We have got into a big discussion on what area of the range you are seeing when you read the mirage. My buddy thinks you are seeing the entire range and I think all you see is a short distance in front of the target. I would like to get many opinions.

Jerry,

I believe you are seeing the last few feet before your focal point, so would depend on where your focus is set. Normally when you miss adjust your focus it is easier to see mirage, but you can only see mirage well right before the focal plane. Outside of that you have no focus and it just a blur.


This is my 2 cent worth.

There has to be more than just one of you out there with an opinion on this.

I also agree it depends on where your scope is focused. I try to focus my scope at least one animal closer than the target being shot. Last weekend, I was using almost 2 animals closer where possible. But it sort of depends on the situation.

A simple experiment is to watch the mirage change at a fixed point (like the ram rail), as you bring the focus back (or forward). In some cases it will reverse, presumably because there are multiple winds blowing over the distance in between.

When shooting is easy, the mirage will be the same all the way back, but for really long range, it is easy to find situations where it reverses with the focus.

Mirage!?! Bah its all an illusion....

see if this helps at all.
http://southtexasshooting.org/multimedi ... irage.html

Chris Winstead has the big eyes spotting scope and says he focuses one eyepiece halfway to the target and the other at the target to read the mirage.
I think that means that wherever you are focused is where you are seeing the mirage. If you focus on rams then you are seeing the difference in densities right at (or just in front of) the rams. If you pull the focus back to chickens then you are seeing it there, which tells you something entirely different.

Its supposed to be in the eighties this weekend up here for the Iron Man, so you should get some practice reading mirage for high power. You are coming up aren't you?

Ain't no way it's tee shirt weather for the ironman.

Jerry G wrote:We have got into a big discussion on what area of the range you are seeing when you read the mirage. My buddy thinks you are seeing the entire range and I think all you see is a short distance in front of the target. I would like to get many opinions.

You and your buddy set up at the 500-600 when lots of mirage is showing, set up scope at the firing line and a visible target at each yard line; prone (if you can set scope that way) might work better?? Just arraign targets so as many as possible, especially 200 and 600 are visible in the scope at the same time. couple in the middle just make it interesting.
Focus in/out, while observing all the targets.....your answer will be obvious.

It is said that mirage is an optical aberration, not a physical phenomena. It creates a false image (hence mirage) thus, for example left to right mirage put the target where its not (appearing more right than it is in fact)...how much? Well that's what reading it is all about..it becomes more prevalent (apparent) the greater the distance being observed. The hardest to read in mirage moving toward the viewer appearing as stationary and vertical mirage......and Mirage is what I see for my scores