Long range: how to get all-ready ready already.

A lot of rifle owners, as well as folks who don’t own a rifle yet, ask what they need to get started in long range shooting. Looking past particular styles I am taking the 30,000’ view on the general equipment youre gonna want to have to get going. Plenty of opinions exist out there and this is mine. Lets send this!

In a nutshell, hitting a target at distance requires a few elements: consistency, accuracy, and precision. The best opportunities come from having all of these in place. Yes, you can get away with having less sometimes, but I like the idea of reliable and consistent hits and knowing how to do that wherever and whenever. To have a platform of equipment capable of providing you the base from which to perform the best, heres my “short list”.

The Rifle.

Precision shooting requires a rifle. The rifle itself is the foundation of accuracy and a solid starting point for a baseline. To achieve the best baseline for performance a shooter will want to make sure the following items are squared away. Great, a rifle is pretty general, and the specifics lead down rabbit holes not worth going down at this point. What youll want to look at with any rifle (and what I do with every rifle) is consider the following parts.

Trigger:

An adjustable, crisp, and consistent trigger is vital for precise shot control. A good trigger allows for a clean break, reducing the chances of over pulling and moving the reticle, as well as messing with the sight picture during the shot.

Chassis/Stock:

The platform within which the rifle is seated is called a chassis or a stock. This part of a rifle provides a stable and comfortable interface between the shooter and rifle. A precision platform should have adjustable features like length of pull, cheek riser, and may be constructed from materials that enhance rigidity and reduce vibrations. If you want precision and have one that isn’t rigid, some shooters bed their action to the stock to increase this element with less cost; while bedding improves consistency and reliability, some old or cheap stocks can only obtain mediocre levels of stability when it comes to smaller targets at distance. Once youre able to see the difference in this property youll be good enough to know what you need to upgrade, so don’t sweat this part too much and focus on its fit.

Barrel:

A barrel's quality, length, and twist rate impact bullet stability, velocity, and accuracy of a given caliber. A High-quality barrel chambered by a gunsmith who knows that they are doing is essential for precision shooting. Matching the rifling, twist rate, and thickness to the bullets is also important. If I suggest anyone change a part of a rifle for improved system accuracy its more often than not a barrel.

Muzzle Device:

A brake or a suppressor can help manage recoil sound induced flinch, and to some extent muzzle rise, enabling faster follow-up shots and maintaining target acquisition. Obviously these elements will depend on the shooter, but someone who can shoot, will shoot better with one of these more often than not and can tell you about what they like about their chosen device. Keep in mind that a muzzle brake reduces felt recoil by channeling the gasses sideways and if youre around other shooters this can reduce their experience and cause pressure related headaches etc. A suppressor will reduce the decibles of your rifle and that can have a direct impact on reducing flich in the shooter. I have heard good arguments for either as well as poor ones. Either way I think these will improve something, so why not use one.

Optics:

A high-quality scope is crucial for precise aiming, target identification. Optics with clear glass improve everything, matched with a reticle a shooter can understand and the ability to fine tune elevation and wind will reduce shooter induced errors and generally raise their ability at distance. I like to dial elevation and wind and know that a good scope adds to my hit percentage because I can depend on the adjustments and focus on the target and reticle. Check out these Optics

Bipod and Bag:

Stability is king when it comes to precision shooting.  Maintaining a consistent shooting position is aided by bipods and a shooting bag; it can also be maintained with the use of a tripod but I think that’s a more advanced topic for later. A good bipod is adjustable in height and cant and can be manipulated easily from a firing position; a quality bag can act as a rear support as well as a support for the rifle on items that cant utilize bipods. I think that if youre getting into this youre going to need both. Heres what I use more often than not: Bipod Bag

Ammunition:

Ammunition is a combination of a bullet, case, powder, and primer. The combination and consistency of how these components are selected and put together allow for the most consistent ballistic data. In other words, after the system can perform to the ideal standards of baseline accuracy youre going to want to optimize ballistic properties and the ammunition selection will have a huge influence on this.

Ballistic Calculator:

A ballistic calculator can do a lot of legwork for a shooter with less experience as well as an experienced shooter looking to cover down on the most specific data inputs. Today there are many options that can increase your likelihood of including the most relevant information. With the rise of technology there are handheld units, smartphone aps, and even rangefinders/scopes and many other devices that can help calculate data for you in the field. Yet, its important to note that all of these rely on user input that sets parameters and if not correctly entered the data output can be incorrect so make sure you understand your devices because its easy to enter the wrong parameters and get back specific and incorrect data from a device like these.

Range Finder:

Distance to target is critical to an accurate and precise shot. The reason behind all of this is time of flight. To know the balance of your bullets time of flight to a specific location requires an accurate measure of distance. Before Laser rangefinders this was one of the leading causes of a miss. With quality rangefinders and an accurate measure of distance the hit probability for a shooter has increased greatly This is an essential part of a long range marksmans toolkit. I like rangefinding Binoculars because they work and solve target finding and range at the same time.

Data Book/Log:

Highly debated and argued about is the topic of a data book. I stand firmly on the side of keeping data that’s fresh and current as well as a record of the past. A record of ammunition, rifle, target distance, size of target, and environmental conditions allows you to go back and study prior engagements in a way that can teach you valuable lessons for years to come. A data book doesn’t have to be fancy at all, it doesn’t need range maps, and other stuff, it simply needs a place to write your relevant info down to be able to access later. You might change what you write and the style over time so don’t get too caught up in premade books just yet; keep a record for yourself with the information youre tuned into and as you grow youll add to the list of things you record. I say keep a record whether you use it soon or not because you never know when knowing information about prior engagements will help you and save you heartache, money, and time. Knowledge is power, write it down in a Field Book