How do you estimate wind speed?

I've never had the opportunity (?) to hunt/shoot where a crosswind is a factor, so I simply adhere to the old adage - hold on hair.................
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For 99.9% of hunting this is the #1 rule to live by. Forget all that other crap. Learn your 10mph drifts and angles and make educated guess's. I can't count the number of blown shots I've witnessed (and blown myself) from hunters over estimating wind and range. Think the critter a bit long, aim high on the back. Think it's a bit windy, aim a few inches right/left. Use your head and the info you gathered but always be on hair.

Note: Only time this doesn't really apply would be for long range, small varmints.
 
Brian, I've no idea why your firing tests are not within 5% of what ballistic software calculates. I ran your bullet's numbers on Berger's software and they agree within 5% of what JBM Ballistics says it has; close enough.

I've shot 30 caliber Sierra bullets from 155 grains up through 200 in different 30 caliber cartridges at ranges from 100 through 1000 yards. Sierra's software (G1 drag factors) calculates trajectory data accurate enough to be within 1/4 MOA of what actual shooting produces.

Therefore, I think there's some difference between your ammo and how it's shot compared to the software calculating results. Finding out what it is may well be a frustrating task, but the answer is there; someplace.
 
Could be, Bart.

I find the stability calculators are wrong for small-caliber bullets too. I discussed that with UncleNick at one point and he mentioned something like .243 and under, they seem to be pessimistic. I can't remember exactly. I just figured that the ballistics calculators suffered the same flaw. I suspect that the most likely answer for the ballistics is that the stated BC is incorrect or inconsistent.
 
Brian, I agree that stated BC's for bullets may not be correct. Sierra and Berger both measure time of flight between two points as well as start and end velocities at each one. That's the most accurate way for calculating BC's. I don't know what Hornady and other bullet company's folks use. And a given bullet will have different BC's in different velocity bands; I don't quite understand how Berger's G7 BC single numbers could be accurate. Sierra lists up to 6 BC's for their bullets across a wide range of velocities.
 
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