Determining Wind Speed and Direction

The various techniques you can employ to confidently dope the wind at any point between you and your target.

[scottmurphy]

In Sniper School we were taught to use "full value" (direct crosswind) and "half value" (quartering wind 45º off) in the determination of our wind. If you were at 1000m and 10mph left to right direct crosswind that would mean 8.3 MOA or roughly 83" deflection due to wind. The rules of thumb I used in the calculation were only good for the 7.62x51mm NATO round we used but can still be used for .30-06 for a 168 gr bullet. The constant you use depends on the caliber and bullet weight of round you are shooting. A quartering crosswind would he half that, or "half value" or 4.15 MOA which would equate to about 41.5". And since wind can often change significantly over the entire path of the bullet, check your mirage 1/3 the way to the target and 2/3 of the way to the target. In Shitcanistan on a 1000m shot in the mountains it was not unusual to see the wind literally change direct from left to right to right to left along the path of the bullet. You have to judge both and average the difference to give you an accurate windage.

[sgteyota]

Holy crap. The more I research the more I realize I'm playing the wrong game. But I'm going to stick with it 'til coach puts me in. 👊😁

[patrickoberem]

Solid advice. Something to watch and think about to all the advanced shooters - In my opinion the atmosphere is like a giant invisible ocean. Waves in the ocean come in sets, 3's 7's 9's, with 9 being the end of a set. The size builds through the set. The end of the set usually has the biggest wave where all hell breaks loose. This is often followed by a relative calm. Well if this theory be true about the atmosphere, a relative channel of calm can often be found at the end of a set. This channel of calm allows all sorts of opportunity, sometimes even almost windless conditions. If time is no factor, one can wait for the calm after the 9th wave ( biggest gust) before sending it. If you're lucky enough, you can shoot inside this channel of opportunity each time, thereby minimizing the variability. One can test this theory by watching the flags on a range as the wave of wind moves towards or away from you. Similarly in the field, the grass and trees will tell this story. It's called the Oberem Technique ( Joke). Test it out and feel free to comment. Obviously the shape of the land factors in as the air gets compressed around obstacles hills etc. The inverted invisible ocean with it's wave like winds nature persists and is a valuable tool. In a match if you are able to stall, move to the line to start towards the end of the 7th set, this way you should have calmer wind during 1, 2, 3 etc. Hope this makes sense and no I don't smoke....

[ChuckinTV]

I've been doing guess work on the wind when shooting long range. Usually my misses are directly attributed to the wind. Sometimes I can get a second shot to compensate on a long range chuck, but it doesn't happen too often. I'll be applying these methods from now on. I have made some pretty impressive shots with guessing alone but this might save me some ammo. I mainly use a 300WM and you'd be surprised how much the 178gr Amax blows around even at 400yds. Thanks Aaron, you guys are the geniuses of long range shooting.

[andrewtanczyk]

Learning so much from your channel. Thanks. I’m new to long distance precision shooting.

[w.t.pstandforyourlife.]

You are the man bro nice video wow thanks for the knowledge 📕

[AirRifleSport]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with this informative video.

[wiederladerTv]

Thanks for these Infos. Would be great if you could tell us more about reading the wind by watching the Vegetation.

[audieherpel]

Great info as always, you lead others follow

[williammitchell]

To determine wind speed is that you divide the angle by 4.

[OdinX]

It is one of the top Rounds there is the 7 mm WSM is better than the 7 mm Mag, the 6.5 is pretty darn good as well.

[paultaylor]

This is a calculation from my 50 years of hunting and 35 years of shooting long range. I shoot a .284 cal bullet so I will use this value for that caliber. The constant for .284 cal is 27. So the calculation for wind would go like this. Wind in MPH X yards in 100"s divided by the constant. Here is an example. 800 yards = 8 take that X 10 MPH wind full value = 80 divided by 27constant. Answer is 2.96 MOA.

[jujijo]

Mr. Bodyrocker, this guy has great advise, the 308 caliber it’s about as aerodynamic as a truck, I know, I have a Rem 308, the 7mm WSM kicks ass, don't put your pride in your equipment, put your knowledge in your equipment, it will allow you to shoot any rifle out there, and you will be able to gauge your shot much better with your present equipment.
Besides, the 7mm comparison was just that, an example to compare with.
My two cents

[ernie]

"Determining Wind Speed and Direction" begins at 3:15. Lots of fluff.

[mixter]

7mm doesn't require "less" doping than 308, both calibers have the potential to make long range shots.  The shooter must still understand all of the variables and make the necessary adjustments to hit the target, the only real difference is the Numbers used.

[sparksandchips]

There are much better bullets for the .308 than 168, I used to shoot 168 Sierra HPBT and then switched to Berger 185 Juggernaut/OTM. Much better results...

[BodyRocker]

yep the 6mm variants, ....6x284....6 norma, ..are all better at distance than a .300, ..308, ...or his beloved 7mm mag. I still think though its all what you're used to. I've always shot 308, ..so thats what I'm proficient with.

[FriedChickenBlowout]

Sure the extra speed of the .300 Win Mag would improve the amount of wind deflection. The recoil will also decrease your chance of spotting your hit/mis and making quick follow up shots. And the increased recoil serves no purpose since the 7mm round has more than adequate terminal performance. My preference is actually for the 6.5mm rounds due to decreased recoil. .30 Cal is old school and would die out if not for the old folks shooting it... ;-)

[possumpopper]

The 7mm 08 has far less wind drift and drop than the .308 and has less recoil and longer barrel life.

[bobbymah]

Hi! Great instructional video! Do you have videos that record mirage like some parts of this video?