Reading mirage

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Mozzie
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Location: Cairns

Reading mirage

#1 Postby Mozzie » Mon Jan 20, 2020 8:02 pm

Everybody has an opinion, theory and helpful advise.
I’ve read a lot about it, can reasonably explain it (sort of) but sure as hell it confuses me.
I can see it, input a bit of data into the few remaining brain cells I have, and then a best guess as to what I think the impact point will be affected by it. Sure that’s the easy part.
But it’s a bit like reading wind, from where is the best place to read it, the flags at the mound, half way down the range, at the butts, or all of the above, also taking into consideration what you feel on the back of your neck, the trees blowing on the right, the grass whispering in the adjacent field, the cigarette smoke wafting from your fellow shooter, and lastly not forgetting the dust kicked up at the impact point behind the target.
Overload, overload overload.(just shutting down now to reboot).
KISS is a great idea. ( if you don’t know, try google)
Mirage, that’s the secret, but where is the best place to read it from ? sure every where is great in theory, I’ve been looking at the people doing wind readings and the tracking maps they generate when calling the wind changes in team shooting, wow, lots of squiggles and notations, but not really relevant unless you have a wind coach calling the shots for you.
So where is the best place to take a mirage reading, the target, half way down the range, which place if you had to pick just 1, would give you the best indication of mirage /wind and a good place to start from.
Any advise, help or theory will be greatly received, I’m not asking for trade secrets, as we all know wind and mirage reading skills is a never ending process of learning and putting into practice.
Cheers
Mozzie
My truck doesn’t run on love, it runs on diesel.
However, I love my rifle and it runs on lead. #-o

scott/r
Posts: 885
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2014 8:22 pm
Location: far north brisbane

Re: Reading mirage

#2 Postby scott/r » Mon Jan 20, 2020 8:25 pm

As a t/r shooter, I've always, by instruction from a multiple queens winner, focused my spotting scope about 100 yrds infront of the targets. At that point you can still see the spotter clear enough, and it brings the mirage up quite well. I normally set my spotting scope at about 30x over all ranges so it gives me a constant to work with. The 30x isn't something advised to me, it's just something that makes sense to me, so hopefully I'm not giving you a bum steer with it.
Scott.

Mozzie
Posts: 127
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2018 5:47 pm
Location: Cairns

Re: Reading mirage

#3 Postby Mozzie » Mon Jan 20, 2020 9:25 pm

Scott
Thank you for the reply, silly question probably, but , does that mean that I only have to buy a 30 x powered scope if I was to buy one, as a lot are 60 x - 80 x power. So with 30x only to see and read mirage will it be ok at 800- 1000 yards ?
My truck doesn’t run on love, it runs on diesel.
However, I love my rifle and it runs on lead. #-o

Rich4
Posts: 534
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2019 2:33 pm
Location: Chinchilla

Re: Reading mirage

#4 Postby Rich4 » Mon Jan 20, 2020 9:37 pm

Excellent question Mozzie, I’ve been trying figure out if I even need a spotting scope with the proliferation of ets, also do I need one when I can refocus my scope? However I don’t like mucking with the focus once it’s right. All this thinking normally results in :shock: followed by #-o

scott/r
Posts: 885
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2014 8:22 pm
Location: far north brisbane

Re: Reading mirage

#5 Postby scott/r » Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:16 am

Mozzie, most spotting scopes are 20-60×80 so you still have the option of using what ever power you wish. I've found 30x is plenty for 1000yrds personally. But saying that, I'm not looking for super centers like you guys. Although it's nice getting them.
Scott.

ShaneG
Posts: 574
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:25 pm
Location: Cairns

Re: Reading mirage

#6 Postby ShaneG » Tue Jan 21, 2020 12:59 pm

Mozzie
My main consideration with spotting scopes is eye relief.
Most are too short for use with glasses and have very short eye relief.

Many are also available with interchangeable eyepieces
Thus it is possible to maybe get longer eye relief and larger FOV or wide angle which is a benefit
I would say 30X is pretty well right and read mirage from target back as far as the FOV will allow?

Barry Davies
Posts: 1383
Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2010 12:11 pm

Re: Reading mirage

#7 Postby Barry Davies » Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:23 pm

A 15X scope is more that adequate for mirage.
Gives you longer eye relief and if set up properly ( 45deg eyepiece ) can be viewed with face still on the cheek
piece.
A 15 x eyepiece allows you to see mirage across the whole length of the range, not restricted to one or two hundred yards of the range.
Is less subject to distortion caused by mirage.
No problem to see spotters on conventional targets and 15x allows you to view several targets either side.
From my experience 20x would be maximum.
Barry

scott/r
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Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2014 8:22 pm
Location: far north brisbane

Re: Reading mirage

#8 Postby scott/r » Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:09 pm

Barry Davies wrote:A 15X scope is more that adequate for mirage.
Gives you longer eye relief and if set up properly ( 45deg eyepiece ) can be viewed with face still on the cheek
piece.
A 15 x eyepiece allows you to see mirage across the whole length of the range, not restricted to one or two hundred yards of the range.
Is less subject to distortion caused by mirage.
No problem to see spotters on conventional targets and 15x allows you to view several targets either side.
From my experience 20x would be maximum.
Barry


Barry, I would have thought that 15-20x would be to low a power where you may not see some of the lighter mirage, but being able to see more of the range sounds like something that I would like to try.
Scott.

wsftr
Posts: 202
Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2018 12:58 pm

Re: Reading mirage

#9 Postby wsftr » Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:58 pm

I can't answer your questions with any authority but here are some of my learnings.

