I am not a long-range shooter. For one thing, I have less – I mean “fewer” math skills than a fifth grader. Second, nope. That’s it. I can’t do math. As fas as I can see (so to speak) that’s the whole point of the thing. You identify a bunch of variables that affect the bullet’s flight path to the distant target, crunch the numbers (or enter them into a calculator that crunches the numbers), twiddle the scope, assume the position, stop breathing and try to make the trigger pull as smooth as an Israeli supermodel’s inner thigh. (I’ve got to make some part of this sound exciting.) And pray the wind doesn’t change. Yeah, about that. Kirsten Joy Weiss has some weird meteorological psychic ability. Not me. I can no more “read” the wind than I can read Heidegger’s Being and Time. So . . . I once hit a steel target at 750 yards. Using a Tracking Point rifle. Under careful supervision. What the farthest you’ve ever shot, and actually hit what you were aiming at? Using what kit?

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185 COMMENTS

  1. You could have skipped the Israeli Supermodel bit, you mentioned Kirsten Joy Weiss, which is far better, because she shoots and shoots well.

    Anyhow, I did manage to hit a man-silhouette target at 1000 yards with a Leupold Mk IV-scoped Sako TRG-22. However, the 165 grainers were clearly tumbling. I was told a heavier bullet would work better but I haven’t had the chance to try the experiment again.

    • I never quite got to 1000 yards, but on a calm morning, managed to go 3-for-3 at 900 before the wind picked-up (on a full-size Colt B-27 target) with a .308 bolt-gun.

      My hunting AR will reliably stay on a 16″ x 22″ steel plate at 600 yards under calm conditions, from a rest.

      Once the wind kicks up, it’s misses galore and/or walk-them-in-by-spotting-impacts.

  2. 300 yards. I dont go long range. I enjoy the short range, instant feedback shooting. And if I hunt (when I hunt) its almost always 100 yds or less.

    heck, my rifles are almost all zero’d at 25 (my ARs) or 100 yards (my M1A) cuz thats where I shoot.

    Dont get me wrong. I am always impressed by those with long range skills, 400, 500, 700 yards all impress. Those hitting at 1000 yards just make me stare in awe.

  3. I hit a 24″ gong at 700 yards once with a Winchester Model 70 .308….and it only took me 12 shots…..

    Ok fine….is was 15 shots but i still hit it…

  4. Camp Perry, 1000 yards, National Match M1A with iron sights, 8-15X spotting scope for reading wind, USN 175gr HPBT long range match ammo, under instruction by Middleton Tompkins (sp?) many times world champion, married to many times world champion Nancy Galagher-Tompkins, stepdad of several times world champion, serious fun! Understand Mid doesn’t do that any more, damn shame. 3-day course so much fun I took it 2 years in a row, and it was year 2 before I actually hit the target at 1000 yards. I was stunned by the difference in difficulty between 800 yards and 1000, seems to be where the wind becomes massively important, at least for a .308.

      • Nah, you keep a notebook of what elevation setting works for what distance, it’s the same every time until conditions completely change. Wind shifts from left to right correction between successive shots. I’ve heard of people who do math calculations, what worked for me was directly translating the mirage to clicks left or right, IOW using the TLAR method (That Looks About Right). About the time you read a major change since firing that 10, adjust your sight several clicks, then actually fire another 10, you’re so stoked you could throw that rifle a thousand yards!

  6. Took an antelope at 485 meters with a Remington 700 in 308 with a Millett LRS scope. I got really lucky, but I’d rather be lucky than good any day.

    • Um… So you aimed at the sky at a 45 degree angle to lob that pebble 1,100 yards? Did it have a tail wind? Lol

      • I thought optimum angle was something like 30-some-odd degrees for real life projectiles. Anyway, but yea – that’d be a pretty good 75′ holdover. LOL

        • Just did a quick calc at Federal’s ballistic calculator (http://www.federalpremium.com/ballistics_calculator/):

          Load Number: 922A Zero Range: 100 yd
          Caliber: 22 Long Rifle Temperature: 59 °F
          Bullet Style: Solid Wind Speed: 0 mph
          Bullet Weight: 40 gr Altitude: 0 feet
          Ballistic Coeffcient: 0.093222 Max Range: 1200 yd
          Muzzle Velocity: 1080 fps
          Sight Height: 1.5 in

          Range (yd) Drop (in) Wind Drift (in) Velocity (fps) Energy (ft-lb)
          1100 -6886.2 0.0 205 4

          That’s a 6886″ (about 574′) drop with a whopping 4 ft-lbs!

