Practical Ways To Improve Your Long-Range Shooting On The Go

TARGET ACQUIRED: 900 YARDS.

D.O.P.E. CALCULATED: +6.4 MILS WIND: ZERO VALUE.

SHOOTING POSITION: PRONE IN THE STERN OF A TRAILERED FISHING BOAT.

I chambered the first round and let the 10-ounce trigger break. Impact. I cycled the bolt and watched the mirage pick up in my scope. With a new full-value wind reading I estimated a hold of .4 Mils and let the trigger break again. Impact. With the bolt cycled again, I watched the mirage build and dust start blowing downrange. Another new wind hold, I pushed to a full Mil hold. The trigger broke. Miss. Readjustment, again, with a 1.4-Mil hold. The trigger broke once more. Another miss.

This local match was my first try at competing in a precision shooting circuit. Put on by Western Precision Rifle, the organization set up their events with the idea that, while they love to compete, they really want everyone to be able to join in the fun of ringing some steel. What’s more, they design their courses of fire to simulate not only that of long-range precision shooting, but also precision-hunting scenarios where fast shots on small targets at moderate ranges are the norm.

Jared Miller helped found Western Precision Rifle and has coined the nickname Long Range Jesus amongst friends. He is a successful hunter and spends time on the range to better himself in the field—not to mention the countless hours he spends developing loads at his reloading bench. Miller would be my mentor for my first long-range shooting competition.

GUNS AND LOADS

Heading into the event, Miller lent me a rifle. Instead of shooting a hunting rifle and burning out the barrel, I would tote an Accuracy International AT-X chambered in 6mm BRX.This is a smooth shooting cartridge that is easy on the barrel and is inherently accurate. The rifle was topped with a Nightforce ATACR 4-16x42 FI. The scope offered accurate turret adjustments and the 16-power magnification was plenty for the long shots.

Miller reloads religiously, honing his loads for the highest performance possible. He loaded Sierra 107-grain bullets for me to shoot that were pushing a muzzle velocity of 2,900 fps. The high-BC bullets combined with a perfectly tuned powder charge had the AT-X shooting the best 100-yard groups I’ve ever been lucky enough to put on paper. I was beyond confident with the setup.

Pulling up to the range in Three Forks, Montana, at 7:30 a.m. I noticed shooters with thousands of dollars’ worth of range gear and rifles. They were clad in Stone Glacier, First Lite, Sitka, Kuiu, 5.11, and other hunting and tactical gear. It was intimidating to say the least, but I had signed up, paid my $50 entrance fee, borrowed a gun, and was there to ring steel and build my skills as a shooter and hunter.

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Throughout the day I made good shots and had some misses as well— which is par for the course. I didn’t expect to win that day. I was competing against myself, my own anxiety, and my novice skills.

BARRIERS TO ENTRY

For hunters and shooters who have never tested their skills at a long-range shooting competition, these events can be intimidating. But that is no reason to stay home on your couch. I found that everyone at the event was welcoming—they really are there to help you out and have fun.

Going into your first event, you should know that there are some monetary barriers. You will be spending money: Entry fees, fuel, guns, gear, and the increased costs of ammo. That said, none of these factors should turn you away from going to your first competition. See the sidebar for more information on gear for a day at the range.

At this event, shooting groups were split evenly between, A-, B-, and C-class shooters.The more experienced shooters were more than helpful teaching us new guys the way to operate. And, not surprisingly, they love to talk about their gear. These guys dedicate their lives to this sport, and they have all specialty items that make shooting easier—and willingly offer up their arsenal before you even think to ask.

If you choose to shoot your hunt- ing rifle in a high-powered cartridge, remember that you have a limited number of rounds sent through your barrel before it’s shot out and requires a new one. And in a competition, you're going to shoot a lot. If you can, contact folks at the match you plan to attend and ask about borrowing a rifle, or pick up an entry-level precision rifle—like those made by Ruger and Savage—chambered in a mellow round that won’t burn through a barrel in a single season. These entry-level guns still aren’t cheap, but they allow you to get a soft-shooting cartridge on a platform that is designed for accuracy— and just because they’re entry level doesn’t mean they aren’t one of the most accurate rifles you’ll ever shoot.

Miller offered a piece of advice that helped me greatly before I jumped into my own match: Be a Range Officer (RO) at a match before you attempt shooting one yourself. As an RO at a previous match, I explained the course of fire to the shooters, ran the timer, and got a feel for the layout of a match. When it came time for me to compete, I was more prepared due to my previous engagement as a RO.

COURSE OF FIRE

I shot my first match as an unclassified shooter, but they have A, B, and C classes that compete in separate divisions, and a winner is designated in each shooting class. As you probably guessed, the most experienced shooters compete in the A class, while newer shooters and those who are just trying to hone their trigger skills compete in either the B or C classes. To be qualified in the A class, you need to shoot 80 percent of the match winner’s score; B class shoots between 55 percent and 80 percent of that score; C class shoots less than 55 percent of that overall score. Shooting two consecutive matches above the designated percentage will land you in a new competing bracket.

