As a long-range shooter, you know all too well that wind is the top obstacle to making a perfect shot. However, if you use Ballistic, the #1 ballistic app, you can overcome the wind and its adverse effects on your bullet’s path.

Logan Brown in an experienced long-range competitive shooter and Pro Staff Shooter for Ballistic. What is his first requirement for overcoming the wind? Calculating wind speed and direction.

“Using your surroundings during a long-range shot is vital to collect information for wind direction and wind speed, as well as observing wind direction along the entire range,” said Brown. “Use grass movement, trees, or flags to determine wind direction or directions.”

Pay attention to your fellow shooters, too, and their shots.

“A Pro tip, watch for that splash of dust after someone has missed a shot,” Brown advised. “Observe wind direction at the target as well as how quickly the dust blows away. With practice, you will be able to calculate how fast the wind is blowing based on how quickly the dust dissipates.”

Brown noted that while it is possible to see crosswinds at relatively short ranges and to plug this information into Ballistic, the app really shines on long-range shots involving complex wind conditions.

“This is where Ballistic can do the heavy lifting for you,” Brown said. “You can input wind direction, wind speed and tell the app the distances where that wind is effecting the projectiles during flight. But you can also add multiple wind directions, speeds and angles within the app.”

With that data, Ballistic will show you the exact spot to aim for a successful shot.

One of the most common questions Brown gets about the wind: “Should I dial in the windage on my scope or use the reticle hash marks to hold over for the wind?”

“I have found that dialing wind is most effective for a single or solitary target such as F-Class events or while hunting,” Brown noted. “In a multiple target situation like a tactical style precision rifle match, I find it fastest and easiest to hold for wind. Holds save time and lower the complexity of dialing turrets between each target, especially as distances, directions of fire and the targets themselves keep changing.”

When it comes to making accurate, precise shots despite the wind, there’s nothing that prepares a shooter better than practice-on windy days, with Ballistic by your side. Misses and hits during practice translate into hits in the field while hunting and during competitions. And Ballistic is the key to making your hits a reality, no matter the wind situation.