        • I use this program to determine max range:

          http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmdist-5.1.cgi

          but you have to know the BC for the bullet, and for .22 LR bullets, the BC changes quite a bit based on the velocity. I ran it with a .169 BC at 900 FPS, and got a 32.5 degree departure angle, and the following info:
          Terminal Range: 1846.7 yd
          Terminal Velocity: 272.3 ft/s
          Terminal Time: 18.6 seconds
          Terminal Energy: 6.6 ft-lbs

      • Yup, 33 to 35 degrees for max range under most conditions, I believe.

        I’m guessing that .22 slug left a vertical smudge on the target, but didn’t chip the paint…

        • With the range and drop calculations the guys did above that means the building was 1,100 yds long AND roughly 57 stories tall while being completely open inside….. I’m no engineer but this seems EXTREMELY hogwashy.

          Or is it hogwash-ish….

          I really hope this was a joke.

        • ShaunL-
          Not joking at all. I have a buddy who has a buddy with a big open warehouse he rides his shifter carts in and we did some long range shooting one day. There were open sky lights and I shot through one and it came in through another and hit the target.

        • “There were open sky lights and I shot through one and it came in through another and hit the target.”

          Oh, come on. No . freaking . way.

    • He had a 30 round mag and walked it in.
      Takes around 5 sec to get there arriving at about 300fps
      Sounds more like .22 morter

    • Um, if a gunsmith modifies a 10/22 enough to fire a round that can reach 1100 yrds, is it really a 10/22 anymore.

      • Actually it’s a bone stock 10/22 breakdown model. Ammo used was cheap federal bulk. It wasn’t hard at all. You guys must suck if you can’t hit anything that far out.

      • Bob72, a regular high-velocity .22LR can travel over 1700 yards (in the air) quite easily, given the proper elevation departure angle of about 32.5 degrees.

        That’s why it says something like “Caution: dangerous within 1.5 miles” on every box of .22 ammo.

        No modifications required at all.

  8. 600 yards. Using my friends 308 with a scope made for that rifle and the rounds being fired. Was very easy really given that I only needed to pull the trigger really. No wind, clear day.

    I dont think I could do it again given a different rifle and/or different conditions.

  9. 500 yards with a .308 iron sight handgun on a 1′ x 2′ plate.
    I use old doors at about 1 mile with the big .50.
    I’m trying to find open land to stretch that out.
    I love long range!

  10. Rifle: 1200 yard steel target with a customized and smithed Savage 110, bull barrel in 30-06. Don’ t recall what scope – mid 20’s Leupold if memory serves. One shot, one hit, but rifle was already set up.

    Handgun: 250 yd with Taurus 689 6″ .357 Mag with iron sites. Many shots, many hits.

    • “Handgun: 250 yd with Taurus 689 6″ .357 Mag with iron sites. Many shots, many hits.”

      You have to take video of that and post it here.

      • It was 20 years ago that I did it.

        Plan to do some more shooting like that with that revolver now that I am near a range I can do at again. Will try to get some vid.

        It’s a ton of fun shooting “long range” with a handgun.

  11. I am pretty sure there are plenty here that will consider my longest shot amateurish, because it is, but I was darn happy with it.

    550 yards
    Big bodied Seven point whitetail buck
    $300 Savage 10′ scoped Walmart package, no modification
    .308, 168 grain hand loads

  12. Shot I am most proud of – Clay pigeon at 50 yards and bullseyed it with a Springfield Armory GI 1911. More pure luck than anything.

    • Ha, similar thing for me! First shot of the day with my Glock 19. We set out clay pigeons @ 50 yards. Bam! All my friends were watching and I said, “That’s it. I’m done. My shots aren’t going to get any better after that one.”

      • friends of mine set up some spray cans about 75-100 yards up a hillside to shoot with an SKS. Just being a clown, i pulled out my xd 45 and sent a round down range. 1 shot 1 kill.

        i know it was all luck, but the guys still like to bring it up from time to time.

        funny part is, every time they retell it, the distance grows. In another few years i’ll have shot it from 1,000 yards, from the hip.

  13. Hardest part is finding a place which qualifies as “long range”. After doing a stint at a base located in a city, I can empathize with the urban TTAG readers for whom 25 yards is as good as it gets for tens of miles .

  15. 500 yard line, Stone Bay (Camp Lejeune). M16A2, iron sites. This isn’t a big deal usually, but it was crap NATO ammo, it was raining, and even though it was a MASSIVE “baker” target, I managed to put each round very close to center mass. Did I mention that I did it 10 times in a row?

  19. Nothing terribly impressive. 250 yards, multiple hits on a half man silhouette half way up the side of a mountain. With a Savage .22 bolt action with a 4x scope, 35 gr. JHPs. Standing. Just guestimated the holdover, and was either just short or ringing it.

  20. So far 600yds on a 5″ hostage swinger plate with a .308

    But going to shoot my first 1000yd match this weekend with the .308 and a .338 Lapua .

