humidity = mirage?

DavidK

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Jul 27, 2006
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Tried shooting today and the mirage was terrible. I only shot about 20 rounds and it did seem to get worse so I am guessing that it was coming from the gun. I was shooting a LaRue PrediOBR with a Larue Suppressor with a Bowers cover. Temp was only 74 but its was 75% humidity. How much was the high humidity effecting the mirage?
 
David simple answer to your question is no, more humidity doesnt affect mirage.

Mirage is the refraction of light through air that has different temperature. Its just what you see and doesnt have an affect of point of impact just point of aim. If the air all the way to the target was same temperature mirage would be negligible. The ground absorbs temperature and gets hot while air above the ground gets cooler higher up you go. The mixture of warmer air and cooler air near the ground causes light to refract and makes your image have the "squiggly" lines we all know and love as mirage.

hope that answers your question.

chase
 
Tried shooting today and the mirage was terrible. I only shot about 20 rounds and it did seem to get worse so I am guessing that it was coming from the gun. I was shooting a LaRue PrediOBR with a Larue Suppressor with a Bowers cover. Temp was only 74 but its was 75% humidity. How much was the high humidity effecting the mirage?

Down range humidity has very little to do with mirage, but high barrel temps with high humidity will make seeing a target on high power more difficult as the barrel heats up more. I carry battery operated fans (2 C cells) at times when the temp is low an there is no wind at the gun to blow the barrel/can heat away. I see barrel/can heat more of a issue in cool weather, than I do hot. Dialing your scope power down helps, for barrel/can heat just as it does down range when mirage is kicking..
 
Depends is the correct answer........as the density, and hence humidity, of the air affects the heating of the air. Try watching the mirage off of a hot parking lot (or a large plain) after a storm drops water on it.

But in the OP's case likely no.
 
Depends is the correct answer........as the density, and hence humidity, of the air affects the heating of the air. Try watching the mirage off of a hot parking lot (or a large plain) after a storm drops water on it.

But in the OP's case likely no.

Doing so through a riflescope would almost be painful. I believe there is such a thing as water mirage, we see it on a range we shoot that has a patch of a impenetrable patch of sagebrush, a gust of wind capable of blowing it in your path almost shuts shooting down till it passes.
I think the op's issues were barrel and can heat.
 
Down range humidity has very little to do with mirage, but high barrel temps with high humidity will make seeing a target on high power more difficult as the barrel heats up more. I carry battery operated fans (2 C cells) at times when the temp is low an there is no wind at the gun to blow the barrel/can heat away. I see barrel/can heat more of a issue in cool weather, than I do hot. Dialing your scope power down helps, for barrel/can heat just as it does down range when mirage is kicking..

I think this is what was happening. Thanks to all