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 »Bullet Jump Research: Executive Summary & Load Development Tips
This is the last post in a series of articles focused on bullet jump research that has been conducted more than two years by Mark Gordon of Short Action Customs (Who is Mark Gordon?). In this post, I’ll provide an executive summary of what we covered and provide a few tips for how to apply this new knowledge in our load development. The first article provided a comprehensive overview of what 10+ of the most respected books and reloading manuals had to see about bullet jump and laid the foundation of what bullet jump is, along with other concepts like ...
Read More »Bullet Jump: Is Less Always Better?
This landmark article shares new, primary research that Mark Gordon from Short Action Customs has compiled over the past 2 years. He tested a wide range of bullet jumps in several rifle/load configurations, and this post shares the analysis of that data. Mark used a similar approach to the Audette Ladder Test and OCW method, but the goal was to not find the most forgiving powder charge weight, but the most forgiving bullet jump. He wasn’t looking for the specific bullet jump that grouped the best, but the largest window of bullet jumps that provided a similar point of impact. That means the rifle would be more consistent from the start of the match to the end of it or could shoot a particular kind of match-grade factory ammo really well for a longer period of time. Mark’s findings may seem counter to conventional wisdom when it comes to bullet jump, but a few national-level precision rifle competitors also support the idea, which I highlight in this post as well.
Read More »6 & 6.5 Creedmoor Load Data – What The Pros Use
This article contains detailed reloading data for the 6mm Creedmoor and 6.5 Creedmoor based on a survey of over 150 of the top-ranked precision rifle competitors. See what the best long range shooters in the country are reloading in their match ammo!
Read More »Advice From Top PRS Shooters
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 ...
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