Thread: Long range shooting techniques

I have started this thread in response to a question from Walkabout about long range techniques.

I try and keep it really basic.

Equipment
Accurate rifle, 0.5 MOA is nice but anything under 1.0MOA will work
Velocity of your ammo
Repeatable scope, one that you can dial, you can use a BDC type reticle if you prefer.
Laser range finder
Wind meter
Ballistic calculator, one on a computer or a handheld. I use Shooter on my iphone.

Step 1: Spend the time getting a good accurate load for you rifle that you know the velocity of, either over a chronograph or by shooting drops at different ranges and then playing with a ballistic program to get a muzzle velocity.
Step 2: Use the ballistic program to get a drop chart which you can then verify.
Step 3: Get out there and shoot at different ranges to see if the drop chart matches what is actually happening on paper. Something like 200, 400 and then 600 yds.
Step 4: practice , practice, practice. Eventually you will feel comfortable at shooting an animal at your chosen range.

There are a whole lot of other things needed but they only come with experience. The main one is reading the wind. A wind meter will tell you the velocity where you are, but not where the target is. Wind going up a slope will lift a bullet, wind going down a slope will "drop" the bullet. Wind will be the main thing that causes you to miss the target.

Pressure, atmospheric pressure effects the drag on the bullet. Low pressure means the bullet will take longer to slow down so it will shoot higher. High pressure increases drag so the bullet slows down faster and will hit lower. Inside 500 -600 yds you can get away with using std atmospheric pressure (1013 mb) and just adjust you altitude. Past 600 yds you really need a barometer to measure actual pressure where you are shooting. If using a barometer just enter actual pressure and set altitude to zero.

There is heaps more detail to get in to, but I have run out of time for now. Read up heaps, but in the end just get out there. My mate uses a stock standard Rem 700 SPS 308, a Leupold VII 4-12 x 40 and a handload of 150 Nosler BT and can get 3 shots onto an A4 piece of paper at 600 yds.