Mirage shields really do help you hit your targets more reliably. Novice shooters may wonder “Why does that guy have a venetian blind attached to his barrel?” Here’s why. As the barrel gets hot, the heat from the barrel rises up, cooking and distorting the air directly in front of the scope’s front lens. In essense, the rifle creates its own nasty visual mirage, right in the worst possible place. You can have a $4000.00 custom rifle and a $2500.00 scope but if the air in front of your scope is distorted, it can literally move your apparent point of aim on the target relative to your cross-hairs, causing you to miss the shot.
As our friend Boyd Allen observed: “Varminters should use mirage shields. Think about it. You’ve invested thousands of dollars in a fancy varmint rifle and quality scope. You may have spent hundreds of dollars traveling to the varmint fields and spent dozens of hours loading up your ammo. Without a mirage shield on your barrel, once that barrel gets hot, you WILL get mirage effects that can make you miss a shot.”
So, we’ve established you need a mirage shield to shoot your best when the barrel gets hot. You can make your own shield from a scrap blind, or purchase a ready-made plastic or aluminum shield. Sinclair Int’l offers 2″-wide, white mirage shields in 18″ (#06-7200) or 24″ (#06-7300) lengths for $4.95. Shotmaster 10X offers a variety of Patterned Mirage Shields, starting at $6.00. These include a Patriotic theme and even Tiger Stripes:
Camo Mirage Shields for Tactical Shooters and Hunters
Though tactical shooters should use mirage shields for long-distance, slow-fire stages, for the most part, tactical shooters don’t bother. One reason is that mirage shields CAN detach if you’re crawling around in the bush. However, for many tactical shooting situations, a mirage shield IS both practical and recommended. And now, for the first time, tactical shooters can get mirage shields in camo patterns to match their rifles. These camo shields should also be popular with varminters and long-range hunters.
At the request of AccurateShooter.com, Shotmaster 10X created a line of camo-pattern mirage shields (see above). Made of 2″-wide aluminum strips, these are available in 18″, 20″, and 24″ lengths. The camo-pattern shields come complete with Velcro attachments, and start at $8.50 for the 18″ length. The 20″ models are $9.50, while 24″ shields are $11.00.
Article based on story by Kyle Jillson for NRABlog
Kirsten Weiss was the 2012 NRA Women’s Smallbore Three Position (3-P) Champion. In this video, Kirsten condenses ten years of competitive shooting experience into an easy-to-understand segment about the fundamentals of aiming, head position, and proper cheek placement. Kirsten explains, “proper aiming is a relationship between the eye, the sights, and the target. Head position on the stock is the basic prerequisite to good aiming. And the cheek placement must be consistent every single time.” Kirsten also has a tip for scope fitting: “Once your cheek placement is comfortably achieved… make sure the scope comes to you — don’t move your head to the scope, [which requires] changing head/neck position. Adjust your scope to your eye in a comfortable way.”
So why are the fundamentals so important? Kirsten explains: “Even elite snipers and top-level competition shooters go back to basics to review and refresh their knowledge every once in a while. This reinforces knowledge, ingrains proper technique, and polishes out developmental flaws.”
Kirsten Weiss of Cornwall, PA was the 2012 NRA Women’s National Champion at the NRA Smallbore 3-P Championships held at Camp Perry, OH. She won the 2012 3-P smallbore championship in only her second trip to Camp Perry. Her first came nine years ago.
Back then she was still learning what it takes to be a top competitive shooter. Her skills still raw, she placed second in the Sharpshooter Category. Not good enough. She resolved to get better — and she did.
Weiss would go on to earn a spot on the Nebraska Cornhuskers rifle team. Her tenacity and techniques would garner recognition from USA Shooting and a sponsorship from Lapua Ammunition after a top eight finish at the Olympic Trials. She also has a been involved in hunting since age twelve. In fact, it was in the field that the foundation of her shooting skills began.
Leupold & Stevens, producer of riflescopes, spotting scopes, and laser rangefinders, offer an interesting two-part video showing the production process at Leupold’s Beaverton, Oregon manufacturing facility. Leupold is one of the world’s largest scope-makers. Each year, the Leupold factory machines over two million pounds of aluminum. Laid end to end, as extruded, this aluminum would stretch over 400 miles. That’s a lot of scopes. To see how Leupold produces its riflescopes, using high-tech machinery (as well as old-fashioned human craftsmen), watch the videos below.
