How to Determine Windage by Looking at a Flag

It is essential to know the speed and direction of wind while shooting. Windage is the name for the amount of force exerted by wind on an object such as a flying bullet. An important part of marksmanship practice is learning to adjust one's shooting based on the speed and direction of the wind. One way of figuring out the speed and direction of the wind is by using special flags. These flags have a uniform dimension and weight, and allow a marksman to approximate windage. Using flags to approximate windage is called the "Flag Method."

Instructions

    • 1

      Observe the direction in which the flag is flying. For example, if the flag is flying to the left, the wind is coming from the right.

    • 2

      Observe the angle at which the flag is flying. Divide the angle by four, and you know the wind velocity in miles per hour. This works for a dry flag. A wet flag will be at a lower angle, and will show an artificially low wind speed.

    • 3

      Look at a windage chart if you have one available. Compare the images on the chart to the real-life flag. Find the image that most closely resembles the condition of the flag. The chart will indicate the approximate speed.