New Long range Record Rifle shot

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CapnMac

CapnMac

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A .416 Barrett shot out to 4.4 miles--oh my.
https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/new-world-record-longest-rifle-shot/
Snip quote
This is the rifle that set the new record for the longest hit on a target—a 4.4 mile shot using a highly customized .416 Barrett. Matthew Mellor

The long-range shooting world record was broken yet again when a team of spotters and a shooter hit a target at 4.4 miles (7,744 yards) in the Wyoming desert earlier this month. The marksmanship feat was orchestrated by Scott Austin and Shepard Humphries, who run Nomad Rifleman, a long-range shooting school out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Together with a group of friends they spent several hours launching bullets downrange before connecting on their 69th shot, according to a release on Nomad Rifleman’s website.

Making that many shot attempts isn’t unusual when trying to set records of this type. Humphries noted that the previous record, a four-mile shot made by Paul Phillips in 2019, required 69 attempts as well before the shooter connected.
Click to expand...
Image from the article
Nomad-Rifleman-Rifle-used-in-world-record-shot-52-scaled-1.jpeg?auto=webp&width=1440&height=960.jpg
Check out that scope riser. I'm wondering how many times they knocked one out before they got the angle too close.
Youtube video

Target was sheet metal, 120" x 92"--which is 1.54 x 1.18 MOA at 7700 yards

Spotting Misses by Ear
One of the more unorthodox elements of this experiment was how the team of spotters located the misses. They were positioned in metal bunkers around the target and listened for the impacts rather than looked for them. When shooting at longer ranges (a mile or more) one problem that rears its head is the ability of the shooter to spot misses as the impacts become fainter and are more easily swallowed up by the terrain without a trace.

When arguing about cartridge selection for ELR matches, this is one item in favor of the larger calibers—that the bullet splash and impact signature are easier to see. But even when shooting a beast like the .416 Barrett, spotting impacts becomes difficult at 4.4 miles. In fact, Humphries said that 90 percent of the misses during their shooting gave no visual signature at all—even with the spotters placed within the impact zone.

By using their ears and triangulating what multiple spotters heard they were able to get reasonable feedback to fine-tune the shooting over the course of the morning.
Click to expand...
 
Well, okay. Interesting. I'm sure they learned something, and the rest of us may learn something from them.

The cynic in me, though, figures that of the times I've randomly flung shots at ridiculous targets, I've probably hit once or twice myself.

So I guess I'm the fence here.
 
Eh, even a broken clock is TWICE a day! These tests are contingent on how many shots they feel like sending before getting lucky, or calling it a day. Took them 69 shots! That’s more than 3 boxes of Rifle ammo. And they never repeat it!

I don’t know..
 
Has anyone else noticed that these “exhibition” attempts at undefined “world records have never failed? They’re playing on statistical probabilities. Dudes with a modicum of skill and the right gear are throwing enough bullets at the target to eventually hit it. So every time anyone puts up enough time and money to make one of these attempts, they “break the record.” Just keep shooting. This is much akin to the mile milk jug challenges with 223’s, or Uncle Jerry hitting a target at 1000yrds with a 9mm revolver, or the 1,000 yard 22LR shots - it’s just exhibition. They made up a record, and shot enough rounds with an inevitable statistical probability that they could set it. Scott and Shepherd are very open about acknowledging that, as well.

No, that is not to say that ANYONE can accomplish this in 69 shots, nor within 100 shots. It DOES take the right gear to have any control at all over a bullet at this distance, and it does take the right talent to spot and make calls and run ballistic solutions to reach these distances with even the most remote prediction of where those bullets will land. These guys CAN shoot. But I can also bet money that given proper motivation and some logistical planning, I can grab any of a handful of ELR guys I know and go out and break this - it’s a statistical probability, and I know I could build a team with the right gear and skills to do it, as could a LOT of folks around the country.

Alternatively, under highly regulated competition rules, Derek Love set a competition Cold Bore record (cold bore + 2 more required; and he hit 4 in a row) at 2585yrds on Sunday at Spearpoint Ranch in Kansas during a sanctioned ELR match. Also on the firing line that day was another (former) Ryan Cheney who had set the longest shot in competition history record last spring at 4134 yards. THESE records ARE repeatable, and THESE records ARE confined by logical sensibilities.

These exhibitions demonstrate what can be done, and what inevitably will be done in the future. These properly restricted records reflect what IS doable, and what will be done in almost immediate future. It’s a difference in “hitting on accident,” versus “missing on accident.”
 
I agree. I give weight to what is done at sanctioned events with official observation and is repeatable.
 
"Record"

Can we define what rules this record conforms too? If I were to paint a square 1500 feet wide and 500 feet tall on a cliff face 4.5 miles away and shoot at it until a bullet hit somewhere in that box, would that be the new record?
 
I’ve made hits at 5 miles a couple times. One shot. No big deal. I just define what I was shooting at after the bullet lands.

About as impressive as a “world record” after 69 rounds, as others have said.
 
Funny NO One ever second guessed ; 3,540 meters and it was Never repeated to MY knowledge ?. I believe many of us have become a bit to cynical with regards to what others do or have done . All I have to say is ; GOOD FOR THEM :)

In 2017, a sniper neutralized an ISIS target in Iraq at a distance of over 3,540 meters.
Two years after being recorded, the longest sniper kill shot remains one of the greatest feats ever performed in military history.
 
