Long range for beginners

[jasnt]

We all had to start some where. Many new folks getting in to long range so I thought we should have a long range 101 thread. A place to post info to help new comers shorten the learning curve.  Please post up some info or tips that helped your long range pursuits.

Besides learning to reload this info was a huge eye opener to me. When I first started shooting long range I'd use weather station listed preasure and it drove me crazy adjusting bc and speed trying to get my ballistic calculator to line up with my actual dope. Finially some one passed on this info and suddenly everything lined up 


Barometric Pressure vs Station Pressure
Barometric pressure is also known as sea level corrected pressure, and is what the weather station and airports report because it’s useful for pilots and making weather assessments.  Barometric pressure is not the actual air pressure where you are, rather it’s a number that’s corrected to sea level.  In order to determine the actual air pressure where you are (which is what the ballistics program cares about), you have to account for the effects of altitude.  However if you have a handheld weather meter like a Kestrel, you can measure Station Pressure directly which is the actual air pressure where you are.  This is the preferred method of inputting pressure data because it’s one less input and relies on only one measurement instead of two.

A common error is to mistake station pressure for barometric or vice versa.  The consequence of this error is that the wrong air density gets applied which degrades the accuracy of trajectory predictions.  This error is increasingly more severe the higher up you are above sea level.
Refer to the image on the right for proper set-up of the atmospheric pressure inputs.  Note the reference altitude is set to 0 ft in the Kestrel which indicates it’s displaying uncorrected station pressure, and the Pressure is Absolute box is checked in the program indicating it’s using station pressure.

To further clarify the output from the Kestrel, here is an excerpt from the Kestrel user’s manual: “Some final notes – If you wish to know the actual or station pressure for your location (such as for engine tuning), simply set the reference altitude on the BARO screen to “0”.  In this case, the Kestrel Meter will not make any adjustment and will display the measured value. (Engine tuning and ballistics software sometimes refer to atmospheric or station pressure as “absolute pressure.”  These applications are concerned with the actual air density, as opposed to pressure gradients relating to weather, so barometric pressure is less useful.”




http://appliedballisticsllc.com/ufaqs/barometric-pressure-vs-station-pressure/

[trophyhunt]

A member on here has a huskemaw scope for sale at a great price, that’s a good start to long range shooting.

[BULLBLASTER]

A decent rule of thumb is 1 inch pressure per 1000 feet elevation. Not exact depending on weather but will get you close.

[yorketransport]

My favorite bit of advise to give new shooters:

Buy the best equipment in your price range, and just go shoot at stuff.

It's easy to get caught up in all the gear and gadgets, always chasing the next "must have" trinket. There's no need for a $2K scope, $3K rifle and custom loaded ultra precise ammo. You can head out with an average factory rifle, with a decent scope ($300-500) and good factory ammo and hit stuff at 1000 yards with very little effort.

Most of the time when I go shooting, I don't even bother with atmospheric conditions. I get a range, an elevation, a wild guess on the wind and I pull the trigger. The most amazing part of it, is that I have pretty darn good luck actually hitting stuff doing this. I learn something from every shot that I take. Instead of going back and fiddling with my adjustments or changing inputs in the ballistic calculator when I miss, I go over everything I've learned from previous shots and just send another round to see where it ends up.

Ballistic calculators are constantly wrong when it comes to wind calls. Just because you have a 3-4 mph right to left wind at your position doesn't mean diddly at a target that's 1700 yards and two valleys away. You can't accurately measure the wind at the target, up drafts, down drafts, cross winds, the changes in humidity if you're shooting over water, or the effect your man bun has on the airflow at your muzzle.

One of the best shots I've ever made which was both witnessed and recorded was a cold bore shot at a 30" rock at exactly 2600 yards. The guy I was with is obsessed with collecting data and punching numbers into his Kestrel. While he was busy twirling the Kestrel around like an Olympic ribbon dancer and getting readings, I got a range, figured my drops and decided that the wind would probably just counter my adjustment for coriolis and held dead on. Sure enough it was a solid hit. After my buddy was done factoring in the pressure changes caused by the sneeze of a Labradoodle 32 miles away he fired a shot and went over and to the right of the rock by about 6 feet with his rifle. He spent the next 5 minutes changing inputs to explain why he missed instead of just lobbing another shot over there.

Just go shoot stuff and learn something from each shot.

[BULLBLASTER]

 
 
Plus sending rounds far away is a ton of fun. Even if they miss. I shot a lot of years dialing and just recording what my drops were that day at different ranges.

[SGTDuffman]

Loading my own ammo helped me immensely. My rifle didn't much care for pricey target and hunting rounds, but when I took control of the length, charge, etc for the rounds, I was able to dial it in to something it liked. And switching from 168gr SMK to 175gr SMK helped beyond 600yds or so for my .308. You'd be surprised what even a "cheap" rifle could do with homemade loads that it likes.

[Biggerhammer]

Most over think it! The rest just glorify it. Simple as it gets.

[mountainman]

Step one, an accurate gun. Step two, know how to shoot it. Step three, get out and shoot the conditions. Experience comes from being in the field and actually doing it, not just plinking at one of the local ranges at 300 yards👍

[Oh Mah]

Breathing,practice right every time no exceptions. 

[Miles]

Most over think it! The rest just glorify it. Simple as it gets.

Amazingly thought provoking.  You must be going for the HW quote of the month?

[jasnt]

Most over think it! The rest just glorify it. Simple as it gets.

Amazingly thought provoking.  You must be going for the HW quote of the month?

lets keep this on subject.  If you wanna talk smack at least add a tip or some info

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

Couple small tips (I’ve got lots of big ones).

Make sure you have a muzzlebrake. For two reasons.  Becoming proficient at Long range shooting takes practice, and sore shoulders all the time from a brutal recoil gun sucks.  Additionally, the muzzle brake really allows you to stay on target after the shot and smooths out the process.

Also, after ensuring four times that the gun is unloaded, practice dry firing in the living room. Even for five minutes. Work on your shot routine, make it the same every time. Breath. Squeeze through the trigger. Kill the flinch (if you have one)

Practicing dry firing was absolutely essential in killing my bear last year. We were surprised on the pack out and everything was a little rushed. I was still able to go through my routine. Dial. Level. Breathe. Squeeze.  All sub consciously.

That equated to a dead bear at 511 yards.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Branden]

Make sure you actually have a scope that tracks correctly every time. Lots of scopes don't.

[Bill W]

what I'd like to see is long range shooting without the personal computers or wind meters and doing it by evaluating conditions and range estimation.

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

what I'd like to see is long range shooting without the personal computers or wind meters and doing it by evaluating conditions and range estimation.

Why would you decrease available knowledge in a long range shot?

Why don’t we switch to factory ammo and iron sights while we are at it...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk