Looking for someone to comment on the long range shooting schools out there. I know of FTW Ranch and Gunsite. Anyone with first hand knowledge and can make a rec for me?

Looking to get proficient to 600 yards.

Thanks

Done FTW and badlands...both good but different. FTW was way more expensive, it had more of a country club feel...nice bar, good meals, highly qualified staff--neat ranges to shoot at. The whole goal was to get you proficient to shoot animals at range. The last day you get to hunt animals at different areas. They are cutouts with steel gongs...lots of fun

Badlands had more of a tactical feel--good instructors--and will get you proficient too. Not all the "extras" that were at FTW.

Id do the both again...Badlands was $700...FTW was like $3,000...

http://badlandstactical.org/wp.../2017-Enrollment.pdf

http://ftwsaam.com



Ed

Can't say enough good things about FTW.

No doubt the schools mentioned offer good instructions, but as a suggestion only attempt to visit/shoot at a local NRA 600yd. prone match and use "irons" or peep sights if you will. If it is an active club there will be some there with Master or higher rating, High Master, and they know what they are doing at not only 600yds., but beyond. Reading the wind, mirage, light conditions, etc., etc., will be stressed and all important to shoot at ranges of 600 or beyond accurately.
Reason for suggesting irons is that the concept of MOA and slight sight adjustments to control the round in flight will become apparent quickly. Your breathing and corresponding heart beat will become very clear to you in doing this with use of properly adjusted sling. Just a few of these matches will greatly help in developing good shooting skills for distant targets. Stay away from benches, bags, and bi pods, not conducive to skill development, just my opinion.

Check out black hat training corps in pa $400 for 2 day courses.

The main problem with long range shooting is, IMHO, the lack of suitable facilities! Even at mid range eg. 600 yards, seeing bullet holes in the target is iffy at best, and impossible for 22 caliber holes. That means people in the butts or, a video camera system. One can learn a lot just by plenty of range time, easy at 100-300 yards but much more difficult at longer ranges.
The only range near me is Bradford Farms which has a range up to 850 yards. Last time I was down there they had guys hiding behind a berm, and coming out to check the targets periodically. They may have updated the system in the last couple of years.
So, even after you have "taken the course" you still need to practice your new found skills.
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
The main problem with long range shooting is, IMHO, the lack of suitable facilities! Even at mid range eg. 600 yards, seeing bullet holes in the target is iffy at best, and impossible for 22 caliber holes. That means people in the butts or, a video camera system. One can learn a lot just by plenty of range time, easy at 100-300 yards but much more difficult at longer ranges.
The only range near me is Bradford Farms which has a range up to 850 yards. Last time I was down there they had guys hiding behind a berm, and coming out to check the targets periodically. They may have updated the system in the last couple of years.
So, even after you have "taken the course" you still need to practice your new found skills.
Peter.

Peter:

If you don't have a reactive target to see each bullet strike, you won't learn much about the wind IMO. Unless you have a guy pulling frames and plugging shots like in LR precision matches, you need either a metal plate or a flat rock (painting them black with an aiming circle works even better). Another good option is to cover a target with black plastic and then spray paint it white.

The problem isn't long range shooting schools, it is places to shoot long range. You won't ever get good unless you constantly practice. Knowing you can smack a gong 500 yards away (or farther) within 5 inches under a variety of wind conditions (because you do so once a week) does a lot for confidence.

And variety is important. If all you do is shoot at a range, you only learn the conditions at that range, to say nothing of the ability to watch the flags. One thing I learned shooting in the desert is that when shooting uphill I would get a pretty good updraft from a strong wind blowing behind me or even at an angle; with no wind, I didn't have that effect.

We are fortunate in WV these days, but some years ago had to travel 300+ miles for 1000yd range/match. Now we have centrally located WV Rifle Pistol Assoc. range in middle of the State and some 150 miles away w/ 1000yd. range. Shot a lot of 600yd. matches at Malvern, Ohio over the years but now it has been extended to 1000yds and something like 200 miles away. Going to Palma Match there at the end of March, been a while so every decent day weather wise plan on re building my prone position and sling tension setting. Past summer shot my 22 Ruger 10/22 a lot at 200yds. for it is good practice to read the wind. Shot a lot of XC matches over the years but Long Range will teach you more regarding holding the rifle, breathing, trigger pull technique, sight picture w/ micrometer sights, load development as well. What the load does at 2-300yds. is a whole lot different than at 600 and beyond.

