how much wind is too much??

[Frogman77]

Hey guys, just wondering what your upper limit of wind is for shooting/hunting accurately? is 25mph wind too much to dope for?? 30mph??
New to long range hunting and shooting as was curious to what the experienced shooters set for their limits....obviously there is the ethical consideration of being certain of shot placement without wounding an animal. I'm not talking about taking haphazard shots, but what is the most amount of wind that you would feel comfortable making an accurate shot??

Thanks in advance!

 

[AJ Peacock]

Completely depends on a number of factors.

1) Is the wind consistent?
2) What is the distance?
3) Size of kill zone? (elk or antelope?)
4) Cartridge I'm using.

For example, shooting a 338 Allen Mag at 600yds in a 30mph crosswind, the bullet only moves 4.5moa or about 2 feet. If It was a consistent wind, I'd have no problem making the shot.

However, even at 200yds on a small target, if the wind is totally inconsistent, it can be a much tougher decision (especially with a cartridge that is not as ballistically strong).

AJ

 

[eshell]

To me, it's more a question of exactly what the wind is doing and how far we wish to shoot.

Many people equate wind speed with difficulty, but a steady and coherent 20 mph wind may not be as tough to shoot as a 3-5 mph breeze that often switches speed and direction. Some of the toughest shooting is when the wind doesn't "seem" to be doing that much.

 

[Frogman77]

i see...thanks for the input guys, I can see how varying winds can complicate the decision making process....