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Precision shooting in the dark
- Thread starter BamaBrad
- Start date
We did a match and on one stage we set up a long tunnel that people would get in. It was fantastic because they had a beautiful field of view of the targets from 400 out to 1000 yards but inside the tunnel, about 12 feet from the opening, was dark. The sounds (mostly profanity) coming out of that thing were incredible when people would start to dial (muscle memory before even looking) then realize they couldn’t see their turrets, or their dope. And they couldn’t see anyway because one pupil was constricted from looking at the bright field of targets through the scope.
Make a dope card with glow tape. Apply glow tape to something (like a plastic card) and write your dope on it. Jazz it up with a flashlight before the stage. You can get it on Amazon or at most craft stores.
Finger lights can be had on Amazon. You’ll want very low power to not kill your vision. Another idea is one of those small lights with an adhesive side. The kind you’d stick on a key. I found some at Lowe’s. They’re under 5 Lumens but in the dark that’s plenty bright. Put it on your scope tube where it will illuminate your turret.
Option D: Memorize dope and use holdovers. I can barely remember my middle name so this is not agreeable with me.
Make a dope card with glow tape. Apply glow tape to something (like a plastic card) and write your dope on it. Jazz it up with a flashlight before the stage. You can get it on Amazon or at most craft stores.
Finger lights can be had on Amazon. You’ll want very low power to not kill your vision. Another idea is one of those small lights with an adhesive side. The kind you’d stick on a key. I found some at Lowe’s. They’re under 5 Lumens but in the dark that’s plenty bright. Put it on your scope tube where it will illuminate your turret.
Option D: Memorize dope and use holdovers. I can barely remember my middle name so this is not agreeable with me.
I’ve shot two in the last two months. Biggest tips:
1 practice in the dark. Exactly as you would. You will be amazed what you learn. A. Can your shoot with a head lamp? Is it too bright, lights in the right place or do they reflect in the scope. B. Are your eyes good at night? One squad mate quickly learned his eyes were not very good in the dark and he had a lot of trouble with his turrets and reticle.
2. Glow sticks, especially glow necklaces or bracelets. Put a few on your scope or around your wrist coach.
Glow whatever on your bag or anything you put down in the grass in the dark. You will probably want to find it that night instead of next morning.
3. Glow or reactive paint for important witness marks or just tagging things like your zero in the dark.
4. Try as much as you can to focus on target acquisition with both eyes. Your reticle will be nothing but black and then a small spot of light for the target. But is it the right target? Use both eyes as much as possible so you aren’t lost in the dark field.
5. Less magnification. You’ll want a wider view for finding the right targets. The lights create a focus point and it’s easy to get hyped up and zoom in with scope or just eyes and mentality and either miss it or shoot a target out of order.
Night matches are the most fun I’ve had yet. Highly recommend. Totally different vibe. Also you can practice in the afternoon before the match and show up less cold. Hope you do well and have a ton of fun.
Practice!
1 practice in the dark. Exactly as you would. You will be amazed what you learn. A. Can your shoot with a head lamp? Is it too bright, lights in the right place or do they reflect in the scope. B. Are your eyes good at night? One squad mate quickly learned his eyes were not very good in the dark and he had a lot of trouble with his turrets and reticle.
2. Glow sticks, especially glow necklaces or bracelets. Put a few on your scope or around your wrist coach.
Glow whatever on your bag or anything you put down in the grass in the dark. You will probably want to find it that night instead of next morning.
3. Glow or reactive paint for important witness marks or just tagging things like your zero in the dark.
4. Try as much as you can to focus on target acquisition with both eyes. Your reticle will be nothing but black and then a small spot of light for the target. But is it the right target? Use both eyes as much as possible so you aren’t lost in the dark field.
5. Less magnification. You’ll want a wider view for finding the right targets. The lights create a focus point and it’s easy to get hyped up and zoom in with scope or just eyes and mentality and either miss it or shoot a target out of order.
Night matches are the most fun I’ve had yet. Highly recommend. Totally different vibe. Also you can practice in the afternoon before the match and show up less cold. Hope you do well and have a ton of fun.
Practice!
The wiggle worm tent, shooting in the dark in the middle of the day. Evil Genius.
