Mirage, heat flippers

E

edgerat

New member
Anybody have any advice on how to detect this condition? We shot in the rain for most of the two-day this weekend and every once in a while the Sun would make its presence known and it would invariably cause a flipper out the top. If I was lucky it happened on a sighter but, I had one or two happen on a record target. There was no change in the flags, just curious if anyone has any tips on how to catch it. I suppose the best answer is, if you notice it getting brighter, go to a sighter.... :)
 
It eats me up at times, too. I typically use amber colored shooting glasses, but if it's one of those days where the sun comes and goes, sometimes I revert back to clear. The amber colored lenses make it harder to catch those light changes sometimes...just have to really pay attention. Otherwise, I like the lenses. Lots to keep up with in this game and when you get too focused in one area, another one will get ya.--Mike
 
I had the same problem yesterday at a Schuetzen Match. Fog in, shot went down, sun came out, shot went high. Sad we don't get sighters, but 2 nd is the best I've done in the past few years. This why practice is so important. Always try to practice in the same type conditions you shoot in.
 
Your flag stands and flags will show how define the shadows come and go on the ground or grass in these type of conditions.

Regards,
Joe
 
I shot at a centerfire score match a couple of weekends ago, that had conditions much like this. Mid-80's, 10% big fluffy clouds, rest was blue sky. We were shooting at 200 yards, and when the sun was out mirage was terrible. When it is very mirage-y I usually make sure to hold my crosshairs at the point when the bull is at its lowest point. When the mirage comes up the bull rises with it. If I were to follow it with the crosshairs the shot would go high. As long as I held on the bull when it was at it's lowest point in the "dance" the POI would be the same as when the clouds moved over the sun and the mirage disappeared. It was a rare day of conditions where there was ample opportunity to play with the mirage and experiment with the relationship between POA/POI.
 
Yes, that is what I hear Mel, hold off and shoot when the wind comes back up. The most wind I shot a record target in this weekend was just barely turning the prop on my flag at the target. Having a gun that you have supreme confidence in does wonders for your confidence. Of course, the ocean is wet as well.
 
clouds go away, air heats up and gets thinner, bullet has less resistance and runs high.

clouds come back, air cools down and gets thicker, bullet has more resistance and drops low.

sun and clouds are a condition just like wind direction and velocity

give me a mostly cloudy or mostly sunny day. the partly stuff can be a pain.
 
Thanks Jeff, that does make a lot of sense. I like a little bit of wind and either all Sun or, none at all :) As mel said, my gun can handle the wind, I just have to get my practice in. I have a range at my house and I don't get a lot of conditions to train in there. The local range where we shoot has some pretty tricky conditions to shoot in. It is much easier to just walk out to the back-yard to shoot as opposed to packing everything up and heading the whole 10mi to the range.
 
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