Windage in a tornado tunnel, lol

Big Bad

Big Bad

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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In Kenland
One of the dissatisfactions of shooting in approved club ranges here in ON is that they're lined on both sides with rather high dirt berms, as well of course at the back. Being set at right angles to the prevailing winds, the side berms where I shoot now can in particular produce some very interesting air swirling effects that are both invisible and incalculable and of course get worse as the wind speed increases. The frustration is real and on very windy days I don't even shoot at anything but a short distance if I go at all. On regularly windy days, I hold off shooting until the wind dies down or changes direction, as they are apt to at the location. The frustrating thing is that I'm getting about zero experience with adjusting for windage with my Anschutz.

If anyone has any suggestions about effective shooting under such conditions, I'm all ears...
 
Many ranges can have difficult winds. Often the smaller ones, those nestled with berms and trees, can be very difficult with winds swirling and quickly changing directions. Some describe these conditions as "twitchy". My own club's range is only 100 yards maximum, has berms behind, trees on either side, and a lake behind the shooting building. When there are winds, they can rarely be desribed as steady. Three wind flags placed equally apart can show three different conditions occuring at the same time.

I suspect even shooters expert in the use of wind flags would find twitchy conditions very difficult in which to account for wind. I don't pretend to be able to read the wind and shoot effectively in windy conditions. For reliable results, the choice must be to shoot when flags tell you there is very, very little or no wind. If you shoot in wind that is unpredictable, the results will also be unpredictable and hence not reliable.
 
I didn't consider this when I was shooting at the other club. That is only 3 bays wide, high berms on the sides and back, with the baffles up front. I figured the wind would blow over the top. Never bothered to setup flags. The one I regular shoot at is wider with trees 360 around. Then again I really haven't put much effort in it yet, as I'm just learning precision rimfire.
 
I came to really appreciate the effect of wind when shooting gophers in S. Alberta this past spring. Seems there is always SOME wind, but the last few days she really picked-up. When you see a 17HMR round get blown over a foot off course under @ 100 yards for the first time, the first thing you think=your scope sh*t the bed. On days like that, you trust your zero, hold into the wind, and cross your fingers. lol

Speaking to the actual question, I think we can only try to pick better/low-wind days...or learn to work around it. I know when I used to drive 2 hours to get to the range to test loads, it was pretty frustrating to find conditions like that as you can't trust the results you're seeing/getting. That applied to centerfire rifles as well.
 
My range is the same. A few days ago, wind at the bench was 7:00, wind at the target was 12:00, this was at 100M. I also only shoot 300M there when it’s good and calm. I usually find it easier out in an open field.
 
I'd rather shoot with 5m/s winds in an open field than 1m/s with burms etc.
My local range regularly has wind 180 degrees out in just 200m but rarely strong, just enough to put you off a PRS target if you aren't paying attention.
 
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