Wind(s) for this shot

[Blancoalex]

Learning as I go listening to your inputs. You are pointing out things I should look for. Nope not my house in one pic it just was just good one looking down canyon. Again appreciate the info and will try to find more.

 

[bigngreen]

The first picture is terrain that is most familiar to me, first thing for me is knowing my prevailing wind direction, its always there in my terrain. It will create a dead air pocket between an up draft and down draft as it goes over larger ridges. So just on one face you'll see three in my area and along with that is a compression on the opposite face with an up draft for a speed and updraft change. Then you look at the draws coming into play which acts as a funnel bit also have a system of drafts. Many cancel out in my terrain, usually the opposite hill side for me can almost be ignored because its influencing the path for maybe 100 yards tops, I'll spend almost of my time figuring out from the apex of the path back to the shooter where mistakes have the most distance to magnify. I love shooting long range in the wind, really is what makes it fun IMO.

 

[dfanonymous]

Learning as I go listening to your inputs. You are pointing out things I should look for. Nope not my house in one pic it just was just good one looking down canyon. Again appreciate the info and will try to find more.

easy to see on images, but an art to try to imagine in practice. Imagine wind like water for starters.

 

[WildRose]

Suggestion. In that almost barren terrain it can be vary hard to pick up any cues as to changes in wind speed and direction due to a lack of trees and grass.

Crank your scope up to max power and hope you get some mirage.

If you do, you can scroll back with your side focus looking for changes in the rise of the mirage in the same way you would use observations of fog and mist for the same cues.

Don't know where that picture is from but it sure looks whole lot like some of my old stomping grounds in eastern and central NM.

 

[WildRose]

easy to see on images, but an art to try to imagine in practice. Imagine wind like water for starters.

Excellent. I tend to think in terms of how snow drifts due to the winters we had up on the Llano Estacado, or how the sand drifts in the summer.

 

[BrentM]

For me, I will look at the prevailing wind direction and the bullets flight path. There lots of potential variable but the bullet is exposed to 2 main variables in the first half. The second half will have less affect and be less concerning unless the wind is significantly stronger at the target area. So I would figure out the prevailing wind direction and speed and apply it first, then I would make changes to that number based of direction changes in the flight path.

 

[Groot]

Tagging in, one of the best thread topics. I've read here in a good while! Less bickering, I like this , you like that. And more informative stuff like this!

 

[yobuck]

Even the hollows on those hills could have a wind system in play in addition to what we see as the main sources.
So far what were hearing is opinions, which is pretty much always the case with wind.
Unless were just amusing ourselves, the best is to send a sighter shot and make your wind call off that.

 

[deaddownrange]

The Mountains I hunt here in Montana, The wind comes from every direction all the time at once,Thats 360'and up and down! And to try and guess what its doing here and there and between here and there? If anyone can tell how its determined I'd love to hear!

 

[corsair4360]

What kind and how many different winds could I have to deal with in the attached picture. If I was at red x in bottom middle of picture by aspens and shooting across to top of distant hill just outside the trees. Appreciate input to learn. ThanksView attachment 167928

That looks like terrain less than 20 miles from our home in Cache Valley Utah. And very much like were we hunt Elk in the eastern Uinta's of Utah

 

[BrentM]

The Mountains I hunt here in Montana, The wind comes from every direction all the time at once,Thats 360'and up and down! And to try and guess what its doing here and there and between here and there? If anyone can tell how its determined I'd love to hear!

It may seem like that is the case but it rarely is. I am in Idaho shoot mountain terrain as well so I am well aware of your issues. To complicate it I hunt all winter for wolves where it is a little harder to read wind. No vegetation, mirage is weird, etc.

I always start with prevailing wind and then apply general rules such as: there is always a up or drown draft, there is always a back draft, there is always a velocity change on open slopes or fingers, there is always a wind hide, there is always wind.

1. Read wind speed at the shooter 2. Figure wind speed at mid point and bullet flight path 3. Read terrain changes and if possible vegetation....usually pine trees 3. Read mirage. Wind flows much like water and flows around and over terrain features. It usually travels up/down draws/valleys, up/down the sides of ridges/fingers, usually back drafts on the back side of terrain features opposite of prevailing wind direction, and wind in the first of the flight path is more important than the second half but needs to be accounted for. For example if you need 2 moa in the first half L to R and 2 moa in the 2nd half R to L, you will still need to dial left about 1. Often people will cancel wind and send it, and be wrong.

 

[Blancoalex]

Thanks for everyone's replies. Do y'all have pictures to share and what your experience is for that location.

 

[John Klingenberg]

easy to see on images, but an art to try to imagine in practice. Imagine wind like water for starters.

Exactly. Models for airflow use the principles of fluid dynamics. When you're modeling airflow for the internals on suppressors or muzzle breaks the fluid dynamics give you the exact results for airflow only faster.

 

[Don A Parsons]

The easiest way to find out is send a duster shot,,, then dial over to it to get things under way on the gongs...

Jack and roll as fast as you can to lesson the chances of wind change up...

Cheers from the North