Understand what happens when the wind changes

Wind can move the shot group sideways and reduce the margin to the edges of the hit zone. The Wind Guide helps you compare the current wind with the conditions in which you zeroed the rifle.

First select where the wind is coming from and then how far the nearest wind flag is deflected. The guide shows how the relative windage effect has changed and the direction in which you may need to adjust the rear sight.

Use the nearest wind flag

The Wind Guide is deliberately designed to be simple and quick to use. It therefore uses the wind flag nearest to the athlete.

The aim is to give young and less experienced athletes a clear basic method without asking them to interpret every wind flag along the entire shooting range at the same time.

The reference wind is your starting point

The Wind Guide does not simply compare the current wind with completely calm conditions. It compares the wind now with the conditions in which the rifle was zeroed.

Selecting the same wind direction and the same flag deflection again will always produce the same result, and no clear windage correction will be recommended.

Calm conditions require no direction

When conditions are completely calm, you do not need to select a wind direction. A rifle correctly zeroed in calm conditions also provides a useful true zero that can be marked on the rear sight.

This reference makes it easier to see how far you have adjusted and to return to your original zero after the wind changes.

See the windage shift on the target

The result is shown as an educational five-shot group on a biathlon target. You can switch between prone and standing to see the difference between the hit zones.

• The black aiming mark has a diameter of 115 mm.
• The prone hit-zone diameter is 45 mm.
• The standing hit-zone diameter is 115 mm.

The visualisation shows why a centred shot group matters. The closer the group is to the centre, the greater the remaining margin if the wind changes or the shots spread.

Adjusting the rear sight

The Wind Guide shows the direction in which the point of impact needs to move and how the windage knob is normally turned on standard right-handed versions of Anschütz, Centra and Gehmann rear sights.

• Turning the windage knob counter-clockwise normally moves the point of impact to the right.
• Turning the windage knob clockwise normally moves the point of impact to the left.
• Turning the upper elevation knob counter-clockwise normally moves the point of impact upwards.
• Turning the upper elevation knob clockwise normally moves the point of impact downwards.

Always check the arrows, markings and manual for the sight actually being used. A left-handed version or different installation may operate differently.

Educational wind flags and verified ballistics

Lapua’s ballistic data for Polar Biathlon 2.59 g gives 25 mm of wind drift at 50 metres in a 4 m/s full-value crosswind. This shows that wind can have a major effect, particularly in prone, where the hit-zone radius is only 22.5 mm.

The flag images in the Wind Guide are not linked to invented wind speeds. A particular flag deflection can be affected by the flag’s material, installation and local conditions.

The Wind Guide therefore does not convert flag images into exact metres per second, millimetres or numbers of rear-sight clicks. It shows direction and relative change in windage.

Who is the Wind Guide for?

• Children and young athletes learning the basics of wind correction
• Coaches who want to explain wind in a visual way
• Parents and team leaders who want to understand rear-sight adjustment
• Clubs looking for a simple educational tool
• Athletes who want to review the basic principles

Use it on a phone, tablet or computer

The Wind Guide opens directly in the web browser and requires no installation. Its layout automatically adapts to phones, tablets and computers.

For quick access at the shooting range, you can add the Wind Guide to your phone’s home screen through the browser menu. It can then be opened in much the same way as a regular app.

Good to know

The Wind Guide is an educational tool, not a millimetre-accurate ballistic calculator. The actual effect of the wind varies between ammunition, rifles, shooting ranges and weather conditions.

Always use the zeroing results, the actual shot group and your own observations as the primary basis for any adjustment. The Wind Guide does not provide a wind-based elevation recommendation.