The sight picture. Pretty self explanatory but what can influence the sight picture? Probably the most basic thing that most everyone here [but not everybody!] is aware of is focusing the crosshairs on your scope. Rather than explain it, just refer to your owners manual. Clearly defined crosshairs are essential for an optimal sight picture.
Mirage can definitely affect your sight picture. Simply put, mirage is caused by heat waves rising off the ground. The image of the target is distorted and appears "wavy". Any wind from your 1:00 to 5:00 or your 7:00 to 11:00 will move the image of the target left or right. If the wind is from your 6:00 or 12:00 the target image is moved up. In mirage you are shooting at the image of the target. The actual target is NOT directly behind the image. The greater the distance to the target, and the hotter it is, the worse the mirage appears. Try to determint the predominate direction the wind/mirage is running and shoot under that condition. Try not to shoot in a boil. If the wind/mirage is switchy, you'll have to "hold off" the target left or right or learn to turn your scope turrets frequently. If you are shooting iron sights, mirage will greatly increase the difficulty of getting an acceptable sight picture.
Is your rifle/scope system level? Is your vernier sight plumb? Your scope and crosshairs might be perfectly clear but if your scope/rifle is canted a few degrees, when you change sight elevation between distances, your bullet will impact left or right. Distance will magnify the error. Many shooters are now using a level of some type to make sure the rifle system is plumb. Spirit levels have been in common use on B.P.CTG. rifles for a long time. Is a spirit level necessary? For iron sights, yes. For a scope, optional. Every rifle range I have shot mid/long range at has laid out the target butts so they were level. I just make sure that the horizontal crosshair in the scope was level with the targets. It was simple and it worked. {for me.} Use whatever you are comfortabe with.
Scope magnification. High magnification is not always your friend. It will greatly magnify the mirage, your heartbeat/pulse, and every super slight movement you make. High magnification can actually open the door to a bad habit. YANKING THE TRIGGER. This is how. The crosshair movement is so magnified that when the crosshairs float across the center of the bull you grab the trigger before they drift off. This is probably the number one bad habit that many shooters have and it is a really hard habit to break. Yanking the trigger induces rifle movement and it will be evident on your target. Set your scope magnification where you can take advantage of it but don't overdo it.
Iron sights. For those who shoot iron sights, the front and rear aperture size is crucial. Remember, the light/image of the target has to pass through the front and rear aperture into your eye. A larger front ap. lets more light through. An adjustable Hadley eyecup on the rear staff is mandatory because it only takes seconds to spin the ap. disc to suit the ambient light conditions. Light conditions from the first relay in the morning to the last relay in the afternoon will change several times. The Hadley allows you to adapt to changing conditions quickly.
At the very least I hope the people who read these threads find them interesting. At best, I hope you can apply something to improve your marksmanship. More coming. X
Mirage can definitely affect your sight picture. Simply put, mirage is caused by heat waves rising off the ground. The image of the target is distorted and appears "wavy". Any wind from your 1:00 to 5:00 or your 7:00 to 11:00 will move the image of the target left or right. If the wind is from your 6:00 or 12:00 the target image is moved up. In mirage you are shooting at the image of the target. The actual target is NOT directly behind the image. The greater the distance to the target, and the hotter it is, the worse the mirage appears. Try to determint the predominate direction the wind/mirage is running and shoot under that condition. Try not to shoot in a boil. If the wind/mirage is switchy, you'll have to "hold off" the target left or right or learn to turn your scope turrets frequently. If you are shooting iron sights, mirage will greatly increase the difficulty of getting an acceptable sight picture.
Is your rifle/scope system level? Is your vernier sight plumb? Your scope and crosshairs might be perfectly clear but if your scope/rifle is canted a few degrees, when you change sight elevation between distances, your bullet will impact left or right. Distance will magnify the error. Many shooters are now using a level of some type to make sure the rifle system is plumb. Spirit levels have been in common use on B.P.CTG. rifles for a long time. Is a spirit level necessary? For iron sights, yes. For a scope, optional. Every rifle range I have shot mid/long range at has laid out the target butts so they were level. I just make sure that the horizontal crosshair in the scope was level with the targets. It was simple and it worked. {for me.} Use whatever you are comfortabe with.
Scope magnification. High magnification is not always your friend. It will greatly magnify the mirage, your heartbeat/pulse, and every super slight movement you make. High magnification can actually open the door to a bad habit. YANKING THE TRIGGER. This is how. The crosshair movement is so magnified that when the crosshairs float across the center of the bull you grab the trigger before they drift off. This is probably the number one bad habit that many shooters have and it is a really hard habit to break. Yanking the trigger induces rifle movement and it will be evident on your target. Set your scope magnification where you can take advantage of it but don't overdo it.
Iron sights. For those who shoot iron sights, the front and rear aperture size is crucial. Remember, the light/image of the target has to pass through the front and rear aperture into your eye. A larger front ap. lets more light through. An adjustable Hadley eyecup on the rear staff is mandatory because it only takes seconds to spin the ap. disc to suit the ambient light conditions. Light conditions from the first relay in the morning to the last relay in the afternoon will change several times. The Hadley allows you to adapt to changing conditions quickly.
At the very least I hope the people who read these threads find them interesting. At best, I hope you can apply something to improve your marksmanship. More coming. X