    • I’m not sure what the target you describe is, but if you mean a 5-inch target at 600 yards, Boy, I don’t think I’ve ever come close to that! You may find a normal target at 1000 yards discouragingly easy. The target I was proud of hitting repeatedly at 1000 yards was 8 FEET across. ‘Course, I suspect you used a scope, but still, 5 inches?

  22. I’m not much of a long range shooter. Longest shots I have attempted were under 200 yards. But I have attended a party where we all took turns shooting at a 4×8 sheet of plywood at 500 yards. The fact that we were using a miniature black powder pirate cannon that shot golf balls is what made it awesome!

  23. Haha, 200 yards in wind, but only because I had a decent scope and was walking the shots in with an AR. Took me about 4 shots to figure out where to aim, and then the rest of the magazine connected. I haven’t ever really had a range that goes more than 100 yards, so my long range skills are pretty non-existent.

    100 yards with my XD 40 service was pretty easy though, as long as the wind wasn’t grabbing the bullets mid-flight.

  24. Steel Human silhouette 600m with mosin nagant iron sights then 16″ AR with non magnified PA red dot. Didnt think I could do it with the AR but heard a satisfying “crack” when i got it.

  26. 2’x4′ board at 500 yards on an unmodified mosin nagant. Hit it on the first shot though I did walk it up from 100yds, 200yds, and 300yrds.

    3″x5″ (yes, inches) at 500 yards on a custom rifle based on the remington 700 action, with a Knightforce 24x scope. System wasn’t mine, must have cost around 10k.

  27. 600 yards with a standard, non-accurized Garand and 152 grain GI surplus ammo. 3 foot target, 10 round string and I got them all in. Pure damned luck, and the only time I’ve outshot my old man. He took it pretty well.

      • This was 28 years ago. Could have been Danish, or Spanish, or Greek for all I know. I didn’t pay much attention to the head stamp. It was CMP surplus and it shot well, so I didn’t much care. I was just happy to put all 10 in the black.

  30. Distance: 12473.34 miles (clean shot)
    Target: Duke Nukem 3D Alien Avatar (1″ x 1/2″)
    Weapons Platform:
    AMD 5×86 /133 @150Mhz -DOS 5.0 w/tactical assault keyboard and “pistol” emulation

    Reactions:
    1 x Dead Alien
    Chuck Norris: “Daaaayeemm”
    Jerry Miculek: “…yep”
    KJW: “Your never gonna have a girlfriend”

  32. 100 yard golf ball on a string 10/22
    With the package scope.
    Right after sighting it in for 50 yards.
    Shoot high.

  34. Approximately 2000 meters with a M2HB loaded API and APIT ammo. Targets were a bunker and assorted vehicles.

  35. So far, a zeroing target at 100 yards with my AR and an Aimpoint red dot. I’m hoping to work my way out through the 200, 300, and 1000 yard ranges.

    • 200, 300, even 600 are fair game with a normal AR and normal ammo, 1000 is pretty much out of range, the round goes subsonic and tumbles before that, it’s like throwing a rock. 5.56 can be done at that range, but requires a lot of special twists. The Army rifle team at Camp Perry wouldn’t even tell us what twist their rifle used, or the weight of their bullets, but the cartridges wouldn’t fit in a magazine, single shot only. IOW, too much trouble, if you want 1000 yards buy another gun, probably bolt .308 cheapest and easiest.

      But I can attest, if you want 1000, that want will never go away. It took me over 40 years. Good luck!

  36. Dunno yet but I’m fixin to find out. Just got a Vortex 4.5-27×56 Gen2 scope with a 30 deg rail and medium plus rings to put on a Savage 110BA .338 Lapua Magnum. Never tried ultra long range before – looks like fun.

  37. My range only goes out to 200 yards. However, I did attend an Appleseed Center Fire event where I was able to shoot my M1 Garand out to 400 yard and I actually hit the target a few times LOL!

  38. 1km/1100y at an 8″ steel plate. 10 shots, 10 hits with a precision build Remington 700 .308 and a Vortex PST 6-24×50 scope.
    The .308 goes transonic at about that range, so it’s accuracy starts dropping. I was thinking of rebarelling it to 6.5Creedmoor so I can stay supersonic out to 1500m or more.

  39. Hit a feed bucket at 650 yards with my Ruger SR-556 and a 2.5 x scout scope I took off my gunsite scout rifle that morning. Took about 6-7 shots, but I was amazed with what you could do with a low power scope at that range. Shot a friend’s 16″ barrel DPMS AR at 700+ yards with iron sights after that. Was hitting to the left and right of a small log by about a foot. Didn’t quite hit it, but I was still pretty impressed. As long as there isn’t a whole lot of wind(which can be a lot to ask for depending on where you live) I think the .223/5.56 round is great fun at long range.

