In this issue: Bosnian National Shooting Team Assistance SAM training system Re: Mirage Re: Mirage Re: Mirage Taking picture requests for Atlanta WC ******************************************************************** [Editor - I'm hoping this isn't a scam of sorts though I suspect not. If you wish to donate, please contact Major White directly at JRWCameron@aol.com ] Dear Friend, I am Major Jeff White, of the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and a competitive pistol shooter (and NRA member) since my four years on the West Point Pistol Team 1981-85 (where I earned three varsity letters, was invited to try out for the 1984 Olympic team). I have just returned from Bosnia where I met some competitive shooters who are struggling. They are trying to get to the World Cup competition in Atlanta, and are seeking sponsorship to the tune of a final $4,000 that they need to help with fees and transportation. I met them through one shooter's sister who works for our NATO Peacekeeping Information Campaign (PSYOP) Task Force headquartered there in Sarajevo. Let me tell you a little more about the guys. They are five serious shooters who learned before the war about competitive marksmanship in an Olympic shooting club environment. Before the war started, they were hopeful to compete as Yugoslavs (you know the reputation of Yugo shooters), but those hopes were dashed as that state dissolved, and nationalists attacked cities within Bosnia-Herzegovina. One of the shooters, my friend's brother, endured a special personal ordeal as he was ordered by the beleaguered defenders of Sarajevo - under siege for three and a half years, with only small arms to defend it - to use his pistol skills in "special applications." Through imagination and sacrifice, his family at long last found him a place instructing pistol marksmanship for the Army, rather than using it in the streets, applying his skill directly. As a soldier and a father, I have to say, I understand his families concern, and would have done the same. As you may be able to imagine, there has been a lot of tragedy in Sarajevo, very much NOT in the spirit of the Olympic games which were held there in 1984. I don't know what you may know about the siege of Sarajevo, but I have seen the neighborhoods these people live in still, and the devastation is horrible. One little-appreciated fact is this: the city of Sarajevo when it was attacked, was a multicultural, multiethnic cosmopolitan city of all faiths. The defenders were originally of all faiths (these shooters are not all Muslim - I didn't ask exactly what religions they are, but I am certain that one is not a Muslim). Of course, during the war, and even now, there was/is a lot of pressure to pick a side based on ethnicity, which these particular kids resist to this day. The future of cooperation and tolerance in places like Bosnia depends on strengthening these cross-cultural links and extending a hand to friendly competitors -- that is a great sportsmanlike and peaceful endeavor, I think. As a former peacekeeper in the region, I certainly endorse it. Now, things are better. The guys have begun again trying to do what they love to do, to shoot competitively officially representing the sovereign state of Bosnia-Herzegovina. You and I both understand this to be a serious sport, mentally challenging, and personally very satisfying. But funds are hard to come by in postwar Bosnia right now, and official channels which have been of such great assistance to every sort of humanitarian enterprise frown on competitive marksmanship -- too many people equate the skill of marksmanship with its wanton or criminal use. Basically, "Sniper Alley" took its toll, not only on the lives of so many shooting victims (this shooter's sister, my friend, being one of them -- shot in the leg), but also on people's views toward marksmanship in general. What a pity. As a competitive shooter myself, I think it would be a shame for a few dollars and some oversimplified negative attitudes about shooting to keep these highly dedicated shooters (who are really great people, and have been through a lot) out of the Olympics in Australia. I understand lack of World Cup qualification would prevent their entry? Also, no real competitor wants to beat a field of shooters where good competitors couldn't make the match because they couldn't raise the last bit of money. And all amateur athletes know about the difficulties of raising money, eh? Can you help me by forwarding this message to anyone you know who might be able help? I am trying to find addresses, or anyone else who might be able to kick in a few bucks. I have just started this, and am way behind the power curve. We haven't formed an account or anything. I mean, this is literally my first day to work on this. So please expedite your response, if you can. I would really appreciate any ideas you may have and may forward to me. I need to really get busy today! Thanks Jeff White Major, US Army Competitive Shooter JRWCameron@aol.com 6th PSYOP Battalion (Airborne) Fort Bragg, North Carolina ****************************************************************** Has anyone heard of or have any experiance with the new training system called SAM. -- Lots of 10's, H/P/A Gerow 1995, 1997 Canadian U.I.T. Prone Champion Shooting for Gold in Winnipeg Pan Am. '99, and Sydney 2000! ****************************************************************** Hi, Mirage help can be found on Jim Owen's "Reading the Wind" video or his book/pamphlet which is usually advertised in Shooting Sports USA and is offered in some of the catalogs. Mirage is a VERY good thing to observe closely. Sincerely, Floyd Houston ****************************************************************** Regarding seeing mirage with a scope, the theory is that one should focus the scope slightly in front of the target face (i.e., at about 48/49 meters or 96/98 yards). The shooter will be able to see the mirage as it distorts the scoring rings of the bull. The mirage will appear to be "running," left or right, depending on the wind direction. When there is no wind, the mirage is said to "boil." That is the theory, at least, and I'm sure