Palmetto Gun Club
Long Range Certification


Long Range Certification at the Palmetto Gun Club is required to shoot unsupervised on the rifle range beyond 200 yards. The process to get certified involves studying up on ballistics, taking an exam administered by one of the authorized long range certifiers, and demonstrating your knowledge and rifle ballistics on the long range to one of the authorized long range certifiers. There is a test study guide posted below. The guide basically tells you in broad terms on what you will be tested.

There are multiple paths to arrive at taking the exam and demonstrating your understanding and proficiency.

1 — Self Study and or Experience then Challenge the written test, meet with a certifier on the range to discuss and demonstrate your ability to fire proof shots and put first round hits on target at 600 yards.

2 — Complete the NRA Basic Rifle Class and the Advanced Marksmanship Clinic. Then take the certification tests.

3 — Complete the Precision Rifle Class. Then take the certification tests.

Study Guide Outline for the Long Range Written Test:
•  Describe MOA and MIL and what they mean.

•  Describe and demonstrate of how sights are adjusted.

•  Discuss and demonstrate an understanding of safety issues while on and off the line in long range rifle shooting (see club rules on club website).

•  Discuss the factors that cause differences in individual rifle accuracy.

•  For initial hits using ballistic calculations and for correcting adjustments, calculate sight adjustments from 50 to 1000 yards with a variety of scopes using MOA and MIL.

•  Describe what may happen to a bullet which strikes the ground at a 15 degree angle.

•  Describe the purpose of a skip berm.

•  Describe how ammunition is affected by temperature, air pressure and humidity.

•  Calculate the value of a MIL at ranges from 100 to 1,000 yards.
Contact the Chief Instructor to let him know when you are ready to take the test, and he will get you in touch with an authorized long range certifier to take the test and witness your shooting at 600 yards.

Although not a requirement, completing either the Advanced Marksmanship or Precision Rifle Classes will assist most individuals in successfully completing the long range written and performance exams.




Chip Stehmeyer's Equipment Suggestions
For Long Range Shooting

Here is a link to the book I recommend...

www.appliedballisticsllc.com/Book.htm

Your selected rifle must be accurate enough to shoot 1MOA groups (approximately 1" at 100 yards). Most modern rifles are built with CnC machining, so they're all pretty accurate. Stick with a bolt action if you want the best accuracy for the most reasonable cost. Winchester, Remington and Savage all have good reputations for accuracy out of the box on their new guns. The type of bolt gun depends on what you want to use it for. If you want a general range gun to shoot long range, go with a 308 win cartridge and mid weight to heavy barrel bolt gun. Expect to pay $1000 to $1100 for a heavy barrel, accurate bolt rifle. If you want something to hunt with that is light, go with something like the Winchester M70 extreme or Kimber Montana in a faster round that is matched to the heaviest game you want to hunt. If you are looking for a benchrest competition gun, look for the custom action, 20# gun, but look to pay $4000. Sure, you can go with a semi-auto, but a custom, accurized one that will match up with a good factory bolt gun will cost you much more than the bolt gun.

As far as optics, I would look at something costing at least $700- $1000 to get a reasonably good one. If you can afford it, go for the $1500 to $2000 range. Nightforce, Trijicon, Vortex, Leupold, Meopta, Nikon, and Zeiss all have excellent reputations for lens clarity and quality. Go with something with an upper range magnification power of at least 14X. 16-20 X is better. Anything over 24X is really not necessary unless you're doing long bench rest competition with 20# guns. To accurately shoot long range, the scope is the most critical part of the system, so spend your $$ there. Either Mil or Moa turrets are fine. I prefer Moa Turrets and Moa reticle, but another good combination is Moa turrets and Mil dot reticle. Mil turrets and Mil reticle is also a good combination. Most ballistics programs will output in either measurement system. If the spotter has no reticle in the spotting scope, shot corrections are easier in Moa using "Shooters Moa" - 1 Moa = 1" at 100 yards, etc. Mil corrections are easier if the spotter has a Mil reticle in the spotting scope (Leupold TDS). I don't know of any current spotting scope with a Moa reticle in it.

The "Gold standard" is Nightforce!! Expensive, but worth it in my opinion. Nightforce is what I run on my long range hunting guns.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/651827/nightforce-nxs-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-55-22x-50mm-hi-speed-zero-stop-side-focus-illuminated-np-r1-reticle-matte

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/814754/nightforce-nxs-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-55-22x-50mm-hi-speed-zero-stop-side-focus-1-10-mil-adjustments-illuminated-mlr-reticle-matte

Vortex, Trijicon, Leupold and Zeiss are also good choices:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/149028/vortex-viper-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-65-20x-50mm-side-focus-dead-hold-bdc-reticle-matte

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/863511/trijicon-accupoint-tr23-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-5-20x-50mm-dual-illuminated-mil-dot-with-green-dot-reticle-matte (Incorrect reticle shown on the graphic, but this is the correct model)

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/126832/leupold-mark-4-long-range-tactical-m1-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-65-20x-50mm-side-focus-mil-dot-reticle-matte

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/772915/leupold-mark-4-extended-range-tactical-m5-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-65-20x-50mm-side-focus-1-10-mil-adjustments-first-focal-tmr-reticle-matte

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/329392/zeiss-mc-conquest-rifle-scope-65-20x-50mm-side-focus-target-turrets-mil-dot-reticle-matte

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/368129/zeiss-mc-conquest-rifle-scope-65-20x-50mm-side-focus-target-turrets-rapid-z-1000-reticle-matte

Here are a couple of links to a good mid-range scope by Weaver (their scopes are reliable and affordable):

From SWFA for $799 - http://swfa.com/Weaver-4-20x50-Tactical-30mm-Rifle-Scope-P40579.aspx

From Amazon for $772 - http://www.amazon.com/Weaver-Tactical-Scope-4-20x50-Reticle/dp/B002RGCIGO

As far as mounts for the scope go, get a 20MOA Picatinny base and Picatinny tactical rings, probably medium height. EGW and TPS bases and rings are great value for the quality.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/862734/egw-1-piece-heavy-duty-picatinny-style-20-moa-elevated-base-remington-700-long-action

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/747653/tps-1-piece-xp-tactical-picantinny-style-20-moa-elevated-base-remington-700-long-action-matte-steel

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/626901/egw-30mm-picatinny-style-rings-matte-medium (need to change to 1" rings for 1" scope tubes)

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/845031/tps-30mm-tsr-picatinny-style-steel-rings-matte-medium (need to change to 1" rings for 1" scope tubes)

Personally, I prefer the TPS products because they are steel Vs aluminum, however the EGW HEAVY DUTY aluminum bases and rings will do well also.

For further information please contact:

Chip Stehmeyer
120 Sparrow Drive
Isle of Palms, SC 29431
Click Here To Send Chip an Email
843-242-8149 (home)
843-860-1406 (cell)