Re: Doping the wind via mirage in the scope?
I think mirage is a better indicator for wind velocity and direction than judging wind by its effects. Plus, reading wind with the spotting scope eliminates having to use the wind clock to assign a value to the wind, all winds become full value. I don't see the use of the rifle's scope to understand mirage as being useful if the shooter has a spotting scope at hand. I think it would be a distraction to use it to understand mirage while executing the firing tasks.
BTW, I focus the spotting scope on the target and then turn the focus wheel a 1/4 turn counter clockwise to see the mirage at mid range. The mid range wind reading I believe gives me a better average for the wind across the course than beginning with a reading at the shooter's firing point. In other words, I begin with an assumption of what wind is most important. My assumption is the wind at mid range is most important, giving me a more accurate understanding for overall wind effect from shooter to target than beginning with a reading at the shooter's firing point. Also, if wind at the shooter is actually a beginning point then that means taking time to appraise, by whatever method, wind at other points along the bullet path, and putting these estimates into some sort of calculation to get a number for the wind formula. Thing is, in the time the calculation can be made either the wind or target could have changed direction or displacement.
Some argue that they begin their wind reading at the firing point because it's the only wind they understand for sure. O.K., but, being sure of it does not mean it is likely an indicator of wind down range. If it's all you've got, it's what you use, but, if mid range wind can be appraised that's what I'm going with no matter what the wind is doing at my firing point. So far, the mid range reading strategy has gotten me great results.
