Thread: NEW EXTREME LONG RANGE RECORD???

Originally Posted by timattalon

I have always held the fore end when shooting prone with the elbow on the ground using a bipod for support. I tried using this "sniper" technique of not holding the fore end and putting that hand to support the butt. Ignoring the change in impact point de to barrel jump (as to be expected) my groups opened up by about 3x. Where I usually get about a 25mm group on an average day and 12mm on a good day at 100m, with the technique he was using my groups were closer to six or seven inches (between 6 and 12 times bigger. I know each of us uses the technique we are comfortable with, but he looks like an average shooter at best. That target was larger than 2 MOA Target was 96 inches and 1 MOA = 47.5 inches at 4500 yards) so the physical size of the target is within an average shooters ability to hold the rifle steady, but the complications are in the consistency and trajectory calculations. I suspect a decent varmint or practised shooter should be able to do similar or better with the same equipment and assistances that this shooter has. It is easy enough to hit a 2 MOA target, the hard part is where to point so the bullet travels that distance.

Horses for courses.... holding the fore end works well enough for just about any rifle but where the technique excels is with a lighter weight, heavier recoiling rifle and with a rifle that has a less than ridged fore end. The bipod and rear bag technique may not work as well for a lighter weight or less rigid stocked rifle but this technique is significantly steadier and more consistent with a heavier rifle. The bipod and rear bag technique still takes practice to master though as bipod tension and natural point of aim are still important. I see a lot of people that use it because they can hold the rifle steadier but are not proficient with it as they struggle for consistency.

Makes me cringe to see people using bad shooting technique with light rifles, bipods and a rear support resulting in a rifle that bounces all over the place and nearly catching them in the face. Seen a few people do this then look up and ask "Did I hit it?".

One last point, consistently hitting a 2MOA target at 100yards in a shifting mirage/wind is relatively easy. Consistently hitting a 2MOA target at 1000yards in a shifting mirage/wind is not achievable for the vast majority of shooters. At 4500 yards I imagine a 2MOA target looks tiny...

Must be funny with a lab radar (like those Norwegian (?) guys did) to have time to type in the velocity after the shot is fired and tell the shooter he is going to miss before the bullet turns up at the target