Long-Range Shooting Goes Mainstream — Industry Trends
According to Shooting Industry magazine, a large segment of gun buyers are now gravitating toward long-range shooting. Short carbines with red dots are OUT. Precision rifles with high-power optics are IN. Interest in long-range shooting has driven sales of modular bolt guns and upgraded ARs in .224 Valkyrie or 6.5 Grendel. Shooting Industry states: “Dealers around the country report interest in long-range shooting has ignited over the past 12+ months”. In fact, “long-range shooting has become a passion for a larger number of shooters, leading to increased potential for sales of guns, ammo, and accessories[.]”
Doug Gifford of CORE Rifle Systems and GTO Guns in Florida observes: “For the past 12 months or so, I’ve seen a huge move toward interest in long-range accuracy.” Modern bolt-action rifles in popular chamberings such as 6.5 Creedmoor “are probably the fastest-moving modular sporting guns at the moment”.
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Ruger Precision Rifle Leads the Way
Vikram Mookerajee of Pinnacle Firearms in Indiana says the introduction of the Ruger Precision Rifle (RPR) several years ago really “opened up the market” to a broader spectrum of customers. The RPR created a whole new market segment for modular chassis rifles. With “street price” under $1250 (and under $1000 during sales), the RPR delivered a modern-looking, modular rifle system at an affordable price. This was not your grand-pappy’s deer rifle — the modular look appealed to a younger market segment. RPR accuracy out of the box was pretty good too.
Following the success of the basic RPR, offered in 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .308 Win, Ruger has introduced a big Magnum version in .300 Win Mag and .338 Lapua Magnum. This is a large rifle, weighing 15.2 lbs. without optics. And, with a $2099 MSRP ($1700 street price) it is considerably more expensive than the original RPR.
Long-Range Interest Drives Sales of Expensive Optics
The increasing interest in long-range shooting has driven sales of higher-magnification optics, particularly First Focal Plane (FFP) scopes with Mil-type reticles. Core’s Gifford notes: “The long-range trend is moving into real science. Shooters are looking at parallax and focal plane; they’re getting into the science of optics.” The latest generation of scopes aren’t cheap. For example, the 7-35x56mm FFP Nightforce ATACR, one of the most popular optics with PRS shooters, retails for $3600.00! You can buy a pretty nice used motorcycle or bass-boat for that kind of money.
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Tags: .338 Lapua Magnum, Long Range Shooting, Nightforce, Ruger Precision Rifle, Shooting Industry, Tactical Rifles
Long range shooting has always been my passion, but what is it exactly. When I was 15 years old there was a ground hog I never could get closer than 200 years to.So I stepped off 200 yards,and put a target on a cardboard box. Then I zeroed in at that range. The next day I put his lights out.
Was that long range shooting? For a 15 year old with a 22? You bet.
Then years later I took up silhouette shooting.Offhand at 200 to 500 meters.
That was long range at the time. Then I started shooting 1000 yards. I won the first match I shot in. At Paul Bunyan rifle range in puallup Washington. Now I have a 50BMG benchrest rifle and trying to learn something about 1 to 2 miles. That’s the latest project. So I suppose I’m just a long range junkie, but I have no complaints. Its been the best time I have ever had.
My first long range rifle was a M70 target with a Unertl 15x scope and some varmint models. My current one is a Savage 110 tactical in a 6 Creedmore. Ranges have varied out to 1150 yards. 95% of my shooting has been with a .22 rimfire out to 500 yards. Hopefully there will be more opportunities in Il with an increased interest in this sport.