i think the most demanding thing on benchrest shooting is the ability to wind read.
I will start this thread answering to Mike:
"Dear Pedro,
I am new to ARA (two 6-card matches last year and May, June and July, this year, six cards each). I am having trouble 'reading the wind'. I am in the process of setting up two "Besche Win De-Cator" wind strength indicators, in addition to my four Graham wind flags. Do I need more/other equipment or just more experience? I know I need more experience because I am currently near the bottom of the pack.
Do you have any tips you can share on reading the wind? I am anxious to learn all I can.
Thanks much."
Reading the wind is a complex thing, but knowing from where it's blowing is much easier.
I always preach make your life easier not harder. And this is even more true regarding wind and wind tools.
I name wind tools, any device used to show what the wind is doing at that particular spot.
By the way, there's an interesting thread about mirage. We should couple both information, but understand that mirage is just another wind tool.
We have many types of wind tools, and if rewind to my aeromodelling free flight F1B and C times, I used soap bubbles to show wind and more important thermals.
Well mirage is a vision distortion due to thermals. That's why, in the early morning, or cloudy days mirage is non existing or faint.
You said you are starting so my 1st advice is don't overload yourself with too much info (like Jeff said).This is critical for a good understanding and learning curve.
You have to know that's a slow learning curve related to wind reading. Not trying to demoralise you but better to know it than getting frustrated.
Some basics (we are simplifying things here):
1. wind is nothing more than air moving
2. wind runs in corridors, some could be in opposite directions having turbulence on boundaries
3. turbulence is a non laminar air movement
4. wind has patterns that reproduce in a cycle way
5. any obstacle in the wind's way will cause deflection, turbulence and speed variables before and after that obstacle
6. the faster the bullet (subsonic) the more deflection
Some common used (mine) nomenclature:
1. green wind - wind coming from right to left
2. red wind - wind coming from left to right
3. POI - point of impact
4. POA - point of aim
By the book wind bullet deflections:
1. green wind - bullet left and high
2. red wind - bullet right and low
3. face wind - bullet down
4. tail wind - bullet up
Those are the basics to understand where to aim to compensate the wind. Of course, larger or smaller, compensations are needed depending on wind speed.
There are many rose winds on the internet where depending of wind direction they give the corresponding POA.
Typical rose wind.
At this stage I won't recommend any wind probes, just flags.
Not to make this post too long, I will post some more pictures from "The Wind; BR50 Webinars; 2021/12; Serralheiro, Pedro"
These pictures will have the important points to know and understand about flags. Please don't use complex ones. Again, simple is best.
And answering you, how many should you use?
I will start with two, one near the muzzle, and another half way to the target.
Practice and understand where the bullets go depending of different winds. When you feel more confident put another in between, but don't go too fast. Better to be able to read one flag than being lost in a number of wind tools.
I will start this thread answering to Mike:
"Dear Pedro,
I am new to ARA (two 6-card matches last year and May, June and July, this year, six cards each). I am having trouble 'reading the wind'. I am in the process of setting up two "Besche Win De-Cator" wind strength indicators, in addition to my four Graham wind flags. Do I need more/other equipment or just more experience? I know I need more experience because I am currently near the bottom of the pack.
Do you have any tips you can share on reading the wind? I am anxious to learn all I can.
Thanks much."
Reading the wind is a complex thing, but knowing from where it's blowing is much easier.
I always preach make your life easier not harder. And this is even more true regarding wind and wind tools.
I name wind tools, any device used to show what the wind is doing at that particular spot.
By the way, there's an interesting thread about mirage. We should couple both information, but understand that mirage is just another wind tool.
We have many types of wind tools, and if rewind to my aeromodelling free flight F1B and C times, I used soap bubbles to show wind and more important thermals.
Well mirage is a vision distortion due to thermals. That's why, in the early morning, or cloudy days mirage is non existing or faint.
You said you are starting so my 1st advice is don't overload yourself with too much info (like Jeff said).This is critical for a good understanding and learning curve.
You have to know that's a slow learning curve related to wind reading. Not trying to demoralise you but better to know it than getting frustrated.
Some basics (we are simplifying things here):
1. wind is nothing more than air moving
2. wind runs in corridors, some could be in opposite directions having turbulence on boundaries
3. turbulence is a non laminar air movement
4. wind has patterns that reproduce in a cycle way
5. any obstacle in the wind's way will cause deflection, turbulence and speed variables before and after that obstacle
6. the faster the bullet (subsonic) the more deflection
Some common used (mine) nomenclature:
1. green wind - wind coming from right to left
2. red wind - wind coming from left to right
3. POI - point of impact
4. POA - point of aim
By the book wind bullet deflections:
1. green wind - bullet left and high
2. red wind - bullet right and low
3. face wind - bullet down
4. tail wind - bullet up
Those are the basics to understand where to aim to compensate the wind. Of course, larger or smaller, compensations are needed depending on wind speed.
There are many rose winds on the internet where depending of wind direction they give the corresponding POA.
At this stage I won't recommend any wind probes, just flags.
Not to make this post too long, I will post some more pictures from "The Wind; BR50 Webinars; 2021/12; Serralheiro, Pedro"
These pictures will have the important points to know and understand about flags. Please don't use complex ones. Again, simple is best.
And answering you, how many should you use?
I will start with two, one near the muzzle, and another half way to the target.
Practice and understand where the bullets go depending of different winds. When you feel more confident put another in between, but don't go too fast. Better to be able to read one flag than being lost in a number of wind tools.