PrecisionRifleBlog.com A DATA-DRIVEN Approach to Precision Rifles, Optics & Gear

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. ...

A few months ago, I introduced Flat Line Bullets (view post) designed by Josh Kunz and made by the Warner Tool Company (WTC). These new monolithic, lathe-turned bullets claimed some crazy-high Ballistic Coefficients (BC). BC defines how efficiently a bullet is able to cut through air and retain its velocity down-range. If you’ve been shooting long-range for any length of time, you know BC is one of the most important performance metrics for a bullet … and you’re also well-aware of how common it is for manufacturers to bloat the BC numbers they advertise. So everyone was anxious to know, are ...

Very few rifles have received the hype and fanfare like the Ruger Precision Rifle. With an MSRP of $1399, we all want to believe in a budget precision rifle that is match-ready out of the box… but does it deliver? This post tries to give you an honest and straight-forward review of what we experienced out of the box. Guest Author & the Best Christmas Gift Ever Recently a close friend asked me to help surprise her husband with a rifle for Christmas. She had heard him mention one rifle in particular, and asked if I recognized what kind it ...