BushMaster-15 said:
Funny NO One ever second guessed ; 3,540 meters and it was Never repeated to MY knowledge ?. I believe many of us have become a bit to cynical with regards to what others do or have done . All I have to say is ; GOOD FOR THEM :)

In 2017, a sniper neutralized an ISIS target in Iraq at a distance of over 3,540 meters.
Two years after being recorded, the longest sniper kill shot remains one of the greatest feats ever performed in military history.
Click to expand...

I don’t think anyone is “second guessing” that this 7700 yard impact happened. But rather acknowledging it was more dependent upon statistical certainty rather than intent.

I will also remind here if the criticism often accompanying the “longest confirmed kill” record for military allies - for example, the fact Craig Harrison’s record included two shots which were the culmination of 9 total shots to walk onto target - two static machine gunners on a fixed position. Those shots walking onto target were criticized, as the record was only ~30yrds farther than Rob Furlong’s record, which connected on his SECOND shot (and third) of a moving target… And certainly hitting a human sized target rather than one the size of a sheet of plywood, and doing it in 1, 2 or 9 shots is very different than volume firing 69 shots after the target…

Of course, also acknowledging that competitive sport shooting records align quite closely with sniper longest confirmed kill records… whereas this “longest exhibition shot with unlimited roundcount” record defies both military and other competition distance records by nearly twice the distance.
 
How about the famous Billie Dixon shot with a "big 50" Sharps at the battle of Adobe Walls? Twenty eight men and one woman were surrounded by 700-1200 Indians and a furious battle ensued.

He hit an Indian at about 7/8 of a mile and stopped the battle. The Indians were on a rise and had thought they were well outside the range of the trapper's rifles, but after one of them was hit by Dixon, they called it a day and left, ending several days of battle.
 
A shot on a 10' by 8.5' target on the 69th shot is nothing compared to a shot half that distance on an enemy combatant.

To me this is a pointless 'record'. If they had duplicated it within 5 shots, i would be more impressed.
 
What I will stipulate too is , WHAT RECORD ?. #69 shots is excessive IMO to score a single hit . However they did something I'll assume NO one else has done or recorded doing . So give em credit for that . Personally I'd NOT waste MY ammo especially with the cost of .338 LM components . Which now is the Largest long range weapon I own .
 
Varminterror said:
Has anyone else noticed that these “exhibition” attempts at undefined “world records have never failed? They’re playing on statistical probabilities. Dudes with a modicum of skill and the right gear are throwing enough bullets at the target to eventually hit it. So every time anyone puts up enough time and money to make one of these attempts, they “break the record.” Just keep shooting. This is much akin to the mile milk jug challenges with 223’s, or Uncle Jerry hitting a target at 1000yrds with a 9mm revolver, or the 1,000 yard 22LR shots - it’s just exhibition. They made up a record, and shot enough rounds with an inevitable statistical probability that they could set it. Scott and Shepherd are very open about acknowledging that, as well.

No, that is not to say that ANYONE can accomplish this in 69 shots, nor within 100 shots. It DOES take the right gear to have any control at all over a bullet at this distance, and it does take the right talent to spot and make calls and run ballistic solutions to reach these distances with even the most remote prediction of where those bullets will land. These guys CAN shoot. But I can also bet money that given proper motivation and some logistical planning, I can grab any of a handful of ELR guys I know and go out and break this - it’s a statistical probability, and I know I could build a team with the right gear and skills to do it, as could a LOT of folks around the country.

Alternatively, under highly regulated competition rules, Derek Love set a competition Cold Bore record (cold bore + 2 more required; and he hit 4 in a row) at 2585yrds on Sunday at Spearpoint Ranch in Kansas during a sanctioned ELR match. Also on the firing line that day was another (former) Ryan Cheney who had set the longest shot in competition history record last spring at 4134 yards. THESE records ARE repeatable, and THESE records ARE confined by logical sensibilities.

These exhibitions demonstrate what can be done, and what inevitably will be done in the future. These properly restricted records reflect what IS doable, and what will be done in almost immediate future. It’s a difference in “hitting on accident,” versus “missing on accident.”
Click to expand...
If I had the right equipment and 69 shots to walk it IN I might be able to to that too. Hell why not
 
If a person that runs a long range shooting school with years of practice and maybe 10's of thousands of rounds practicing took 69 shots to hit the target I have to wonder how long it would take a more average shooter to do it.
 
balin said:
If a person that runs a long range shooting school with years of practice and maybe 10's of thousands of rounds practicing took 69 shots to hit the target I have to wonder how long it would take a more average shooter to do it.
Click to expand...
I am betting the guy who runs the MarkandSamAfterWork youtube channel could do it if he had the mind and it probably wouldn't take him 69 shots either. And he'd do it with a .30-30 or .45-70. o_O

Here's his 3815 yard shot with a .416 Barrett:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/G-q7q7xwpOw

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs3sYk1tuP5Er95EniC-uMw/videos
 
citizenconn said:
I am betting the guy who runs the MarkandSamAfterWork youtube channel could do it if he had the mind and it probably wouldn't take him 69 shots either. And he'd do it with a .30-30 or .45-70. o_O

Here's his 3815 yard shot with a .416 Barrett:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/G-q7q7xwpOw

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs3sYk1tuP5Er95EniC-uMw/videos
Click to expand...

Mark & Sam’s channel are a gimmick game. Yes, they’re skilled shooters, and yes, they could probably accomplish this record, just the same way any skilled ELR shooter could.

Absolutely no reason to believe, however, that they’d have any unique skill or aptitude to do this in less shots than Scott & Shepard, or Paul Phillips’ team before that.
 
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