  40. 55 gallon drum full of water at 1100 meters with an M-60, open sights, from the standing position, trigger control drill ( squeezing single shots). Yes I am aware that a lot of luck was involved, but I did hit it 4 times out of 10 rounds. Doubt I could even see that far now…

    Cruachan

  42. Back in the day (skinny and 20-10 eyesight) 20 shots at 600 yards, hit 18 bulls (12 inch paper) open sights, mid afternoon. M16A2.

    Now, can barely manage 50 yards with a side arm.

  44. 600 yards with an unmodified M1 Garand, Hornady 30-06 match ammo, on a High Power paper target. I got more than one hit out of 8 rounds, surprised the hell out of me.

  45. 1,000 yards…. with three different rifles all on the same day (none of them mine):

    Barrett .50-cal

    Accuracy International .338-Lapua

    Remington 7-mm Mag – hit the 1,000-yard steel on the first shot with that one!

    I was surprised at how much I enjoy long range shooting.

    On the same day, I was able to hit steel with my custom-built (medium range) AR-15 out to 600 yards…. very consistently at 500 yards.

  47. Coyotes at 850 meters…in my ‘backyard’ with a Wetherby .22-250… 32x scope and tuned handloads. Took some time to get the math sorted but the snow covered field backlights them quite well.

  49. With open sights I’ve hit silhouettes consistently at 450 yrds. But the greatest shot title in my family actually belongs to my mother, who shot the head off of a walking turkey at about 120 yrds with 30-06 bolt gun.

  50. 600 yards. Longest target at my range. I’ve hit it (about 1′ x 2′) with my Remmie 700 and M1a Scout Squad (both scoped), although the groups were pretty ugly… in fact, calling them ‘groups’ would even be a bit of an exaggeration, since most of the shots weren’t even on paper.

    After 300 yards or so, all that wind, spin drift, rotation of the damn earth stuff really starting coming into play – and I haven’t really gotten deep into precision shooting yet. Those guys really know what their doing. I learned a new respect for them in my adventures. I’m not there yet. Maybe some day. I’d need a new scope to start…. and maybe a new brain, heart and trigger finger.. who knows

  51. M1 at 150 yards, hit a manhole cover consistently. Love that rifle.

    Kahr 9mm, three shots, shooting at a target 25 yards. Third shot hit a chronograph about 12 feet away. Done for the day!

    • My range bought 3 chronographs to rent, I thought that was great, went in about 6 months later to compare some rounds and rented the last one remaining, 6 months after that there were none. Owner said it was the worst idea he ever had, he still couldn’t believe people shot the damn things so often. Apparently the 3 took around 10 hits total before all were Kaput.

      • They would of had better luck with them if they required a cash deposit to rent them.

        Same way with the specialty tools at the auto parts places.

  52. 1185 yards, shooting a Shiloh Sharps 1874 .45-70 saddle rifle with a 30″ barrel, firing a hand-cast 535 Saeco Postell bullet in front of 27 grains of IMR 4198. Soule staff rear iron sight and globe aperture front sight built by Parts Unknown.

  54. The farthest I’ve been able to hit was 50 yards with my 10/22. Cut me some slack, I haven’t had much access to guns until a few years ago and I almost never get to practice.

  55. At a proper target 360 yards 45-90-530 gr paper patched black powder Winchester 1885 iron sights heavy barrel sitting over cross sticks just over a 3 inch group wiping between shots calm wind… I too suck at doping wind.

    For fun: a bit over 1000 yards 30-06 fmj ball FA 45 target was a “fresh” 1953 ford 4 door sitting on hard pan desert with almost no vegetation shooting almost like artillery. Take a shot pick up binoculars spot fall of shot on the dust correct with Kentucky windage and walk the shots on to target… Shot about a bandoleer worth for about a 85% hit rate after counting holes in the old car… This was in the mid 60s doubt I could do it now
    And yes it was a hell of a lot of fun

  56. 900 yards hit about 6 shots out of 10 on a chunk of sandstone about the size of a roll-aboard suitcase spray painted white.

    Equipment:
    – Winchester M70 Classic featherweight in 308win (one of the good ones when they were still made in Hartford), only modifications were a gunsmith took the creep out of the trigger and brought it down to 4.5lbs from the 11lbs it came from the factory with. Rifle would shoot 168gr ballistic silvertips into .5MOA all day long with a good rest.
    – Leupold VX2 3-9x40mm with very non-tacticool pocketknife screwdriver to adjust the elevation and windage
    – Free iphone app ballistics calculator

    First shot was way high and right (little bit of wind), second shot barely nicked lower left corner, third shot big cloud of busted sandstone dust and spit the rock in two. 4th shot clear miss I think because I was so excited. After that I was on it 100% until the wind picked up and I couldnt get back on target.

