When the target comes up with your hit marked, remember the condition you fired that shot. Keep shooting in that condition if possible. Reload, make any sight corrections and fire your next shot. Repeat. Zone 2 goes from 200-500 yards [where the next wind flag is]. This zone is very important, but not as critical as zone 1. This 500 yd. flag is used in combination with the 200 yd. flag. Hopefully they are both pointing in the same direction but you can allow some minor variation in the second flag. [repeat...minor]. If it has drooped or changes direction you know something is changing. You can either wait it out for your condition to return or make your best sight correction and go for it. When your target comes back up, remember what both flags looked like and make an appropriate sight correction if necessary. You must, repeat must, remember what condition you fired in and what the result was. Take notes if necessary. Zone 3 begins at 500yds. and extends past the wind flag at 800 yards and ends at the target.Zone 3 is important but not to the degree of the other two. I use the 800 yard flag mainly to see those far off changes headed my way. In a perfect world, this flag will agree with the other two, but rarely does. Remember this. You basically have to "average" what all the flags, trees, grass, smoke, etc. are doing. I just don't give that flag as much attention as the other two. Oh yes! I most certainly pay attention to it, just not as much. A puff of wind at 800 yds. will deflect a bullet far less there than the same puff wind at 200 yds. Hopefully some of this will be of use to you. There are probably better ways to read the wind but it seems to work for me. Most importantly, get out and see what works for you! My way might not be your way! Here is one last piece of advice...don't pay any attention to the guys on either side of you. They may know less about calling the wind than you do!   Cheers    Paul

David

glad you brought this up....If my memory serves me correctly, you were going to send me somthing after our conversation from the world match.  I was supposed to remind you. 

thanks

art fleener
ames iowa

Right you are David! I too, make a diagram of every shot. With unlimited sighters and 15 shots for score in 45 minutes, it is easy to lose track of where your shots went. After the match you have the luxury to "analyze" what went right [and wrong] by examining your shot diagram for each relay and learning from your mistakes. New L.R. shooters are generally clueless about how to read the wind. I know I was. Believe it or not, some  competitors really hate to share their hard won "secrets" about wind reading, load info, technique, etc. They feel that since they had to learn it all "the hard way", the new guys should too. The worst way to discourage a new shooter from ever coming back is to not help them at all. The absolute best thing you can do is to is to take a new guy under your wing.  Show him the ropes, tell him what you know, praise him when he does well, and encourage him if he does poorly.  Be a mentor. You'll be a better person for it!    cheers   Paul