GEOFF.223 83 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 was out zeroing my howa .223 after fitting new mounts and was extreamly surprised by how much the wind affected the 55g bullet compared to calmer days. the wind was 12mph gusting up to 20mph on my gauge and the bullet drift was 10" i have previously shot out to 450 yards on calmer days hitting a fox shaped target. is there any data i could use to help with wild drift? Quote Link to post
riohog 5,701 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 was out zeroing my howa .223 after fitting new mounts and was extreamly surprised by how much the wind affected the 55g bullet compared to calmer days. the wind was 12mph gusting up to 20mph on my gauge and the bullet drift was 10" i have previously shot out to 450 yards on calmer days hitting a fox shaped target. is there any data i could use to help with wild drift? hornady speer reloading manuels have wind drift data charts Quote Link to post
tegater 789 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 You will need to chrono your rifle/ammunition Geoff but there are loads of great apps out there that will tell you everything you need after you have put in all the info like mv, bc, rate of twist, scope height etc. two of the best ones are Strelok and Shooter. The 5.56 / .223 is notoriously poor in strong wind compared to heavier .308 rounds or even the .243. We always find that the .223 will also get raised or lowered substantially in full value crosswinds depending on which direction it's coming from. The apps are worth getting though in my opinion but they are only as accurate as the data you put in, and your ability to read the wind accurately along the whole trajectory but most importantly at the muzzle. Quote Link to post
bunnybuster.ie 40 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 (edited) was out zeroing my howa .223 after fitting new mounts and was extreamly surprised by how much the wind affected the 55g bullet compared to calmer days. the wind was 12mph gusting up to 20mph on my gauge and the bullet drift was 10" i have previously shot out to 450 yards on calmer days hitting a fox shaped target. is there any data i could use to help with wild drift? You can download the Strelok app to your phone it free. You just put in all the data and it will calculate it for you. I was out last night in the wind and managed to bust 2 both in the same field 100 yds apart lol. ATB BB Edited February 4, 2013 by bunnybuster.ie Quote Link to post
cyclonebri1 8 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Unless you intend to check the wind speed everytime you shoot there is little point in trying to work to charts. Now, don't get me wrong, the info is useful, but you need to have in mind that you will be judging or estimating drift, unless you are shooting sitting ducks or similar. Quote Link to post
tegater 789 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 No, what you do is memorise the drift for a 10mph full value cross wind. It is then easy to work out the drift for any other wind speed providing you can divide by 10. For half and quarter value winds again it is dead easy providing you can divide by two. I use it all the time and with HV round at realistic distances of 250 there is not that much to memorise. It takes one element of guess work out of the equation. I am not advocating you get your phone out when you shoot, but it is the info that Geoff asked for that will give him the knowledge, as ballistics are an exact science, and when we miss, as we all do from time to time, it is because we haven't applied it! Even the military snipers are now working to a modern day chart system which goes way beyond the old fresh wind table. Quote Link to post
Deker 3,478 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Wind is notoriously difficult to deal with over even quite short distances, let alone decent length shots. What angle is it, is it gusting, what strength/speed, and is it consistent to target, almost certainly not. Anyone who has shot on the range on more than a few occasions will tell you tales of daft wind situations, the flags are incredible to watch sometimes, the wind potentially completely reversing during the bullets path to the target, over just 200-300 yards or less at times. Learn the basics for YOUR gun and ammo, generally best from field work, charts and graphs are good, but you need to transfer that to reality, and do your best; and off course, if in doubt don't pull the trigger, there is usually tomorrow! Quote Link to post
SNAP SHOT 194 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 you also have to bare in mind that wind doesnt blow the one direction all the time and may be multi directional, depending on lay of the land, etc, Reading the wind is an art in itself, even though where you where reading the wind it was maybe gusting 20mph down range that may of been a 26 to 30 mph, or less, wind is not a constant, so takes some skill to master, Snap. Quote Link to post
tegater 789 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 you also have to bare in mind that wind doesnt blow the one direction all the time and may be multi directional, depending on lay of the land, etc, Reading the wind is an art in itself, even though where you where reading the wind it was maybe gusting 20mph down range that may of been a 26 to 30 mph, or less, wind is not a constant, so takes some skill to master, Snap. Yep, but not trying to master it, means even more margin of error. That is exactly the reason I adjust my drums for the wind, it takes one element of guess work out of the equation, when all you should be concentrating on is 'the shot' Quote Link to post
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