    Longest kill was ~250 yards on a whitetail, same rifle as above. No adjustments just put the bottom post of the duplex on the shoulder and a little hold off for the breeze, doe went down like it was struck by lightning.

    Some piece of shit stole that rifle out of my truck in broad daylight next to a busy road last year, that one is up there as one of the worst days of my life.

  57. Don’t really know as my longest shot was back in the 70’s using a Winchester 7mm with a good scope, but don’t remember what. Hit a 2 liter pop bottle in the middle of 80 acres from the perimeter.

    Lately the longest shot I have made was using a Traditions 50 Cal black Powder rifle using Black Horn 209 powder and a Power Belt 295 grain bullet. Took a buck at 172 yards with that. simmons 3×9 scope.

  59. Hit a cow sized target…ok, it was a cow, at roughly 2000 yards… with a Canon AE-1 that I dropped when exiting the aircraft while skydiving.

  60. 780 yards on the 4th shot. 18″ Springfield M1A with a Leupold Mk 4 8.5-25 x 50mm. Not sure of the load, it was a buddy’s rifle.

  61. I’m still trying to hit that little bitty man size target at 7 yards… 😀

    in truth, post Army I’m maxed out at 50 yards with my PCC. Army days out to 500 meters.

  62. Longest I’ve ever done was 750 yards using my Marlin XS7 in .243. Had to go about 50 clicks up on the scope, with about a 5 food hold over, and it took me 15 shots before I got a hit.

  64. I am currently saving up so that I can cheat. I am getting a Nightforce F1 3.5-15×50 Zero Stop LV.5 Riflescope with the Barrett Bors computer because math is for… not me. My goal is to hit a thousand yards and then, once I am consistant with that I will be moving farther out. Hopefully…

  67. Kel-tec sub-40 using federal FMJ….10 for 10 hits on an empty (grill size) propane tank @ 200-205 yds. off a sandbag. 10 for 10 3 times that day just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke but I haven’t been able to do it again since.

    Walther p-22 using either federal or rem. bulk pack stuff….8 for 10 golf balls at 50 yds. standing behind a tall table with my elbows rested. We play this game regularly at my house to see who can get best/10 for the day. Decent days are usually anywhere from 5-6 out of 10 takes it.

    Rem. 700 SPS, bell & carlson medalist alum. bedded stock, timmney trigger, single round follower, Wal-mart scope in .223/5.56(My budget precision rifle) using standard Hornady poly tip…. 18 golf balls in a row @ 220 yds. Prone off bipod and rear bag.

    We(3 of us) tried the same game with scoped .17HMRs(Savage 93r17 Mako / CZ 452 American varmint) at 100 yds. and were all at 25-30 in a row(taking turns) before we got bored.

    I’ve also rang 6″ steel at 500-650 yds.(various times) with the Rem. 700 but it takes me several shots to figure out my hold-off so I don’t really feel it’s as much of an accomplishment. Once I get in the groove for the day I can ring around 75% of the time.

    My absolute longest was 900-950 yds. on 55 gallon drums with steel plates inside(it knocks the barrels over!) with a Barrett .50…. I was watching a couple of guys shooting it and they invited me to try if I paid for my own ammo….HELL YES I WANT TO TRY! They already had the rifle set up, dialed in and ready so once again, not that much of an accomplishment but the smile was stuck on my face for a few hours.

  68. distance ~ 1000 yards approx. paced out using military pacing system.
    weapon ~ Rem 700 in .308 w/ fluted bull barrel, laminate stock, sitting under a Leupold scope.
    ammo ~ winchester 180 Grain
    result ~ after doing the math and throwing the first shot 42″ waaaaaay low, 9 out of 10 in a paper plate. 5 minuets between each shot.
    location & weather ~ early afternoon [Upper Peninsula MI.] Nov, clear sky, 18-21 degree F. approx.

  70. On my best day, 2 of 6 shots at 500 yards, steel torso-sized target with my Swiss K-31 using iron sights.

    The wife, however, typically shoots 5 of 6, same rifle, same range.

  71. Longest rifle shot about 550-600 yards. Target was an 18×24 steel USPSA-type silhouette plate. Rifle was a borrowed 5.56 AR with an 18″ Kreiger SS barrel with a 2.5-8x Leupold. Ammo was Black Hills 5.56 77gr SMK. Liked the rifle so much, I built one of my own.

    Longest pistol shot was 200 yards on a 12″x16″ steel swinger with a Glock 34 and some 115gr Federal ball. I just got lucky walking it in on that one in about 5 shots.

  73. Like a lot of others…
    300 meters with an M4. I’ve used iron sights, eotechs, and once an aimpoint comp m2.

    • w/transition to the 40mm . . .

