Go big or go home!

This was our motto these last two days during the LRTR (Long Range Tactical Rifle) class that I attended.  Most of the first day consisted of book work.  Converting MIL to MOA.  Using UTM rulers to map our position on a Quad Map.  Using GPS and MIL reticles to calculate target range.  Factoring and calculating in your angle, wind velocity and wind value.  After book work the rest of the first day was zeroing the rifles, and practicing ranging targets.  Two of us were using .308's, and one person brought their .338 to use.

The next day we spent shooting all around the range at different targets.  Using our MIL reticles, GPS, and rangefinders to find our ranges.  Then using all the book work we had learned to calculate our elevation, angle, and wind to get us in the boiler room.  We ranged and fired on the following targets; 169yds, 225yds, 331yds, 425yds, 555yds, 709yds, 863yds, 1,115yds, and 1,660yds.

I knew it was possible, but I never knew all the logistics involved in long range shooting.  There really is a lot of calculating to it.  None of us were able to get on target at the 1,660 yard mark as we didn't have enough elevation left in our scope turrents, and we had to use the MIL reticle for holdover after we were maxed out.  The most important spot for wind calculations is when the bullet leaves the rifle.  That is where it has the most impact on the round, and why it makes sense to calculate for it from where you shoot.  When we drove out to the mile target we found that the wind was actually blowing the opposite direction at about the same velocity.  I don't think even if we had the elevation to get there we could have predicted the left to right and been able to hit it.  We calculated that at the 1,115 yard mark our bullet had 43 feet of loft in it's travel...amazing.

This was a great experience, and the teacher was a real professional, and very knowledgeable.  I'm very glad that I did this class as it has really been an eye opener to me on hunting and long range shooting.  I never thought I would shoot over a thousand yards.  But be assured, I would never shoot that far on an animal I was hunting, although a 500 yard shot on a critter with the right ballistics is not out of the question with today's optics.