Reading Mirage Verses Wind at the Benchrest?
I do a lot of benchrest shooting at the local gun club when the weather warms up in the spring and through the summer, as my old bones can't tolerate the winter cold up here in the northwest. I don't shoot competition anymore, just one on one, me and the rifle and thank the 2nd Amendment and Medicare I`am still winning. That's enough bull and now the Question?
I know how to utilize the wind flags but I don't have any idea how to read the mirage as seen through my Leupold 24x and 36x scopes. Many searches on the web, including Benchrest and Rimfire Central, have provided excellent information as to what it is, the advantage of using it and how to make a mirage board but little info on how to use it.
So I made a mirage board???
I've talked with the local competition shooters about how to use the mirage board with little satisfaction other than it is something each individual has to master himself with through trial and error. The best marksman in the area stated he now uses the mirage board exclusively with little attention to the wind flags and he is not about to tell anyone how he dose it.
I'm curious to know what the experts have to say about Mirage.
I know how to utilize the wind flags but I don't have any idea how to read the mirage as seen through my Leupold 24x and 36x scopes. Many searches on the web, including Benchrest and Rimfire Central, have provided excellent information as to what it is, the advantage of using it and how to make a mirage board but little info on how to use it.
So I made a mirage board???
I've talked with the local competition shooters about how to use the mirage board with little satisfaction other than it is something each individual has to master himself with through trial and error. The best marksman in the area stated he now uses the mirage board exclusively with little attention to the wind flags and he is not about to tell anyone how he dose it.
I'm curious to know what the experts have to say about Mirage.
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mirage is nothing new. its taught in all serious shooting courses. in some cases, mirage can be so bad, the target you think youre shooting at is over 2 feet to to one side and youd missing it totally. flags are used in conjunction with mirage.
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you have to know how to read it. its very imporatnt to use both flags and mirage basics.
former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, former navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction. NRA certified instructor.0 -
Cannon ball,
I have to use both. I can fine tune using the mirage, but if there is a stiff breeze the mirage is too shaky, I have to go away from it and use flags only.
If you can, dial down your scope or look through a lesser power scope. If you see little wind on the flags then look to see which way the mirage is drifting...it will always be coming up. See if it is 'blooming'. Wait for those to end and shoot between them. Do some shooting and record in your mind where you saw it going (was it up at a 20* angle from top or was it 30*). Take a few shots to see what your eyes see and then where the bullet hits. Record those shots along with notes as to what the mirage was at the time of shooting.
One thing I did(do)is take my little Brunton atmospheric data center out with me and record wind and look at mirage. Sometimes it's the difference between 3mph wind to 7mph wind, barely moving to I can feel a breeze. But at 100 yds it's the difference between .2" and .4" groups if you don't see it. At 300 it's the defference of almost 2.5". Above 7mph if it's not steady, then it is hard(for me, anyways) to guestimate by mirage...I go to the wind and ADC.
We have the second amendment so that all the rest are secure....UNK>0 -
reading mirage comes from 1 thing,..shooting in it. You have to evaluate the direction, and speed of the mirage, then see where thr impact is. Experience is the only teacher here, that is why most BR record holders are a bit older thanthe new guys. They have learned to read it, and I am still learning.
why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?0 -
[8D]Steady sun, steady heat-you can adjust the AO FOR , WIND is strictly experience for adjust-are we talking .200 groups or .500-depends on YOUR goal,[}:)][}:)][:p][:D]
I'm only wearing Black untill they make something darker0 -
direct sunlight, no matter the ambient temp will always make for a LOT of mirage. Mirage, is a wind flag, but you must learn to tell what it is saying. As well, you can dial your focus back to say 400yds, and see the change in the mirage, and that can for instance tell you that an air current is curling off a point of trees at 400yds out, but at 600yds and before 400yds, the wind is the opposite direction. I have shot a 600yd match with wind flags going BOTH directions[:0] I like big long bullets going really fast, that makes up for some lack of ability to read mirage. The lesser case capacity calibers should be left to more experienced shooters who can read and correct for mirage. Just wait till you aim at the x-ring and impact the white outside on the left or right[:(!] man that can make for a rifle being launched down range[:D]
oh yeah, and ALWAYS remember this, any shooter who will not offer advice or who tells you he won't divulge his big "secret",...is an azzwhole. The benchrest sport is about shooting with other dedictaed shooters and sharing info and even equipment. Once a guy goes that route, he has lost his soul, and is doing the sport no good at all. Stay humble, all the best shooters in the world are.
why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?0 -
mirage is one reason dope books exist! it is always a good reference to have on record what happened on previous shots. the facts never lie.
former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, former navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction. NRA certified instructor.0 -
Thank Guys, I appreciate your help and advice.
Cannon Ball0 -
As a surveyor whose sole purpose in life was to see clearly for extremely long distances during a traverse in order to turn the right angles; I can tell you that mirage is tougher than some folk think.
Many times I have had to take the reins from a younger gunner and show him/her how to "see" the target correctly. Usually, they whine about too much wind, or the target's waving at me, or I can't get a clear sight picture, when I let them in on my secret; they learn a valuable lesson.
Just as you wouldn't try to stare at something at night in order to focus on it; you don't want to burn in your reticle on your retina while trying to dope mirage.
Sometimes coming out of focus a hair tad will do the trick, sometimes focusing past the target will allow a clearer view of the shifting edges and mystery shapes hovering around your intended target. It takes some experience to actually SEE what you're shooting at.
Now just add a howling wind, drop the temp to about 18 degrees, throw in some freeway traffic, and you've got an idea how a Geodetic Surveyor enjoys his day at work.
"Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit" --OVID0
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