      : )

      I once shot Linda Ronstadt a look in Central Park, NY, (she was performing in Pirates of Penzance – she was skinny and gorgeous) and actually made eye-contact. I was close, could not have been further than ~ 15 meters. She was dismissive however, so I really might have as well been on the moon.

  74. Longest rifle shot I’m absolutely sure of, a rickety M-16A1 on the 350 meter reactive man sized target at the qualification range.

    Recently, multiple hits on NRA rimfire ram silouettes with a Browning A-Bolt in .22lr at 185 yards. The game was ten rounds, two minutes, ten rounds, six targets with either a front bag or bipod, repeated three times. I left three out of eighteen standing.

    • Impressive on the NRA steel rams, considering a butterfly-fart-breeze will move a rimfire slug to the next target at that range.

  76. 6″x6″ exploding targets at ~ 750 yards, in winds up to 10mph @ 100%. With Remington 700 5R Milspec (.308) and IOR Valdada 6-18x (one of my favorites), also H-S Precision 300 WSM with Nightforce and Bluegrass Armory Viper XL (.50 BMG) at same range and conditions. Over and over again.

    Check out Boomershoot.org

  77. I used to routinely knock over running jackrabbits at around 400 yards with a Browning .22 SAR. I’d correct aim from the dust spurts and usually connect on the third shot.

  78. Range: 1500 Meters.
    Weapon: 4.2 inch Mortar, HE, direct lay. 3 rounds fired and hit on third.
    Target: A large piece of scrap metal, may have been a M48 at one time.
    Place: Fort Benning, GA

    And then, since I was the only one who knew how, I cut cheese the rest of the day.

  80. Just an aside-where I want to shoot! At Camp Perry, around 2005 the camp installed pop-up targets over about 200 yard width and probably 400 yard depth, a whole bunch of silhouettes controlled from a tower behind the firing points. They were not for the Nat’l Matches, were for training the Nat’l Guard or something, I heard they used .30 machine guns from raised firing points, but I’d have been happy with my M1A or an AR, shooting that width and depth random pop-ups looked like more fun than a man should be allowed in a lifetime.

  82. Longest: A bit over 800 yards.

    Coyote in the high desert of central Nevada, on the run. .338 WinMag, 210gr Partition over 72gr of IMR4350. 6X42 Leupold fixed scope and a bunch of “TLAR” windage/holdover.

    He went ass over tail and barrel rolled at the same time.

    But that’s not what I consider best “long range” shot I’ve made, which was about 220 yards. It takes details to fill in why I was so proud of this shot.

    Target: Belding ground squirrel, standing on his hind legs.
    Gun: Savage .17HMR, heavy barrel, “accu-trigger,” Nikon variable BDC scope at about 10X.
    Ammo: Hornady .17HMR, 17gr VMax bullet.
    Wind: 10, gusting 25, quartering onto me from my right.
    Position: Standing, offhand.

    Result: Head shot. Yea, I was kinda proud of that shot. For those who haven’t shot a .17HMR in wind… a little puff of wind and your shot is in the next county.

  83. If I discount the M-60 specialist course I took, this is the longest: German G-3, 600 meter range, human sized target, and iron sites. Can we all say “lucky shot”? I didn’t pay for any beers that night.

  84. 1000 meters with a Barrett M-82 CQB. Schmidt and Bender PM-II, with M-2 ammo at Blackwater, er Xe, er Academi lol. FIRST 6 hit a 14″x14″ steel target without a fuss (of course .50) last 3…no impact no idea. Maybe they’re still in orbit…

  86. I am pretty consistent on my local range’s 300 yard gong with my bone-stock (i.e. open sighted) mid-ban AK, but the distance shots I’m proudest of are with my Glock 20 10mm at 200 yards. The gong is roughly torso-sized, and I laid down three out of five hits on it (including one “fire for effect) with the G20 using DoubleTap’s 200 gr hard cast load and my Lone Wolf barrel, which is, as it turns out, a heck of a lot more precise than the stock barrel. Too bad the “fun” 10mm rounds don’t like to feed in it.

    I get a heck of a kick out of distance shooting with a handgun. I use some of Elmer Keith’s old techniques on sight alignment and once you get it dialed in, it’s just a hoot to shoot handgun out that far.

    • I got a sauntering coyote this morning at 218 yds with an AR shooting open sights (only needed 1 shot), though not my longest.

  88. I once shot the moon- that’s ~420,000,000 yards. Took 13 tricks to do it, but I did!

    As for actual answers, longest rimfire shot was about 270 yds (Google Earth estimate) with a Remington 510 firing a .22lr subsonic remmy hollowpoint using the iron sights in gusty wind. Guy told me to try and hit a discarded steel plate in the desert, so I said ‘what the heck,’ put the gun on target then elevated it an arbitrary amount, pulled some windage out of my tail end, and fired…

    Pop! … … … *ting!*

    Full disclosure: tried it again several times, could not score another hit. Pure luck the first time I think…

    • I firmly believe that sometimes “luck” is just good instinct before information has a chance to cloud your decisions. When I was young I remember Grampa making shots on running rabbits fairly consistently that I’m pretty sure he would have missed if he had time to think about the shot.

