Measuring Wind Speeds

rodwhaincamo · April 3, 2010, 06:07 PM

How do you measure wind speeds?

hogdogs · April 3, 2010, 06:14 PM

Look at the weather channel before going to the woods...

Brent

oneounceload · April 3, 2010, 08:07 PM

When I have found it necessary, I have borrowed an anemometer

bamaranger · April 10, 2010, 12:44 AM

The Army Marksmanship Unit has a posted guideline about wind that I am working with for target shooting at long range. I found it on the CMP website, written by SSG PRASLICK. It derives from a Service rifle pamphlet from 1931. I'll not write it up unless somebody asks, but the site is easily located.

For hunting, determining wind direction, as in picking sites to hunt the next AM or after work, I use two tricks. One is I have an old weather channel radio, that gives wind speed and direction with the Nat Weather Service broadcasts.
The other is I have a series of checkpoints that I look at to and from my hunt spots. Factory smokestacks, flag poles at cemetery and ball field etc.

towelie · April 10, 2010, 12:56 AM

noaa.gov

Tuzo · April 10, 2010, 12:08 PM

Smoke rising veritcally - 0 mph. Smoke is nearly horizontal, 85 degrees, at about 35 mph. At 60 degrees from vertical 22 mph. At 40 degrees from vertical 15 mph.

Quick estimate would be 12 o'clock 0 mph; 1 o'clock 15 mph; 2 o'clock 30 mph; 3 o'clock 40 mph.

Lancel · April 11, 2010, 05:38 PM

Besides observing smoke, flags, leaves, trees and so on sometimes I use the following:

Drop a piece of paper, dried grass, debris, etc from shoulder height then point at where it lands.
The angle your arm makes with your body divided by 4 is an estimated wind speed.

Larry

kraigwy · April 11, 2010, 09:46 PM

One thing one needs to take into account, what the wind is doing at your firing point, may or may not be doing the same thing at your target.

When I was running sniper schools, one to the first thing I would do, was to pop smoke at differant distances between 100 - 1100 yards, normaly the smoke went every which way.

Up to about 12 -15 mph, you should use mirage to determine the velocity of wind as it seems to average out the wind.

Past that speed, the wind is normaly constant. Also not everyone sees the same conditions looking through the scope,

Reading wind & mirage takes many hours of burning your eyes looking through a scope.

April 3, 2010, 06:07 PM	#1
rodwhaincamo Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,246	Measuring Wind Speeds How do you measure wind speeds?

April 10, 2010, 12:44 AM	#4
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,312	AMU guideline The Army Marksmanship Unit has a posted guideline about wind that I am working with for target shooting at long range. I found it on the CMP website, written by SSG PRASLICK. It derives from a Service rifle pamphlet from 1931. I'll not write it up unless somebody asks, but the site is easily located. For hunting, determining wind direction, as in picking sites to hunt the next AM or after work, I use two tricks. One is I have an old weather channel radio, that gives wind speed and direction with the Nat Weather Service broadcasts. The other is I have a series of checkpoints that I look at to and from my hunt spots. Factory smokestacks, flag poles at cemetery and ball field etc.

April 10, 2010, 12:08 PM	#6
Tuzo Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2007 Location: Louisiana Posts: 797	Smoke and wind speed estimation Smoke rising veritcally - 0 mph. Smoke is nearly horizontal, 85 degrees, at about 35 mph. At 60 degrees from vertical 22 mph. At 40 degrees from vertical 15 mph. Quick estimate would be 12 o'clock 0 mph; 1 o'clock 15 mph; 2 o'clock 30 mph; 3 o'clock 40 mph.

April 11, 2010, 05:38 PM	#7
Lancel Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: KY-TN Border Posts: 216	Besides observing smoke, flags, leaves, trees and so on sometimes I use the following: Drop a piece of paper, dried grass, debris, etc from shoulder height then point at where it lands. The angle your arm makes with your body divided by 4 is an estimated wind speed. Larry __________________ All I know is what I read on the internet. ~update to Will Rodgers.

April 11, 2010, 09:46 PM	#8
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	One thing one needs to take into account, what the wind is doing at your firing point, may or may not be doing the same thing at your target. When I was running sniper schools, one to the first thing I would do, was to pop smoke at differant distances between 100 - 1100 yards, normaly the smoke went every which way. Up to about 12 -15 mph, you should use mirage to determine the velocity of wind as it seems to average out the wind. Past that speed, the wind is normaly constant. Also not everyone sees the same conditions looking through the scope, Reading wind & mirage takes many hours of burning your eyes looking through a scope. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

April 3, 2010, 06:14 PM	#2
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Look at the weather channel before going to the woods... Brent

April 3, 2010, 08:07 PM	#3
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	When I have found it necessary, I have borrowed an anemometer

April 10, 2010, 12:56 AM	#5
towelie Member Join Date: April 7, 2010 Posts: 38	noaa.gov