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LONG RANGE SHOOTING

LONG RANGE SHOOTING

Long range shooting whether it is with an airgun, rimfire rifle or centrefire rifle can be a real test of the shooter and of the equipment used. Whether it is classed as long range or not will depend on the induviduals judgement and ability. If you are using a centrefire rifle distances of around 300 yards upwards would typically be classed as long range. This could be target shooting or maybe long range varmint shooting. Centrefire shooters tend to use calibers with small diameter light weight bullets such as .20, .22, or even .17. The bullets will be traveling very fast so the flight time is minimal. The effects of the wind can be an issue with these small calibers but this is partly off set by the short time of flight. For some live quarry but particularly target shooting it is more common to use larger calibers such as .308 Winchester and these heavier bullets tend to be less affected by the wind. Distances of say 600 yards upwards tend to be shot by target shooters and this is when quite a lot of rifle scopes run out of vertical adjustment. The solution is either an angled Picatinny rail or an angled or adjustable scope mount. The advantage of using a one piece scope mount with a fixed angle of maybe 20 MOA is that there are no moving parts to potentially vibrate loose under recoil. These type of scope mounts are used by the much acclaimed company Accuracy International on their excellent quality sniper and long range target rifles. If lack of windage adjustment is also a problem, 2 piece fully adjustable scope mounts are available. Picatinny bases with various angles such as 20 MOA, 30 MOA and even 40 MOA are available but for extreme long range shooting but a 2 piece picatinny scope mount with upto 50 MOA of vertical adjustment is available from Sportsmatch in the U.K.  A common cause of confusion occurs when firearm dealers advertise 20mm scope rings and rails.  They are actually refering to picatinny or weaver scope ring / bases that are 21.2mm / 0.835″ wide so be aware of this. When shooting at long range another factor that can cause poor accuracy is canting. This is when the rifle is not held vertically and the longer the range the bigger the problem. Spirit level kits are available to ensure the rifle is held in a vertical plane. The spirit level may not indicate the absolute exact vertical plane but it will still ensure the rifle is held the same for every shot. Various types of spirit level kits are available and different models require different mounting points. Some replace the top clamp screws on your gun scope mounts whilst some versions only replace one of the screws and can be swung out when ready to shoot.  There are also some good quality 1 piece scope mounts available that have an integral level bubble.  Some models have the spirit level bubble centrally positioned and others have the level bubble to one side.but this tends to only suit right handed shooters.   However by moving your head slightly prior to pulling the trigger you should be able to see the level on the end of the scope mount enabling you to hold the rifle vertically.  Also available are some great quality 2 piece scope rings with an inegral level bubble.  The shooter then has the choice of where to put the scope ring with the level bubble in.  The ring with the level can be positioned either in front of or behind the rifle scopes turret.  This is the advantage of 2 piece scope rings over a 1 piece scope mount.  Ultimately is is down to the induvidual to choose which system they prefer but it is certainly worth considering a spirit level bubble somehere on your scope, rifle or scope rings otherwise you will be effectively adjusting the windage at the same time as adjusting the elevation on your scope.

LONG RANGE RIMFIRE RIFLE SHOOTING

Long range shooting with a .17 rimfire rifle is typically limited to around 250 yards and around 150 yards with a .22 Long Rifle. As with long range centrefire shooting running out of scope adjustment is likely to be a problem. Using a milldot scope can help this as elevation can be precisely calculated and an aiming point selected. However a scope mount with adjustable elevation or a fixed angle machined in will assist in accurate shooting and optimize accuracy. Using the best quality rifle scope, scope mounts and rifle for this type of shooting will pay dividends as you will not regret buying good quality equipment. Once you are confident of your rifles accuracy and your ability you may want to use your techniques on live quarry in the field and stretch the range of your shots. The advantage of this is that your quarry may be unaware of your presence and the detected sound of your first shot will be much lower so you may get the chance of a second shot.

LONG RANGE AIRGUN SHOOTING

With a low powered airgun such us mainly used in the U.K. 50 yards is generally considered long range.  Obviously the trajectory of such rifles is quite a curve so using a scope with multiple aiming points is a real advantage.  Aiming low for close shots can be done by using the aiming points on your rifle scope below the centre on the vertical plane.  The better quality rifle scopes often feature  a 30mm diameter body tube so good quality scope mounts will cost more than 1” versions but the extra cost will be money will spent.  Be aware that rifle scopes with a 1″ diameter body tube are often reffered to as 25mm as this is only 0.4mm less than 1″.  You may want to select your pellets for long range shooting as any defects will have a much greater affect the longer the range is.  Any pellets with a deformed skirt should be put aside and left for plinking in the back yard.  You may also want to weigh the pellets and reject any particularly heavy or light ones.  As with all shooting equipment quality ammunition is a must.  Using scope mounts that keep the rifle scopes objective lens as close as possible to the barrel will reduce hold over / hold under at different ranges so this is recommended for long range shooting whether you are using an airgun or a firearm with live ammunition.  In the U.S. particularly there is an increasing trend of using larger calibre high powered airguns with muzzle energy levels in excess of 100 ft lbs and with these type of rifles ranges of 100 yards can often be achieved.  Such rifles often have a Picatinny rail machined into the receiver so Picatinny / Weaver scope mounts can fit directly on to the rifle.

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Height of Scope Mount Required

In each product catergory we state a maximum (upto) objective lens diameter dimension. Due to both rifle and scope designs varying this can only be used as a guide. If you are unsure that the height of the Sportsmatch scope mount you have chosen will be sufficient to clear your rifle scopes objective lens from the barrel of your rifle, we suggest (prior to purchase) you check. The way you calculate the clearance is by halving the overall outside diameter of your rifle scopes objective lens and then deducting half the rifle scopes body tube diameter. For scopes with a 1″ inch diameter body tube diameter this would mean deducting 12.7mm, 15mm for scopes with a 30mm diameter body tube and 17mm for 34mm scopes. This dimension then gives the figure comparible with the ‘A’ dimension that is shown below. The amount our ‘A’ dimension is greater than the figure you have calculated is the amount of clearance your scopes objective lens will be clear of your rifles barrel (dont forget to allow around 2mm for the scope covers). Calculating your rifle scopes clearance in this way does assume your dovetail or Picatinny rail is not raised above or below your rifles barrel. Please consider that rifles with grooved receivers such as some models of airgun and .22 rimfire rifle will mean the scope sits lower than a rifle with a raised dovetail or Picatinny base fitted. Something else to consider is that some rifles with a high or adjustable cheek pieces may require high or extra scope mounts so that your eye is in line with the rifle scope and your head is kept in an upright comfortable position.