      Since then I’ve had days where my gut was a better marksman than my brain. It’s just like playing pool, if you think too hard you’ll miss the shot.

      • Acquire sight picture and fire. The longer you stand there concentrating the higher the probability you are going to miss.

  89. About 5 kilometers, using an M68 105mm cannon firing M490 HEAT-TP-T. Well beyond the M60A1 MBT’s effective range but we had ammo, a target and the firing tables. Hit a tank hull on 3rd shot.

    Uh, you meant small arms, didn’t ya? oops. my bad. 😉

  90. Longest was a 17″ target at 300yds with a Springfield M1A Loaded. Iron sights. Took 5-8 shots just to get on paper, but then put the next 10 rounds on target. Most way outside the bullseye, but on target. As many have commented, wind is a real factor, even that close.

    Most fun was a 200yd shot with the same rifle against a 12-oz can of lime soda (generic). I was aiming at a green smudge with my buddy spotting for me with a Leupold 20-60 spotting scope (he could see it). Walked in 3 rounds before hitting it. We both enjoyed the blast of foam.

  91. I once reloaded a special cartridge pulsation laser cut out of solid graphene. The cartridge was designed to be fired out of the mouth of Chuck Norris. When complete, the jaws of chuck crushed the graphene and a detonation resulted in a brilliant flash as the graphite gas check vaporized under the intense heat and pressure propelling the 1200 gr tungsten projectile out of the lips of Chuck Norris. The bullet struck exactly what he told it to hit. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite# 13 (GOES-13) on 22 May 2012. Fairly certain that is why the satellite went out of commission that day. I’m not sure of the range – but it was at least a 1000 miles.

  92. 1000 yards. Disclaimer… it was with an M-60 and we could “walk” the rounds to the target. With tracers. And a spotter. So I suppose that doesn’t really count. But it was a hell of a lot of fun.

  93. My personal longest shot was 400 meters. Standing unsupported, iron sites, using someone else’s rifle without changing the zero of the weapon. M-16A1.

  94. 10mm 1911 on a steel torso target at 100 yards. No one was more surprised than me. lol.. 600 yards with a 16in barreled 5.56 and a 4x scope. Took some serious hold over as the BDC was completely off at that distance. Still, proud of myself.

  96. 400 yards with an M-16A1. It was a misty, rainy, breezy day at Ft. Lewis, WA. I couldn’t see the target. I had to aim down and right of a bush on the top of the berm.

  97. Somewhere between 900 and 1200 yards.
    Walked something like a mile, shortly after one of the earlier knee operations.
    Sandy draw using a cane, rough, rough trip.
    Our ambush came to fruition with deer busting out in all directions,
    Each of the two other guys both downed their bucks, while my chance at one came at somewhat over a hundred yards. Nice buck running at approximately 90 degree angle from me.
    Missed two shots with the 2506, Browning B78 single shot. Stood there and watched as he climbed up the bread loaf hill in the distance. When he reached the top, he stopped and looked back. Knowing that there was not a ranch or anything else, over that hill for at least 5 to 7 miles, I pulled up on him again. Even the old Weaver K10 didn’t pull him in that close. I gave it “about 12 feet up, and 12 feet into the generally north wind” and squeezed the trigger,

    The buck turned his head back forward and walked on over the hill, far as I could tell.
    But then, “Wop”, as the sound of the bullet hitting flesh came back to my ears. (I could hear much better back in those days, compared to today.) Yes, that many years ago.

    Picked up my brass, slung the rifle over the shoulder, grabbed the cane and started hoofing it across the prairie and on up the hill. All I could think of, was what a stupid stuntt, likely hitting that nice buck in the butt, and now I got a nasty trailing job to do, that likely won’t turn out well.

    Well, the harder soil, up out of that sandy wash went much better, and after finally making the top, he was laying there, with a hole in the back of his head and his eyes slightly bulging. Yep, that 100 grain Hornady bullet never exited.

    As was said earlier, better lucky than good.
    I am just glad that my yet to be, 5 time, National Champ, long range silhouette, black powder rifle shooting son was there to witness it.
    I can’t/couldn’t even come close to hanging with him in that venue.

  98. Does a T55 at 4,500 meters count? Of course the laser range finder, crosswind sensor, cant sensor, and ballistic computer had far more to do with it than my ability to lay the reticle center of mass and pull the trigger.

