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Glare in scope from stainless barrel?

Intell

Silver $$ Contributor
I was shooting yesterday with a new 6 BRA build 28” stainless barrel out to 1000 yds.
I have a Khales 10-50 on it and noticed my image was so washed out I could barley see above 20x.
It was a beautiful day, bright sun and I was blaming that at 10 am.
As the day went on and the sun was higher in the sky, I was still getting a very bad image even with a sun shade on.
on the way home I was thinking I need a different scope, but last night I got to thinking that it’s possibly the bright stainless barrel that’s causing the glare. I had this issue with another scope it was a NIghtforce 8-32. I saw the same thing on a different rifle with both scopes mentioned, it was bright stainless also.
i don’t use a mirrage shield on my barrel, maybe I should be, or paint them black?
I hate to think this is a scope issue with the sun so high in the sky. I’m sure some of you guys have experienced this, what are your thoughts?
 
Yes it’s a bad image before the first shot is fired. I can deal with mirage and all the waves with barrel or suppressor heat, but this is different. It’s like there’s so much light in the scope that the image is gone, so much you can barely see target racks at distance. As I backed down toward 20x the light created a horizontal slit in the center that slowly opened and let you see. It’s kind of hard to explain,milky may be a good description, not typical mirage.
I’ve used barrel mirage pans before one a rimfire, I may order another or make one. I have a Trijicon 5-50 and a S&B on stainless barreled guns and i don’t seem to have the issue at the same shooting position, place and time.
 
Yes it’s a bad image before the first shot is fired. I can deal with mirage and all the waves with barrel or suppressor heat, but this is different. It’s like there’s so much light in the scope that the image is gone, so much you can barely see target racks at distance. As I backed down toward 20x the light created a horizontal slit in the center that slowly opened and let you see. It’s kind of hard to explain,milky may be a good description, not typical mirage.
I’ve used barrel mirage pans before one a rimfire, I may order another or make one. I have a Trijicon 5-50 and a S&B on stainless barreled guns and i don’t seem to have the issue at the same shooting position, place and time.
What brand is your scope?
 
Yes it’s a bad image before the first shot is fired. I can deal with mirage and all the waves with barrel or suppressor heat, but this is different. It’s like there’s so much light in the scope that the image is gone, so much you can barely see target racks at distance. As I backed down toward 20x the light created a horizontal slit in the center that slowly opened and let you see. It’s kind of hard to explain,milky may be a good description, not typical mirage.
I’ve used barrel mirage pans before one a rimfire, I may order another or make one. I have a Trijicon 5-50 and a S&B on stainless barreled guns and i don’t seem to have the issue at the same shooting position, place and time.
Sounds like your eyepiece focus might be messed up
 
That is a known problem with the Kahles scope, you can mitagate the issue with more sunshades and a dark mirage shield, but when the sun is at certain angles it will still happen. That's why I sold my Kahles.
 
That is a known problem with the Kahles scope, you can mitagate the issue with more sunshades and a dark mirage shield, but when the sun is at certain angles it will still happen. That's why I sold my Kahles. I was starting to think I was the only one who has had this problem this in a bad way.
The scope is otherwise great. I think I’ll try a March next, I’ve never tried one before.
I was beginning to think I was the only one who has seen the complete washout.
Most days it’s a great scope. This may give me a good reason to try out a March.
Thanks for the replies and Bolt Fluter reminded me I need to send a couple his way.
 
Dont meant to put down a Great scope like Kahles..However your eyes
may be happier with another brand...I know thats how I felt when I looked through one at distance.
We all see differently....
 
A mirage shield will cure this, even if it is glare from the shiny barrel which is unlikely from the angle you would get that, unless shooting into a setting sun, this will cure either, or simple to make your own if you can find an old venetian blind.
https://benchrite.com/barrel-mirage-shade/

Looking into the sun any scope will suffer, maybe a diffuser is called for in that circumstance.
 
Last edited:
Flat black spray paint will solve that problem.
This will probably only magnify the problem! Heat causes mirage and black sucks up heat and generates the most prominent heat waves that cause mirage. Try whit if anything is going to help, that is what you need.
 

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