Scopes and windage

[Bluecthomas]

While I've played with scopes in the past on pellet rifles and .22s, I've only recently gotten my 1st high powered scope and gotten out with it for a long distance shooting.

My targets were set up at 100 and 200 yards. From the shooting box the wind was picking up as I started shooting. Coming from my left at about 5 mph.

My shots kept hitting left. 1st zeroing at long range, I was adjusting until i was grouping the bullseye.

Only when I finished shooting and went to collect my targets did I notice that the wind outside the box was twice as strong and in the opposite direction.

I'm now adjusted for those conditions. Meaning I'm wrong for anything else.

I've got a 25 yard indoor range where I've been able to get elevation right and windage correct for a totally calm day. Should I head back there, redial it in for those conditions and just correct for wind in my aim?

What do the more experienced people, without a budget for spotting scopes and wind guages do to keep their poi on target in forever changing conditions?

[Blindstitch]

What scope are you using? Is it a standard scope or one with elevation/windage turrets?

[TXAZ]

Were you shooting a .22 at 100 / 200 yards or something else at some other distance?

With what you said, I'd take a guess and say the scope may not have been zeroed / boresighted properly, but more information would be helpful.

Gun and rounds used. Distance. Were winds measured or estimated? Describe the box you referenced...

[rjrivero]

You have just summed up long range shooting in that one question.

You MUST KEEP A DATA BOOK.

Reading the wind is part art, part experience, and part voo-doo. You get the best data you can, record your temp, the humidity, elevation, light conditions, ammo used, lot number and your wind and direction. Record the windage you had to dial into your gun for the wind conditions and direction.

Next time you go, you do the same. You hope for a good day with no wind to get your "no wind zero." And base all your corrections off of that, using holds and favors, or alternately dialing your wind. (Our 300 yard range is well buffered from the wind giving us pretty good no wind zero data, luckily.)

Collect your data, record your data, pour over your data and make your drop charts.

Make a couple different drop charts for different altitude densities and you'll eventually get the data you need to dial any distance in any wind conditions to make that cold bore hit.

Welcome to the madness!

[Art Eatman]

I sight in on a calm day. When hunting, I use the old Kentucky Mark 1 eyeball wind-guess to hit the target. Same for elevation when shooting beyond my 200-yard zero.

[jmr40]

A center fire cartridge at 200 yards isn't effected much by 5 mph winds. That isn't long range. A 30mph wind at 200 might make some difference or if you start shooting at 500 yards a 5mph wind might have to be considered.

Shooting at 200 yards with a 22 rimfire however is long range and tough with a 5 mph wind. Your post isn't clear.

[Bluecthomas]

As I said, I'm new to real scopes...

Nikko sterling 6-24x50aolrx gamekinglrx on Howa 1500 in .223. Heavy or bull barrel. bore sighted from store. At 25 yard indoor range it was dead on.
Was seated and using a bipod. Planning on bringing a blanket and going prone next time out.
Fired tulammo, fed fmj and a few reman Hornady VMAX from hsm. But the VMAX is poorly done, kept having fte. Cases appeared to be poorly crimped or something. Have yet to really notice effect on grouping by ammo choice at ranges I've fired.
Disappointed by the VMAX. Remanned like they are half price of a box of new Hornady per round. Definitely a more precisely formed bullet than the others I was firing, but I don't want to have to run a Jag down barrel every few rounds to free a stuck case..

Wind in box was estimated using cigarette smoke combined with buefort chart. Wasn't smoking as I retrieved targets.

Got an old 39a with sights that don't adjust. So I'm used to compensating when needed. Just don't want to spend 30 minutes tweaking the scope Everytime I go out to get on the bullseye.


So far it's sounding like a wind guages and log book are must haves...
But I'm not rich. Saw ppl there with more money in targets and spotting gear than I got in all my guns combined.

[TXAZ]

Something in the description isn't adding up. So I'd go back to basics.
Get a boresighter to verify the zero at 100 yards (not 25) on a calm morning, no wind, no caffeine, match ammo.

I'm also wondering if the scope is not mounted well and tight.

[Mobuck]

Simple answer: YES if you zeroed your scope's windage dead center with a cross wind(even 5 mph), your zero will be off center in a dead calm condition. How much will depend on the ammo you used.
FWIW, you were using what I consider some of the crappiest ammo available and with such a variety of brand/type of ammo, I'm surprised you were able to get a decent "zero" at all. Also, I don't have much faith in a 25 yard zero check for other than getting close to the middle of the target.
You can study some of the ammo charts to get an idea of how much wind deflection you may have incorporated into your zero-probably less than a couple of inches.

[mapsjanhere]

Go and play with the JBM ballistics calculator . Your typical 63 gr 223 will have less than 0.2 inch drift at 200 yards with 5 mph crosswind. If you're shooting well enough for that being an issue, congratulations, buy a wind gauge.

[Bluecthomas]

Mobuck, there are imo essentially 2 ammo types. Higher performance ammo for extreme accuracy and/or hunting use. And affordable to use range ammo.

I've got hundreds of both types.
That's also why I'm so disappointed by the hsm reman VMAX. Bought 200 rounds at $.50 per. Fired 14, can't sell the rest at $.30 per. Guess their reputation is well known.

[Art Eatman]

For scoped bolt-action centerfires, I have found that dead-on at 25 yards is around three inches high at 100 and one or two inches to the right or left of center. IOW, it's a starting point.

[TXAZ]

Art makes a great point:

For scoped bolt-action centerfires, I have found that dead-on at 25 yards is around three inches high at 100 and one or two inches to the right or left of center. IOW, it's a starting point.

Then: Buy *good* ammo, find a comfortable distance to shoot at, and go thru 100 rounds, taking notes and making adjustments.

[Berserker]

Bore sighting is a complete waste of time at this point.





He is on paper.

Not enough people align their scopes with rods. Not enough properly level the rectile and then check it. By shooting, and adjusting up or down and see if it is reallying going straight.


Also comes down to knowing your dope.


I also spend alot of time with ballistic calculators, deciding what I want to zero at with what round. You need to figure it out for your load, and then test it.



All that said, wind is harder. It is hard to judge wind spend and direction, angle.


Go spend some time reading on long range hunting forum.

[Berserker]

Lighter grain bullets are blown off course further.