Rifle Scopes Mirage management

[AZ.noob]

Here in Arizona it's only going to get worse in the coming months; the sun POUNDING down on the desert sand. Mirage sucks.

Aside from using a lower magnification, is there anything else I can do to manage and/or mitigate optical heat mirage?

 

[Guest]

Polarizing filters can help depending the target color, as does a restricted objective opening. Dialing down is the biggest help.

Trying to chase a bouncing target is a miss in the making, unless you wait for it to make the jump. Most every time my score would improve by using 6-8X at a grand when it was really bad. A higher than required scope setting is like over powering a drag strip. Some days you need more HP other days your the winner with less. Took me awhile to learn that one.

 

[AZ.noob]

Being a former 1320' competitor/mechanic/crew chief, your analogy makes perfect sense

Thanks for the tips & info!

 

[cb_tikka]

Try a mirage band.

 

[kraigWY]

Mirage if a friend to the long range shooter. Get a lower power scope for the shooting and a 20-25 X spotting scope for the mirage.

Mirage bands only work for the heat coming off the barrel, they don't do much good past the muzzle.

I'd take a spotting scope and a wind meter and spend some time looking at mirage and comparing it to what your wind meter tells you.

You can't get rid of mirage and I don't think you would want to.

Mirage is your friend.

 

[Sniper Uncle]

Mirage if a friend to the long range shooter. Get a lower power scope for the shooting and a 20-25 X spotting scope for the mirage.

Mirage bands only work for the heat coming off the barrel, they don't do much good past the muzzle.

I'd take a spotting scope and a wind meter and spend some time looking at mirage and comparing it to what your wind meter tells you.

You can't get rid of mirage and I don't think you would want to.

Mirage is your friend.

So, I gather from this post that I could profitably use my time after the mirage kicks up to "study" the mirage and make notes, etc, to learn to "read" the mirage. I was wondering about that. Maybe I should take some flags to the range next time I go, so that I can place a couple down range and spend some time studying wind and mirage.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Grasshopper308]

This helped me
Wind Estimation and Compensation - Rifle Shooting Technique - NSSF Shooting Sportscast - YouTube

 

[Grasshopper308]

So, I gather from this post that I could profitably use my time after the mirage kicks up to "study" the mirage and make notes, etc, to learn to "read" the mirage. I was wondering about that. Maybe I should take some flags to the range next time I go, so that I can place a couple down range and spend some time studying wind and mirage.

Thanks for the info.

I watched a couple of his vids and this one helped me with wind and reading the mirage.

Wind Estimation and Compensation - Rifle Shooting Technique - NSSF Shooting Sportscast - YouTube

 

[kis2]

I agree with the notion that mirage can help. I was shooting at the 600yd mark and the wind literally changed 180* while shooting, and the first tip was change in mirage.

I know the pain of shooting in a hot desert though and as suggested, lower power on the scope can help.