I've been to this one two times. blackhillslongrangerifleshooting.com
It's east of Rapid City SD, South off HWY 44.
Lots of steel at all ranges out to 1250.
Three different covered benches, nicely set up.
There is no club house, but that doesn't matter because you'll be
Shooting most of the time your are there. It's a small by appointment operation, 4 people max at
Once. When I went it was just Lee and i.

Rapid City has plenty of places to stay plus other things to do like Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse. Hill City
Has the Alpine restaurant for a great meal, and of course Deadwood for a game of poker or maybe
A hand or two of blackjack and lots of dining as well.

Additionally if you find yourself out on a family vacation and don't want to carry your rifles with
Lee will furnish rifles and ammo.

If one has the place on can teach yourself.

A good instructor can help shorten the learning process putting rounds down range is the key.

If you want to come to northern Wis. I have a 700 yard range and enough instructor certificates to satisfy any one.

My rates are very reasonable. I have shot 10s of thousands of rounds down range for practice and in the PDog feilds

You would be the only student and be given very personalize instruction.

If interested PM me.

Or search locally for some F class matches or high power matches most of them have people that would love to help you.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
If one has the place on can teach yourself.

A good instructor can help shorten the learning process putting rounds down range is the key.

If you want to come to northern Wis. I have a 700 yard range and enough instructor certificates to satisfy any one.

My rates are very reasonable. I have shot 10s of thousands of rounds down range for practice and in the PDog feilds

You would be the only student and be given very personalize instruction.

If interested PM me.

Or search locally for some F class matches or high power matches most of them have people that would love to help you.

PD:

Is your range in an open field or a cut through timber? Reason I ask is that I used to shoot down a dead end road when I lived in MN and found it wasn't very good for wind practice, since the trees essentially blocked any wind. I moved to a different place where I got good wind exposure from the north (I shot to the west) but trees blocked any wind from the south.

It is 50 percent treed 50 percent open.

Headed to FTW school next week. Will compose a report.

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Headed to FTW school next week. Will compose a report.

I am particularly interested in what they teach about first shot hits/reading the wind correctly. Anyone, and I say anyone, can make hits at long range if they get feedback on their misses. A bunch of us shoot every Friday morning at 500 yards (Wed at noon as well). When we put a new scope on a rifle, we don't even zero it at 100 or 200 - just boresight it and then have someone spot us on the gongs. We can normally get on the gong in one shot with a spotter.

In my opinion, the best training for LR shooting is to shoot a little a lot, not a lot a little. In other words, if you could shoot one bullet per day for a month, you will be much better than shooting 30 bullets in one sitting.

Ross:

Here is one trick I do for LR shooting/reading the wind. Works really well; in fact, I just shot five shots at 500 in a wind condition that varied L-R, boiling,R-L, and stiff L-R.

This requires a side focus parallax scope with a fairly high power. I dial it to focus around 200; this allows me to judge the wind. When I see the prevailing condition, I spin it back to focus, then shoot fast.

Today at 500 yards I started with a .338 Lapua 285 ELD. Wind was blowing R-L but then died. Slow drift to the right. Waited, expecting it to change, but it didn't, so I held 1/2 MOA left on a three inch square and hit the upper left corner. Switched to a .300 RUM shooting 225 ELDs at 3,000. Wind was blowing to the right pretty good. First shot held one MOA left (wind picked up), hit about 1 inch below the lower right corner. Wind picked up more, so I held 1.5 MOA, hit 1 inch to the left of the first shot. Switched to my .308 and shot sitting with a bipod. Estimated wind hold as .5 MILs (1.8 MOA). Hit 1 inch high dead center. Shot again, same hold, but came down 1 MIL. Hit dead center but 1 inch low.

Using my parallax allowed me to see the wind's subtle (sometimes not very subtle) changes.