Long Range Shooting and Mirage and ETC..

[haroldclark]

The following post was also, made on 1000 yard with a TC thread.  A little off subject for Mirage talk, but I thought it was interesting.

Why wouldn't it be POSSIBLE to shoot 1000 yds with a handgun? I remember seeing a guy on TV shooting a snub nosed revolver at a balloon way out there AND hitting it. Most people do not realize how far a bullet CAN travel.

Halcott's quote above brought a couple of interesting things to my mind.  Years ago, I hate to tell how many years ago, I spent a couple weeks at a military base in San Luis Obispo, California attending an Officers Survival course.  It was two of the most intense weeks I ever experienced and I had been on the streets as a beat cop and a detective in Narcotics in Oakland, California.

One of the first firearm days, an old gunny sergeant put a 5 gallon can of water at 600 yards.  The group was behind a burm at the the 600 yard line with the can of water.  He hit the damned thing with a Colt 1911 45 ACP.  We yelled luck and he did it again.  That changed my perspective of long range shooting.  

One other thing, they professed was do not under estimate a 22 long rifle.  Being pinned down behind a Cinder Block wall should be adequate cover from a 22.  Wrong!!!!  With a 22 semi-auto rifle and several magazines, he poked a hole through both sides of that wall in about 30 or 40 shots.

Shooting at ballons is a real kick in the pants.  Hang  balloons by a string about 12 inches down from a clothes line or other device.  Shoot at them with a Keith type semi-wadcutter or a full wadcutter.  It will make you crazy as the balloon dances away from the oncoming bullet and there is no wind.  Now, try it with a 22 long rifle from a handgun or rifle and you can hit them at will.  A round nose 38 will hit them too.

The flat nose bullet causes the air in front of the bullet to disperse sideways and the air makes the balloon move away before the bullet can hit it.  Hence, Veral Smith of Lead Bullet Technology advocates wide flat nose bullets for Hunting as the flat nose of the bullet disperses water, muscle tissue sideways causing a severe wound channel.

See Veral Smith's Question and Answer thread on Cast Bullets on this forum.

[haroldclark]

This is a continuation of a Parallex Setting from the 1000 yard shooting with a TC thread on this forum.

I have a Burris 3 to 12 with PA and target knobs. Once you pass 500 yards, the next line is set for Infinity (Infinite distance). The main issue with PA is 200 yards and closer with my Burris Scopes. After that, changes in the settings out to 500 meters is not as obvious.

Most of the 1,000 yard shooters at our range, shoot early in the morning to avoid the mirage and wind. Before the sun heats the ground, a view with a scope on 12 power is crisp and clear. By mid-day, you would think your scope has gone haywire at 400 and 500 meters. At 1,000 yards, you might just be wasting your time.

Monday of this week, I was on the 500 meter silhouette range, as I am every Monday and Thursday. It was 100 degrees by 11 AM. There was a slight shifting wind of up to 12 to 15 mph and times when the wind would simply stop. When the wind stops on a hot day, the picture of the target that you see through glass or naked eye rises above the actual target. Your shot will hit high over the actual target. Your sight settings, that worked just fine at 8 AM to 10 AM, are no longer working. 300 meter pigs become difficult, as well. We would get goofy over the change after our Lunch Break, until we finally got the drift. It simply couldn't be what we ate that caused all those misses.

By noon, that day, we had no wind and then left wind and then right wind. There is no way at 400 and 500 meters that you can even hit a target without a well versed spotter telling you where to hold, except an occasional accident.

Harold Clark

[xphunter]

Reading the conditions is my weakest point.  
Each range is different because the lay of the land, etc.  
I think it takes close to a lifetime of becoming an expert at this (maybe longer from what I have heard others say).   It is humbling, but it sure is fun, especially when it all comes together.

[Duffy]

The first time I ever actually saw the effects of mirage I almost didn't belive it. A friend and I were shooting his 308 out at my farm at around 600 yards.  We had a 3' X 3" target with a bull in the middle and when he told me to hold on the outside edge of the target I thought he was nuts. Couldn't belive that it hit in the center of the board after aiming a foot and a half to one side. Do belive it was dumb luck on my part also.

[haroldclark]

Reading the mirage is an art form but there is logic involved.  It does take a little time to get the drift of what happens with it.  I really started to pay attention about 3 or 4 years ago and studied it while spotting for other shooters.  I enjoyed calling their shots and helping them hit the target.  Calling 100% good shots is not likely ‘cause there seems to be hidden activities going on at 400 and 500 meters that we sometimes miss.  But, you can get quite proficient at it.  I have made a game of it.  I have two buddies that are currently in training, so to speak.  They are coming along well.  

Both of them had a high score at our Long Range Handgun Shoot.  The first highest score was 38 out of 40 targets and the best score yet is 39/40 and it was this month.  I called the shots for both of them.  There is a degree of luck and a much higher degree of watching the wind flags, wind direction and the mirage.

Our range is set up with inverted railroad rails suspended on steel supports.  The Silhouette targets are set on the rail.  The dark rail provides an excellent backdrop for determining the mirage.  When the heat/mirage is “boiling” it looks like rising curls.  The wind causes the curls to slant, lets say to the right.  The distance between the swirls of the curls gives you an idea of how fast the wind is blowing the mirage.  Let’s say that you have a 5 mph wind from the left.  The curls will appear to be rising at a 45-degree angle to the right.  The picture of your target will be about 20” high and right.  To compensate for this shift, you must aim 20” low and right.  Example:  The Ram at 500 meters is facing left.  I would hold at the ram foot for elevation and under his face for windage.
You would hit the target.

All of the variations take place with different calibers, velocities and bullet weights.  

We will talk more.

Harold Clark