Mirage

[STS]

Your scenario is a good example of a set of complex conditions on a range where a shooter can get caught looking in the wrong place, but it doesn't explain how mirage can "lie" to you. When an observable condition lies to a shooter it will indicate that a bullet will go one direction when it actually goes in the opposite direction. That is the lie, it says one thing and produces another. Mirage, being a physical manifestation of different densities of air moving in one direction or another, can only do what the air movement forces it to do. It is physically impossible for mirage to run to the right when the air is moving to the left. There may well be more than one direction of air movement on the range at the same time as in you example, but it is a certainty that the mirage that those different currents cause will be running in the same direction as the air. It can't do anything else but that. Good discussion.

 

[Erud]

Your scenario is a good example of a set of complex conditions on a range where a shooter can get caught looking in the wrong place, but it doesn't explain how mirage can "lie" to you. When an observable condition lies to a shooter it will indicate that a bullet will go one direction when it actually goes in the opposite direction. That is the lie, it says one thing and produces another. Mirage, being a physical manifestation of different densities of air moving in one direction or another, can only do what the air movement forces it to do. It is physically impossible for mirage to run to the right when the air is moving to the left. There may well be more than one direction of air movement on the range at the same time as in you example, but it is a certainty that the mirage that those different currents cause will be running in the same direction as the air. It can't do anything else but that. Good discussion.

Of course that's true, but it is no different than wind flags in that regard. The flags will only move the direction the wind blows them, but they are not always in the right place for that information to be relevant to the shooter. Neither the mirage not the flags can actually "lie" to you per se, but either is perfectly capable of giving you information that is of no use to you, and possibly contrary to the info you might want. It is always a matter of looking in the right place, whichever indicator you are using.

 

[STS]

Your scenario is a good example of a set of complex conditions on a range where a shooter can get caught looking in the wrong place, but it doesn't explain how mirage can "lie" to you. When an observable condition lies to a shooter it will indicate that a bullet will go one direction when it actually goes in the opposite direction. That is the lie, it says one thing and produces another. Mirage, being a physical manifestation of different densities of air moving in one direction or another, can only do what the air movement forces it to do. It is physically impossible for mirage to run to the right when the air is moving to the left. There may well be more than one direction of air movement on the range at the same time as in you example, but it is a certainty that the mirage that those different currents cause will be running in the same direction as the air. It can't do anything else but that. Good discussion.

Of course that's true, but it is no different than wind flags in that regard. The flags will only move the direction the wind blows them, but they are not always in the right place for that information to be relevant to the shooter. Neither the mirage not the flags can actually "lie" to you per se, but either is perfectly capable of giving you information that is of no use to you, and possibly contrary to the info you might want. It is always a matter of looking in the right place, whichever indicator you are using.

I think we are mostly in agreement with one clarification. I have seen many occasions where all the flags on the range and the mirage are in complete agreement. Then..... along comes a switch and before the wind flags have a chance to indicate the direction change the mirage is clearly telling the story of the switch. It is exactly this situation that I was referring to in the OPs question when I advised to watch and believe the mirage primarily. It can't lie because there is no lag time by the very nature of what it is.