I recently surveyed the top 100+ shooters in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS), and this post reviews the scopes those guys are running this year. For those of you who may not be familiar with the PRS, it’s an organization that tracks how top competitors place in major rifle matches across the country. PRS matches are tactical/practical long-range rifle matches shot in the field conditions. Typical ranges for steel targets are from 300 to 1200 yards, and they are engaged from prone and improvised positions, often under extreme time pressure. It is one of the fastest growing shooting sports, and ...

I recently surveyed the top 100+ shooters in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS), and this post reviews the calibers and cartridges those guys are running this year. For those of you who may not be familiar with the PRS, it’s an organization that tracks how top competitors place in major rifle matches across the country. PRS matches are tactical/practical long-range rifle matches shot in the field conditions. Typical ranges for steel targets are from 300 to 1200 yards, and they are engaged from prone and improvised positions, often under extreme time pressure. It is one of the fastest growing shooting ...

This past weekend was the finale match for the 2016 Precision Rifle Series (PRS). The highest ranked shooters from across the country converged at the FTW Ranch near Barksdale, Texas for the annual invitation-only, head-to-head match. Several participants said it was a very tough match, but I guess that’s what you need to challenge 130 world-class shooters. I thought some of you guys might like to check out the match book from that event. It details all the stages, target sizes and distances, and time constraints for the match. But, if you only looked at the match book, it’d be ...

Here is the tentative schedule for the upcoming 2017 Precision Rifle Series (PRS) point race events. Some of these details were posted on Facebook a few weeks ago, but the link expired … and the match details haven’t all been uploaded on PrecisionRifleSeries.com yet. So I ask Shawn Wiseman, the PRS Director, for the latest list, because I wanted to pencil in a few dates on my calendar. I’m sure they’ll have all the event details uploaded on this PRS website very soon, but I thought a few of you guys might appreciate having this for reference. The 2017 schedule shows ...

I’ve learned I simply can’t watch most TV shows involving rifles. Ignorant commentary and reckless misinformation grinds my soul, and usually culminates in someone yelling at the TV. My wife can attest. It can get ugly. Long Range Pursuit, a TV show on the Sportsman Channel, is one of the few outdoor shows that make it to my DVR. It’s hosted by Aaron Davidson and the crew from his company, Gunwerks, which specializes in custom long-range rifles and gear for hunters. Those guys seem to know what they’re talking about. They’re able to take ethical long range shots on trophy ...

Last year, I decided my focus in 2016 would be on training. I wanted to be strategic with the time I spend on this hobby, and thought training could help me more long-term than scattering my focus in a few directions, shooting random matches, and learning things the hard way. By training, I meant that I wanted to not only fire more rounds at the range practicing, but I also wanted to get professional instruction on long-range shooting. “There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them ...

Why don’t more people use gas guns in the precision rifle world? I get asked that question a lot. Many military snipers use semi-automatic rifles for long-range work, but there isn’t a single shooter among the top 100 competitors in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) using a semi-automatic rifle. Why not? Even though speed, maneuverability, and recoil management are huge parts to that game, the best shooters are all running bolt-action rifles. Some believe that is because AR’s can’t achieve the same precision as bolt guns, so the goal of this test was to quantify the precision difference between a couple of high-end ...

I normally don’t promote specific matches, but there is one coming up that is a benefit for a friend of mine, Jonathan Rubio. Jonathan is a gunsmith at West Texas Ordnance, the company who built my first precision rifle. He has competed in a few PRS matches, so some of you may have met him. He’s a friendly guy, who is always willing to help other shooters. Jonathan survived a terrible car wreck back in January, and this match is intended to help him with the pile of medical bills he accumulated through that ordeal. Here’s all the details about the match: ...

The goal of this field test was to quantify the temperature stability of the popular Hodgdon H4350 and Varget powders and compare those to IMR’s new Enduron line of powders. To do this we carefully measured muzzle velocities of meticulously loaded ammo over a huge range of temperatures. This test was conducted by Patrick Middlebrook. Patrick is passionate about the art of precision rifles. He’s a great shooter who has competed in numerous local matches, and several national PRS matches. He is also a 5-star handloader. I’ve learned a ton from him! Patrick has become a good friend of mine (Cal, ...

Lots of people have asked what I’ve been working on, and I’m excited to finally be able to tell you guys about a huge project I’ve invested a ton of time in over the past several months. Last year, Bryan Litz and team over at Applied Ballistics ask if I’d be interested in contributing to Volume 2 of their Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting series. I have immense respect for the work those guys have done and the huge impact they’ve had on me and the rest of the shooting community, so I was honored to even be asked. ...