Offhand in the wind?

[High Plaines Doug r]

Here's the deal: I shoot close to master scores offhand ( 185-190) when It's not blowing and in Colorado that usually works 'cause the wind here doesn't pick up until late morning or afternoon. Last match I shot the wind was blowing pretty good in the am and gusting. I don't know how to hold my gun in the wind so I shot a 177. I expect to lose a few points but some guys I regularly outshoot when it's calm, waste me in the wind.
I shoot a space gun for High power but have the same problem with the Garand in the vintage matches.
Any insight I can use?
Thanks,
Doug

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[gunner]

I know thats sound not so good but it helps. Go shooting any windy day and have a look on that things that can be moved by the wind at your range like grass, bushes, flags or else. Remember the movements ( eventually use also a windmeter ) and shoot out the forehold. Make notices on card about windspeed and the forehold and compare the day situation with the memos on your card. And for windy or rainy days, use a heavier bullet. I have two loads for my .30-06, a 167 grs for good weatherconditions and a 185 grs bullet for the bad days. It takes time but it works very good.

Gunner

[High Plaines Doug r]

Thanks for the reply,Gunner. I'm not following you when you say:"Shoot out the forehold" ?
Understand that I'm not so much interested in reading the wind at 200 yds but in holding the gun on the bull. At least learning not to pull the trigger except when the sights are in the black.
Doug

[Maury Krupp]

I don't know anyone who enjoys shooting Standing in the wind but here are a few things that may help:

-Dryfire a lot. Get your eye and trigger finger connected so when your eye sees a good shot your trigger finger takes it

-Most wind has a cycle. Try to figure it out and get a feel for when the wind gusts and lulls. Be patient enough to wait out the gusts and shoot during the lulls

-Put a little more muscle tension in your position. Just enough so you're not blown around as much

-Try a sub-6 hold. That's way down in the white below the black. It makes your wobble area less apparent so you're less likely to snatch the trigger

-Maybe stop comparing your calm scores to your windy scores. Keep things in perspective. A 9 is a good shot when everybody else is shooting 8s and 7s or or worse

Maury

[Fick_2141]

In windy conditions wait for your shot. You may want to use a clock to be aware of your time. The wind is blowing your cadence, and causing you to think too much. You become tired if you are a perfectionist, and let good shots go by without taking them. Getting very agressive on the trigger is the answer. I call it "poking the shots" in the balck. It takes a very experienced shooter to poke them in without effecting the sight alignment. With your experience you should have no trouble adjusting your approach in this instance.The folks that are more agressive on the trigger will probably shoot the same wind or no wind. Since it doesn't happen all the time, just have fun with it and don't let that monkee get on your back. Remember, there are no bad shooting conditions, only shooting conditions. They effect everybody.

[gunner]

High Plains Doug r,
this word is one of the traps when you translate it directly from German into English. I would say the difference between the POI and the POA in windy conditions. But take the both other posts they hit more your question.

Regards

Gunner

[John Kepler]

I'm probably the last guy to talk about Standing in any context, but then CP is my "home range" and the wind ALWAYS blows here.

Maury, as usual, hit the "X-Ring"...dry-fire in the wind, make it your friend! What I've found, and I think the guys you are shooting with, is that you can let the wind "psych" you! You start the shot-process with the expectation that the wind is going to louse you up at some point in the shot, and then "force" something! In the dry-fire process, I developed what I tell myself is a "hard-trigger", designed to shorten the shot process without compromising the shot in variable conditions. Not a "snatch", but not a "soft-trigger" by any means either (close to a "rattle-battle" trigger).

One little note and YMMV. Funny thing about wind is that most people will fight it by attempting to avoid it....meaning, taking the shot when the wind slackens. I spent HOURS laying on the 1000 yd Firing Line at Viale with my scope, watching the mirage. At least at CP, the over-all wind profile based on the mirage is most consistent when the wind is BLOWING, not when it isn't! Those "wind-lulls" most folks try and break the shot in are an absolute mess if you have spent any time watching the mirage. In "fluky" wind, I try to guestimate the "average" velocity based on the velocity that is blowing most consistently on both my cheek and in the mirage, and then mentally "set" that as my "go" criteria for the shot, and pull-off the shot if it goes over or under.

Yes, the variable conditions will bite you in the a$$ from time to time.....but then, they get EVERYBODY ("But Gen. McClellan, it's raining on Gen Lee as well!" A. Lincoln), so no "statistical" change...it's how you recover that counts. I've seen good shooters get "bit" by the wind at CP, and then simply implode the rest of the string in pure unadulterated frustration.

[High Plaines Doug r]

Thanks to the posters who have commented.
To clarify: I shoot a globe front sight and can hold between the 9 and 10 ring in still conditions. I do "snatch" the shot when my sight picture and take up is telling me I have a second or two to break the shot. In the wind I shoot 6's and 7's doing that. I'm sure "jerking" has something to do with it because I'm just not in my comfort zone as far as sight picture. I find the globe hard to use in an "approach" type hold; There is a halo around the bull when the shot is good but I can't hold that picture in the wind.
Practice in the wind is problematic because my "practice" range is 20 minutes away, in a creek bed between two good berms to protect from all but head and tail winds. The range that frustrates me is about an hour away, out on the prairie where the wind blows pretty much every afternoon: Colorado Rifle Club.

[John Kepler]

The cool part about dry-fire is you can do it darn-near anywhere. The wind in my back yard blows just the same as at CP! Bet yours does too!

[High Plaines Doug r]

Mr Keplar,
As idiotic as it may sound, it never occurred to me to practice dry fire outdoors, in my back yard.
Thanks,
Doug