Long-range shooting has certainly grown in popularity over the past decade, and as shots get longer, the gear gets more specialized. Just a quarter-century ago, the 1,000-yard shot seemed all but impossible to the average shooter, with tales of snipers like Carlos Hath-cock causing most guys to cock an eye-brow and listen, rather than talk. But as the first quarter of the 21st century draws to a close, 1,000 yards isn’t as faraway as it used to be.
While attending some shooting schools, I’ve seen folks who’ve never fired a rifle past 100 yards make the 1,000-yard shot routinely after two days of proper training. While the gear—rifle, optics and ammunition—is better than it has ever been, the technique needs to be on point. Ballistic calculators can provide precise information regarding trajectory, wind deflection, spin drift, aerodynamic jump and even the Coriolis effect, but you’ll need a means of applying that data.
The modern riflescope is more than just a magnified image with a single point of aim; it has become a highly sophisticated aiming device, capable of taking both trajectory and wind deflection into account.
But not all riflescopes
