Basic Wind Flags
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 12:51 pm
G'day all,
since Trevort needs some flags I thought I might share the info in case the rest of you Guys and Gals want to build some too. It is a hybrid design from what I have used in earlier flags and uses the best parts of Mike Ratigans flags shown in his BR book.
I like them as they are cheap to make, no special materials, most stuff can be found easily. You could cover them in signwriters vinyl but make sure it is UV stable/resistent. Cost per flag is about $5-$7 at most and normally you would need about 6 at the most. Best of all if they get shot up at the range by some dickhead, you wont worry unlike some of the better BR flags.......
So here is a picture of a fairly basic flag design that works well enough
It is made from coreflute. coreflute is used by signwriters to make lightweight signs, if a sign writer can't supply you, find out where he gets it. I 8ftx4ft sheet will make heaps. It uses a bicycle wheel spoke as a vertical pivot pin and a sharpened tip for smoother movement, a lead fishing sinker out the front is mounted to a piece of coat hanger wire and is positioned to make it balance at the bike spoke when held horizontally.
Note I have stopped using the lead sinker completely, it doesn't seem to make any difference, the flag still tracks the wind beautifully
The surveyors tape (about 1m long) for wind speed and this also shows when the wind is smooth or turbulent as it moves. That is if the ribbon is lazily fluttering is good smooth air and if its going crazy, it's turbulent air. The ribbon is not much good in heavy winds and I shoot when the ribbon "breaks", when the ribbon falls down as the wind drops off, if it is out horizontal to the ground it simply cannot show the speed of the wind. When it "breaks" it is the time when you have less wind and therefore less drift.......
Wind angle is shown by the apparent lengthening of the vane. If you have a 90 deg crosswind the vane appears to be its full length, as the vane turns it appears to be shorter until it "disappears" with a true head & tail wind. You need to be aware of the wind angle as it changes so you know for sure it is a head or tail wind I've been caught out in the heat of competition
In this photo, the vane is not painted, normally they are so for your info the face of the vane which you can see would be painted red/orange and the other side green remember the sailors rhyme no red port wine left? meaning a wind from the left is from the port and the colour of the navigation lights are red. Same deal with BR flags.
They measure 130mm high (coreflute) x 600mm long, the pivot protrudes below the vane by 80mm and the pivot is 180mm from the front of the vane. The lead sinker is a #4 round lead ball. If you decide to make your own, have the hollows "tubes" in the coreflute running along the vane to keep it stiff. The coreflute is available from signwriter supplies and I'd get the thicker stuff, mine is 3mm but I think they make 5mm thick stuff. It may be heavier but it should be more rigid too.
You may like to experiment with sail cloth for the ribbons that is heavier than the surveyors tape but I like to stick to the one type so I instantly know what it is telling me. I like plastic ribbons because the don't adsorb water and become heavier when it rains or from dew if left out overnight like we do over a 2 day BR match.
The poles are broom handles sharpened like a stake and with a 3mm hole about 60-70mm drilled in the end. Just hammer them into the ground. Broom handles do not twist and move as they are dry unlike the more logical tomato stake choice. Any straight grained timber will do.
When you set them out say every 25yds, assuming the target centre is aligned with the bench centre, have them set (for a Right Hand shooter) so they are level with your left edge of the bench and move them gradually towards the target so they are just to the left of the target when done. This achieves 2 things.
1. you will be able to see a staggered line of flags all the way to the target. This means no 1 flag will hide the view of the next flag
2. you probably will see the last flag or 2 in you scope. Very handy to have past 100yds.
To visualise this concept, draw a picture of a right angle triangle, The line of sight from the rifle to the target is long side of the right angle, you and the bench are the short side of the triangle and the hypotenuse is the line of flags.........
Clear as mud?
Hope this helps,
Cheerio Ned
PS here is an even more basic design! I first used this with my .222 when I met my mate Daz (a BR shooter) He said I needed something and suggested this. I used coat hangers as a basic material, cheap and readily available. Its hard to see angle changes with just a ribbon and no vane, but wind strength is a piece of p*** to see. I used ribbon from any fabric store but when its wet its too heavy, it is heavier than surveyors tape and this was roughly sewn on. Other ones I made used a hot melt glue gun and staples to attach the ribbon. same deal with the flag poles as above.
since Trevort needs some flags I thought I might share the info in case the rest of you Guys and Gals want to build some too. It is a hybrid design from what I have used in earlier flags and uses the best parts of Mike Ratigans flags shown in his BR book.
