# Shooting in the wind



## blademan (May 8, 2005)

Anyone want to share their strategy for shooting in the wind. Tips or tricks that help.


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

probably the least understood , yet most consistent method of shooting in the wind is canting the bow into the wind, which directs the arrows trajectory into the on coming wind to fight drift.


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## Ruperto36 (Sep 11, 2013)

ron, when you do cant the bow to shoot into the wind will this change the elevation of the shot's impact. Or is it too small a difference to notice


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

I've had the best luck holding off to allow for the wind pushing my arrows. It's probably not the best way, but I seldom shoot in wind and don't have a chance to practice it.


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## Lazarus (Sep 19, 2005)

blademan said:


> Anyone want to share their strategy for shooting in the wind. Tips or tricks that help.


With today's equipment the effects of wind on the actual flight of the arrow are way overblown. David Howser just won the US National Target Championship in the Compound 55 meter venue using "22's." Day one saw gusts over 30 miles an hour at times, and was never under 15mph steady. Day two of the tournament was only slightly better. 

Tip for shooting in the wind.......low profile vanes.


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## blademan (May 8, 2005)

Any tips for holding steadier or shot process,timing?


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

the POI doesn't change any more than the POI changes if your sight markings are off by a yard or two. all you are doing by canting, is laying the vertical plane of trajectory down at an angle. this vectors the front of the arrow to start out uphill into the wind, introducing a smaller profile for the wind to push and using some of the arrows inertia to push back against the wind.


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## grousegrove (Aug 8, 2013)

These guys are right. Now Dudley says he can dope heavy crosswind effectively by watching his sight bubble (eg half a bubble off, quarter, full) and I don't doubt it. I've tried it and it definitely is a tool for it. That said I couldn't tell you how much cant, it would depend on your setup and the speed of the crosswind. Have a go and see where it moves your arrow and maybe when you need a trick it'll work. The good thing about sh***y weather and wind is your competitors have to deal with it too.


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## Strodav (Apr 25, 2012)

Last summer shot the Illinois state 900 round at Sheels outside of Springfield. Heavy and variable crosswinds gusting to 45 mph. Winds actually changed down range coming around the building we were back up to and over and around the berms. A lot of guys had huge problems keeping their arrows on their lizard tongues. A lot of letting down. Luckily, I was shooting a drop down. Shot a hinge the first day and struggled, but more than some. Talked to them and they told me they put away the hinge and brought out the thumb, which is more conducive to command shooting. Come day 2, brought out the Stan Shootoff and actually shot better than day 1 and the winds were worse day 2.


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

everybody is a little different. I think it depends largely on how well your execution is developed. some people can tolerate a certain amount of command shooting without it creeping into their heads, in a detrimental way.


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## field14 (May 21, 2002)

grousegrove said:


> These guys are right. Now Dudley says he can dope heavy crosswind effectively by watching his sight bubble (eg half a bubble off, quarter, full) and I don't doubt it. I've tried it and it definitely is a tool for it. That said I couldn't tell you how much cant, it would depend on your setup and the speed of the crosswind. Have a go and see where it moves your arrow and maybe when you need a trick it'll work. The good thing about sh***y weather and wind is your competitors have to deal with it too.


In order to know how much "bubble" to give it, you have to PRACTICE canting your bubble by 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and full bubble on a CALM day. Then you shoot several groups and note the impact point change, that is, how far each "bubble effect" moves your impact point! Do this both top limb left at all bubble settings and top limb right at all bubble settings! PRACTICE INTENTIONAL bubbling until you learn your impact points.
Then WHEN the wind blows your impact off, you know in one or two shots how much bubble to "give it." Otherwise you are like a puppy chasing your tail.
I bubble lean most all the time unless the wind is out of control. Have to accept one fact when shooting in the wind..you WILL miss, plain and simple. But if you're practiced and know how to deal with the wind, you are far better prepared than most of your competition that spend almost all their time in calm conditions, shooting for score and never learning the "kinks" that WILL happen when in competition.

"ProActive Archery" in practice...and in competition.
field14 (Tom D.)


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## ILOVE3D (Feb 4, 2009)

field14 said:


> In order to know how much "bubble" to give it, you have to PRACTICE canting your bubble by 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and full bubble on a CALM day. Then you shoot several groups and note the impact point change, that is, how far each "bubble effect" moves your impact point! Do this both top limb left at all bubble settings and top limb right at all bubble settings! PRACTICE INTENTIONAL bubbling until you learn your impact points.
> Then WHEN the wind blows your impact off, you know in one or two shots how much bubble to "give it." Otherwise you are like a puppy chasing your tail.
> I bubble lean most all the time unless the wind is out of control. Have to accept one fact when shooting in the wind..you WILL miss, plain and simple. But if you're practiced and know how to deal with the wind, you are far better prepared than most of your competition that spend almost all their time in calm conditions, shooting for score and never learning the "kinks" that WILL happen when in competition.
> 
> ...


