Feb 24, 2018 4 min read

Ever notice how fish grow as the years pass? They may be laying in the fridge, one eye staring at the open door, shriveled from dehydration, yet they grow at least an inch as time goes by.

Much the same thing can be said about the shooting of a trophy deer at a longer-than-usual distance. It starts life as a 300-yard shot, grows a couple of hundred yards and reaches the 500-yard mark well before it matures into a 600-yard shot and one that drops a deer in its tracks. How high did he hold to make such a miraculous shot? “Dead on.” he said. “My hand loads are souped up to the point where they don’t drop.”

To be honest, many of us who shoot a rifle quite a bit are fascinated by long-range shooting. There is something about being able to ring a metal gong at distances beyond 500 yards that a special group of shooters take much pride in this accomplishment. To hit something 500 yards distant takes many things, not the least of which is knowing one’s rifle. How tight does the rifle group? A rifle that can keep every bullet within a 6-inch circle at 600 yards is one to keep. Such groups should stay on an 8-inch target at 600 yards, if things are perfect. Unfortunately, things seldom go perfectly.

What does it take to hit a target at 1,000 yards with some form of consistency? First, the shooter must have the right equipment and that begins with a good shooting rifle. It helps to have a heavy rifle. This helps it to lay on the rest without movement. Secondly, the rifle should have a light crisp trigger pull. Lastly the rifle chambering is important with some being better than others.

The smallest cartridge I would consider for such work is the 25-06. From that point, the caliber can increase to as large as the shooter can handle. Also, the bullet itself should have a good co-efficiency, which increases its ability to resist movement from wind. Many long-range shooters prefer the big 30-caliber magnums. Wind can be more of a factor than drop because, if you know the distance, velocity and co-efficiency of your bullet, then you can calculate your drop. Wind, on the other hand, can be fickle. Blowing in one direction at the shooter’s position and the opposite direction at the target. Can the reader guess which moves the bullet more: wind at the shooters position or wind at the target?

Obviously, shooting targets at 1,000 yards is not a simple thing. It requires not only an accurate rifle and an able shooter but a knowledge of external ballistics. Of great importance is a knowledge of how far does a bullet drop at 1,000 yards? This is why most long-range shooters prefer match bullets. They both resist wind and drop better than the average hunting bullet.

It’s obvious the shooter must see the target clearly. This is why you must have good optics. A 10-power $49.99 scope will hardly suffice at such distance. The scope can be as important as the rifle.

One of the biggest problems with 1,000-yard shooting is finding a location to shoot in this area. Luckily, we have an expert in the area in Phil Conklin, of Prosperity. He will be offering a long-range shooting seminar sponsored by Orndoff Sporting Goods on March 10 from 9 a.m. to noon. It will be free admission and is going to be held at Graysville VFD Social Hall. Conklin will be speaking on long-range shooting specialist optics and shooting conditions. Fred Carper, the gunsmith and custom rifle builder, will also talk about precision long-range rifle requirements. For more information, contact Will Orndoff at 724-428-4570.

Lastly, the answer to this week’s question is the wind at the shooter’s position. The wind at the bench will impact the bullets flight the most.