f class at 600 yards and can’t see the target just a blob

[Fairchaser]

Did you use that extra ring that come with GE that reduces the objective? That helps some with the mirage.

 

[kawsam62s]

Did you use that extra ring that come with GE that reduces the objective? That helps some with the mirage.

Yes

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Been there, seen that. As we are in the hottest part of the year and usually humid, I had that experience last week. I took Keith Glascock's You Tube advice and found somewhere to aim at that I could see, in this case, the bottom right corner of the target frame. Score not the best, but could have been worse.

 

[kawsam62s]

Been there, seen that. As we are in the hottest part of the year and usually humid, I had that experience last week. I took Keith Glascock's You Tube advice and found somewhere to aim at that I could see, in this case, the bottom right corner of the target frame. Score not the best, but could have been worse.

Some other people have suggested that Let’s say you’re going into your last string and you made the decision aiming at the corner of the target board, you have 2 sighters how in practice could you make that drastic a change ?

 

[ExPiney]

What would an ideal scope make/model be for these conditions? Just out of curiosity.

 

[Warren Dean]

Some other people have suggested that Let’s say you’re going into your last string and you made the decision aiming at the corner of the target board, you have 2 sighters how in practice could you make that drastic a change ?

Know the MOA values to the center of the target you are shooting on. Adaptability is the key.

 

[kawsam62s]

Know the MOA values to the center of the target you are shooting on. Adaptability is the key.

So measure the target board convert to Moas left to right and top to bottom?

 

[Warren Dean]

So measure the target board convert to Moas left to right and top to bottom?

Yep.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Some other people have suggested that Let’s say you’re going into your last string and you made the decision aiming at the corner of the target board, you have 2 sighters how in practice could you make that drastic a change ?

We have that problem on the first string! As we shoot to UK rules - so 2 sighters and 10 for record.. Luckily, I also use a FFP scope on my FTR rifle, so measured it. First shot was on paper and the Shotmarker gave me the coordinates from there. I was still a difficult day - and dropped a few despite a constant wind.

Im a fan of the US target, as an ex pistol shooter I prefer scores from a 10 ring rather than the UK 6. and the unlimited sighters on the first relay. At a club day we normally shoot 1 relay at two distances, say 500 and 600.

 

[boiler_house7]

Put a restrictor on the objective in them horrible conditions. It’ll calm it down a bunch. Just a bit darker on field of view. March scopes come with em. Like night and day difference When all souped up. Calms the bounce as well. If you can get a extra lense cap. Just have someone bore it out. Bill

 

[Papa Charlie]

I have the GE on my FTR rifle and shoot 500 yards, never had mirage that had the effect you're describing.
Did you use the sun shade extender and the optics reducer. I find that using both of them is the best setup and use them constantly. I can't remember the last time that I reduced the power, and then it was from 60 down to 50.

 

[kawsam62s]

I have the GE on my FTR rifle and shoot 500 yards, never had mirage that had the effect you're describing.
Did you use the sun shade extender and the optics reducer. I find that using both of them is the best setup and use them constantly. I can't remember the last time that I reduced the power, and then it was from 60 down to 50.

hi
yes i do use both

 

[jackieschmidt]

I have been at Matches where they had to hang the targets from the previous relay so shooters could see where their bullets were going.

At last yearsTack Driver, which is only 300 meters, when the sun finally came out Sunday Morning, I could not see rings or bullet holes on the 200 yard IBS Score Target they use.
And that was with a 15x55 Nightforce, arguably one of the better scopes on the market.

There are scopes that are a little better. Bart was using that big Valdada that was.

I have to decide if for next year I am going to spend the $3800 for one.

 

[kzin]

Wait!
There is solid agreement that upgrading from a 2k$ Vortex Golden Eagle may significantly help?
I'm too poor for this sh-t.

 

[rardoin]

I, and my fellow competitors, suffered the same effect a couple years back shooting 1000yds at Cool Acres in Georgia. It was a cold, clear day and the targets were in the shade. The rings and numbers just disappeared...very little shimmering of the meatball. I had no references for hold off or vertical. The shooters with stadia lined reticles adjusted magnification to bracket the target frame and used the graduations for holds. It was not mirage but a weird effect from haze caused by humidity. Once the sun angle changed the issue went away. I bought a scope with stadia lines on the reticle shortly thereafter .

 

[stymie12000]

I've encountered the conditions you described. At a match last summer at Camp Atterbury everyone was experiencing thick mirage. The black target was just a blob for me. Also at my local range I experience heavy mirage often. Its a row cut through a wooded wet low land. So when the sun bears down mirage boils.

I have been shooting with a Vortex GE. I'm suspect that the GE doesn't handle mirage well. So I recently picked up a 5-50X56 March scope just for this reason.

With the limited time I've had behind the March, I can say side by side the March handles the mirage MUCH better. The GE has great glass, in perfect conditions I think its a hint better in clarity and color over the March. However once any mirage comes into play the GE gets blurry and clarity gets fuzzy, almost like parallax came out of adjustment. Where the March clarity stays the same (you can still see the mirage but what you focus on stays clear).

I'm keeping the GE as I feel it's a good scope but I think there are better scopes out there for the thick mirage days.

 

[Papa Charlie]

I, and my fellow competitors, suffered the same effect a couple years back shooting 1000yds at Cool Acres in Georgia. It was a cold, clear day and the targets were in the shade. The rings and numbers just disappeared...very little shimmering of the meatball. I had no references for hold off or vertical. The shooters with stadia lined reticles adjusted magnification to bracket the target frame and used the graduations for holds. It was not mirage but a weird effect from haze caused by humidity. Once the sun angle changed the issue went away. I bought a scope with stadia lines on the reticle shortly thereafter .

Very interesting, I have shot in freezing weather here in the PNW and have never experienced this. It must be a bunch of different environmental affects that cause it, which would include the ranges orientation to the sun (North, South, East West) and what protection from the sun may or may not be there.
Good to keep in mind that every range is not the same and while our equipment may be the same or very similar, there are many other impacts that can create strange affects.

 

[rardoin]

@Papa Charlie .... I think there was a haze just above ground level that caused the issue I experienced. Once the sun angle allowed rays to penetrate to the range floor the effect disappeared....then mirage started..LOL. I've not experienced it since.

 

[Falfan2017]

What would an ideal scope make/model be for these conditions? Just out of curiosity.

I find the March high master 40-60, the sightron sved and the valdada terminator to be some of the best at cutting mirage.

 

[PracticalTactical]

Shooting in mirage is a lot like spear fishing. The fish is not where it appears. Without a point of reference, you have to guess where it actually is to make the hit.

If you are using electronic targets or targets that do not move, you can use a rifle scope as a spotting scope in heavy mirage.

As long as you have it mounted on a tripod so it does not move, you can use the reticle as a reference point for where the bull actually is relative to your point of aim and point of impact. I have a one piece tripod with a joystick style Manfrotto head on it that I use for this purpose.

If you have a scope cam, you can mount that on the rifle scope and keep an eye on it with your left eye while aiming with your right. This way you don't have to get right into the spotter optic to see where mirage has shifted in that moment.

This is not an effective method when they pull the targets because we can never be sure its going back up in the same place, but since electronic targets don't move, at least you'll have a reference point of aim.

It's also a lot like cheating in 100 yard bench rest.