Scoring is easy: hit or miss, it’s that simple. Lead impacts steel, you get a point. If you hit the dirt, well, no points are given, and you just wasted a few bucks on your finely tuned and reloaded cartridge. Throughout the day, you take 85 shots. 85 opportunities to land a hit. There are usually between, 9 and 10 shots per stage. Pretty easy, right? Wrong! The winner of this particular match landed 80 hits, making that the 100-percent score for that competition. Your score is the percentage of hits you land in comparison to the winner of the match. I landed 50 hits which earned me a score of 62—another competition with a score like this or higher, and I’ll be competing in B class.

The stages include different shoot- ing positions, angles, distances, D.O.P.E. calls, and the wind is always changing. If you think you’re a decent shooter, try a match; you’ll rethink your bench-rest skills quick.

Upon arriving at the event, each registered shooter receives a packet that details each stage. The stage layouts include targets, where the shooter must fire from, and how many shots are fired on each target at a time.

For example, the description of Stage One read: “Start mag in with bolt back on concrete pad. Shooter must build a position to support the rifle using at least 1 item from the left side of the bay, on the clock. Shooter will alternate between target O and target C: 3 shots O, 2 shots C, 3 shots O, 2 shots C.”

The rest of the layout goes on to say that bipods were not allowed in this stage, and target O rested at 193 yards while target C was at 348 yards. Yes, you are also on the clock. A-class shooters perform this course of fire in two minutes, B-class shooters in two and a half minutes, and C-class shooters in three minutes. If you time-out before shooting at all the targets, the remaining shots are counted as misses, no points are given.

My position build for this stage included three old tires, a janky plywood box, and a rear bag for support. I landed six out of the ten shots and was amazed that I hit any of them. I quickly learned that I would have to settle into this unfamiliar environment quick, or I’d be going home disappointed in my performance. I needed to adapt and build stable shoot- ing positions while contorting my body in unnatural ways.

BUILDING POSITIONS

Building positions refers to making a stable shooting platform in the designated time and in the area required to shoot from. These events are far from laying prone and pulling the trigger. I studied the seasoned competitors who knew how to build steady positions in any scenario. After watching their actions, I was able to understand how to make my setup more stable when it came my turn to shoot.

That first stage was disheartening. I did a terrible job building my position. My body needed to be manipulated in uncomfortable ways to see the targets and the butt of my rifle was never supported—a rookie mistake. Even though I had every intention of making a solid position, I failed miserably, and I rushed myself because of the stress of being on the clock.

At the next stage, I made corrections and found a way to stabilize the rifle. When my turn came to shoot, I found that I could build a position with my nondominant knee up as a support for my shooting elbow and a range bag— supported by my front hand—on the slanted log the stage required us to shoot from. I landed 7 out of 9 shots and my confidence was building.

Any piece of gear brought to the event—if it wasn’t restricted by the stage rules—could be used to help build a position. This includes, bipods, tripods, range bags, backpacks, and whatever else you can think of.

The most interesting position that I made was with the use of a tripod for a rear support. In a standing or kneel- ing position, pull the tripod close to the center of your body. Wrap your shooting arm around one leg and place the butt of the rifle, supported by your off hand, against the tripod. With a solid front rest on the PRS barricade, the use of a tripod as a rear support allowed to for a relatively comfortable shot from a usually unstable position.

FROM SHOOTING TO HUNTING

Many hunters think that going to the range and zeroing their rifle at 100 yards makes them ready to hit the field. And, in many cases, that’s all you need to do. But it is important to understand the limitations of your abilities at that point. If you are a Western hunter that expects to be able to shoot a buck, bear, or bull across a canyon, you need to be able to make accurate shots at distance—plus you need to understand the effects of wind on your bullet.

A precision-shooting course will help you learn the way you, and your rifle, perform at distance and make you a better shot. Putting those fundamentals to use in a competition will help you better yourself under pressure and, in turn, a hunting scenario. Every steel plate I shot at in the competition I envisioned as a game animal. A glance of the edge of the plate—while that was still enough to earn me points—was not an ideal hit for me. I made sure to make all my shots count.

Learning how to build stable shooting positions will pay dividends on a hunt. Like with the targets, I pictured every stage as a hunting scenario. Shooting off a tank trap reminded me of a shot I took on a deer this past season where I was hunched over a poor front rest with a free-floating shooting arm—at 200 yards I put the bullet in the sweet spot, but it took an incredible amount of focus. From a squatted kneeling position, I put my nondominant knee up as a support for my shooting arm and used counter pressure to secure the range bag and rifle’s forend to the slanted trap leg. The stage felt easy as compared to the rest and the shots were effortless. Instead of focusing on balance, I was able to focus solely on my crosshairs and the target.

I have already used what I have learned from this competition in the field. Little things that help you build support for your rifle will make you a more competent and ethical hunter. Whether you shoot at 100 yards or 700 yards, knowing how to operate your rifle under duress, understanding holdover and wind, and building a competent position will benefit you come hunting season.