Books on Mirage and wind reading

[Glen Ring]

Jeanne and i want to become a better team for next year. What are the best books concerning mirage and Wind Reading?

[Lumpy Grits]

Hands on and keep'n notes, has been the best teacher for me.
Know'n the RH and altitude helps at long distance.
Gary

[Michael Johnson]

"Reading the Wind" by Jim Owens MSgt, USMC ret. (available on Amazon) and the Wyoming Wind Chart sold by Shiloh.

[powderburnt]

What makes BPCR so dificult is when the wind is up and down during course of fire. One minute of drift per one mph of wind. If you have a fish tailing
6-9 o'clock wind at 5 mph, that is enough to put you off the ram if you don't catch the change. Flags are not as reliable as mirage to see these changes.
Mirage is the best indicater of changes. Master reading mirage and you are on your way. A target camera gives instant feed back at long range and has really improved my understanding of wind effect on point of impact vs point of aim, much more than reading.

HG

[DaveC]

“The Wind Book for Rifle Shooters” by Miller and Cunningham (2006) is pretty comprehensive.

[DaveC]

“The Wind Book for Rifle Shooters” by Miller and Cunningham (2006) is pretty comprehensive.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

The Jim Owens book I have had since 93? Or when Jim published it, got it from him at Camp Perry.

The other I also have also, both have good information. Neither will make you a master spotter.

Nothing, and I mean nothing beats experience and time behind a scope, and not just any scope.

We have had tons of discussion, on this forum on what’s the best scope for spotting, to the point of ad nauseam. If you don’t know what that means go look it up. because that’s what most of the opinions are.

We have had engineers, optic experts, and a host of others weigh in, who can quote numbers, clarity and so on. None of them are what would I call master spotters, cue that, into your choice of a spotting scope or who to take advice from.

I have looked through the best and not so high quality scopes over the past 28 years. Learned how to read wind and Mirage, and continue to learn, too this very day. Some say once you master reading mirage you got it, that’s utter bullshit. Come west, I will give you an education. Once wind speed gets over 8-9 mph the mirage it looks the same as 12 mph mirage even 15 mph. Reading conditions accurately requires often 3-4 different information inputs. Mirage is important, hugely so, reading it correctly, now that’s the real trick. there is even something called false mirage, I have seen it, at Raton, but not this year. Jim Owens’s book speaks on this subject. Accurate interpretation of wind speed and direction and were and when it is having the most immediate effect, that is what is the real key. What’s happening at the line is another.

It helps tremendously to build ones knowledge base on spotting, with a top shooter, of a known quality in ammunition and shooting ability, and that is totally honest in his feedback shot to shot. I once was spotting for a friend that insists every single break is perfect. I have also spotted for more than one national champion that tells me in 40 record shots 3-6 of his shots might be what they would call a perfect break. I have been very fortunate to shot with and spot for a lot of top shooters, these many years, and I feel fortunate that I am asked to.

LET THAT SINK IN. If you’re not brutally honest with your spotter he-she cannot give you the best information to keep you centered.

A really good spotter figures out your actual zero in a few shots, in a condition, and keeps track of where you are, say left or right of your actual zero and the amount of correction you have on. Then in a complete reversal can make that call that keeps you in the middle of the bull or on the steel. It’s a gift few have, but it’s a skill that can be learned. Most common mistakes I see is correcting to the edge of the target......NOT to the MIDDLE.

As to the best scope to use and learn with.

I can tell you this much, it sure as hell isn’t a Konus or a celestron, or a vortex. If you think a celestron is, and start quoting me numbers, light transmission and clarity for your argument. I am going to ask you how many National Champion Shooters have you shot with, or have been spotting for. Then I am going to tell you, You’re full of Shit. You are also going tell me your scope has better clarity then mine, you can see 30 caliber bullets holes a X Yards, when I hear these arguments, I know one thing for certain, not only are you full of shit, you know absolutely nothing about actual spotting.

Go check out a good spotter’s Scope at the next match or what a good shooters lay down scope is.

Kenny Wasserburger
Wyoming Territory

[gunlaker]

Kenny I think your point about honest shot calling is right on. Most of the time when eavesdropping on a shooter/spotter team I don't hear much about where the shot broke. I think that's a big mistake.

I have a good handle on the physics of bullet flight, at least from a theoretical point of view so I know what the bullet should do. Often, as soon as I get a little cocky with interpreting the mirage and wind flags it'll let me know that I've got a lot to learn. As Zack has said, and I'm not saying it as well as he does, where the bullet actually goes in the condition, when compared to where you think it should have gone, is the most important piece of information. Of course if you pull a shot a minute to 3 o'clock and don't tell the spotter then nothing is learned.

Chris.

[Lumpy Grits]

Well said Kenny
I will say that I have been more than pleased with my Celestron 80mmED.
What scope do you use?
Any scope, is only as good as the spotters eyes.
Respectfully,

Gary

[BFD]

Any scope, is only as good as the spotters eyes.

The reverse is also true. The best eyes in the world aren't worth much in a junk scope in so far as reading mirage goes.

[Lumpy Grits]

Any scope, is only as good as the spotters eyes.

The reverse is also true. The best eyes in the world aren't worth much in a junk scope in so far as reading mirage goes.

So true--
At this stage in my life-I can say that my scope sees better than I.
G.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Brent said a mouthful, which I agree with 110% actually.

Gary, no offense, and I don’t want you to take any, for spotting, not looking at something, SPOTTING, your scope is a poor choice. Period.

Kenny Wasserburger.

[Lumpy Grits]

Kenny-What should I look for in a 'spotting' scope?
All these shooting years and I still have lots to learn on spotting.
G.

[Etienne Brule]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDnK2-m ... pp=desktop

[Glen Ring]

Kenny
It's funny what you said about Mirage.
Jeanne and I bought a stock 22 bpcr rifle and went to a couple of matches to listen and learn.
We were near two local guys that were really into the lingo and slang about mirage so we paid attention...but hit more Turkeys and Rams than they did and we only had 10x50 binoculars!
We left the range that day and when we were safely in the truck Jeanne looked at me and said " Those guys were full of shit!"