shooting tips for strong winds

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swampratt

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Tip #1 do not use a jacked up geo metro for a shooting rest in strong winds for load work up's.
They are soft in the suspension and the wind will rock it back and forth like a boat.

Tip #2 Clear a path through the stickers and muddy soil so you can lay down in the prone position.

Tip #3 and this has been tested by my friend, The first foot or 2 of wind in front of the muzzle is what starts the bullet off course.

He read that in an outdoor magazine and then built an a frame over the barrel to block the wind and tested the theory.

:)
 

Okie4570

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So the wind doesn't affect the bullet at 3 and 4' and the rest of the way to the target.............come on now swampratt! LOL :) Just messing with you.
 

swampratt

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It does but the first couple feet make the biggest difference.
YES YES it sounds like bs. and Frank my buddy thought so also so he got out and built the A frame over the concrete pad and shot at a target 100 yards away with strong crosswinds and stated without the A frame dog house over the first 2 feet the bullets were blown farther off course.. like 2" then put up the wind block and the groups pulled right into the bullseye.

I to am a skeptic and have not seen the article yet .. but I do like testing things..

I think is must have something to do with the initial pressure wave being disrupted easier as it is forming and kicking the bullet into a Yaw possibly or something along those lines.
I try to science it out in my head.

OK my friend told me the bullet when it leaves the barrel in a cross wind it blows it off course for that instant and it continues that off course until it hits the target, even if the down range wind is zero.

It is in the Feb. 2015 Outdoor life.. which I went to find one and all that is on the news stands are March .
 
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dennishoddy

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I've been to the 1000 matches at camp perry. Not as a shooter, but as a spectator/volunteer.

I'm pretty sure those shooters do not agree with your friend.

In 1000 yds, the wind can change directions several times. 100 yds is a pretty short distance to judge bullet flight.
 

swampratt

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I agree also.. I will get the magazine next week and see what the article stated.

I shot yesterday and the wind was brutal and at 200 yards I shot a six shot group that has me thinking about wind and what happens when it does change and or blow a harder gust. And possibly rethink using the top of my car as a gun rest.
So looking at this group that all shots were shot as quick as I could stick another round in and line up on target.
Makes me think the load has potential in better conditions, we will see.
This is the first time I got the 178 to stay together past 100 yards,, but I have cut the barrel since then.

178 a max 200y 001.jpg
 

magna19

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I'll agree you need a better rest if your shooting off a vehicle. And yes the first 2' feet start the bullet off course. so does every 2' along the way if the crosswind is same. It gets even more off course as velocity slows down. Not buying the first 2' more than the rest of the distance whether its 100, 200, or any other distance.
 

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