Better Long-Range Shooting

Published on May 22, 2025 Jace Bauserman

You’ve done your due diligence. You’ve mastered cheek-to-stock weld, trigger control, breathing, and dotting bullseyes with .223-inch (.22 LR) diameter holes.

However, you won’t be toting your .22 LR (or other rimfire caliber) to the Western mountains or Eastern hardwoods. This means that late spring and summer are tailor-made for long-range shooting sessions with your go-to hunting rifle.

Before we jump into the long-range shooting pond though, remember: We don’t want to go backward. If you spent time behind the stock of .22 LR to help you conquer target panic caused by heavy recoil, the last thing you want is too much gun. Settle into the sticks, shoot off a bench, or go prone with a lightweight shoulder-abuser, and you’ll be right back where you started.

Don’t get me wrong; I love magnum calibers. Calibers like the .300 Win. Mag, .300 PRC, and others are tried-and-true long-range Western kingpins. The .300 Win. Mag. must be in contention for the “best all-around” rifle caliber ever.

Suppose you’re planning to shoulder a magnum caliber. Great, but ensure the rifle features a quality recoil pad, top-tier muzzle brake, and recoil-reducing build like the X-Bolt 2 McMillan Pro SR. I took this rifle (chambered in .300 Win. Mag.) to Africa and made extended-range shots on multiple species of African big game. This model includes the Recoil Hawg muzzle brake that reduces up to 76 percent of felt recoil. Not once did I come out of the scope because of recoil. This solid rifle platform builds shooting confidence quickly.

My current long-range go-tos are a pair of calibers on which I can’t put a bigger stamp of approval — the 7mm PRC and 6.8 Western. The 7 PRC is a long-action; the 6.8 Western is a short-action that sends a heavy-for-caliber 175-grain bullet sizzling from the muzzle at 2,835 fps. I watched Browning’s Shaundi Campbell make a 400-plus-yard shot on a massive Eastern Cape kudu with this caliber in June 2024. The rifle was Browning's X-Bolt 2 Speed. Then, last October, Leupold’s Kayley Anderson dotted a gagger of bull elk at 530 yards. Both ladies say they love the 6.8 Western’s ability to shoot accurately, hit hard, and create minimal recoil. The 6.8 Western has what I call the “It Factor.” Some rifles, for reasons unexplainable, fly fast, hit hard, and are hyper-accurate. The 6.8 Western is one such caliber. It’s the best-shooting caliber I’ve ever used in the field, and its recoil is ultra-light. Plus, being a short-action, the cycling time is speedy.

Picking the right caliber is critical to your long-range success.

Confidence Is Key

If you spent time mastering your shot behind the stock of a .22 LR, you should be boiling with confidence. Excellent. Confidence is key. For this reason, the first few times you hit the range and extend the distance between you and your target, you don’t want to do anything to cripple that confidence.

The definition of “long range” varies, but most consider it a target at or beyond 500 yards. That’s five football fields. Five hundred yards isn’t a chip shot; the goal is to keep the confidence rolling. While learning wind holds is good, it’s less important when learning to shoot long range. Pick good weather days to go to the range if you plan to push the limits of your barrel. Get comfortable shooting long range and hearing that steel clang before you start concerning yourself with shooting in the wind.

Also, before you dial your elevation turret to 700 yards (or any long-range distance), execute a few shots at shorter distances. Hearing steel clatter or seeing a hole in the paper exactly where you were aiming builds confidence.

Eye-To-Optic

Proper eye-to-optic alignment is essential for long-range shooting. This means positioning the scope so your eye is positioned to see a clear, complete image of the target you’re shooting at. Of course, multiple scope ring height options allow you to mount your scope where you want it. Still, most importantly, is a stock that lets you adjust your eye-to-scope alignment via an adjustable comb.

Browning's X-Bolt 2 Series features the Vari-Tech Stock with a three-part adjustment system that customizes the stock to fit your unique needs. To check for proper eye-to-optic alignment, get your cheek weld while keeping your eyes closed. Once you’re comfortable, open your eyes. You should have a clear picture of the reticle without having to crane or scrunch your neck.

Focus and Clarity

You must familiarize yourself with your scope to bang steel or punch lungs at extended distances. Know how to quickly zoom in and out on your target, and where and how to use the scope’s diopter adjustment. If you’re unfamiliar with your scope’s magnification throw-lever or wheel, or how to adjust the scope for maximum focal clarity (diopter), spend time learning on close-range targets. Remember, confidence is key, don’t do anything to rattle it.

Position

I don’t shoot long-range shots unless on a bench with bags, a sled, or prone. Taking a 500-plus-yard shot freehand is irresponsible and outside of dumb luck; you won’t hit your mark. Shooting sticks are excellent, but sticks don’t stabilize like a prone body on a bipod with rear support (more to come on this) or bags/sled on a bench.

You won’t have a bench or a sled in the field, so I recommend shooting prone while practicing long-range shots. I like a bipod, but if that isn’t your jam, a backpack will stabilize your rifle’s front half. Rear support is not necessary, but if you can get a bag, backpack, coat, etc., under your stock then stabilization will improve. Two supports are better than one.

Concerning your body, widen your legs and press the inside of your heels flat against the ground. You want as much contact with the ground as possible. Get as much of your torso on the ground as possible. The firing elbow should be placed comfortably to the side; the non-firing elbow should be positioned directly under the rifle.

Trigger Squeeze

There is no room for poor trigger squeeze, which includes jerking the trigger, punching the trigger, etc. Proper trigger squeeze, which you should’ve mastered during your rimfire training, means steady and gradual pressure applied to the trigger until the trigger fires the rifle. The trigger is a mechanical device, and Browning’s patent-pending DLX Trigger on the X-Bolt 2 comes set to hunting weights but is adjustable. It’s a crisp, clean design with no creep or travel. Let it do its job, and your shooting will improve drastically.

The only way to master the trigger on your bolt-action is time behind the trigger. I shoot a lot. My hunting buddies remind me constantly that I shoot too much. I disagree. When the moment of truth arrives, I want to know that my eye-to-scope alignment is perfect, my body position is correct, and my muscle memory will ensure a proper trigger squeeze. When the crosshairs are centered where you want them and suddenly the rifle booms and you find yourself still in your optics as you cycle another round, you’re ready to shoot longer ranges.

Maximize Your Confidence

There are some remarkable ballistic apps on the market. There are also scopes with dial-to-the-yard elevation turrets. Send the scope manufacturer some ballistic data, and they will cut you a custom turret. This is awesome. However, zeroing your hunting rifle at 100 yards and relying only on your custom-built turret or your ballistics app to make a 500 (or longer) yard shot is irresponsible. You must confirm everything.

The only way to condition yourself to become a long-range shooter is to shoot regularly at long ranges. You want to know without a shadow of a doubt that when you set your turret to ring steel or hit high shoulder at 672 yards — or whatever distance you’re shooting — your rifle, optic, and ammo combination will do the job. And when it does, you shouldn’t be shocked. Being shocked at hearing steel clang at 800 yards is the sign of a shooter who isn’t expecting the round to clang the steel. You want to be the shooter who smiles with satisfaction when you hear that clang because you’ve put in the practice and expect to hear that sound.