Beating Mirage for target shooting

[Love Life]

I hate mirage. If it had a face, I would punch it. As you all know, shooting through the soup an be incredibly frustrating.

My usual targets are orange shot spotters on an index card or white piece of paper. My targets are backed with white poster board.

I have done some experimenting this week (week off of work!!) on ways to help beat mirage for target shooting.

What I have done is use colored construction paper to put my shot spotters on. Green, purple, and pink all work very well. While the mirage may be boiling around the target, off the lake bed, off the barrel, the target spot seems to stay much clearer. I will account this to the construction paper being less reflective than the white paper background.

Definitely not the gospel, but it has worked for me on several bright and warm days.

Next is trying different cloth materials for wind flags against the Kestrel wind readings...

[Digger]

Okay ,on this beautiful day this side of the sierras ,some of us are stuck at work ....:-(
nice day to shoot Love Life !!

[Love Life]

Shooting weather has been crappy for a month. High mirage and switchy winds blowing 10-20 MPH. Just brutal.

[M-Tecs]

Shooting weather has been crappy for a month. High mirage and switchy winds blowing 10-20 MPH. Just brutal.

That's a nice quiet day up in North Dakota.:bigsmyl2:

[Love Life]

Thank the Lord for wind flags!! You know it's bad when your wind flag gets blown over.

[country gent]

I used the mirage to read small wind changes shooting High power matches. Its more consistant than the flags on the ranges and reacts quicker. But the true boil can be a real pain. A breeze of 14-15 mph ussually knocks it down to no problem. Mirage can be your friend if you use it correctly. A piece of black eleastic will make a mirage band for the rifle barrel blocking heat waves from it also.

[Love Life]

That's why you should always pack a kite and a couple of spools of line in with the rest of your kit. That way the day won't be a total loss.

PB

That is good right there!!

[Char-Gar]

I used the mirage to read small wind changes shooting High power matches. Its more consistant than the flags on the ranges and reacts quicker. But the true boil can be a real pain. A breeze of 14-15 mph ussually knocks it down to no problem. Mirage can be your friend if you use it correctly. A piece of black eleastic will make a mirage band for the rifle barrel blocking heat waves from it also.

Absolutely correct. Back in the day, I did my fair share of competition 22 long rifle outdoor shooting at 50 and 100 yards and 50 and 100 meters. Mirage was our friend, as wind could play hob with the target velocity 22 LR at 100 yards and meters. We would watch the mirage through the spotting scope and when it looked right we would roll into position and take the shot. The use of a 20X scope, when used, took the place of spotting scope. Doping the wind is part of shooting and mirage if understood is a big help.

[Love Life]

Reading the mirage is important. However, the effects on the aim point is annoying. That is what I was after. I use mirage and wind flags to shoot.

[Artful]

Yep, poster/sign board in same color as the stick on shoot and see targets background
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/rowdyfisk/Maricopa%20Shoots/P1040281.jpg
Helps to get your target up in the air more if you can.
Survey tape is cheap and moves well for flags - use the wire coat hangers if you have no bushes to use.

some help if it's barrel mirage and not environmental
http://criterionbarrels.com/build-your-own-mirage-shield-for-less-than-a-buck
PVC blind over the barrel
http://criterionbarrels.com/image/data/Mirage%20Shield/rifle%20barrel%20mirage%20shield.jpg

Sinclair sells aluminum version
http://www.sinclairintl.com/shooting-accessories/benchrest-equipment/sinclair-barrel-mirage-shade-prod32718.aspx
patterned available as well
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2013/03/mirage-shields-not-just-for-benchresters-anymore/
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2012/08/mirage-shields-tame-barrel-heat-for-more-accurate-shooting/

and of course tunnel vision
http://www.nrablog.com/post/2013/08/13/Shooters-fight-the-heat-from-their-own-barrels-with-Mirage-Shields.aspx
http://www.nrablog.com/image.axd?picture=2013%2f8%2fmirage_shield_for_rif le_scope.jpg

[Love Life]

I need a varmint gun with a water jacket. The hose will go through a cooler of ice and circulate the water around the barrel for a constant temp. That would be an amazing varmint gun for dog towns.

[Artful]

Back in the day I took multiple guns and did rotation 4 shots out of each then switch.
22-250, 223, 243 then back to 22-250 kept things under control

[Love Life]

Totally not as cool as a water jacket.

[Artful]

Totally not as cool as a water jacket.

Did you ever maintain a watercooled gun?

[bannor]

While all this is nice for learning, when it's the real deal, the target won't hold still, there's no wind flags, and no test shots. So what you have to realize is, you need to get MUCH closer than you'd like, or forego taking the shot, or be willing to accept a miss. Our military is willing to miss a lot, it's no skin off of their nose, they have chopper evaq and help. But when it's just you, better wise up.

[dtknowles]

For myself the paper target is the real deal. Not interested in getting closer would rather move the target farther away but my range is limited to 100 yards. If I have to defend myself I don't expect the shot will be more than 25 yards.

Tim

[bannor]

if it's normal times, as a civilian, you won't fire beyond 5 yds, without having to spend 100k or more to stay out of prison and not be sued out of every dime you ever make. :-) And with a pistol, almost everybody misses the entire man with half of their shots, at a mere 5 yds. That's the lack of hearing protection and the pucker factor at work.

[bannor]

The rifle is for war-time, shtf sort of stuff, or sport hunting. Do your prairie dogging in the early morning, before it gets hot, or on cooler days. Those rodents will still be there, there's no rush to kill them all in 1-2 days. In fact, it won't matter a lick if you kill none or 10,000 of them.