So...You want to get into long range shooting but you're not sure where to start. Maybe you, your dad or grandfather has a rifle, but you don't know if it's good enough.
I can tell you this, if you have a rifle and can put a scope on it, it's a very good place to start and will suit your needs. Your dad's old 30-06 hunting rifle will work perfectly.
I started out on a Savage MK ll FV-SR. I learned the basics, the fundamentals and formulas of long-range shooting using a .22 LR. Grab that old rifle, put a scope on it (something with mil dots or alike) and build a cheek riser. Then grab some ammo, go to the range, zero your rifle and have a blast! You'll easily be hitting targets out to 200 yards. All of this is covered in previous articles on The Overwatch.
Next, step up your game at 300 yards. Get some drop tables using a free online ballistic calculator (JBM Ballistics) and start working on holdovers and wind calls. Set up smaller reactive targets (Dollar store canned soda).
It's a lot of fun watching them explode!
Now get out to 400 and 500 yards. You're going to have to dial in your dope and have good wind calls to hit cans at 500 yards. Go ahead and set up some larger and smaller targets. This is where you start putting your skills to the test and seeing how good you are. You'll have to account for temperature variations, and deviation in fps from shot to shot really start to show. You must make sure you have quality ammunition. Remember to log your data and wind calls to use on future engagements.
If you struggled with 500 yards, 600 and 700 will be a lot more difficult. You have to account for bullet drop, wind, temperature variations, and spin drift. It's best to have a hand held ballistic calculator or an app on your phone. I always use my drop tables and confirm them with my ballistic calculator and vice versa. Having accurate data, a steady trigger pull and perfect cheek weld is paramount. It's an amazing feeling to watch a soda can explode from a distance so far you can't see with the naked eye.
At 800 and 900 yards, you are most likely starting to push the boundary of the capabilities of your rifle. Now you're having to correct for the coriolis and eotvos effect.
Depending on your cartridge, you may also be into the transsonic range of your bullet. The transsonic zone is where the bullet can become unstable and start to tumble. For most purposes it's best to stay within range of your bullets capably, or within its maximum effective range. This is about 1300 fps, depending on your elevation.
1000 yards!!!! This is the gold standard goal. The colloquial "separate the boys from the men". It's not an easy shot to make, let alone a first round hit. Everything must be perfect. To make a first round hit at 1000 yds, your distance and wind call must be dead accurate. Check and recheck your math and dope. There is no room for error.
1100 - 1500 yards and up really is a new game. Now we're talking about the beginning of extreme longrange shooting. This takes an extensive amount of skill and knowledge. You will need an understanding of things like gyroscopic stability factor and bullet stability vs. bullet tractability and much more.
1760 yards!! 1 Mile, 17.6 football fields or 5280 feet: Just to take a shot at a mile is an accomplishment itself. You will officially have bragging rights and when you hit the target its a feeling like no other. Ammo temperature, air temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, coriolis effect, spindrift, eotvos effect, danger space and time of flight are all things that you have to consider and account for when making these kinds of shots.
Grab your rifle and get started!!
THE OVERWATCH
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