Barrel heat waves blurring sight picture.

[Palladan44]

First time I've experienced this. Not fogging, but field of view altered from the waves from the heat coming up off the barrel.
And for a reason.........
Most my MSR rifles scopes are mounted higher off the bore, those see some volume and get quite warm, but no scope blurring.
Most my other bolt action rifles up to this point see five rounds every 10 or 15 minutes.

My new Ruger American Predator. 223 has a pretty low mounted scope. I fired about 50 rounds in about an hour testing some handloads, and after a few rounds toward the end of the session, it would get hot enough to blur my sight picture quite considerably at 100 and 200 yds. Enough to make me sit there and wait for about a minute or 2 at some points.

Anyone else experience this? I'm really not worried, I'm no prairie dog shooter, this is just a fun gun for now, but this is the first I've experienced this.

 

[JeffG]

Heat mirage is pretty common when you have a sustained rate of fire.

 

[Palladan44]

Heat mirage is pretty common when you have a sustained rate of fire.

This is a first for me, and I've definitely pounded on some before. But good to know!

 

[N555]

Yeah and it's worse with a silencer.

 

[Palladan44]

Yeah and it's worse with a silencer.

My one long gun I use a can on has a red dot and never noticed.

 

[Jim Watson]

Target shooters use mirage bands to keep a clearer sight picture while shooting under a time limit.
Most are fabric stretched from receiver to front sight base, but I had a metal one like a Venetian blind slat held by Velcro.

See one brand at

Mirage Bands - Dolphin Gun Company

Top quality easy to fit Mirage BandsNow in stock and for sale £36.00 for the set.Available sizes to fit; 22″ to 24″ barrels, 26″ to 28” barrels & 30 to 32” barrels.

www.dolphinguncompany.co.uk

 

[N555]

My one long gun I use a can on has a red dot and never noticed.

Mine is a 20 power scope usually shooting at least 250yd as that's where the zero is.

 

[jmr40]

If the barrel is hot enough to create enough heat waves to blur your vision the barrel is too hot. This will shorten barrel life. On a defensive gun it isn't something you worry about, barrels can be replaced and sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

But on a precision rifle you might want to slow down and let the barrel cool down between strings. I always bring at least one more rifle to the range to shoot while the primary rifle is cooling off. Usually a 22. During the hot summer months I've been known to keep the truck engine running with the AC on high. Between strings the rifle gets to sit in the cab of the truck for a few minutes between strings.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

I fired about 50 rounds in about an hour

But on a precision rifle you might want to slow down and let the barrel cool down between strings.

An average of under a round a minute, and the barrel was hot enough for heat mirage?

That's about as fast as I ever shoot, and have never had trouble with mirage - even in the triple-digit Okra-homa summers.

 

[Hugger-4641]

In a addition to barrel shields, F-class and tactical competition shooters often use barrel coolers like this

Google Image Result for https://media.mwstatic.com/product-images/src/Primary/624/624248.jpg

 

[Palladan44]

Good advice here.
The rifle is also brand new and part of my objectives were to simply try out some loads and break it in, as well as fire form some brass.
I'm definitely going to slow things down from now on.
It was pretty rainy and windy, groups were all worse than 1 MOA so I kind of gave up on focus and moved a little fast. Lesson learned.

 

[Nature Boy]

You can put a small fan on your bench directed at your barrel and it will significantly reduce the heat mirage

 

[JFrank]

Barrel heat quite often affects vision, get a mirage shield and attach it with Velcro

 

[243winxb]

I folded up a 50 yard pistol target & glued on 2 rings to slip over the barrel. If it moves forward, the 243s muzzle blast will trim it shorter.

First mistake, buying a fixed 36 power scope. Get a variable one.

 

[Walkalong]

Target shooters use mirage bands to keep a clearer sight picture while shooting under a time limit.
Most are fabric stretched from receiver to front sight base, but I had a metal one like a Venetian blind slat held by Velcro.

See one brand at

Mirage Bands - Dolphin Gun Company

Top quality easy to fit Mirage BandsNow in stock and for sale £36.00 for the set.Available sizes to fit; 22″ to 24″ barrels, 26″ to 28” barrels & 30 to 32” barrels.

www.dolphinguncompany.co.uk

We used old xray film cut like that and velcroed on the barrel.

 

[Enfielder]

Keep a 55 gallon drum of rain water and just dip your gun when it gets too warm.

 

[Nature Boy]

We used old xray film cut like that and velcroed on the barrel.

Make Your Own Mirage Shield from Old X-Ray Film « Daily Bulletin

Mirage shields are useful for all shooters, not just hard-core competitors. A mirage shield helps you see your target better, without distortion caused by heat waves coming off your barrel. This isn't rocket science -- it's a simple, inexpensive way to see better and shooter more accurately.

bulletin.accurateshooter.com

This guy will make you one out of carbon fiber to your specific dimensions

You are being redirected...

 

[lightman]

Target shooters use mirage bands to keep a clearer sight picture while shooting under a time limit.
Most are fabric stretched from receiver to front sight base, but I had a metal one like a Venetian blind slat held by Velcro.

See one brand at

Mirage Bands - Dolphin Gun Company

Top quality easy to fit Mirage BandsNow in stock and for sale £36.00 for the set.Available sizes to fit; 22″ to 24″ barrels, 26″ to 28” barrels & 30 to 32” barrels.

www.dolphinguncompany.co.uk

Thats what I had on my match rifle. Mine came from Sinclair and looked just like a Venetion blind louver. I prefer to not heat the barrel up enough to need one of those but in competition you do what you have to do.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Think barrel heat is bad, try shooting in Arizona prone in middle of the day during summer….lol

 

[Litetrigger]

Mirage has long been a problem with precision target shooting with iron sight. For a long while, like about all other US 300M shooters I shot with a black elastic band from from rear to front sights. (Note black only, as white and other colors are reflective.) Then I bought this 300M Free rifle in the then USSR, with offset sights..