Optics

In the world of long-range precision shooting, the right scope can make all the difference. There have been DRAMATIC shifts in what scopes are most popular among the top PRS shooters over the past 5 years – more than any other piece of gear! In fact, the brands that now lead the pack were towards the bottom of the list last time I surveyed the pros. Curious about the specific models and reticles they trust? Dive into the surprising trends and find out why these optics make all the difference.

This article shows what scopes and scope mounts/rings the competitive rifle shooters were running at this year’s Nightforce ELR Steel Challenge in Casper, Wyoming. That is a one-of-a-kind, 2-day, flagship match with 20+ stages featuring targets from 720 to 2,091 yards. The average target distance is year was 1,180 yards, with 70% of the targets beyond 1,000 yards! When you’re reaching out to that kind of distance your scope and mount must be rock-solid! This article is based on a survey of 100+ competitors and shares what brands and models these guys trusted to make first-round hits.

This week at SHOT Show, Leica is announcing a new precision rifle scope that features the PRB reticle I helped them design. I’ve had to keep this quiet for over a year, so I’m excited to finally be able to share all the details!

The Trijicon Ventus is the first commercially available laser wind sensor designed to help long-range shooters make better wind calls and get rounds on targets. This article covers the details Trijicon has released so far, and reviews related research and insight from the world's leading experts in this area.

This article covers the rangefinders the top precision rifle shooters in the country carry in long-range competitions. This is the first year I’ve asked about rangefinders, so it was exciting to see which brands these experts trust to give them an accurate target distances. The data is based on a recent survey I conducted of the top-ranked shooters across the country in both the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) and National Rifle League (NRL). (Learn more about the PRS & NRL). This is a very unique data set, because it includes a wide sample size (170+ shooters) who also represent the ...

Over the past few months, I’ve been testing several high-end pocket laser rangefinders, like the new Vectronix Terrapin X and Leica Rangemaster CRF 2800.COM, alongside other popular, top-of-the-line models in the $1,000+ price range. I used all of them extensively, and took them out to the field to test their ranging performance side-by-side. This post summarizes those results and other noteworthy points about features on each one. An accurate rangefinder is one of the most critical pieces of gear for long-range shooting. A few years ago, I wrote a post that quantifies how much range uncertainty can impact hit probability. ...

I recently surveyed the top ranked shooters in both the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) and the National Rifle League (NRL) to learn what gear they’re running in long range rifle matches. (Learn about the PRS & NRL.) This group of over 150 competitors represent the best precision rifle shooters in the country. This post focuses on the optics these guys ran, along with some advice they gave related to long range scopes. Most Popular Scope Brands Lots has changed since the last time I published info on what scopes these guys run. In 2012, 2013, and 2014 Schmidt and Bender ...

When shooting targets at extreme distances (like 2000+ yards), you’ll quickly uncover some new obstacles. A few factors that could be safely ignored inside of 1000 yards become critical to getting rounds on target. You’ll also be faced with new equipment challenges that may not be obvious. As your bullet’s time of flight extends up 3 seconds, and possibly even up to 6+ seconds, priorities shift. You could say everything is important, but to differing degrees. In the last post, I focused on two big issues related to optics, and highlighted several new products designed to help you overcome those ...

When shooting targets at extreme distances (like 2000+ yards), you’ll quickly uncover some new obstacles. A few factors that could be safely ignored inside of 1000 yards become critical to getting rounds on target. You’ll face new equipment challenges that may not be obvious at first glance. As your bullet’s time of flight extends up 3 seconds, and possibly even up to 6+ seconds, priorities shift. Everything is important, but to differing degrees. In this post, I’ll start by focusing issues you’ll face surrounding optics. That certainly isn’t the biggest challenge when it comes to ELR, but there are some ...

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 ...