I’m not sure why the NRA’s videos generate so few views. They’re clear, concise, visually compelling, seamlessly edited and voiced by some of shooting’s best experts. Maybe it’s because some of the tips are a bit too dumbed down – even for newbies. The Jessie Duff long-range shooting video above, for example, makes shooting a 1000-yard target as simple as shooting a 50-yard target. It is so not. Then again, other videos in the Firearm Science series are perfectly judged. Click here for Jessie’s most excellent sight alignment video. Still, given the cash invested in creating these videos, you’d hope the gun rights org with 5m+ members could garner more attention for their YouTube handiwork. The NRA’s action-packed All Access Web Clip Tactical Police Competition, for example, has just 438 views at the time of this writing. I think it’s all about the marketing – or lack thereof. Which isn’t as easy – I mean difficult – as a 1000-yard shot.
It’s all about the link. Your link to the video will generate 2000+ views for them.
Well this is a good video. However, at 1,000 yards the curvature of the earth also comes into play.
God I hope you are being sarcastic.
Not entirely.
But the ballistics calculator that gives the windage and elevation adjustments take that into account…and the Coriolis effect…and the angle to the target on a non-flat surface.
at 1000 yards coriolis and Eötvös matter not.
past a mile, it starts to matter. but wind drift is a much larger problem.
Did you know that when you shoot a bullet against the rotation of the earth, it slows down time?
Glad I had put my water down prior to reading that.
Depending on your location and the direction of the shot, the Earth’s rotation also comes into play.
Demonstrating how Coriolis effects bullet drop at 1000 yards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX7dcl_ERNs
Pretty much overblown. By far, most of the time, other factors introducing uncertainty in Point of Impact are FAR greater.
That video does get around, though.
exactly. coriolis and Eötvös at 1000 yards is pretty insignificant. people keep posting that video as “proof” though.
I don’t look to the NRA for original info or PR advice. Just a huge trove of money to buy pro-gun candidates air time and make war in the courts. That I’m thankful for.
What’s the problem. If you want to make a 1000 yard shot you just have to hit the target at 1000 yards:) I guess the advanced video would tell the shooter that if they miss they could switch to a bigger target.
…or lack thereof…
Yup, once again the current generation has been divorced from a proud and riveting history of shooting. Yes Jessie is pretty and George is all muscled up with a four thousand dollar gun and scope…
Has anyone recently told the story of the Creedmoor shoots? Of Col. George, of George Farr or Carlos Hathcock shooting at Perry? Nope. Bet that 1 in 100 even recognize these names.
I do.
Long story short: People who think that it takes a $2500 scope and a “tactical” plastic-stocked rifle to hit a man-sized target at 1,000 or more yards really should get away from the computer and start shooting more.
There were marksmen who were layin’ ’em in there over 100 years ago…
– at 1000+ yards
– with iron sights (aperture sights, actually)
– dealing with wind, of course
– using cast lead bullets
– with a very low Bc compared to today’s pills
– that had a ballistic curve that looked more like a mortar round, which makes range estimation even more important.
Oh, and the rifles they used were powered by black powder, had wood stocks and were later shot off crossed shooting sticks. The shooters would work rather diligently to find the dead spot on their barrel where to place the shooting sticks, BTW. Before that, the shootists would shoot from a reclining position, holding their rifle barrels between their crossed lower legs, using their left hand behind their head to support their head as the buttstock of the rifle was laid on top of his right shoulder. It looks like a ridiculous position, but it works and works well for people shooting long range with a Sharps or other falling block rifle with a 34″ barrel.
33 inches top to bottom that equals about a 3 inch group at a hundred.
Ya, right forget my ever hitting a target at 1,000! Even if I had a range within a couple of hundred miles of me to try it on, well a man has to know his limitations or at least the limitations of his eyes, and that is well beyond mine. It would be fun to have the equipment and time to try at a much more reasonable 500 yards.
1000 yards? Please, when are we going to talk about a real challenge. 1 Mile shots all day long. 3 secret steps to turning anyone into the world’s most lethal sniper.
1. Point
2. Aim
3. Shoot
/sarc off/
Let’s see you make that mile-long shot all day long using iron sights.
Yep, after watching that video, I’m ready to make a 1,000 yard shot. Just like watching Top Shot (Mr. Reinas made top 3 one year) taught me everything I needed to know about trick shooting!
Some of the NRA videos are good, especially some of the commentary, while others like this one just give you a little taste of what’s involved. As far as a two minute video on 1,000 yard ballistics, ho-hum: I’ve read that much and a lot more elsewhere. (and I’m still not equipped to make that shot…)
Nobody picked up on the fact that Princess does not sail the largest cruise ship in the world?? I guess the NRA folks are not cruise experts. 🙂
I took the Magpul Precision Rifle class. On day three, we were nailing torso sized targets at about 1000y. On day four we were nailing one foot targets at that distance.
It takes four things:
Good equipment (rifle, scope, ammo, bipod, etc.).
Good wind and distance calls.
Good math to tell you the correct adjustments.
And a shooter who can relax enough to not interfere with the rifle.
That last one is the hardest part, I think.
welp, there’s your 1 minute video on how to do something incredibly difficult.
Tell me a story to hold my interest. Make it fun. Make it longer with a few more details or factors that go into it. Give me followup videos or books or web pages.
If I’m new to shooting long range in this case, and I’m interested in finding out more, reliable and accurate followup information would be crucial. of the 12,465,392 sources on the web, who do I believe? Use your command of the topic to start me down the right road.
I’m not a huge fan of Mr Noir’s show (his commentary is entertaining and on point), but it’s more entertaining than Joe Friday giving me just the facts. I think his show’s format is headed in the right direction.
2c
You kinda already know the answer to your own question since you’re an “internet guy”. I suspect the metrics would show the vast majority of NRA members aren’t that web savvy and don’t even consider the NRA’s YouTube offerings. Wonder what the browser data would show on NRA’s social media offerings…hard to watch a YouTube video with a flip phone…
But, this type of video and the Noir series (which I really get a kick out of) is an attempt to appeal to a demographic similar to what the NSSF just found about new shooters…in their thirties, pretty evenly split between M/F and increasingly urban/suburban…this is the kind of content they know how to consume and are trained to expect…and they may not be NRA members yet either…the YouTube videos like this are relatively new (maybe the last 12 months) and it’ll take time…But they’re squarely answering the concerns expressed by you (and me) that the NRA is just a bunch of OFWGs…My $.02…be patient, they’ll gain momentum with help from sites like yours.
1000 yd shots…..
With an appropriate rifle and precision ammo it isn’t particularly difficult. You sight it in and then do some light math to figure out the elevation adjustment needed for that range. From there, it’s all about windage and such. And I guess you should be able to hold steady and squeeze a trigger.
I’ll never forget when some Marines were at our range and when they heard something about 1000yd shooting they perked up. “You got a 50 for that?” No, a 308. And it’s iron sights. Their minds were blown. Not speaking against the Marines, but your average grunt isn’t a long distance marksman. They know what they’re trained. Most people that own a gun can’t imagine shooting that distance. It’s just not the norm.
I tried to post this earlier but TTAG went down for a bit, apparently.
I admit that this story is only tangentially relevant, but I’m telling it anyway. Sunday at the gun show, there was a 9 or 10 year old girl working the Tracking Point table explaining the system to people. I was torn between: “Awww, ain’t that cute?” and “Damn, she really knows about this thing!” I doubt that I could have explained it as well as… no wait, there is no doubt in my mind that she ‘spalined it better than I could have.
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