What The Pros Use

Back by popular demand: Welcome to What The Pros Use 2018 Edition! I recently surveyed the top ranked precision rifle shooters in the country to learn what gear they’re currently running in long range rifle matches. I’ll be publishing the results over the next several posts. I’ve done this for a few years, although I skipped last year. This year there will be a few new, exciting twists! Results for PRS & NRL First, I surveyed the best shooters in both the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) and the National Rifle League (NRL), so it’s based on an even larger, more widespread ...

Earlier this week I traveled to watch the King of 2 Miles rifle competition (Ko2M) at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. It’s one of the few matches where great shooters from across the country gather to push the limits of what is possible with small arms as they engage targets out to 2 miles (3,520 yards). It was interesting to see what the top shooters were using in terms of equipment and gear, and I’ll share a summary of that in this post. In subsequent posts, I’ll go into more detail on some of the issues these ...

Earlier this year, I asked the highest ranked shooters in the Precision Rifle Series a simple question: If you could just give one piece of advice to a new shooter wanting to get into this sport, what would that be? Their answers are packed with hard-earned wisdom. I personally learned a lot, and this advice has changed my approach and how I practice. I’ve shared a few of these quotes in previous posts, but I just wanted to share the full list with all my readers, because it is so helpful. Although these guys each completed the survey individually, it’s ...

New precision rifle matches seem to be popping up everywhere. Several years ago, there were only a handful of major precision rifle competitions in a given year, and now we have options in every corner of the country a couple of times a month. Each match is unique, with varying courses of fire, distances, format, etc. With the number of matches growing so quickly, I wanted to ask a large group who shoot lots of matches to see what their favorite was. So earlier this year, I surveyed the top 100 shooters in the Precision Rifle Series and asked them. ...

I recently surveyed the top 100+ shooters in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS), and this post reviews the actions those guys were running on their custom rifles. For those not familiar with the PRS, it’s an organization that tracks how 2,000+ 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 has attracted some ...

I recently surveyed the top 100+ shooters in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS), and this post reviews the gunsmiths those guys trusted to do work on their match rifles. For those not familiar with the PRS, it’s an organization that tracks how 2,000+ 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 has ...

I’ve been really looking forward to this post, because there has been so much advancement in how we use stocks and chassis over the past year. More has changed on this front than any other. So I’m excited to dive into some of that in this post! I recently surveyed the top 100+ shooters in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS), and this post reviews the stocks and chassis those guys are running this year. For those not familiar with the PRS, it’s an organization that tracks how 2,000+ competitors place in major rifle matches across the country. PRS matches are ...

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 ...