I need to stop shooting at sunrise...

F

FrankenMauser

New member
When I shoot at my local range, I prefer to be there 30-45 minutes before sunrise. I like it that way because I'm usually the only person there for 3-4 hours, it's quiet, and there's usually no wind. And if I get set up quickly, I get some time to work with 'flat light'.

But the last few trips have just been frustrating.

The current season puts the sun almost directly behind my targets, when it finally shows itself on the horizon. (It's like that from about May through September ... not exactly something new to me.)
With the sun in line with the targets, it makes getting a good sight picture fairly difficult. Even when I put my 'custom' 11 inch sunshade and ear plug container eye shade on the scope (see below), it is still pretty hard on the eyes.


...Which makes targets like this that much more frustrating:
(At 100 yards, I shoot these "upside down" with the sighting square on the bottom, since most of my rifles are sighted in high at that distance.)
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I'm right there... So close, at least with the .35 Whelen and 6x45mm loads, but I feel like the only obstacle between these groups and "one ragged hole" is the blasted sun.
I know these aren't impressive targets, in the slightest. But, being the guy behind the trigger, I know they're better loads than the targets indicate.
I'm sure the .35 Whelen escapee was all me. And I'm fairly certain that most of the vertical stringing of the 6x45mm groups (top) is my fault, as well.

It's a simple solution: Don't shoot at sunrise.
But at any other time of the day, I have to deal with a bunch of people and even more wind (variable direction, 15-25 mph with 30 mph gusts, generally). ...And that's no fun - especially during the dry season, when every bullet impact can send a massive dust cloud back across the firing line.

Here's a screen grab from my dash camera. It illustrates the problem fairly well. ...And it also shows my super high tech eye shade (white) and 11" sun shade as a horizontal orange blob sticking off the end of the scope. (It's a target, rolled up and taped to the scope.)

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Even with the frustration, it still wasn't a bad day at the range.
The 6x45mm is always nice to shoot. And...
That .35 Whelen continues to make me happy.
$220 rifle.
$100 barrel.
Recycled 30+ year old Tasco 4x scope.
Rings from the parts box.
Cheapest old or recycled reloading components that I have on hand (orphan powder, cheap bullets, primers saved from pulled-down cartridges...).
And the stupid thing shows every indication of being a 1 MoA rifle (or better). I could probably verify that if I ever stopped shooting into the sun... :rolleyes:
 

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When you settle in on a good load, how about sharing it with the rest of us. I'll start loading for my whelen as soon as I clear through my backlog of factory ammo.
 
I would dread the moment...having to bear down with my rifle at a target with the sun coming up like that. I'd be very careful not to accidentally look at the sun thru your rifle scope --- A spotting scope might make matters worse, since it might be set at a higher magnification --- and would take only a few seconds to burn one of your retina's out. Staring at the sun (even without the use of a scope} constantly, might even lead to eye cataracts.

On average...high altitude winds need to work down to lower ground elevations during the daytime. I find that generally happens around 10am.
 
I used to have that problem at a range that faced west. In the late afternoon, the sun was unbearable. Luckily, they had put up sun blocking plywood panels over some of the shooting benches. Sort of like a sun visor in your car or truck. It worked pretty well except when the sun was absolutely directly above the target.
 
Good training, and there is nothing new about this scenario. A military tactic is to always attack with the sun behind you if at all possible. ;)

Similar to the hunting scenario of being down wind from your game.

So consider your range time for these two months as well rounded training and preparation for the worse scenario.
 
I would dread the moment...having to bear down with my rifle at a target with the sun coming up like that. I'd be very careful not to accidentally look at the sun thru your rifle scope --- A spotting scope might make matters worse, since it might be set at a higher magnification --- and would take only a few seconds to burn one of your retina's out. Staring at the sun (even without the use of a scope} constantly, might even lead to eye cataracts.
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I don't look through the scope at all, if the sun is in view.

The problem lies in internal reflection and lens flare. It just creates an image so full of bright spots, flares, and glare, that it can be nearly impossible to make out the target (especially if I just fired a shot and also kicked up some dust). Even if I put a long enough sun shade on the scope to get rid of the lens flare, there's still quite a bit of light reflecting inside the shade, which brightens up the image, as well.
So, while I don't believe the situation to be damaging to the eye, it can still be a very bright image that's hard to deal with.



--
Doyle, I'll post my .35 Whelen loads in the reloading forum, once they're worked out.
Right now I can tell you that a 'new component' load with a (near-max) 55.5 gr charge of H4895 under a 200 gr Hornady SP (not the RN) is doing very well.
(R-P brass, WLR primer, 3.110" COAL, no crimp - bullet seated to top of cannelure in 2.475" brass)
As a nice bonus, it did just as well with recycled H4895 (pulled down from old .270 Win loads), cases formed from R-P .270 Win, and WLR primers reclaimed from old .220 Swift loads -- but otherwise the same data.
 
Though it may not work on windy days....May I suggest duct taping a beach or golf umbrella to one of the wooden overhead canopy poles, at the right angle, so as to help you block out some of the sun.

For irons...you'll probably have to blacken the front sight. Any sun reflection off the front sight, will have the tendency for the shooter to aim the front sight at whatever angle of the sun reflection is hitting on the sight.
 
How about using gas welding goggles?
I've used them to simulate night time during the day.
They still work for that even on an overcast day, so maybe they would help with having to look straight into the rising sun, too.
They are available with different strength lens and are much stronger than sunglasses.
Some have flip up lens.
Cheap, too.
 
You're a better man than I.
The idea of getting up that early alone causeth me to shudder greatly.

And I can't shoot into the naked sun.

Used to use Hendricksen up Parley's Canyon on occasion, where the rifle & handgun ranges shoot South, but they have those canopied roofs overhead & NEVER did I get there early enough for the sun to be visible directly while shooting.

In more recent years, used a section of private land 2 miles up the hill behind the house, shooting North with sun behind me, till too many idiots shooting cattle & using the land as a garbage dump got it closed to shooting.

Now it's an abandoned quarry out by Grantsville, where I set up also shooting North, sun behind.

Shooting into the sun messes up scopes & irons, for me.

Denis
 
FrankenMauser is that at the Blacks Creek Shooting range south of Boise ID?
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"Oregon Trail" gun range, outside Pocatello. Leased/Operated by Gate City Sport Shooting Association (membership or member escort required).

Also known as the "Gate City Range" or "Poleline Range" ...even though it isn't remotely near Poleline Road, and never has been.
 
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