Long Range Shooting

[ericnvegas]

In 1984 at USMC Bootcamp, we shot 500 yards from a prone position with a M-16 with standard sights, no bipod and hit 10/10.

Now its 2011 and I have just put together a new long range rifle.

Tikka T3 CTR Scout .308
Millett TRS-1 Scope
Harris Bi Pod

What happened, have we got weak. 500 yards then seemed to be the norm, but now if you hit a target at that distance, you get a Youtube video.

 

[MtnCreek]

The targets have gotten smaller.

 

[au_prospector]

In my boot camp and tech school in 1986 (US Air Force Security Police) they told us if you could see a person with out a scope, you should be able to hit him.

They also told us the maximum effective range of the M-16 shooting prone was 400 meters or 440 yards. They defined max effective range as the average shooter hitting a man size target at 400 meters 50% of your rounds on target.

Gawd I miss the 1980's. Cold War US vs Russia, girls with 'big hair', Van Halen, Jim Beam and Coke. Life was so simple.
sigh...

 

[Jim Watson]

The targets have gotten smaller.

If you have ericnvegas' bipod they have.
Fears of multiple cleans on highpower targets led the NRA to cut the size of the F-class target in half.
One MOA ten ring, half MOA X ring.

 

[sixgunner455]

Hits at 500 aren't necessarily good groups.

Myself, I struggle to hit at 500.

 

[Geno]

It is a matter of consistent practice. The saying that if you learned to ride a bike, you can always ride a bike, is only 10% true. Does it also mean you can win world-class bike races if you haven't ridden and practiced?!?!?!

A few years ago, I continued to fixate on the "smallest group". Then, I got smart, and realized that woodchucks really could not tell the difference between a 3/8" group versus a 3/4" group at 300 yards. Heck, even a 3" group would serve on a woodchuck. In other words, for application purposes, a hit is a hit.

That is when I started to invest in AR500 steel targets. Now I fixate on trying for 100% hits on a 3.5" steel target at 300 yards. Achieve that, and a deer sized target will look pretty durned boring, even at 500 yards. What does that mean for you? Simple, practice.

Geno

 

[loper]

Gawd I miss the 1980's. Cold War US vs Russia, girls with 'big hair', Van Halen, Jim Beam and Coke. Life was so simple.
sigh...

This...

 

[Robert]

Yesterday, 10-13-2011, I was making repeated hits at 425y using my AR laying prone, no bipod. I did have a scope though, a massive 4x. Target was a LV Steel 28"x8" spring loaded popper.
http://lvsteeltargets.com/main.htm
Have to scroll down the page to see it.