Heat waves

G19Kev

Private
Minuteman
Nov 15, 2020
45
8
Texas
What type of optic does it take to see, and measure wind direction, and speed, by heat mirage out to 500yds, for a 1000yd shot? Can it be done with a high power monocular, or would you need a spotting scope?
 
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You will get alot of different answers on this.

Typically I like spotting scope for reading mirage but it can be done with most scopes and binoculars.

Typically its a focus, parallax, magnification adjustment to see it.

Have you tried with your scope?
 
With my scope behind the rifle, or with steady/mounted binos I look for a horizontal and clear defined light colored edge somewhere near the target, like the top or bottom of a target placard or the top/bottom white edges of the target itself, especially metal things. I find those edges tend to give away the mirage pretty well and the ripple gives you direction. With a spotter you can usually see more in the air itself, dep upon conditions as said above.
I know some who can dial up magnification on scopes and adjust their dope for the mirage effect on poa=/=poi, but i usually dial down to @ 10-12x to minimize the distortion on poa-poi through the mirage. I haven't gotten to play around with those shifts yet...
 
You don't need particularly high magnification to see mirage; 10x binoculars will show it. Higher fidelity glass is what really makes it stand out. The lighting conditions can also make a difference. Where I am in the high desert, the ordinarily very distinct mirage disappears completely just as the sun sets over the mountains.