Over the past few weeks, I surveyed over 100 shooters who competed in this year’s Nightforce Extended Long Range Steel Challenge in Wyoming. I know a lot of you had questions about calibers, scopes and other gear guys were using, so I put together a survey, and the match director, Scott Satterlee, sent it to all the competitors. Over 100 shooters completed the survey, including 85% of the guys who finished in the top 25 overall. Thanks to all the guys who took the time to share. One of the fun things about the NF ELR match is it has ...
Read More »Nightforce ELR Steel Challenge
A few weeks ago, I attended one of my all-time favorite matches: the Nightforce ELR Steel Challenge hosted by Scott Satterlee in Wyoming. It was quite the experience, with targets ranging from 720 to 2,091 yards and sustained winds over 30 mph! A few competitors measured gusts up to 50 or even 60 mph! Believe it or not, you can still hit targets in those conditions – and some shooters hit first round with surprising consistency. This Wyoming ELR match is the only match like it anywhere in the country. Because it is so unique, it isn't affiliated with the PRS, NRL, or other series, which means many shooters may not be aware of it and that is why I wanted to share an after-action report about it with my readers.
Read More »Extreme Long Range Tips 4: The Less Technical Challenges
This is the last post in a series highlighting the major challenges related to extreme long range (ELR) shooting. Along the way I’ve shared a few tips and products to help you overcome those challenges. I grouped topics into a few categories, and here is what we’ve covered so far: Optics & Mounts – Accounting for an extreme amount of bullet drop Spotting Shots & Ranging – Seeing your bullet impact and getting an accurate range Ballistics & Time of Flight – Advanced/unique things that happen when a bullet stays in the air for a long time In this post, ...
Read More »Extreme Long Range Tips 1: Optics & Mounts
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 ...
Read More »What The Pros Use – King of 2 Miles Edition
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 ...
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