So much truth and fact in this post. I struggled during some of the competitions that had windy conditions and until I had done just exactly as you stated Tom did I come to know how much bubble I needed to compensate for certain wind conditions with my particular setup. Heck, I probably read it in your book how to do it. Started out practicing bubbling in calm conditions and then during some windy ones. By this time you have an idea of how much to bubble and when your competitors miss you can judge some by just how far they missed and start figuring out just how much bubble you start at. Be aware of how much wind on each and every shot is pretty much the same as following your shot routine each and every shot. Wind does change in direction and velocity sometimes from shot to shot that it's critical to notice the changes and adjust your bubble accordingly.


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## field14 (May 21, 2002)

ILOVE3D said:


> So much truth and fact in this post. I struggled during some of the competitions that had windy conditions and until I had done just exactly as you stated Tom did I come to know how much bubble I needed to compensate for certain wind conditions with my particular setup. Heck, I probably read it in your book how to do it. Started out practicing bubbling in calm conditions and then during some windy ones. By this time you have an idea of how much to bubble and when your competitors miss you can judge some by just how far they missed and start figuring out just how much bubble you start at. Be aware of how much wind on each and every shot is pretty much the same as following your shot routine each and every shot. Wind does change in direction and velocity sometimes from shot to shot that it's critical to notice the changes and adjust your bubble accordingly.


Yepp, that stuff is indeed in my book "ProActive Archery"; that and then some!

One other caveat to all this is that during windy conditions most shooters try to control the shot process and end up shooting WEAK shots instead of focusing and making sure to shoot STRONG shots. That is when they really start to miss big time, and of course, start griping and letting the wind psyche them out. Often times, simply shooting a STRONG shot with a solid follow-thru will slam the shot to the middle.
One big reason I don't like aiming off (unless I absolutely have to) is because sub-consciously, if you are aiming off, you will tend to jerk the dot or circle back to the middle...because it is unnatural for you to not be centered up and after all the years of work, your sub-conscious takes over and you pull the site over at the wrong time....and shoot the arrow out the other side, or worse!
I much prefer to bubble it whenever possible and aim dead on center, shoot a strong shot and not let the wind get me down.
Those "against" bubbling will always say that "conditions force you to aim off" and they aren't wrong, but the conditions have to be pretty bad in order to not have a full bubble get you back "over"...TOP limb INTO the wind.
Oh, and if the wind (right handed shooter) is from right to left, you release will trip quite a bit easier (too soon, sometimes), especially with a hinge. If the wind is from left to right, your shot will tend to take longer to trip, so you need to know this and be proactively prepared to handle that issue too!
field14 (Tom D.)


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

exactly ! it's making everyone else miss too. the guy that can best accept that it will make him miss, dope it well and run his shot despite the wind, will come out on top.


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## bigHUN (Feb 5, 2006)

I had lot of rain and wind in my past competition days, got soaked this year 3x already my bow screws are full of rust.
How much to bubble in a steady cross wind is easier predictable to practice but when the wind is pulsing the day gets flushed down very easily.
I have couple stabilizers - and releases - in my bow case, sometimes I feel like a mule dragging all that s***t with me all the time,
Mostly shooting with carbofast but the doinker quadraflexes saved me tons of points with the pulsing wind, I have a 30" and 34" multi rods with about 6oz brass weights for those day's. Heavy FOC on nano's also I have multiple cascade releases timed different from very hot to boring slow, so I can entertain (or more like improvise) with these when the elements kicks in.
I am watching the forecast for this weekend, two days FITA scoring and the weather doesn't look good, going now to re-wax my strings couple days earlier and pack the rain gear....


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## Stash (Jun 1, 2002)

A big point killer is time pressure. Lots of let-downs, and often when you're shooting a timed event you will find yourself rushed on the last shot and panicky or forced to make the shot in a strong gust. Watch the trees and flags and grass upwind. Try to time your shots for the calm periods, and learn to shoot quickly so you can get 2 or 3 shots away between gusts.

Make sure your clothing isn't loose and flapping - nasty surprise to have the bowstring catch a loose shirt sleeve.

Make sure your gear is staked down. Hard to concentrate when you're on the line and you see your chair and umbrella flying off over the treetops.


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## fanio (Feb 1, 2011)

ron w said:


> the POI doesn't change any more than the POI changes if your sight markings are off by a yard or two. all you are doing by canting, is laying the vertical plane of trajectory down at an angle. this vectors the front of the arrow to start out uphill into the wind, introducing a smaller profile for the wind to push and using some of the arrows inertia to push back against the wind.


