Shooting at night

[STS]

Does the mirage go away as soon as it gets dark or does it take some time for the ground to cool down?

We used to shoot matches at night when I lived in Kansas City and unfortunately the mirage does not go away at night. The good news is that it’s very readable. In fact some of the most difficult conditions to read were the subtle shifts in air currents that a flag wouldn’t show you. The only way to detect those currents was the mirage.

 

[Ray123]

Never did any night shooting...there is alot of public lands, around here and a few private rifle clubs, but none hold night shooting events. Public land would be dicey as so many poachers, and artificial light gets a game cop on your trail, as rifle shots carry for a long ways, and poacher calls come in..."just target shooting at night officer", would be a hard sell. There is no night hunting allowed, except for raccoons, bobcat, & possum, no light cast from a vehicle allowed. No lazer range finders, or electronic devices on your person or in the scope...forget all night vision products, none allowed on your person for hunting anything. The only legal electronic devices are a battery lighted scope recticle and a trail cam. So I don't plan on doing any night shooting, in the future either, as there are someyimes guys with guns out there waiting for you to fire a shot in the dark, with the power to take everything you own to get out there, truck, gun, hunting privileges, fines, jail, etc. And try to convince them you're not guilty, of violating any laws even the ones you don't know about.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Never did any night shooting...there is alot of public lands, around here and a few private rifle clubs, but none hold night shooting events. Public land would be dicey as so many poachers, and artificial light gets a game cop on your trail, as rifle shots carry for a long ways, and poacher calls come in..."just target shooting at night officer", would be a hard sell. There is no night hunting allowed, except for raccoons, bobcat, & possum, no light cast from a vehicle allowed. No lazer range finders, or electronic devices on your person or in the scope...forget all night vision products, none allowed on your person for hunting anything. The only legal electronic devices are a battery lighted scope recticle and a trail cam. So I don't plan on doing any night shooting, in the future either, as there are someyimes guys with guns out there waiting for you to fire a shot in the dark, with the power to take everything you own to get out there, truck, gun, hunting privileges, fines, jail, etc. And try to convince them you're not guilty, of violating any laws even the ones you don't know about.

I think if i was at a shooting range, shooting a target from a bench, all this is moot. My club shoots trap and skeet every nite in the city limits. And around here and in texas for sure, the laws have changed for night hunting hogs and predators. Lots of thermal and night vision out there these days.

 

[Ray123]

I think if i was at a shooting range, shooting a target from a bench, all this is moot. My club shoots trap and skeet every nite in the city limits. And around here and in texas for sure, the laws have changed for night hunting hogs and predators. Lots of thermal and night vision out there these days.

Yeah, different locations different laws, different interests...neither my rifle club or the trap club has ever hosted night time events that I can remember...maybe no one ever suggested it or is interested in doing that, I'm not but don't care if others do. But we do have an annual machinegun shoot. And hunting anything with night vision or thermo optics will get you arrested, (even in the day time) it can not be on your person or attached to your rifle at anytime, if you "appear to be hunting, or scouting out game movements, for future hunts.
And you better have an unused, valid elk tag, to be out in an elk hunting area, during elk hunting season, with a rifle in your possession outside your truck...it's the law....and there are different times and 2 seasons, late and early, plus permits and antlerless areas to contend with. Can not hunt anything else or shoot in that area during that time, one week its legal to hunt coyotes next week, not or legal a few miles away. Have to know the units and their boundaries...but ya have 61 million acres to hunt on after elk season anywhere ya want, no signs, few people...in the day time without electronic gadgets...and don't mistake a moose for and elk, and don't shoot a wolf instead of a coyote and I understandwhy some of the wolves are "accidentally" killed.....the latest "don't do's" from the game commission.

 

[riverwolf1]

To get better tuning conditions I was thinking of shooting at night. Can a guy just put a spot light on the target and see it fine?
Thanks

There a guy in Kansas that has a night shoot every year. The lights they use are L.E.D. Work lights made by DeWalt and Milwaukee tool. There are a limited number of shooters, it’s called Charlene’s Meadow, and the range owner is Richard Brennsing I think! Here is a picture of the range setup at night.

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