it.
I zero'd a rifle at 200 yards.
I got a print out of MOA correction for ranges from my Quickload/Quicktarget program.
I got a print out of inches of correction for 10 mph side wind at ranges.
I made a cheat card and attached it to the range finder with a rubber band.

I saw a deer at 400 yards.
The chart said 5 moa.
I adjusted the elevation turret 5 moa from the 200 yard zero
I shot.
I missed.
Too much wind. The deer was still there, looking down wind.
The Kestrel said 13 mph.
The chart said 13" for 10 mph.
I tried to multiply 13 times 1.3 in my head.
I thought, "15" or 18" or something.
I aimed at the center of the deer instead of the lungs.
The deer took off like rocket and then collapsed.
I had hit the heart instead of the lungs.
 
Has anyone tried one of those remote cordless weather stations with the remote sensor down range but off to the side?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top