Long Range and Known Distance Shooting
Having owned several $3,000-$5,000 precision rifles, the quest for accuracy can be expensive. The goal of this build was a rig with fine, precise accuracy with a price tag most shooters could afford. At full MSRP this complete ready to shoot setup is under $1,800 including gun, optic, rings, and magazine and easily delivers sub-.5-inch 100-yard groups—all day long.
If you have ever used the 6.5x55mm Swede, you know it is a game killer—out of proportion to its size. The 6.5 Creedmoor is even better in the modern rifles it is chambered in. As a varmint caliber, the 6.5 Creedmoor offers excellent utility. It offers longer range than the .223s and greater bullet mass. With Hornady TAP loads, it is also a fine tactical load, splitting the difference between the .223 and .308.
It does not take long before the simple pop of a primer, and the sound of the report are not enough. If this sounds familiar, and you crave a target with a single ragged hole, benchrest shooting should be your new hobby. Here’s how.
The newest and brightest addition to the AR-15 family is a 5.56mm-diameter cartridge with more punch and long-range potential than the .223 Remington. The .224 Valkyrie is designed to remain supersonic to 1,300 yards, but design and performance are not always one in the same. The Shooter’s Log put the Valkyrie through its paces, even if we did put our thumb on the scale by using a $4,000 Wilson Combat Super Sniper.
I am asked about rifles scopes and red dot sights often. Which one should I buy, is just under who should I marry in the overall importance, and very hard to answer for another person. When you add that the student doesn’t know exactly what they are going to do with the rifle scope, the answer is even more elusive. The bottom line is the budget.
The Bushnell Elite Tactical long range tactical scope (LRTS) series is just what the name implies. The weekend began as a scope test—as well as a time to get better at long-range precision marksmanship. The scope, was a key element to unexpected long-range success, but not without challenging moments. In this review, my optical partner was the LRTSi 3-12x44mm mounted and ready for a 3-day long-range shooting class requiring a milliradian reticle. Read the full story here.
A good long-range rifle is a wonderful tool, but its capabilities are only as good as the scope that sits on top of it. The Bushnell Elite Tactical LRS is a looker, in matte black aluminum with rugged-looking turrets and dials. It’s 13.5 inches long, with a 30mm tube. On the objective end, there’s a two-inch sun shade, included in the overall length. Get the full details that make this a must-have riflescope.
Several Shooter’s Log customers have asked for explanations of minute of angle and the measurement term “milliradian” (mil) and how to use a mil-dot scope to measure the distance to your target at the range and in the field. In the accompanying two videos, the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Ryan Cleckner explains both concepts and how to put them to best use.
Long-range shooting with your basic AR-15 isn’t impossible. With the right ammo and riflescope and a few calculations on a free ballistics app, you and your AR-15 will be shooting accurately up to 750 yards in no time. Here’s how.
Guest blogger Eve Flanigan was invited to attend a basic long-range marksmanship course at Felix Canyon Ranch by McMillan Firearms. How did she do? You will have to read and find out how a rifle marksmanship class can help you, too.