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Mirage and target shooting

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Poll Question: Is it a good or bad thing for experienced shooters?
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cyborg View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cyborg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Mirage and target shooting
    Posted: June/11/2009 at 00:56
A member of the forum asked about high power fixed being a bad thing for days when the heat causes mirage. It was suggested by another member that mirage is wanted by experienced target shooters. I personally can't see where it is at all beneficial. Please give your opinions and reasons.

Edited by cyborg - June/11/2009 at 00:59
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike McDonald Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/11/2009 at 07:08

You're always looking for wind indicators while shooting, whether at the range or in the field.

A good range will have wind flags but most won't.
That leaves us with other indicators if available, tree tops, bushes, tall grass.  These are available most instances but may not be in the line if sight through the optic.  Mirage on the other hand is a good condition and velocity indicator and is readily available and viewed through the scope.
It is an indicator (up to a certain wind velocity) of speed, direction, switching wind, updraft, downdraft, and dead air (boil). 
 
With poor/marginal glass the shooter is miserable.  With a good scope the shooter begs for mirage.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Clifford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/11/2009 at 07:47

mirage and the image distortion it causes is always there regardless of the power of the scope, having never used wind flags it would be a treat to have that as measure. Alot of the shooting I do doesn't even have organic material is read off. Mirage is like a river that can be looked at side ways with a good high mag variable , focus at high power on the target set the ao then dial the mag back thru the mirage, this can tell you the width, and velocity of the river, how close it is to the target or the shooter, etc.

the wind is always blowing--- mirage is its footprint.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Clifford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/11/2009 at 07:51
would also add that mirage and shake have alot in common with high power scopes, in that by using a lower power scope the shooter is fooled into thinking they aren't there anymore.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mike650 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/11/2009 at 07:53
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 8shots Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/11/2009 at 07:56
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steelbenz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/11/2009 at 08:15
Mike and Dale nailed it, to me, it's somewhat of a pain but you use it to your advantage.
on most ranges I've shot at it doesn't matter if your using a scope or service rifle sights your reading the mirage for wind anyway. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cyborg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/11/2009 at 13:06
Thanks Dale, and Mike.......Inquiring minds want to know. Excellent
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BeltFed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/11/2009 at 14:33
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote helo18 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/11/2009 at 20:43
I don't usually shoot with a fixed power scope.  But I do shoot with at about 16x on my 300 Win Mag when shooting long range.  When shooting out in the fields where there are no trees, and no grass in the fall, I enjoy some mirage to give at least a guess as to what the wind is doing.  Learning to read it accurately is still an on going process.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billyburl2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/11/2009 at 21:19

What an outstanding topic!!!

If it is tourist season, why can't we shoot them?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Oldtrader3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/12/2009 at 17:50
The wandering nature of mirage due to wind current changes is the troublesome part for me.  Most ranges do not have adequate flags for wind doping.  This is also an issue IMHO.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/12/2009 at 22:42
15 minutes to assess and dope the field of fire, no foulers/sighters and once 15 minutes is up, 20 minutes to fire 20 rounds at ranges from 600 - 1000 yards.  X is 1, anything else is 0.  No wind flags, no calculators/PDA"s, pencil/pen and notebook/data book allowed.  
Try it, you'll like it.  You WILL learn to read wind/mirage.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Oldtrader3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/12/2009 at 23:55
Your right, I would.  I have not shot at any targets at 600-1500 meters since being in the Army 45 years ago.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Duce Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/15/2009 at 16:55
I have seen mirage here in kansas in July and August with iron sights, sometimes hard to see the target for the . heat waves. One of the things on doping wind some of the time you can watch the water or wheat , grass etc and you can see puffs of wind coming and calm areas moving toward your area, those calm few seconds are nice to shoot in when you don't have to correct for winds. Spend a little time on a sail boat and you get a good education in reading winds in a couple of days.
Duce  Smile 
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