  100. Longest was 300yds with my Mosin Nagant shooting at an 18 inch Shoot n See. Hit 4 out of 10 with irons. Best shot was approximately 100 yards. Hit a prairie dog with my Hi Point JCP .40 S&W.

  101. Not my longest shot but impressive, modified Mossberg 702 hit 5 out of 6 stationary clays at 225 yards, longest is a half silhouette at 300 yards, 5 for 5 with a 6mmx45 AR.

  103. 770yds slightly uphill with a .308 Remmy 700.

    First shot, don’t ask me how because the next 14 I tried didn’t hit.

    Gotta work on precision shooting. Normally there’s no super long range in MI,that 770 was criss crossing a field.there’s a 1000 yarder around but I don’t want bench precision I want field precision

  104. 1400yds with a .308. For those who want to shoot long range but feel it is difficult, please check my blog out. It has a guide for those that are new to long range. I hope to demystify it a little as many assume it will be amazingly hard. It takes patience and a meticulous approach to prep but it can be done by anybody. http://www.gunsandzen.wordpress.com

  105. On paper with my first shot at 1000yds at Butner…then I was hooked for life. Remy 700 heavy varmint bbl 308, Sightron 6-24×50, Fed 168gr GMM, Harris bipod, prone.

  106. 417 yards via laser range finder. DPMS Panther .308 with ACOG. 10 inch steel plate I was hitting 50%, there was little to no wind.

  107. I used to mostly shoot handguns so only about 50 yards. But as of yesterday, the farthest I’ve ever shot and landed hits is 200 yards. I just finished getting a Ruger American Rimfire 22 LR. I’ll be working to stretch that distance out after I get a good rifle to do so and find a good range to go further.

  108. 724 meters, whitetail buck, Lee-Enfeild Short Magazine N.4 MkI *, iron sights, 150gr Speer SPBT. Early morning and light to no wind. On a target range from bench? 950 meters, 48 inch diameter steel gong, never could tell precisely where on target I was hitting. Best set was 8 out of ten rds, worst was 2 out of ten, using mix of milsurp ammo and Sellier&Bellott FMJs.

  109. On further thought, 11.42 kilometers, bullseye on first shot using map, compass and radio. Oh, and an M110 firing HE using, I believe, a charge 4.

    • I don’t use “math” when shooting. Unless I am calling arty or airstrikes. Kinda needed, then, unless you are just randomly blasting the terrain for sh*ts and giggles. Which can be quite entertaining all on its own.

  111. 500 yards, open sights, M16, “Man size target”
    Sadly there are no 500 yard ranges in NJ that I know of, so I haven’t done that in a long time.

  116. 1000 yards on 18 inch target. 10 out of 10 with a 260 Remington every time i make the trek north. 10 mph winds @90 degrees/ or @270 degrees at an 80 avg. degree day. shooting 140 gn berger hunting vld with 42.5 grains of h4350 powder and seat dept apx 10 to 15 thousandths off the lands, shooting out of a 26 inch heavy barrel, velocity hits at 2825 ish fps. .trigger set to 8 oz. scope is vortex 6×24 x30 ffp(first focal plane) savage la action set down on a choate custom stock. mill hold at 7000 ft elevation is 6 wind is 1.1 to 1.3 depending on gust. double that at 20 mph. rifle zeroed at 300 yards. max height of round is @200 yards at about 5 inches high. 9 inch low at 400 yards. basically……i can aim center mass on anything im hunting and hit it with out ever adjusting out to around 350 yards. @40 apx im half a mill low. ammo is all reload. i havent bought ammunition for close to 7 years now. wanna hit long distances consecutively?…reload. cheaper and better.

  117. One mile, (1,760 yards) 24″ by 24″ target, in Utah. Open sights with an unmodified Swiss K-31 rifle using standard GP ammo. I am the individual shooting 1,572 yards on an 18 inch target in the video posted at the start of this thread. The video shown above met all requirements set forth by Guinness World Records including land surveyors and 25 additional persons as witnesses. I have several open sight videos at 1,500 yards, these videos were questioned by the Utah Long Range Shooters Association. Responded by driving from Los Angeles to Salt Lake to repeat the shoot in their presence, but since their target was 24″ I asked that it be placed at one-mile. After 20 shots with the Swiss I believe (After a review of the HD video) I struck the target possibly as many as 5 times. I was assured they would save the target and send me photos, I had to drive back to Los Angles immediately after the shoot. Somehow, “Unknown members” literally destroyed the target shortly after I began my drive home. I was very upset but not really concerned other than the waste or time and gas. The video is postedon YouTube under one-mile open sights. I do plan on repeating the one mile shoot at a better location and will have representatives from Guinness present for authentication. On a side note, I literally can’t read even a computer screen without glasses, heck of a poor tradeoff…. :-). Ernest R. Jimenez.

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