No you're doing nothing of the sort. You're just in effect "aiming off" by canting because your dot is no longer over the top of the arrow.


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

effectually, yes, you are right, the point is that in relation to the line of sight, canting allows you to aim POINT BLANK, where "kentuky windage" has you deliberately aiming off some distance horizontally. any time you can maintain the pin, "on the center", you shot has more potential to go there. there would be no reason to cant, rather than hold off horizontally, if it weren't for this advantage.

this is the sot of redundantly senseless debate, that has caused the real pros to leave this forum !.


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## jmclfrsh (Dec 23, 2014)

I will try this in calm wind, but to start, I'm a right handed shooter. 

If the wind were coming from right to left, I would want to keep the pin on the target, and tilt the TOP limb INTO the wind? So bubble left?

I guess another way to say it would be "bubble away from the wind direction?"

Appreciate the tip. I'm new, but shoot a lot (6-700/wk) and like to try new things.


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## field14 (May 21, 2002)

jmclfrsh said:


> I will try this in calm wind, but to start, I'm a right handed shooter.
> 
> If the wind were coming from right to left, I would want to keep the pin on the target, and tilt the TOP limb INTO the wind? So bubble left?
> 
> ...


Don't cornfuse yourself... Keep it SIMPLE... TOP LIMB INTO THE WIND and that takes care of which way to go. TOP LIMB INTO THE WIND. But how much? You have to learn your impact points during calm conditions by INTENTIONALLY tilting the top limb to the right and learn those and then top limb to the left and learn those.
MAKES NO DIFFERENCE whether you are RIGHT or LEFT handed...TOP LIMB INTO THE WIND.

What does make a difference is a bit more advanced, and it does affect a lefty different from a righty!
For a RIGHT handed shooter, if the wind is coming from the left to the right, the release is likely to trip more slowly and it makes it tougher to get a strong shot. The wind tends to "collapse" you, and you counter by pushing too hard and forgetting to PULL.
If the wind is coming from right to left, then the shot runs a little "hotter" and breaks easier, so you still need a strong shot, but knowing it may trip a touch easier, you can tend to let the wind move you more easily and open you up, thus tripping the shot and magnifying the wind effect because you allow the wind to "work the shot".

field14 (Tom D.)

field14 (Tom D.)


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

fanio said:


> No you're doing nothing of the sort. You're just in effect "aiming off" by canting because your dot is no longer over the top of the arrow.


 fanio, think about that ....if you cant your bow to the left, your arrow actually goes to the right of your line of sight. so if what you say is correct, you'd be "holding off" the wrong direction. now, if you cant to the left, it means the wind is coming from the left to the right, so if your arrow is to the right of the line of sight, it actually starts out, with the same drift direction the wind wants to take it. just the opposite of what "holding off" would be, but the reason it works, is because you are sending the into the wind, ( at the oncoming wind) so the wind blows it back on course as the arrow climbs on it's trajectory, essentially, "fighting the wind".


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## Mahly (Dec 18, 2002)

Aiming level, the arrow is on with the target left/right, and is angled high for elevation.
Tip the bow to the left, and now the arrow is aiming slightly left, and high.
The arrow goes left and low as you took some of your elevation and "gave" it to windage.
Same effect as aiming left and slightly low.
The true benefit of canting is preserving your sight picture.


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

exactly,....to a point,..... "canting" allows you to maintain a "center hold". any time you take that away, as with holding off with "Kentucky windage", you are guessing at where you are aiming and the POI becomes a crapshoot. the preserved sight picture is essentially a secondary benefit to canting the bow......it really does no productive good, to preserve that good sight picture of a center hold, if the shot produces the wrong POI, because of that preservation. hitting the 10 ring in the present conditions, is the bottom line and main agenda.


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## jmclfrsh (Dec 23, 2014)

Thank you for this information. Now it makes me want to make sure my bow is vertical (center bubble) in normal practice because I might be inadvertently doing this exact thing while shooting normally, and without wind it will still go left or right and not straight down the middle of the arc.


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

I am so mad at myself, I hit about a inch and a half to the left to day for two hours of shooting because there was a slight cross wind pushing my arrow over there every stinking time I shot and I totally forgot to cant into the wind and see if it worked. 

I personally don't like aiming off to the side of the spot on light crosswinds that are only sending the arrow off to the side a inch or so. I prefer to just aim dead on, no on major bad days I don't have a problem aiming off the spot .


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

it's not too bad if you can pick up a reference in one plane or another. such as the edge of the bulls eye or color as a windage reference and then just hold level with the center. it all depends on how windy it is. you'll always be better off being able to put the pin on something specific.


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