If you are a hunter who likes a challenge, or you simply want to have fun at the shooting range, then you may want to fire some shots at long-range targets.
There will be more variables the farther the targets are. Yes, it’s a quite difficult challenge, especially if you are a novice, so you are going to need a few essential accessories for your rifle.
Rifle and handgun accessories are very useful in shooting firearms as it provides precision and accuracy, especially in long-range shooting. To be able to take challenging shots, you will need the right equipment and accessories.
Scope Magnifications
They are designed as 3×50, where 50 tells you its diameter in millimeters, and 3x tells you the magnification you will get, which is the most important. A 3x magnification will let you get an inside scope image that will look 3x closer than it actually is. You will want to get a 3x and up scope for long-range shooting.
Also, there are different types of rifle scope mounts, so make sure you know which ones work best for you.
Look out for a scope magnification that is too high.
It’s important to note that if your scope is 4x, and you double it to a scope of 8x, then the object will appear even closer and bigger than it initially was. When there’s an increase in magnification, the target will appear taller, causing you to overshoot. You may think the target was there, but in reality, the target was just under your aim.
So, our advice is, don’t overdo magnification. The right magnification allows you to aim and hit the target. You want to be making the mistakes, not your shooting equipment! The wrong type of equipment won’t help you improve your skills.
Keep in mind that as the magnification increases, so do the image distortions in the scope. Besides, too high magnification won’t bring your target closer to you. Experts recommend a 10x scope for those shooting over 500 yards. As for hunting, most targets will be within the range of 100-200 yards, so a 4x-6x scope will work best for that.
Ultimately, you will want to use a scope magnification that you feel comfortable with while still giving you the advantage.
Laser Rangefinder
To be able to hit your target accurately, you need to know the distance of the target. Sure, you can estimate the distance, but it doesn’t always give an accurate aim.
A laser rangefinder will help you with that. Rather than human estimation, it basically uses a laser to help find the exact range of the target. When it comes to long-range shooting, precision and accuracy become very challenging, so having a laser rangefinder is a big help!
Rifle Support
Recoil, or the rearward thrust from your rifle when you fire a shot, can certainly mess with your aim and miss your target.
For starters, you need to have a proper form. If you are not holding and handling your rifle the proper way, you won’t prevent it from thrusting so much. Most professional shooters naturally have a proper form, so it’s best to ask someone to check on your position.
Additionally, you will need extra support for your rifle. They come in the form of tripods, bipods, and sandbags. A tripod or bipod is a better option than sandbags, so you don’t have to haul the heavy bags if you move from one place to another.
Tripods are tripedal while bipods are, well, bipedal! They serve as stands for rifles, much like a stand for cameras. They give stability without you having to take on all the kickbacks from your rifle! Tripods and bipods are very useful in long-range shooting as they help you shoot accurately.
Wind Meters
Again, many variables come into play and mess up your shot when shooting long-range, including the wind. Strong winds will cause your rounds to deviate while they’re in the air. This can be very frustrating, especially when you have set up the perfect shot.
Well, that can be solved using wind meters. They are capable of measuring the speed and direction of the wind. Some wind meters even go an extra mile and sync up with a laser rangefinder, and the data you need appears on the screen.
Conclusion
Long-range shooting is generally engaging targets at any distance, where we need to adjust our hold based on accurate measures in order to reliably hit the target as you fire the shot.
A shooter has to put extra effort into calculating several ballistic factors, such as the wind. That’s when equipment for long-range shooting comes in handy. It’s important to know all their uses to get the full benefit of your rifle, or else why bother having one?