Turret Glow
PURPOSE: Illuminate scope turrets in low light/dusk/dark conditions Prevent eye strain/ no “glow” reaches shooters eyes FEATURES: Machined from 6061 Aluminum Black Anodize Hard Coat finish On/Off knob to go completely “dark” Quick change glow sticks via removing end plug (no tools required)...
grayopscnc.com
Also. Glow in the dark tape for your dope card
Yes.
I think night shoots make the shooting line a treasure trove for the next morning
Turret Glow
PURPOSE: Illuminate scope turrets in low light/dusk/dark conditions Prevent eye strain/ no “glow” reaches shooters eyes FEATURES: Machined from 6061 Aluminum Black Anodize Hard Coat finish On/Off knob to go completely “dark” Quick change glow sticks via removing end plug (no tools required)...grayopscnc.com
View attachment 8000204
Also. Glow in the dark tape for your dope card
That's a neat product.
I use a nite ize bug light wrapped around the scope tube
niteize.com
BugLit® Micro Flashlight
Don't be deceived by its cute appearance, the BugLit is actually a powerful task light equipped with incredibly versatile Gear Tie legs. The bendable legs can be wrapped to hold the light in place anywhere you might need, while the fully featured light has four modes and is bright enough to...
niteize.com
I wonder if you just scotch taped a glow in the dark tungsten fishing jig (with the hook snipped off obviously) to the top if it would provide enough light to see the turret....if that would work.
Then you use a small UV flashlight to make it glow better if it gets weak.
Initial test looks like it would work.
Then you use a small UV flashlight to make it glow better if it gets weak.
Initial test looks like it would work.
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I just shot a night match. I heldover often but when I dialed I used a red light head lamp and just put light on the dial.
Stages are a little longer time so it’s pretty easy to do.
You’d be kind of ridiculous to do a night shoot and not allow red or green light during the shooters course of fire. I got that’s what we do in the military but for a civilian hosted comp that’s a bit stringent.
Stages are a little longer time so it’s pretty easy to do.
You’d be kind of ridiculous to do a night shoot and not allow red or green light during the shooters course of fire. I got that’s what we do in the military but for a civilian hosted comp that’s a bit stringent.
Used another red LED headlamp to load mags, do admin, read stage notes, calc Kestrel, etc…
What did I learn? The ZCO reticle illumination turns off when the scope is vertical muzzle down. I thought the Illume died, so I changed batteries. In the dark. What a pain in the ass, only to discover my error. Set up the scope and dial the dope before the stage start. Once the buzzer went off, I really did not need much light.
Safety was a big deal. Stumbling in the dark, slipping on wet grass, losing SA on what is going on. ROs had more work watching safety than during the day. And shooters need to be more safety aware.
What did I learn? The ZCO reticle illumination turns off when the scope is vertical muzzle down. I thought the Illume died, so I changed batteries. In the dark. What a pain in the ass, only to discover my error. Set up the scope and dial the dope before the stage start. Once the buzzer went off, I really did not need much light.
Safety was a big deal. Stumbling in the dark, slipping on wet grass, losing SA on what is going on. ROs had more work watching safety than during the day. And shooters need to be more safety aware.
I used some cheapo Amazon LED garden lights placed forward of the targets to practice for NRL22X night matches.
Amazon product ASIN B07YSTQWF8
The one thing you'll quickly discover is if the reticle illumination on your scope is good or crap. It's one thing Arken doesn't do well with center cross only. Vortex on the other hand excelled for this niche.
A red LED headlamp like a Princeton Tec works but can actually be too much light at times. The smaller solutions others are showing to light up the turret and dope card are better. I have one that velcro wraps micro LED's on to the tube and a small AAA battery box that velcro's to the side of the stock that a fellow competitor made and sold at a match.
Amazon product ASIN B07YSTQWF8
The one thing you'll quickly discover is if the reticle illumination on your scope is good or crap. It's one thing Arken doesn't do well with center cross only. Vortex on the other hand excelled for this niche.
A red LED headlamp like a Princeton Tec works but can actually be too much light at times. The smaller solutions others are showing to light up the turret and dope card are better. I have one that velcro wraps micro LED's on to the tube and a small AAA battery box that velcro's to the side of the stock that a fellow competitor made and sold at a match.
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