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

As long-range shooters, we tend to obsess over every little detail. After all, we’re trying to hit relatively small targets that are so far you may not even be able to see with the naked eye. While you might can get away with minor mistakes and still ring steel at short and medium ranges, as you extend the range those small mistakes or tiny inconsistencies are magnified. So, most things are important … but to differing degrees. There are so many variables that it’s easy to get lost, and most of us end up doing our best to spread our ...

As long-range shooters, we tend to obsess over every little detail. We think everything is important! After all, we’re trying to hit relatively small targets that are so far you may not even be able to see them with the naked eye. While you can get away with a lot of minor mistakes and still ring steel at short and medium ranges, as you extend the range small mistakes or tiny inconsistencies are magnified. So, most things are important … but to differing degrees. So if we have a limited amount of time and money, where would we get the ...

I regularly get asked by friends, family, and readers for rifle and cartridge recommendations. The answer depends on many factors, but it’s happened so frequently that it caused me to create a structured process to help someone narrow it down to a few great options. We tend to focus on the rifle first, but many under-estimate the role ammunition plays in consistent hits at long-range. So I start by picking the ammo first. Recently, I saw a video featuring Army Sniper Jim Gilliland, and he suggests the same approach. Most precision rifle shooters handload their own ammo. Mic McPherson tells ...

ThunderBeast has been the most popular rifle suppressor among the top 50 shooters in the Precision Rifle Series for the past 3 years in a row (see the data). In fact, of the shooters who suppressed their rifles, 1 in 3 chose a ThunderBeast can this past year. Thunder Beast Arms Corporation (TBAC) was founded and is ran by practical/tactical rifle competitors obsessed with long-range accuracy. Many believe they make the best precision rifle suppressors money can buy. A couple weeks ago at SHOW Show, Zak Smith showed me their new and improved line of products. They’ve completely redesigned their line of 30 ...

Ted Karagias of American Rifle Company (ARC) wowed us last year, with his fresh and innovative complete rifle system and an action, earning the title of Most Innovative Product of SHOT Show 2014. Now his Mausingfield Action has officially made it into production, and is available to the public. It received a lot of attention at SHOT Show 2015. A few weeks ago, Ted sent me action serial #00001 to test, and I used it to fire hundreds of rounds of Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor Match Ammo. Here is a quick video that highlights some of the features of ARC’s Mausingfield Action, and ...

With the release of Clint Eastwood’s movie, American Sniper, this weekend, I thought it might be fitting to look at the favorite rifles of the American hero, Chris Kyle. In his autobiography, Kyle said people ask a lot about the weapons he used as a sniper, so he talked some in the book about the specific rifles he used. Kyle described the wide range of weapons and rifle systems he used in different situations, but I wanted to focus on the few he said were his favorite sniper rifles. So, I went back and re-read his book, and scoured the ...

This post reviews the rifle slings the best precision rifle shooters are using. This data is based on a survey of the top 50 shooters in the 2014 Precision Rifle Series (PRS). The PRS tracks how top competitors place in major rifle matches across the country. These are the major leagues of sniper-style competitions, with targets typically in the 300-1000 yard range. For more info on the Precision Rifle Series and who these guys are, or to view the data for other pieces of gear scroll to the bottom of this article. Rifle Sling The chart below illustrates the rifle slings that ...

This post reviews the bipods the best precision rifle shooters are using. This data is based on a survey of the top 50 shooters in the 2014 Precision Rifle Series (PRS). The PRS tracks how top competitors place in major rifle matches across the country. These are the major leagues of sniper-style competitions, with targets typically in the 300-1000 yard range. For more info on the Precision Rifle Series and who these guys are, or to view the data for other pieces of gear scroll to the bottom of this article. Bipod Although we’ve been surveying the top shooters in ...

This post reviews the shooting bags the best precision rifle shooters were using in 2014. These products are referred to by a lot of different names, including shooting rests, rifle bag, field bag, rear bag, sniper bean bag, sniper sock, stock sock, squeeze bag, and others. There has been an explosion of different shooting bag designs over the past couple years, and this post is about the most popular options for precision riflemen. This data is based on a survey of the top 50 shooters in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS). The PRS tracks how top competitors place in major ...

Alright, let’s get back to the PRS data. This post reviews the rifles suppressors and muzzle brakes the best precision rifle shooters were using in 2014. The data is based on a survey of the top 50 shooters in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS). The PRS tracks how top competitors place in major rifle matches across the country. These are the major leagues of sniper-style competitions, with targets typically in the 300-1000 yard range. This is the 3rd year we’ve collected this data. For more info on the Precision Rifle Series and who these guys are scroll to the bottom ...