Longer Range Shooting Issues

[alamo5000]

As most of you guys know lately I've been incorporating an element of long range shooting into my shooting practice. The last couple of times I went out though I've run into a conundrum.

I had a suspicion so the last time I went I took some surveyor's tape and tied them onto the targets from 400 yards on to 900 yards. I wish I could have taken a picture of it but my little makeshift wind flags were all over the place.

400 yards was blowing to the right.
500 yards was pretty calm.
600 yards was really to the right.
700 yards was really to the left.
800 yards was blowing at me and to the left at a 45 degree angle.

Maybe someone here has some idea about how to read the wind when its like that....on the left side of the range out to about 500 yards is relatively blocked by trees. Out past that it opens up an has a hill out to about 900 then its just a slight slope out past that. Basically between 500 to 900 the wind really gets to swirling around.

I still managed to get some hits out to 800 but I think it was luck that I pulled the trigger at the right time. Out at 600 it was still blowing my shots off to the right about 9 or 10 inches so I was able to hold off some and correct for it.

That said this little experiment of mine left me scratching my head about how to deal with wind that is seemingly from different directions.

Any help? Any tips? Any links or resources that might help me learn a little bit more?

[Ordnance]

Welcome to reality of wind, which too often people are disillusioned by movies and other people who make it out as simple as looking at flags. What caliber are you using? Not to be an dick, but you could also be experiencing shooter error, which increases difficulty. Take away any shooter error, then it comes down to experience and practice. Also, keep in mind that surveyors tape at a target within a few feet of the ground is not always an accurate reflection of wind either, as the bullet travels in an arc above ground there are often stronger winds. When you incorporate berms, trees, etc. what you see (swirling) is just the surface wind, which is not always the best indicator. Frankly, I look at mirage at the final target, make my wind call, send it, then correct based upon my trace and/or splash.

Add: Also, what's ammo are you using? Do you know the FPS, SD, and ES? Are you using a ballistic program? What platform are we talking about ie semi or bolt?

[alamo5000]

Nobody is above shooter error and I make no bones about me trying to learn something about shooting or whatever. Pointing out shooter error is not considered 'being a dick' in my opinion so you're good . True some people might be a dick in how they point it out but that's not the case here so all is well.

I have shot my AR out to 800 yards pretty successfully. Generally I can hit the plate at 800 yards most of the time provided decent conditions but I am trying to push myself to learn more. In this case about wind and how to account for it. I have also taken a .308 to 1000 yards and I've also tried a 300 WM. The latter with not as much luck but that could have been other problems.

In this last case I was shooting my AR. I have a pet load using varget and 69gr SMK. At the end of the day my rifle and ammo and all that will hit out that far. I have done it and repeated it a bunch of times. That said when the conditions get less than ideal is when I exposed my own lack of know how.

At the end of the day my question isn't really related to caliber at all. Assuming in this case that I have my gun and ammo and all that stuff right...I am trying to figure out what I need to do in not as good conditions.

At 800 yards my round has about 26 feet of drop. Yes, I calculate all that stuff out. I put the flags out just to give me a rough indication of what is going on.

When you said you look at the mirage that is more along the lines of what I am talking about. I never thought about that. I have tried to look for a 'splash' but honestly where I shoot it's next to impossible. When the rounds go off target they go into the grass or whatever and only rarely do they kick up dust or whatever.

At the end of the day I am trying to hone my skills in the wind department. Of course it's always going to be some form of trial and error but I don't know if there are some other advanced wind reading or shooting techniques out there that I don't know about.

Also I really have no 'need' to shoot that far other than the fact that it's fun. Shooting is just a hobby, albeit one that I am trying to get good at.

[DeviantLogic]

When dealing with multiple crosswinds, the crosswind the bullet the passes through first will have the most impact on the line a bullet will take. My suspicion is that the bullet is going transonic at around 700 yards...hitting at 900 yards is going to be a crapshoot.

[alamo5000]

My suspicion is that the bullet is going transonic at around 700 yards...hitting at 900 yards is going to be a crapshoot.

You are correct. At 700 yards it is right when it starts to make the transonic transition. 800 yards is still realistic but beyond that...I don't think it's happening, at least not with my rifle (16" AR15). If I had a longer barrel then it might be doable at least in theory.

the crosswind the bullet the passes through first will have the most impact on the line a bullet will take

The first crosswind you say? Interesting. I am going to have to look more into that. It makes sense. That has me thinking about bullet flight paths and how they are deviated from during two different situations... gusts... and constant crosswinds...

I assume my calculator is figuring up a constant wind.

As it goes now the bullet does a rainbow corkscrew motion...at 800 yards it has 26 feet of drop and in say a 5mph crosswind it would have a 5 foot break as well. It might be interesting to invest in some tracer rounds and see where they fly.

If anyone knows where I can find an old school long range shooter please let me know

[alamo5000]

I found this on Sniper's Hide...

Basically everyone there says to get it close and guess at it from there

http://www.scout.com/military/sniper...le-cross-winds

[steveptr]

You don't need tracers to see where they fly. You can see trace if you're set up right. 223 might be hard to see at 6 to 800

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