Thread: Longer Range Shots

Shot a hind on Sunday night at 540 yds across a gully with a 143 ELD-X. Elevation was spot on but ended up hitting her bit to far back of the shoulder. Light southerly blowing down the gully but not so much, so experience told me not to allow for any wind.

Its got me thinking though, whats the general thoughts on the distance you start to allow for wind, and how strong does that cross wind have to be to have an effect

Thoughts???

540y is a long shot in a hunting situation and any wind would need to be allowed for. Also remember if shooting over a "gap" eg your gully windspeed will be alot higher than what you observe at shooting location and at target. Take a look at @Norway website THLR.com for some super practical how too video. Windcalls are a skill that need practice and can always be improved...

Originally Posted by Hunty1

540y is a long shot in a hunting situation and any wind would need to be allowed for. Also remember if shooting over a "gap" eg your gully windspeed will be alot higher than what you observe at shooting location and at target. Take a look at @Norway website THLR.com for some super practical how too video. Windcalls are a skill that need practice and can always be improved...

This makes sense- wind accelerates uphill. But even if the gully is lined with trees?

Identify your target beyond all doubt because you never miss (right?) and I'll be missed.

Come down to the forum Ultimate Hunter shoot at Sparrowhawk in Sept...

Originally Posted by Eat Meater

This makes sense- wind accelerates uphill. But even if the gully is lined with trees?

Identify your target beyond all doubt because you never miss (right?) and I'll be missed.

@Eat Meater as an analogy wind is a bit like water. If you think of your gully as a stream and the wind is the water flow the velocity is lowest at the banks and highest at the middle. As wind is generally invisible in empty space this can be hard to gauge. Basically the higher the bullet travels obove the ground the higher the windspeed is likely to be effecting it.
Hopefully makes sense?

I don't think there's a clear point. Call the wind effects as they are for the conditions and your system, and correct for them. 540 yards is a long way and a little wind will have an effect - for example a 1ms breeze is pretty light, just a breath of wind, but you'd expect about .5mil of wind at 540 yards. 25cm or so.

Originally Posted by gimp

I don't think there's a clear point. Call the wind effects as they are for the conditions and your system, and correct for them. 540 yards is a long way and a little wind will have an effect - for example a 1ms breeze is pretty light, just a breath of wind, but you'd expect about .5mil of wind at 540 yards. 25cm or so.

Makes sense Gimp
Probably 1 - 2 m/s so 25- 50 cm roughly would be about right

Originally Posted by Bos

Its got me thinking though, whats the general thoughts on the distance you start to allow for wind, and how strong does that cross wind have to be to have an effect

Thoughts???

Wind will have an effect at almost any distance.

The amount of effect depends on the size of your target area, the wind strength and direction, the ballistics of your projectile, your muzzle velocity.

Spend some time on a rifle range where the centre 'X' ring is 1/2 MOA - 2 1/2 inches at 500 yards. Wind has a significant effect particularly if it is a gusty cross wind.

Your description suggests you were shooting in a cross wind and should/could have allowed for the wind and either wound your scope/sights or aimed off.

Before Easter we put up a gong "range" for sighting in. It ran from 200 to 720 yds, there was a swirling light to medium breeze from the left. Almost everyone started applying windage at 300 yds and missed. Shots were called off the left edge, aiming centre plate scored 2-3 inches right. At 4 and 500, same thing aim halfway to the left edge, one person with a dialling scope put .2 mil on and called that good.
Only one guy got the 720, 300 PRC with a sig bdx scope the rest of us ran out of talent at between 4 and 500. A lot of fun and very instructional, as we realized we over estimate wind especially without knowing the actual wind speed and paying scant regard to down range conditions.
Target sizes, 8 inch at 200, 12 at 3,4,450 and 720 yds and 16 at 500 because the target hanger got confused and wasn't going back to fix it

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

Before Easter we put up a gong "range" for sighting in. It ran from 200 to 720 yds, there was a swirling light to medium breeze from the left. Almost everyone started applying windage at 300 yds and missed. Shots were called off the left edge, aiming centre plate scored 2-3 inches right. At 4 and 500, same thing aim halfway to the left edge, one person with a dialling scope put .2 mil on and called that good.
Only one guy got the 720, 300 PRC with a sig bdx scope the rest of us ran out of talent at between 4 and 500. A lot of fun and very instructional, as we realized we over estimate wind especially without knowing the actual wind speed and paying scant regard to down range conditions.
Target sizes, 8 inch at 200, 12 at 3,4,450 and 720 yds and 16 at 500 because the target hanger got confused and wasn't going back to fix it

I'm surprised a SIG BDX got it done at that range, I haven't seen them work all that accurately past 500+.


Can't remember the exact podcast episode, I think it's this one but the dude has a lot worth hearing about accuracy in the field and he gets right into the nitty gritty on precision of a rifle and ammo vs practice using it, he had a good one on windcalls in the mountains.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/10m...RaW95Xhpdanbhw

shooting rabbits up in Mackenzie country one night 30 ish years ago with bunch of guys from Timaru deerstalkers...howling norwest wind...five of us in wagon and three just gave up...two of us were still getting consistant hits at 25-30 yards..when asked how I was managing to hit them...aiming off by a half bunny length!!!!

Shawn Carlock, a US long range guru said he always dial for the wind, even if is a 0moa dial.

Ah snap @stug

Always dial wind

At 540 yards id hold 1 minute min with what I call a light wind(who knows what you call a light wind).wind is such a tricky thing to get right, a puff early on in the bullet flight will send it way off at long range.