Shooting In The Wind....

[Dave McCracken]

Someone asked off line what difference it made shooting in wind. Here's a public answer. But first....

Last Friday at PGC saw gusts to 40 MPH when I got there. Only a couple holdouts had come for the Geezer League, and to top things off nicely, the power had failed.

Not to be outdone, the lads had dragged a manual trap up to the line and were working the trapper hard. I unpacked the TB, grabbed some shells and joined in the fun.

Trap range 8 faces North, and the NW winds came quartering in from the left. Birds heading left got a lot of lift and those on the right were driven down nicely. We had the range all to ourselves.

The manual trap could throw doubles, so each peg saw us shoot one single, then two pairs. The birds were unpredictable, gave us unusual shots, and much hilarity ensued.

Ever shot doubles where the left bird climbed like a homesick angel and the right one dropped like a paralyzed buzzard? Or any variant you wanted? And some you may not want?

We weren't protecting our averages in a registered game.

We weren't obsessing over straights and runs.

Yes, we missed some, but not as many as you might think.

Weapons on the line included my TB, a 391, and a Beretta O/U.

That last was at a disadvantage with the larger side silohuette, but the operator did magic, making many clays vanish in a puff of smoke.

Anyway, why do so many folks duck out of shooting in the wind?

I heard some folks gathered in the clubhouse complain about the wind, saying they couldn't be expected to shoot their best under these conditions. Of course, some trapshooters would complain about something, no matter what the weather. Good follks, but oft emitting a high pitched whine.

If I recall Brister correctly, he said that wind doesn't break patterns up, it just moves the whole schmear over.

For a practice session or just fun shooting, I'd rather have something out of the ordinary. 40 knots of breeze can provide that.

If you shoot for any length of time, or hunt, there will be times when more than a gentle zephyr caresses your brow. Best to be prepared.

And if you enter a registered event that's held on a breezy day, you'll have an advantage over the folks that choose not to shoot when the wind blows.

Also, it might help on one of those days when the teal strafe the decoys at warp speed too.

Questions, comments, invitations?

 

[sm]

Dave, another great post- thank you!

Brister and Misseldine both spoke of shooting in the wind - and other non-ideal conditions. The gist was the shooter may drop a bird and hurt his registered standing, then again when the registered shoot for the big money has the non- ideal conditions - the fair weather folks are w-a-y dis-advantaged.

Works in field for game as well.

Watch the targets before starting. Tuffs of grass tossed in the air, or take notice of that feather on the fore end of your shotgun ,or the one on your shell pouch. I "know" Dave, kudu, HSMITH, PJR...others and myself are NOT the only ones that have these "wind indicators" - right?

Focus on the "leading" sliver of target / game, nothing else matters , not the wind, rain, snow, sleet ...find your lead , swing through and fell it.

One thing about Pass through ( swing through) is one matches the "angle , path and speed" of target.

Better to miss in the wind - than to be a fair weather shooter on the porch.

Dogs even get off the porch and play in the wind.

 

[fecmech]

I shoot sporting every week in the Buffalo NY area and I simply don't understand people who don't shoot in the wind. I would guess ( don't know for sure as I don't shoot trap) the trap shooters in the Buffalo area are probably less wind sensitive than most as we have a lot of winter trap leagues here. Winter and wind go together here like bread and butter! In sporting I think it just adds to the flavor and I just plain enjoy busting targets and smelling the gunpowder. I shoot to have fun and enjoy my friends at the range, IMO guys worrying about the wind and averages have turned a hobby into a job. Nick

 

[Smoke]

Now it's been many a year since I shot a real round of any of the clay games.
I do my share of the informal stuff out at the creek with the family...but that range is fairly well protected from wind. No much practice there.

Dove and quail season are in the fall. Not uncommon for a little breeze to be pushing down from the north. Maybe I'm not bright enough to understand the physics but I shoot about the same way in the wind as not.

If a bird is being pushed along a little faster by a tail wind....the shooter must swing a little faster to get on the bird. I make no additional allowances for wind. If the wind is pushing on my shot column, it's pushin' that birds butt too.

Birds seem to drop about the same. Of course that never is as many as I'd like. :banghead:

Now out in the Sandhills of Monahans in west Tx the wind never blows.....under 75 miles per hour. same rules have always applied, one must get on the bird quicker, if that faster swinging of the barrel + the same reaction time of touching off the trigger = a little more lead, so be it. I can't tell much difference.

Smoke

 

[BozemanMT]

Now I'm just a newbie to shotguns, but I shoot in the wind (do it in rifle and pistol too). The world isn't perfect. And practice on a windy day makes you much better on calm days. Will your scores be good? no. But you'll learn a lot and you'll get more practice in.

I agree with whoever said about turning a hobby into a job. it's supposed to be fun.

 

[kudu]

Good post Dave. You bring to light the things most take for granted and expose them to be critiqued.

This past weekend when I was shooting the .410 the wind was doing it's thing with gusts up to 20mph makeing the targets do some weird things. Our club has trees to the south, or behind us, as all the ranges face north. The wind was out of the SW and picking up the low houses and pushing down the high houses.

