Wind Effect- I'll Make It Simple

Ray Boone

April 17, 2014 11:15

If you shoot a bullet at a target 500 yards away. At the muzzle a strong wind is blowing and continues blowing from the muzzle to 100 yards from the muzzle. During it's travel from the muzzle the bullet is moved 5 inches from the line of sight. At 100 yards the wind stops and it is still air for the remaining 400 yards to the target.

At 500 yards how far from the line of sight does the bullet land?

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  Cheechako

  April 17, 2014 11:25

  At 100 yards the bullet is deflected 5 moa. At 500 yards it will still be deflected 5 moa. Condition your brain to see things in minutes of angle. (If you must think in inches, it comes to 25 inches)

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  beantownshootah

  April 17, 2014 13:04

  quote:Originally posted by Ray B
  If you shoot a bullet at a target 500 yards away. At the muzzle a strong wind is blowing and continues blowing from the muzzle to 100 yards from the muzzle. During it's travel from the muzzle the bullet is moved 5 inches from the line of sight. At 100 yards the wind stops and it is still air for the remaining 400 yards to the target.
  
  At 500 yards how far from the line of sight does the bullet land?
  
  
  I think Cheechako has the correct answer with respect to the effect wind "drift". A sideways wind alters the direction/flight path of the bullet (not just pushing it a set amount "sideways") and the further the bullet travels the more "off course" it gets. So an early deflection due to wind can correlate with a fairly significant deviation once you get 500 yards downrange.
  
  See here for a more "authoritative" source on same:
  http://www.shootingtimes.com/2011/06/03/dont-blow-a-shot-in-the-wind/
  
  
  
  
  Being a wiseacre, this is also a "trick" question, because you asked about deviation from line of sight, not specifying in which direction. Forgetting entirely about wind effect, ordinary BULLET DROP of any bullet at 500 yards from line of sight is going to be considerable. How much off of line of sight depends on what direction you're sighting, what bullet you're firing, and how fast its going, but figure something like a .308 is going to deviate downwards about 8 or 9 feet at that distance.

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