Leupold Tour Part One
Leupold Tour Part Two
Leupold Issues Warning About Counterfeit MK4 Scopes
In related news, Leupold has issued a “customer alert” regarding counterfeit Leupold scopes illegally imported from the People’s Republic of China. These products bear many of the marks and trade dress of current Leupold riflescopes making them very hard to distinguish from authentic Leupold products.
Counterfeited Leupold Mark 4® riflescopes have begun to arrive with increasing regularity at Leupold’s headquarters for service. These products are not manufactured by Leupold and are not covered by the Leupold Full Lifetime Guarantee. Leupold employs serial number tracking for all its riflescopes, so if you have a suspect scope, call 1-800-LEUPOLD with the SN, and Leupold can immediately confirm whether the optic is genuine or not.
Most of the counterfeit scopes appear to originate from the People’s Republic of China, and have “Leupold Mark 4” laser engraved on the bottom of the turret in a silver etch, while the black ring on the objective is etched in white and does not include the name “Leupold.” The scopes also do not bear the Leupold medallion, a mark all Leupold scopes will always possess. An authentic Mark 4 riflescope will always be engraved black on black and have the name “Leupold” engraved on the black ring.
Here’s a cool Torx driver from Brownells that belongs in every shooter’s tool box. The Magna-Tip Tactical/LE Field Torx Kit features a driver with five (5) Torx bits to fit popular scope rings and bases. A storage compartment in the handle holds the bits when not in use. A built-in magnetic socket in the handle holds each bit securely in the shank. We think this is a great new product. When Eyeballing a Torx screw, it’s hard to tell which size bit is required, and the short, L-shaped Torx wrenches that come with ring sets get lost all too easily. The $17.99 Torx Driver Kit, (Brownells Item 080-000-757), will help shooters keep all their often-used Torx bits safely in one place.
Let’s say you’ve purchased a new scope, and the spec-sheet indicates it is calibrated for quarter-MOA clicks. One MOA is 1.047″ inches at 100 yards, so you figure that’s how far your point of impact (POI) will move with four clicks. Well, unfortunately, you may be wrong. You can’t necessarily rely on what the manufacturer says. Production tolerances being what they are, you should test your scope to determine how much movement it actually delivers with each click of the turret. It may move a quarter-MOA, or maybe a quarter-inch, or maybe something else entirely. (Likewise scopes advertised as having 1/8-MOA clicks may deliver more or less than 1 actual MOA for 8 clicks.)
Reader Lindy explains how to check your clicks: “First, make sure the rifle is not loaded. Take a 40″ or longer carpenter’s ruler, and put a very visible mark (such as the center of an orange Shoot’N’C dot), at 37.7 inches. (On mine, I placed two dots side by side every 5 inches, so I could quickly count the dots.) Mount the ruler vertically (zero at top) exactly 100 yards away, carefully measured.
Place the rifle in a good hold on sandbags or other rest. With your hundred-yard zero on the rifle, using max magnification, carefully aim your center crosshairs at the top of the ruler (zero end-point). Have an assistant crank on 36 (indicated) MOA (i.e. 144 clicks), being careful not to move the rifle. (You really do need a helper, it’s very difficult to keep the rifle motionless if you crank the knobs yourself.) With each click, the reticle will move a bit down toward the bottom of the ruler. Note where the center crosshairs rest when your helper is done clicking. If the scope is accurately calibrated, it should be right at that 37.7 inch mark. If not, record where 144 clicks puts you on the ruler, to figure out what your actual click value is. (Repeat this several times as necessary, to get a “rock-solid”, repeatable value.) You now know, for that scope, how much each click actually moves the reticle at 100 yards–and, of course, that will scale proportionally at longer distances. This optical method is better than shooting, because you don’t have the uncertainly associated with determining a group center.
Using this method, I discovered that my Leupold 6.5-20X50 M1 has click values that are calibrated in what I called ‘Shooter’s MOA’, rather than true MOA. That is to say, 4 clicks moved POI 1.000″, rather than 1.047″ (true MOA). That’s about a 5% error.
I’ve tested bunches of scopes, and lots have click values which are significantly off what the manufacturer has advertised. You can’t rely on printed specifications–each scope is different. Until you check your particular scope, you can’t be sure how much it really moves with each click.
I’ve found the true click value varies not only by manufacturer, but by model and individual unit. My Leupold 3.5-10 M3LR was dead on. So was my U.S.O. SN-3 with an H25 reticle, but other SN-3s have been off, and so is my Leupold 6.5-20X50M1. So, check ‘em all, is my policy.”
