Mirage and what to do about it?

E

ELMOUSMC

New member
I just got a .22-250 and I went to my range,to run it through its paces,100,200,and 300 yard targets.After shooting at 200 yds I let the rifle sit for about 30 mins to cool off so I could get an accurate idea on how it would perform at 300 yds
My targets are white butcher paper with stick on 21/2 orange circles-the scope is a BSA 8-32x44 set at 24, AO set at 300yds.During the time I was letting the rifle cool the sun came out,my range is grass and and my range house is covered.With a bipod and sandbags I set out to dial in at 300
There was no way to get an accurate reading on where I was aiming or where the the bullets were impacting the mirage was that bad and with a 5+ mph wind from the west at times the target would shimmer completely away.Iknow that there is a way to defeat mirage but I'll be dipped if I know what it is
Need some help here as I am headed to Nebraska next month for a P dog shoot and I know the mirage over barren ground is going to be worse that what I am dealing with here
ELMO
 
Shoot at a time of day when the suns not out.
Or back off the magnification. May need to get a really good scope with a fine cross hair to still be able to make out the targets though.
 
As trg42wraglefragle said, turn down the magnification. 9/10 X should be plenty for 300 yards. Also, we all deal with our finances as best we can but, you might consider a better scope. BSA is pretty much lacking in quality. A $200 Nikon Prostaff 3x9 will serve you better without breaking the bank. If you can swing $300 you can get into a Leupold VX-2, which is a lot of scope for the money.
 
A new scope is on order!

The rifle came from an estate sale and the scope was on it,I have a Leupold VX-1 4-12x40 coming so the BSA goes to my grandson.I did notice that when I cranked it down to 12 or 14X the mirage was not such a problem
We will most likely be shooting most of the day with a break during the hottest part of the day so maybe with a little luck I won't have to deal with so much mirage,thanks for the input
ELMO
 
Mirage is your friend. Use it to determine subtle wind changes.
If possible use a black bullseye type target. Cut a hole in the backer about the size of the black. The bullet hole will show up better. My home club attaches a white reflector to the back of the target frame which lights up the bullet holes. Even in heavy mirage the shot holes stand out. As the other posters have said a lower scope power will provide better contrast. Good luck on your Dog day.

David
 
I've been shooting woodchucks and paper targets in the heat of NY summers at distances out to ~425 yards for many years. My varmint guns have always had scopes with 25-40x. I've never had any trouble with mirage. Never knew it existed until I read about it here.
 
I was shooting at a range early this year and wanted to try my 223 out at the 500 yard mark. There were guys with everything from 6.5-284s to .338 Lapuas. The mirage was so bad I had no idea if I was hitting the target or not as you couldn't see the target move due to the mirage and there was no way you could hear the shots hit with the other guns.

So I would say it is definitely something you notice and can be a pain.
 
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