Suppressors Suppressor... how bad of a problem is mirage?

[Johnson184]

For those of you who have suppressors on your .308 rifles, how quickly does mirage come into play? Do you guys just let the barrel cool down more in between shots? I'm interested in taking a training class... and it seems 300 shots will be fired over the course of two days.

Living in Oklahoma, especially during the Summer, wouldn't the heat be instantly noticeable and start obscuring your sight?

 

[SgtKope]

Re: Suppressor... how bad of a problem is mirage?

If you are shooting strings of 10 or so as fast as you can open and close the bolt, yeah it is gonna take some time for it to cool down. I wouldn't say the mirage is unbearable though. It will depend on ambient temp, target size/distance, time between shots. If it becomes too bad take your can off.

 

[Bacarrat]

Re: Suppressor... how bad of a problem is mirage?

Get a TAB cover and be done with it.

 

[bm11]

Re: Suppressor... how bad of a problem is mirage?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bacarrat</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Get a TAB cover and be done with it. </div></div>x2, they work really well.

Mirage can definitely be an issue in long strings of fire. I noticed it well before 10 rounds this winter, when temperature was around 5 degrees Fahrenheit. A TAB cover really helps.

 

[Yasherka]

Re: Suppressor... how bad of a problem is mirage?

I use a TAB Gear shield on mine. Mirage will really be contingent on your rate of fire. In summer it shouldn't happen immediately, but it won't take long to appear. I shoot in a wide variety of conditions, from about 20 to over 100 degrees f. Even at below-freezing conditions your suppressor will heat rapidly.

The TAB shield will delay the onset of mirage a bit, but eventually you will have problems. I have the luxury of waiting for the suppressor to cool before continuing, but with you attending a class you may not. The only method I have seen that looks like it would work continuously is a battery-powered fan blowing across the suppressor. Someone here posted a video of his girlfriend shooting and I noticed the setup.

Barring all that, if you're going to a school I assume you are going there to learn to shoot better. You really don't need the suppressor for that, it's just a re-zero issue. Go and learn, once the basics are instilled you can put the suppressor back on, adjust your zero, and have at it.

 

[pharm762]

Re: Suppressor... how bad of a problem is mirage?

I can attest that the mirage on the suppressor can really blur the vision through the scope. My range is really bad and just having mirage and my girlfriend and I took out my suppressed GAP out to the range and after 2 10 round mags of slow fire the target was dancing all over the place and the CMore paper holes could barely be seen and that is at 200 yds with a 25x scope. I have a suppressor cover on the way.

 

[KaneK]

Re: Suppressor... how bad of a problem is mirage?

Like others have said, get the TAB & it helps big time!!! I don't really notice mirage unless firing very rapidly. You should be fine.

 

[shoepop]

Re: Suppressor... how bad of a problem is mirage?

With the crowd, TAB here if it gets to bad.

 

[RayDog]

Re: Suppressor... how bad of a problem is mirage?

TAB cover and shoot as much as you want....that's what I do

 

[JSTARSZ]

Re: Suppressor... how bad of a problem is mirage?

When I first started with suppressors that was the first thing I noticed was this ugly blurry thing that obscured my target - Suppressor mirage. It happened after a string of 5 shots and I would have to wait in order to see the target again. I did end up getting TAB covers and it has helped immensely.