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SDI Faculty Presents: Long Range Tech

  • Caleb Tillery

Image Courtesy of our fantastic resource partners at Vortex Optics

Technology has changed long range shooting forever and has allowed targets to be engaged on a more consistent basis at further distances. 

It can be a heck of a lot of on-target “bang” for the buck, if you choose to invest in the right tech.

Prior to advancements in technology, shooters used to have to keep impeccable notes and document every shot the learn the rifles behavior on any given day. It’s still not a bad practice, but, boy-howdy, is it a lot of work.

The shooter would then have to reference these notes to determine the proper firing solution for their current target. This is often referred to as D.O.P.E or data on previous engagement. 

With the current state of technology, a shooter can develop a ballistic profile that is unique to the rifle and projectile combo.

The muzzle velocity can be measured with a chronograph as well as the drag of the projectile with a Doppler radar. From that, the environment can be evaluated a with a weather meter and input into a ballistic calculator.

The remaining variable is the target distance which can be determined with a laser rangefinder. Once all these variables are known a firing solution is produced that is the exact trajectory for the rifle and its projectile. 

Technology takes a heck of a lot of the guessing out of long range shooting and creates a repeatable process that does not require the shooter to visit the range constantly to learn how the rifle operates.

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