I went to this long range shooting school this past Saturday called Ranger Long Range Hunting www.rangerlongrangehunting.com . It was pretty awesome. Don't know if you have ever seen The Best of the West or Gunwerks Long Range Pursuit, but the class is set up on the same custom turret systems. And it's in Texas on a Hunting Ranch and not all the way up in Wyoming. I shot and hit a 16" target the first shot at 600 yards and at 850 yards. It's pretty nice when there is the right equipment and you get to learn how to use it. They supply the guns and the ammo. I'm addicted now.. Has anyone else got into this? I'm thinking on setting my own long range rifle up now that I have it figured out, or I might just buy the system from Ranger. They are pretty good deals, especially by the time you add up all the ammo it would take to shoot in the ballistic profile yourself. Can't wait for hunting season with my new toy.

You work for them?

$500, is that a pretty normal price for these kinds of classes?

Here are some other ones that use the same shooting systems that I looked in to. They are all hunting based.

http://www.gunwerks.com/Long-Range-University/long-range-training-courses

http://thebestofthewest.net/category/events/shooting-schools/

http://www.huntthedistance.com

If you have the $, go to www.gseven.com. Very good optics and rangefinders for long range shooting. I love it about as much as Horus reticles and atrag software

For those that don't want to rely on a system I would look at Rifles Only in south Texas or North Texas Rifle Precision up near Dallas. Both are top level schools that will teach you how to shoot at distance. They also offer reloading classes to help you develop the load and learn how it shoots in all situations.

At distance, wind is the major problem not drop. Drop can be accounted for with a good rangefinder, ballistics calculator, and real world confirmation of that data. Wind in the other hand is different from shot to shot. And while your ballistics software can tell you how much drift at 700 yards for a 10 mph wind from 8 o'clock what it can't tell you is what the wind is actually doing.

For some a system helps them dramatically and for others not so much. Whatever you choose shoot it a lot before you decide to try and shoot an animal at 600 yards.

[This message has been edited by SSC (edited 5/22/2013 6:59a).]

I just looked at rifles only. It seems to be more tactical than hunting. I guess they go together some what. It also says out to 100 yards. Is that right? The custom turret system is a good system and it gives you the best one shot solution for the wind at x distance.

Wind is the only nondeterministic variable in shooting long range. It is always changing, so really it's a best guess. As long as you have a process to best guess and make approx adjustments, that is all you can do. The turret system will has labeled on it a compensation for a 10mph wind at the particular distance you are shooting. Based on what the wind is doing at your location and looking at vegetation movement and mirage is about all you can do to determine its direction and speed. So if there is a direct 10mph cross wind you would hold over x moa at x distance. If there was a 5mph you would hold over half of the listed moa and if there was a 20 mph you would hold over twice the listed moa.

It's really an art form that you have to practice, but you have to come up with a system of doing it. Wind can change from shooter to target and is constantly fluid.

The best thing to do is mitigate the winds effects by choosing a bullet that is not as affected by the wind. The higher the BC of the bullet the better. At this course we used a 300wm and 7mag. The 338 and the ultra would be a step up, but they get expensive to shoot.

Rifles Only offers several classes ranging from carbine work to helicopter shooting. Yes they do a lot of tactical but the long range work is all the same in the basic classes. Learn to shoot properly from any position. That is hunting.

Like I said some like the system and some don't. Both have merits and both have drawbacks.

SSC is currently building me a 6.5X284 just foir long range shooting.... just an FYI.

Thanks Snuffy Burger.. 6.5x284 is a sweet round. High BC and little kick. It would be good to be a reloader if you do choose that round though. 6.5x284, 7mag, and 300wm are all good for 1000yards.

Savage 12 F/TR in 308 or 223


If you are shooting target 600 yards and in 223 is plenty. If you want to stretch to 1000 you will want the 308. The 6.5 rounds mentioned are excellent long range rounds but your barrel life will be probably be less than the 308.

I compete F-Class TR 600 yards with a Savage 12 F/TR and recently scored 148/150 4x at 600 yards. Great gun out of the box.

Get good glass.

For long range hunting, I would go with 300wm or 7 mag over .308. The .308 is good for target though.

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=1304&pictureid=17802

www.rangerlongrangehunting.com