For myself, it makes me concentrate all the harder on the targets, but for others it is another excuse for why they missed. Yes it throws the difficulty degree up a few points, but that is life.

I have had some of my best days in tournements in years past when the wind was acting up. Anymore I don't care if I run the targets, yes I like to do it, but it isn't the end of the world like it used to be when I competed. I just like the shooting and the few good companions and friends that I have made while shooting.


sm , are you sure you didn't keep a whole chicken in your shootin' pouch instead of just a feather?

 

[Whole Hog]

Here in southern New Mexico if we didn't shoot in the wind we wouldn't shoot much at all. There's nothing like trying to hit a battue quartering into a breeze that's gusting between 10 and 20 mph. Even the good guys miss some.

And don't even get me started on downwind doves.

 

[sm]

kudu

Be nice - or I'm gonna tell your offspring they are all getting 28 ga Webly&Scotts , as gifts.

Feathers from Doves, and Greenheads work best ... see this feather here next to the hat pin made from the 12ga AA brass from my first straight - that one is from a greenhead...it stays there. Greenhead feathers on the shotgun/ longuns too.

Dove feathers are hanging off the shell pouch ...the loose ones are in the side for empties.

Oh I always "shoot two" before I shoot skeet,( any clay game if can) besides making sure the safety is off, the gun runs...etc., the puffs of graphite added in these "shoot two" loads - help read the wind

Your Welcome!

 

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks for the responses, folks...

sm, my hunting guns tend to have marabou plumes(Fly tying material actually from chickens) hanging off their muzzles from lengths of fly tying floss, usually red or orange. The floss works if the feather's lost.

On the range, I don't need them. View birds and my own senses tell me where the wind is from and how hard.

"Turned a hobby into a job"....

Did it with Practical and Benchrest rifle. This is why I don't shoot registered, I'd rather have fun.

Brad Dysinger,the left eyed, right handed stroke survivor who ran 500 straight registered trap targets in 2000, loves shooting for money in the wind. Betcha he practices on breezy days.

IMO, it's not shooting in the wind, but shooting under less controlled conditions that spooks many of us.

 

[HSMITH]

I hunt in some truly nasty winds and if you don't factor it in to your shot you will miss at extended ranges. Pass shooting ducks and geese is a prime example. If they are 40 yards overhead, the wind is crossing at 20 mph and you hold center with the correct lead for the speed of the birds you will likely miss completely. Hold off the tip of upwind wing for windage and out in front for the lead and down they come. I never really thought much of it, it's just something you have to do to me but I guess experience levels play into it quite a bit. Good thread for the guys getting started.

 

[TrapperReady]

Our winter trap league seems to be not only cold, but more windy than the summer league. All too often, the range flags will be standing straight out. It's not uncommon to have a steady 20-25mph wind, with gusts about 10mph higher.

You need to take it into account, or you will drop some targets. IMO, the worst can be when it's blowing hard directly towards you or directly away. If the wind is hard and directly into your face, once in a while the wind will catch the edge of the clay and pop it way up into the air. When going away from you, it will tend to keep the clays lower. I seem to be able to handle crosswinds a little better.

 

[Dave McCracken]

H, thanks for adding that. Pass shooting is not easy nor simple. " I hunt in some truly nasty winds..." is why we should practice in them.

TR, I like the way a headwind can add feet of elevation in a second if it catchs the edge right. Good for breaking up those machine like moves and building concentration.

 

[tall2tango]

I'm just seeing this thread, Dave. JEEZ, you had all the fun at PGC last Friday. By 5PM when we LTS'ers started shooting, the wind had died to a whisper (I heard that it picked up again a bit after dark). So, instead of having FUN chasing those dispy-doodling clays and learning how to TRY knocking them down, we had ourselves just a regular sort of evening. My scores would have been way low, but I would have gotten some good experience and had fun trying.

And Saturday was another calm day, albeit just shy of gorgeous (that was Sunday, for sure). Glad to hear you gents had a good time.

BTW, I'd wondered what the manual machine was sitting on range 8 was, and now I know. No one at the counter said anything about having lost power. I'm sure glad it got restored so we could have the lights for the evening league.

BR...

 

[Dave McCracken]

Don't worry, you'll get a chance. Just don't shy off when it happens.

LTS?....

 

[tall2tango]

Oops; sorry, Dave. LTS=Learn To Shoot league at PGC on Firday evenings; aka Ahern League. It is composed primarily of newer shooters, both trap and skeet. The league's objective is to introduce new shooters to the clay sports and provide a low-pressure venue to learn skills. We have a heck of a good time! Our Fall session closes with a banquet and awards this Friday.

This year there is no Winter session, but a few of us who figure a winter layoff would mean starting at or near ground zero next Spring are planning to meet informally throughout winter to practice, maintain, and maybe even improve our skills.

BR...

 

[Dave McCracken]

Good idea, that. Practice is essential, and oft fun. And we'll meet someday.