Benefits of Wind Flags for Varmint Hunting
Improve Your Hit Ratio by Using Wing Flags
It’s not unusual for varmint hunters to invest $3,000.00 in a custom rifle, pay thousands more for spotting scope and laser rangefinder, and spend countless hours loading ultra-precise ammo. Yet, when they head off to the prairie dog fields, they’ll omit an essential piece of gear that can make the difference between a hit and a miss.We’re talking about windflags. Many casual shooters, varmint hunters, and even some “tactical” shooters disdain windflags as gadgets suited only for the accuracy-obsessed benchrest crowd. In fact, windflags are just as important for the varminter as for the benchrest competitor. You may think that you can easily notice a major wind shift. But consider this, a change from a light 2.5 mph left breeze to a 2.5 mph right is a 5 mile per hour switch. That is enough to make you miss a prairie dog even at just 200 yards.
Here’s a chart that shows the effect of a 5 mph full-value (i.e. 90-degree) wind change at various distances. The values assume a typical .250 G1 BC varmint bullet launched at 3500 fps at a 3″-wide critter (center hold).
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on windflags. Even a bit of surveyors’ tape on a post is better than nothing. A simple windflag, placed at your shooting station, helps minimize the effect of cross-winds. If you align your shooting position so the breeze is at your back you can shoot with greater confidence even in high winds. Watch the way the windflag blows, and shoot at the dog mounds that are directly downwind.
Our friend Boyd Allen offers another tip: “When you go varminting, be sure to bring some kind of portable target stand. Accuracy or zero problems are much easier to diagnose and remedy if you can set up a target at 100 yards. A simple wood, A-Frame design, hinged at the top, works well, stores flat, and is easy to build.”
Windflag photo courtesy Flying Fish Fundamentals, makers of single-and dual-vane wind flags.Similar Posts:
- Wind Flags for Varminters
- Use Wind Flags — Don’t Throw Away Accuracy
- If You’re Not Using Wind Flags You’re Throwing Away Accuracy
- "Miracle Device" Cuts Groups in Half — Guaranteed
- WindFlags — Big Benefits for All Shooting, Not Just Competition
Tags: Minute of Angle, Prairie Dog, Trajectory, varmint hunting, Wind Flag
Nice idea. However, once you’ve interrupted those critters habits by putting out flags, how long does it take before they start popping up again?
Good idea, however I kinda agree with the first comment.
I think you misunderstand HUNTING..
I’m with Mike. SERIOUSLY, WIND FLAG?!??!! Next thing you know, we’ll be sending forward observers downrange hang surveyors’ tape of pots in Helmand Prov.
On a more serious note, wind reading is one of the most cruicial part of this sport – and you’re cheating yoursefl but not learning and understanding natures’ windflags – trees, grass, dust, mirage/boil. You can see ALL these things through the scope.
Personally, my set up if I am shooting flat (lets ignore incl. and decl. over urbans) is to sweep a spotting scope up and down the range (only takes 1-2 sec), generally leaving it focused at
half range, and hold off using my dots. May not be super technical, but it works more often than not on the pairie dog ranges and downrange.
Damn typo’s that I can fix… Excuse please – blame the pain meds and the Traction to put my spine back together!
Which on that note, I get to walk again today (hopefully unassisted)!
It will improve your hit ratio. It will, like mentioned above, cut way down on the number of shots.