that it is better explained in any number of books. For what it is worth, here is my experience. While I can see the mirage with a scope, and use it when I'm shooting with telescopic sights, I find it almost impossible to get useful information from my spotting scope when firing with iron sights on a UIT course unless I'm shooting really fast, trying to get shots downrange before conditions change. I have found that this *usually* doesn't work so well. I tend to follow the wind by watching the range flags, grass and trees, particularly the ones closest to the firing line. When it is warm enough, I wear shorts instead of slacks, so I can feel the wind on my legs. (Wear sunscreen if you are not under cover!) Mirage will also change the vertical displacement of your shots as the ground heats unevenly. Be aware that this will happen if you are shooting in variable cloud cover, and don't be afraid to make sight changes if you realize that the sun has been shining brightly for some minutes. This is particularly true if you are shooting over sand. Finally, it is impossible to overemphasize the value of experience and "home field advantage." The shooters who practice on any particular range know how that range behaves in every kind of condition, and will almost always give you good advice. Good luck! Tom ****************************************************************** Mirage, My findings - so far! You are right that one tends to forget to ask at the time and consequently pays the price for not delving into all those differing ideas at the one place. Seeing mirage is half the battle! Seeing the value of the fall of shot is secondary to seeing the direction and magnitude of the mirage. The bigger the scope the more mirage you see. Focus inside the 50m such that you can still see where the shot went on the target but it is a little blurred. What this is doing is focusing the 'air' between you and the target. You can still see the hole in target and tell whether it is somewhere in the middle. Multi shot targets can be a little bit of a problem here though. Using the target black as a reference watch for the edge of the black 'shaking' or 'shimmering'. Which edge indicates the way the air is drifting. The edge which shimmers is the 'down wind' edge. The upwind edge tends to be smoother and the shimmering is hidden by the target black. The top edge will shimmer when it is 'boiling'. Boiling is when there is mirage (usually plenty!) and it is calm with no drift. If there is distance behind the target, ie the target is half way down a 100m range for instance, then one can focus on the target OK and use the mass of air between you and the 100m to get a handle on the mirage. By looking past the target you can see the air itself seeming to drift in the direction of the mirage. Effect of mirage on fall of shot. The mirage tends to move the image of the target in the direction of the drift. The consequence is that if you fire on the image the fall of shot will move in the same direction. If it is boiling - somewhere upwards (more on this later). If the drift is towards the left slightly(!) then the shot will fall 10 to 11 o'clockish. Likewise to the right 1 to 2 o'clockish. When the mirage is drifting things are going on that someone without a scope can't see. The flags almost certainly won't be moving. If you watch the mirage building up from calm the mirage moves long before you see any flag movement. It is extremely sensitive to detecting air drift. You can see that if you just watched the flag and assumed there was no 'wind' then the drift alone can move the shot to both sides of the bull and upwards. As the drift builds up to a breeze and the flags start to move then there is a point where the mirage tends to move more horizontally. I then begin to use the flags as the indicator. Shooters I have talked to who have shot for a while tend to wait for the mirage to be 'blown away' to shoot. That is all well and good for a breezy country like New Zealand but it sure as hell doesn't work for continental and hot climates. The breeze just does not get up. Remember, between the slow drift and a breeze the mirage is moving upwards towards the left or right. The consequence is that for a L to R breeze the 10 -4 wind drift tends to be nullified by the slightly raised mirage image. For the R to L breeze the 10-4 wind drift is accentuated. That is the bullet rise from the wind drift is added to the mirage image lift. Thus the shot seems to go further out. If there is preferential mirage to shoot on then it has to be L to R. A little bit of windage sideways is all that is required. Now the 'calm' mirage. The sensitivity of the mirage to the slightest drift can have a frustrating effect on your shooting. The slightest change in direction of the drift can send the shot upwards and seemingly randomly left or right for no apparent reason. In times of boiling mirage one needs to get well in tune with the cycle of drifting so that you can anticipate when your picked sight picture is coming on and which direction the slight drift is going. One trick to see the effect of mirage is to mount a telescopic sight with crosshairs and aim it at a target in the early morning when no mirage is present. Then watch as it comes in. The distance the target appears to move can be frightening to watch sometimes. But the effects and directions of the mirage can be seen easily. Ross Mason ****************************************************************** I will be spectating at the Atlanta WC during all competitions. If anyone has any requests for pictures, let me know and I'll do the best I can to get them. I will post them on my pages as I did for the Olympics though I expect there will be many more since I should be able to get much closer. If those Bosnian pistol shooters make it there, I'll be sure to get them so you can see who you helped. Michael Ray - Editor ****************************************************************** End of UIT Mailing List #22 Michael Ray - Systems Engineer Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. Rifle Coach UIT Shooting Page - http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/1190/index.htm