From the Expert: “…Very good and important article, especially from a ballistics point of view. If a ballistics program predicts 30 MOA of drop at 1000 yards for example, and you dial 30 MOA on your scope and hit high or low, it’s easy to begin questioning BCs, MVs, and everything else under the sun. In my experience, more than 50% of the time error in trajectory prediction at long range is actually scope adjustment error. For serious long range shooting, the test described in this article is a MUST!” — Bryan Litz, Applied Ballistics for Long-Range Shooting.
In our articles collection, you’ll find a story of interest to varminters and game hunters. Choosing And Using Modern Reticles, by author John Barsness, reviews the many “hold-over” reticle options currently available for hunting scopes. The latest “hunting hold-over” reticles, such as Leupold’s Varmint Hunter Reticle, offer both vertical marks (for hold-over) and horizontal bars or dots (for wind compensation). The idea is to allow the shooter to move quickly from one target distance to another, without having to dial elevation changes with his scope turrets. Likewise, the horizontal wind-hold markings give the shooter reference points for winds of specific velocities. That makes the process of “holding-off” for wind much more predictable.
In the Barsness article, which originally appeared in Varmint Hunter Magazine, the author traces the history of ranging/hold-over reticles starting with the Mildot reticle. Barsness explains how to use the mildot reticle, noting how it is best used with a First Focal Plane scope design.
First Focal Plane vs. Second Focal Plane Designs
If nothing else, you’ll want to read this article just to improve your understanding of First Focal Plane (FFP) vs. Second Focal Plane (SFP) optics operation. If you want to use the markings on a reticle to range at various magnification levels, then you want the FFP design, preferred by the military. If, on the other hand, you prefer the viewed appearance of your reticle to stay constant at all power levels, then you’ll probably prefer the SFP design.
Barsness explains how the modern “Christmas Tree” design reticles, such as the Zeiss Rapid Z, evolved, and he explains how to use these reticles to adjust your point of aim for different target distances. These hold-over reticles can be very handy, but you must remember that the yardages which correspond to the stepped vertical markings are determined by the ballistics of your cartridge. Thus, if you change your cartridge, or even change your load significantly, your hold-over yardage values will change. You will then need to field-test to find the actual value of the reticle’s hold-over points.
Even if you are not a hunter, you can benefit from reading the Barsness article. For anyone shopping for a varmint scope, the article is a “must-read”. And Barness clears up some common misconceptions about FFP vs. SFP optics. Barsness also offers good, common-sense advice. We agree with Barsness when he says that some reticle designs have become too complicated. Barsness writes:
These days there are reticles with everything from a few extra dots along the vertical cross hair to reticles that cover the bottom third of the scope’s field of view, providing an aiming point for every blade of grass in North Dakota. Here we run into the basic fact that simpler reticles are easier to use, if not quite so versatile.
Personally, I particularly like simple reticles in shorter-range varmint rifles, whether rimfires or small centerfires such as the 22 Hornet. These aren’t likely to be used at extended ranges, or in any significant amount of wind. Hence, something like the Burris Ballistic Plex reticle provides about all the information we can realistically use — the reason there are Burris Ballistic Plex scopes on most of my rimfire or small centerfire varmint rifles.
Jerry Schmidt, an avid shooter and hunter from Montana, has created a tool designed to help install single-dovetail or double-dovetail rings on hunting rifles. Jerry’s invention, the Scope-Tru Alignment Bar (patent pending), is unique. Unlike most other alignment systems, this is a single, long precision machined rod with a pointed forward end. You work on one ring at a time, first setting the front ring in the dovetail and then setting the rear ring. The process is shown by Jerry in the video below.
Jerry explains: “The Scope-Tru Alignment Bar is a tool designed to install both standard ring/mount systems, and dual dovetail ring/mount systems. The tool provides significant leverage to turn the dovetail rings into their bases. By observing the pointer on the end of the bar, it is easy to align the ring with the center of the barrel, thereby assuring that the ring is installed at 90 degrees to the axis of the bore. Because the bar is a one-piece tool, it is possible to get the rings into nearly perfect alignment with each other, and near perfect alignment with the bore axis.”
