Mirage before firing a shot(?)

[Fredrik93]

I'm new to hunting and have purchased a used Leupold VX2 3-9x40. I'm having a weird issue where I experience the same effect as mirage but before firing a single shot.

Is it possible getting mirage before even shooting? I look through the scope and my taget starts "dancing" around to the point where it's impossible so see what I'm looking at.

Worth noting: It has always been below 0 degrees celsius when I've been on the range. So it's been cold. Can a room tempertured pipe/supressor create mirage when it's really cold outside? Can a strained eye create this effect?

Thanks in advance.

 

[KnowNothing256]

I'm new to hunting and have purchased a used Leupold VX2 3-9x40. I'm having a weird issue where I experience the same effect as mirage but before firing a single shot.

Is it possible getting mirage before even shooting? I look through the scope and my taget starts "dancing" around to the point where it's impossible so see what I'm looking at.

Worth noting: It has always been below 0 degrees celsius when I've been on the range. So it's been cold. Can a room tempertured pipe/supressor create mirage when it's really cold outside? Can a strained eye create this effect?

Thanks in advance.

I can’t speak to a strained eye, but yes, a room-temp setup could cause mirage in cold weather. As an experiment, leave the rig out in the cold for 10-15 mins then see how it looks. Also, mirage happens naturally in the cold too, you can see it over snow and other surfaces routinely.

How far away is the target?

 

[smoothy8500]

Sounds like actual mirage, seeing the air rising from the ground as the sun warms it.

 

[Fredrik93]

I can’t speak to a strained eye, but yes, a room-temp setup could cause mirage in cold weather. As an experiment, leave the rig out in the cold for 10-15 mins then see how it looks. Also, mirage happens naturally in the cold too, you can see it over snow and other surfaces routinely.

How far away is the target?

200 yards, using 9x magnification.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Sounds like actual mirage, seeing the air rising from the ground as the sun warms it.

This^^^^^^^^. Mirage can be present at any ambient temperature.

 

[GreenCanoe]

Is it possible getting mirage before even shooting? I look through the scope and my taget starts "dancing" around to the point where it's impossible so see what I'm looking at.

Absolutely! Mirage is merely a visual effect caused by varying air density - as the sun warms the ground it will absorb and re-radiate more heat than the air even a few feet high. In looking through your optics you will see mirage even with snow on the ground. Its a useful tool to help you read the wind at distance so it's not all bad, but if you're having a problem with it the simplest answer is to reduce your magnification. Long range shooters don't shoot at max magnification due in part to mirage (as well as an expanded FOV for watching a bullet trace) and the effects it has on their image quality. try that and see how it helps.

 

[SepticDeath]

Mirage is definitely more present the closer you are to the ground also as in prone vs bench shooting. Kind of strange to see in a 9 power optic but my eyes suck.