Originally Posted By: Winny FanAll bullets are affected by wind drift. No calibers are exempt.
The following is a wind drift formulas used by the military and for military sniper training. What it simply says is that the longer the bullet is in flight, the more wind drift will occur at a known wind speed. With their very high muzzle velocity in comparison to larger, slower calibers, there is no doubt that a light bullet will drift less at reasonable and useable ranges for the lighter caliber bullet.
D = W(T-T1)
D is the deflection
W is wind in FPS (1mph = 1.4667 fps)
T is the time of flight
T1 is the time in flight if the bullet were fired in a vacuum
Granted the 17 caliber rifles are not normally 500-600 yard shooters like some other cartridges and caliber combinations are because they shed velocity faster due to lower BC bullets. But for reasonable ranges for a 17 caliber cartridge, the bullet will deflect less in the wind than a slower bullet will. Feel free to nit pick this so your favorite caliber or cartridge looks better to the internet world in general, but wind drift is directly related to time of bullet flight, irregardless of caliber. For me a reasonable range for a cartridge bullet combination is how far you can accurately predict bullet drop (a totally different variable) and still put the bullet where you want it to go in a vertical place of reference.
One problem related to me by small caliber shooters is that the smaller calibers leave less of a trace of bullet impact when fired at unknown ranges, and that fact alone makes for harder to determine corrections for the next shot. And the very common inability to judge wind drift accurately for the first shot makes light bullets appear to deflect more than they actually do unless the shooter understands wind drift fully, and he knows how his chosen bullet performs in the wind from real life experience and practice.
With someone who has not shot the bullets frequently in known conditions, unlike RePete and K-22 who have, they will tend to over correct for wind deflection with lighter bullets because of a perceived in their mind greater deflection that does not occur simply because of light bullet weight coupled with high velocity.
Please note that what I have said is based on my own personal experience and the real life experience of others and did not come from reading an internet forum with numerous opinions and biases attached to threads written. Mathematical formulas are, for the most part, totally unbiased. People aren't, especially when it comes to their favorite cartridge or rifle when compared to another rifle or cartridge which they dislike for any number of reasons.
In conclusion, the faster a bullet leaves the muzzle, the less wind drift you will have at reasonable distances for that bullet when compared to a slower bullet at the same distance. If you try to use the small caliber bullet at ranges beyond its purpose, other bullets will overtake it down range because of better ballistic characteristics that make them better longer range choices.
Very well written.
Recently I shot a Bobcat at approximately 225yds., may have been more, but certainly was not less, anyway I had a 10 to 15mph crosswind blowing left to right. I placed the crosshairs just left of center on the Bobcat about 2" which would allow for winddrift. When I pulled the trigger the Bobcat immediately flipped over backwards......DRT. When I got up to it the bullet hit 2" left of center. I should never have held off of center and was lucky to harvest the Cat.
Quote:Id recognise "John Henry's" writing anywhere! lol
Hard to miss his wonderful wit.