The photos above show how the tool is used to install and align a set of standard hunting rings (with rear windage adjustment). You start with the front ring, rotating it 90 degrees in the dovetail, and then align with the center of the barrel. Next, slide the tool rearwards and loosely set the rear ring in place. With both rings adjusted correctly, the alignment tool will be perfectly centered and both rings with be subsequently squared at 90° to the bore axis. Schmidt says he can install conventional rings with this tool, tighten them to spec on a rifle scope, and there will be virtually no marks on the scope tube. (Of course this would require that the rings are extremely well made with no burrs or highspots on the trailing and leading edges.)
The Scope-Tru Alignment Bar is CNC-machined from TGP bar stock, and will be offered in both 1 inch, and 30mm diameters. The durable bar is designed for regular, long-term use by the professional gunsmith, the home gunsmith or “gun crank”, and retail or wholesale sporting goods store staff. The 1″-diameter, all-steel Scope-Tru is can be purchased for $135.00 plus shipping and handling. The version for 30mm rings AND a new combo 1″/30mm Scope-Tru tool are both in final development, and could be available in the near future. To place an order for a 1″-diameter Scope-Tru, CLICK this LINK.
For more info, visit Parabola-LLC.com, phone (406) 586-1687, or email info [at] parabola-llc.com. CLICK HERE for a shorter video that shows the entire mounting process in a compressed time format.
Camera Land has announced a remarkable Combo Optics Sale on Minox Optics products. If you purchase a qualifying Minox rifle scope from Camera Land, you can get a Minox Binocular or Minox Monocular for just one penny more. Yes, that’s correct, add your choice of four Minox BF Binocular models or the MD 8×42 CWP Monocular for just $.01. That’s an awesome deal — consider that the Minox BF 10×42 binocular (by itself) sells for $150.00-$199.00 elsewhere. Note: Purchasers are limited to a single $0.01 Binocular or Monocular per new riflescope ordered.
New ZA 3 and ZA 5 Minox Scopes Are Good Buys
These are current production, quality scopes. The new Minox line of riflescopes is impressive, with German Schott glass, strong monotube construction, and a no-fault, lifetime warranty. Just last week we reviewed the new Minox ZA 5 6-30x56mm scope and concluded it offers an impressive set of features for the price. Retailing for $799.00 to $829.99 (depending on reticle) the 6-30X ZA 5 is an outstanding value for a high-magnification, side-focus, 30mm-tube scope with premium glass. The 6-30X ZA 5 is more than two hundred bucks cheaper than a Leupold VXIII 8-25x50mm LRT, yet the Minox offers more magnification, plus a true diopter eyepiece not found on the Leupold. The Minox scopes from Camera Land even come with a Scopecoat cover at no extra cost.
Camera Land reports very positive buyer feedback on the new Minox ZA-3 and ZA-5 riflescopes: “We’ve sold a ton of these. Buyers tell us they are impressed with the glass and the overall quality. These scopes hold zero, the controls are positive, the warranty is great. The Minox rifle scopes are an excellent value right now.”
How to Purchase Minox Scope with Companion Optic
NOTE: Not all binocular/monocular options for this promo are displayed on the Camera Land web site. To secure the companion binocular/monocular you want with your Minox rifle scope: 1) Call 212-753-5128 and speak with Doug or Neil, or 2) Purchase the scope you want, select the one binocular shown to be offered, and in the note area of the order type in “Minox Promotion” and list the binocular/monocular you prefer. To keep it simple, we recommend you just call Doug at 212-753-5128 and ask about the Minox “Penny Promo”. Please mention AccurateShooter.com. Doug can take your order or he can send you a Paypal invoice listing the Minox rifle scope the Binocular/Minocular of your choice.
Open Box Bargains on Minox Rifle Scopes
In addition to the 1 cent combo sale, Camera Land has some great “open box” bargains on Minox rifle scopes. Open Box #66030 ZA-5 4-20×50 Plex (#66030) have been discounted from $699.00 to only $449.99. Likewise Open Box ZA-5 3-15×42 Plex (#66020) have been discounted from $499.00 to $319.99. NOTE: All open box items may not be listed on the Camera Land website. Call 212-753-5128 and speak with Doug or Neil about these special discounted items.
Promo Tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
We know that many readers, particularly target shooters and long-range varmint hunters, are looking for a fairly high-magnification optic that is also affordable. A common question in our Shooters Forum is: “I can’t afford a Nightforce. Is there a quality scope with more than 25X magnification that costs under $900.00.” Fitting that bill are two scopes that have been on the market for a while — the Bushnell Elite 6500 4.5-30x50mm, and Sightron SIII 8-32x56mm. Now there’s a new optic from MINOX to add to the list of quality, high-magnification scopes that can be purchased for well under $1000.00.
