Advanced Marksmanship Understanding mirage-how much will a 'tower' help?

[TexasClassIII]

I'm trying to understand mirage and ways to mitigate it better. Specifically in regards to getting 'above' it.

I tried searching but no luck. Please point me to the correct thread if there is one that addresses this specific issue.

My question is this:

How much does getting 6 ft or 12 ft above the ground on a shooting platform help mirage?

I am looking at building a platform for a 350 yd range and possibly later on a tower for a 900 yd range.

Does taking the shot from 6-12 feet over what is then flat ground for say 350 or 900 yd shots greatly decrease the mirage you have to deal with, or is the effect negligible?

Thanks,
Parker

 

[Lowlight]

Re: Understanding mirage-how much will a 'tower' help?

If the target is on the ground you're still gonna have an issue.

You might be able to get above it, the but the targets can't.

The best way to manage it is to reduce the magnification on the scope. Or shoot really early in the morning

 

[Graham]

Re: Understanding mirage-how much will a 'tower' help?

The best way to manage mirage is to change your shooting position.

 

[Lindy]

Re: Understanding mirage-how much will a 'tower' help?

Mirage can be helpful, if you learn to use it.

Shoot in mirage a lot, and you'll learn the effect it has on the apparent location of a target, as opposed to it's actual location, and you will learn to use it as an aid in calling the wind.

Texas is a good place for that. So is Colorado, where I spend the summer at 8600 feet. The effect of the sun in creating mirage when you're above a quarter of the atmosphere is awesome.

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Re: Understanding mirage-how much will a 'tower' help?

Gee, you're complaining about mirage? How to get rid of it? Dude, mirage is your friend, it gives you an opportunity to understand and counter the effects of what you can't see. Without being able to discern mirage, you'd need to rely on other things out there, that's to say, what the effects of wind look and feel like. These may not be as reliable; plus, without glass, you'll need to contemplate the wind clock too. Just turn down the power of your scope. Remember, you only need enough magnification to be able to understand a consistent reticle/target relationship. If you're clicking to distance and clicking favors, very little if any magnification is needed unless you have a very small target. BTW, with something like a 36 inch diameter bullseye target iron sights can suffice so don't think that high magnification is a benefit, it's mostly a distraction. And, right now it seems to be undermining you. It may as well be deceiving you into believing you actually know where the barrel is pointed from merely having a steady target/reticle relationship. BTW, the only times that mirage has been a problem with me has been on rare occasions when heat coming off my M14's barrel has caused the front sight to disappear. I hate it when that happens.