The Wind

[kirbymagnum]

I'm having trouble reading the wind such as how fast it is going I know how much my rifle will drift with a cross wind of 5-10 mph but i don't know how fast the wind is actually going so i guess and i often hold way to much or not enough. I have ribbon attached to one of the steel targets i welded just to show the direction of the wind and i try to shoot when the ribbon stops moving or i will take a couple shots and i know were I'm hitting. When I'm shooting at a crow i only get one shot and i don't always have signs on the winds movement.
(1) Is their anything that i can use or buy to give me an ok reading on how fast the wind is going?
(2) What does a 5 mph and 10 mph wind feel like? noticeable? or a fair breeze?
(3) Can anyone offer me tips or tricks that you use or feel that would help?

[PSE]

kestrel

[Art Eatman]

One reason--and there are many--that I recommend the Sierra Reloading Handbook is that they give some commentary on just that very thing. (I ain't gonna look it up now; maybe later.)

The way dust falls; the way leaves move a little, and then how small branches at first and then larger branches later as the wind builds: All these are associated with miles per hour of wind speed.

Then, they show the drift at different distances for the various speeds for different bullets.

Art

[FirstFreedom]

kestrel

I don't get it.

[Eghad]

http://www.kestrelwindmeters.com/

Our guys in the forward element in Northern Afghanistan used one on the airfield to give the C-130s FYI about crosswind speeds and other weather info.

[Dave Haven]

My mistake. I thought you were referring to this kind of kestrel for hunting small animals at long ranges.

[Dave R]

There are some windsurfers in my family. Here are some rules of thumb.

If you face the wind, and can hear wind noise (roaring) in both ears at the same time, the wind is over 20mph.

If there are whitecaps on a stretch of water, wind is over 10mph. Doesn't help if there's no water...

[Chuck Dye]

Gadgetry is available but measures wind velocity, often very imprecisely, where the gadget is, not throughout the route to the target. As a field expedient, try this:

BEAUFORT SCALE: Specifications and equivalent speeds for use on land
FORCE EQUIVALENT SPEED DESCRIPTION SPECIFICATIONS FOR USE ON LAND
10 m above ground
miles per hour
0 0-1mph Calm Calm; smoke rises vertically.
1 1-3mph Light air Direction of wind shown by
smoke drift, but not by wind
vanes.
2 4-7mph Light Breeze Wind felt on face; leaves
rustle; ordinary vanes moved
by wind.
3 8-12mph Gentle Breeze Leaves and small twigs in
constant motion; wind extends
light flag.
4 13-18mph Moderate Breeze Raises dust and loose paper;
small branches are moved.
5 19-24mph Fresh Breeze Small trees in leaf begin to
sway; crested wavelets form on
inland waters.
6 25-31mph Strong Breeze Large branches in motion;
whistling heard in telegraph
wires; umbrellas used with
difficulty.
7 32-38mph Near Gale Whole trees in motion;
inconvenience felt when walking
against the wind.
8 39-46mph Gale Breaks twigs off trees;
generally impedes progress.
9 47-54mph Severe Gale Slight structural damage occurs
(chimney-pots and slates removed).
10 55-63mph Storm Seldom experienced inland; trees
uprooted; considerable structural
damage occurs.
11 64-72mph Violent Storm Very rarely experienced;
accompanied by wide-spread damage.
12 73-83mph Hurricane --


Play with the search engines, there are some fun and useful spinoffs around.

[Scorch]

+1 on the Kestrel. Cabela's sells the LaCrosse for $40 for a basic model or the Oregon Scientific $250 for a full-blown weather station type. The $40 one will more than fill your needs. Of course, it only tells you how hard the wind is blowing right where you are, but that's better than guessing.

HuckPhinn, I have no way of telling what the wind is doing 10 m above the ground. I'm only 2 m tall!

[kirbymagnum]

Thanks for the help.