Great Glass in 6-30x56mm MINOX
There is a new 6-30 power scope from Minox that offers impressive features at an affordable under-$900.00 price point. The Minox ZA 5 6-30x56mm SF riflescope offers a wide 500% zoom range, 30mm main tube, and outstanding Schott glass from Germany. These scopes are engineered in Germany and assembled in the USA. The Minox 6-30×56 offers a handy side-focus parallax control. What’s more, the Minox has a European-style diopter eyepiece, with a -2 to +1.5 range. That’s great for shooters who would otherwise require corrective lenses. Leupold and Bushnell don’t provide a diopter eyepiece — that’s something you normally find on high-end European scopes (such as Schmidt & Bender).
The Minox 6-30x56mm riflescope is offered with three reticle choices: MinoPlex (Medium Plex), BDC (bullet drop compensating), and XR-BDC which has finer lines in the central zone, with both vertical and horizontal stadia (hash-marks). We favor the XR-BDC for target use.
Minox offers a strong “no-fault” lifetime warranty on its scopes. The MINOX Lifetime Total Coverage Warranty “provides protection against manufacturing defects, functional failures, or any accidental damages to the covered product, including breakage, water damage, or any accident”. Put simply, “MINOX will repair or replace any damaged MINOX Riflescope with no questions asked.”
Features of Minox ZA 5/30 6-30×56 SF Riflescopes:
Side Focus Parallax Adjustment
Ample 4″ plus Eye Relief
Premium lenses by SCHOTT AG of Germany
Zero resettable 1/4 MOA Windage and elevation knobs
Fast-focus European-style diopter eyepiece (-2 to +1.5)
Minox M* multi-coated lenses for improved contrast, detail, and brightness
Leupold is now offering an $80.00 rebate on select VX-3 rifle scopes. The qualifying optics are: Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40mm (SKUs 59260, 66090, 66110) and Leupold VX-3 4.5-14x40mm (SKUs 59270, 66215, 66220, 66225). This offer is limited in time. The scope(s) must be purchased from August 2nd through September 30, 2012.
To get your $80 rebate, complete and return the Leupold Rebate Form with the original on-line or store sales receipt, plus original UPC bar code cut from the product packaging (originals only, copies not accepted). Mail these materials to: Leupold VX-3 Riflescope Promotion, Dept. # LS12-8710, P.O. Box 472, Scottsdale, AZ 85252-0472. CLICK HERE to download Leupold Rebate Form.
Mirage shields really do help you hit your targets more reliably. Novice shooters may wonder “Why does that guy have a venetian blind attached to his barrel?” Here’s why. As the barrel gets hot, the heat from the barrel rises up, cooking and distorting the air directly in front of the scope’s front lens. In essense, the rifle creates its own nasty visual mirage, right in the worst possible place. You can have a $4000.00 custom rifle and a $2500.00 scope but if the air in front of your scope is distorted, it can literally move your apparent point of aim on the target relative to your cross-hairs, causing you to miss the shot.
Kirsten Weiss of Cornwall, PA was the 2012 NRA Women’s National Champion at the NRA Smallbore 3-P Championships held at Camp Perry, OH. She won the 2012 3-P smallbore championship in only her second trip to Camp Perry. Her first came nine years ago.
Reader Lindy explains how to check your clicks: “First, make sure the rifle is not loaded. Take a 40″ or longer carpenter’s ruler, and put a very visible mark (such as the center of an orange Shoot’N’C dot), at 37.7 inches. (On mine, I placed two dots side by side every 5 inches, so I could quickly count the dots.) Mount the ruler vertically (zero at top) exactly 100 yards away, carefully measured.
In our articles collection, you’ll find a story of interest to varminters and game hunters. 
Great Glass in 6-30x56mm MINOX
Minox offers a strong “no-fault” lifetime warranty on its scopes. The MINOX Lifetime Total Coverage Warranty “provides protection against manufacturing defects, functional failures, or any accidental damages to the covered product, including breakage, water damage, or any accident”. Put simply, “MINOX will repair or replace any damaged MINOX Riflescope with no questions asked.”
Leupold is now offering an $80.00 rebate on select VX-3 rifle scopes. The qualifying optics are: Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40mm (SKUs 59260, 66090, 66110) and Leupold VX-3 4.5-14x40mm (SKUs 59270, 66215, 66220, 66225). This offer is limited in time. The scope(s) must be purchased from August 2nd through September 30, 2012.