KISS... When watching mirage keep a very close eye on the flags too...if you shoot totally off mirage and it disappears...you are screwed.
KISS... if mirage flows in the opposite direction to the flags...stop shooting.
KISS... If mirage changes speed and you can't see it in the flags you can choose to send it or not
KISS... Sometimes mirage helps and other times it confuses the hell out of you and its hard to make decisions...go back to basics, read the flags and send it.
some ranges have peculiarities like gaps in trees etc...it could pay to see what the mirage is doing there...otherwise halfway down the range or so is good
Best of luck.

Mozzie
Posts: 127
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2018 5:47 pm
Location: Cairns

Re: Reading mirage

#10 Postby Mozzie » Tue Jan 21, 2020 7:28 pm

This is starting to look good.
Power levels, eye relief, what distance to look, 45 degree view eye piece, field of view
Then add some kiss real time experience to help and learn.
I'm excited, my brain has'nt been this active in years,
Please , please, keep it coming.
My truck doesn’t run on love, it runs on diesel.
However, I love my rifle and it runs on lead. #-o

Barry Davies
Posts: 1383
Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2010 12:11 pm

Re: Reading mirage

#11 Postby Barry Davies » Tue Jan 21, 2020 7:39 pm

Hi Scott,
The problem with too high a scope power ( above 20x ) is that all you do see is mirage. Where exactly you pick it up in relation to the target is anyones' guess.
Mirage in itself does not contribute much error --about 1moa in the worst of conditions. Wind is still the killer.
If there is mirage there and it's moving then something is causing that --wind.
If you are using a scope that only picks up mirage at a specific position between you and the target, then you have no idea what is going on at other points.
Flags tell you two things --Strength and a specific direction. Mirage will only indicate right or left ( and sometimes up )
It also indicates strength to some degree but when the wind is strong its difficult to pick changes in strength solely on mirage.
Don't get too bogged down on mirage. If it is a light wind, say up to 3 or 4 moa and consistent over the length of the range, then mirage is the way to go, otherwise flags are tops.
You can easily pick up a 1/4 moa change in light mirage using a 15x scope and you can view the entire length of the range ( and targets )without screwing all out of focus trying to pick up mirage at some specified distance before the targets.

Barry

GSells
Posts: 798
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 11:04 pm
Location: Qld

Re: Reading mirage

#12 Postby GSells » Wed Jan 22, 2020 7:12 pm

Mozzie wrote:Everybody has an opinion, theory and helpful advise.
I’ve read a lot about it, can reasonably explain it (sort of) but sure as hell it confuses me.
I can see it, input a bit of data into the few remaining brain cells I have, and then a best guess as to what I think the impact point will be affected by it. Sure that’s the easy part.
But it’s a bit like reading wind, from where is the best place to read it, the flags at the mound, half way down the range, at the butts, or all of the above, also taking into consideration what you feel on the back of your neck, the trees blowing on the right, the grass whispering in the adjacent field, the cigarette smoke wafting from your fellow shooter, and lastly not forgetting the dust kicked up at the impact point behind the target.
Overload, overload overload.(just shutting down now to reboot).
KISS is a great idea. ( if you don’t know, try google)
Mirage, that’s the secret, but where is the best place to read it from ? sure every where is great in theory, I’ve been looking at the people doing wind readings and the tracking maps they generate when calling the wind changes in team shooting, wow, lots of squiggles and notations, but not really relevant unless you have a wind coach calling the shots for you.
So where is the best place to take a mirage reading, the target, half way down the range, which place if you had to pick just 1, would give you the best indication of mirage /wind and a good place to start from.
Any advise, help or theory will be greatly received, I’m not asking for trade secrets, as we all know wind and mirage reading skills is a never ending process of learning and putting into practice.
Cheers
Mozzie


Best place is from a spotting scope , back focused a little . And also your rifle scope . But does take some time to coordinate the whole set up , which I’m still trying to master and may never perfect.

GSells
Posts: 798
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 11:04 pm
Location: Qld

Re: Reading mirage

#13 Postby GSells » Wed Jan 22, 2020 7:56 pm

I will say there are times to use a spotting scope and times that it’s better left back with your gear and that just comes with trial and error . :shock:

DannyS
Posts: 1032
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 10:33 pm
Location: Hamilton
Contact:

Re: Reading mirage

#14 Postby DannyS » Thu Jan 23, 2020 7:26 am

Also a good argument for a good variable rifle scope, I was shooting on 7 power at 600 yards at a recent Prize Meeting.

Cheers
Danny
You might as well be yourself, everyone else is already taken.

Mozzie
Posts: 127
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2018 5:47 pm
Location: Cairns

Re: Reading mirage

#15 Postby Mozzie » Thu Jan 23, 2020 3:05 pm

Yeah I agree about variable power scopes. I just find once I'm settled behind the rifle, (Power levels and paralax adjusted) comfortable with a non pounding heart rate, everything just gets out of wack when adjusting again.Then around the circle I go again, so achieving seeing the mirage using the scope has the set back of me taking my shot not being in the best position to absorb recoil, uncomfortable and lollying about like a walrus on a slippery rock, so having seen a number of very good shooters using spotting scopes within the Cairns/Tablelands area I thought I would investigate the pros and cons of using a spotting scope as these guys are just consistently very good at what they do !!!
But I'm learning that there is more traps than being a mouse in an elephant stampede in choosing a scope and setting it up.
Please keep the info comming.
My truck doesn’t run on love, it runs on diesel.
However, I love my rifle and it runs on lead. #-o


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