I like them as they are cheap to make, no special materials, most stuff can be found easily. You could cover them in signwriters vinyl but make sure it is UV stable/resistent. Cost per flag is about $5-$7 at most and normally you would need about 6 at the most. Best of all if they get shot up at the range by some dickhead, you wont worry unlike some of the better BR flags.......
So here is a picture of a fairly basic flag design that works well enough
It is made from coreflute. coreflute is used by signwriters to make lightweight signs, if a sign writer can't supply you, find out where he gets it. I 8ftx4ft sheet will make heaps. It uses a bicycle wheel spoke as a vertical pivot pin and a sharpened tip for smoother movement, a lead fishing sinker out the front is mounted to a piece of coat hanger wire and is positioned to make it balance at the bike spoke when held horizontally.
Note I have stopped using the lead sinker completely, it doesn't seem to make any difference, the flag still tracks the wind beautifully
The surveyors tape (about 1m long) for wind speed and this also shows when the wind is smooth or turbulent as it moves. That is if the ribbon is lazily fluttering is good smooth air and if its going crazy, it's turbulent air. The ribbon is not much good in heavy winds and I shoot when the ribbon "breaks", when the ribbon falls down as the wind drops off, if it is out horizontal to the ground it simply cannot show the speed of the wind. When it "breaks" it is the time when you have less wind and therefore less drift.......
Wind angle is shown by the apparent lengthening of the vane. If you have a 90 deg crosswind the vane appears to be its full length, as the vane turns it appears to be shorter until it "disappears" with a true head & tail wind. You need to be aware of the wind angle as it changes so you know for sure it is a head or tail wind I've been caught out in the heat of competition
In this photo, the vane is not painted, normally they are so for your info the face of the vane which you can see would be painted red/orange and the other side green remember the sailors rhyme no red port wine left? meaning a wind from the left is from the port and the colour of the navigation lights are red. Same deal with BR flags.
They measure 130mm high (coreflute) x 600mm long, the pivot protrudes below the vane by 80mm and the pivot is 180mm from the front of the vane. The lead sinker is a #4 round lead ball. If you decide to make your own, have the hollows "tubes" in the coreflute running along the vane to keep it stiff. The coreflute is available from signwriter supplies and I'd get the thicker stuff, mine is 3mm but I think they make 5mm thick stuff. It may be heavier but it should be more rigid too.
You may like to experiment with sail cloth for the ribbons that is heavier than the surveyors tape but I like to stick to the one type so I instantly know what it is telling me. I like plastic ribbons because the don't adsorb water and become heavier when it rains or from dew if left out overnight like we do over a 2 day BR match.
The poles are broom handles sharpened like a stake and with a 3mm hole about 60-70mm drilled in the end. Just hammer them into the ground. Broom handles do not twist and move as they are dry unlike the more logical tomato stake choice. Any straight grained timber will do.
When you set them out say every 25yds, assuming the target centre is aligned with the bench centre, have them set (for a Right Hand shooter) so they are level with your left edge of the bench and move them gradually towards the target so they are just to the left of the target when done. This achieves 2 things.
1. you will be able to see a staggered line of flags all the way to the target. This means no 1 flag will hide the view of the next flag
2. you probably will see the last flag or 2 in you scope. Very handy to have past 100yds.
To visualise this concept, draw a picture of a right angle triangle, The line of sight from the rifle to the target is long side of the right angle, you and the bench are the short side of the triangle and the hypotenuse is the line of flags.........
Clear as mud?
Hope this helps,
Cheerio Ned
PS here is an even more basic design! I first used this with my .222 when I met my mate Daz (a BR shooter) He said I needed something and suggested this. I used coat hangers as a basic material, cheap and readily available. Its hard to see angle changes with just a ribbon and no vane, but wind strength is a piece of p*** to see. I used ribbon from any fabric store but when its wet its too heavy, it is heavier than surveyors tape and this was roughly sewn on. Other ones I made used a hot melt glue gun and staples to attach the ribbon. same deal with the flag poles as above.
