Your ONE Long Range Shooting Resource
Long Range Shooting Handbook
By Ryan Cleckner
EVERYONE at every level will learn form this book. From n\Novice to expert, there is information for all in here. To get an idea of what is in his book, just look at the table of contents. It is a collection of all the elements involved with long range shooting that, in itself, would make an outstanding study guide to research and learn every facet of shooting, especially those related to long range shooting. There is nothing like having an experienced former US Ranger Sniper Instructor as your trainer. He KNOWs long range shooting.
Side note:
The book starts with the most critical skill any shooter MUST thoroughly understand and practice: Firearms Safety. Read and heed them, religiously follow them, and you and those near to you will be glad you do. Then you move on to the real nuggets in the book.
Rather than writing a “book” on the book simply because of the quantity of information covered in his book, I will briefly touch on each aspect of the book. The book is divided into three major sections: Equipment, Fundamentals and application.
Equipment: In this section the author lays out the basics; Rifles, ammunition, sighting systems – fixed sights and optical, followed by the more advanced, as well as useful, equipment recommendations the serious long range shooter needs to consider. Each item is thoroughly covered in his easy going ways, (see his NSSF videos to get a better idea of this teaching style) and he nails those items you need to be thinking about: From scope and mounting to how to spot for another shooter, is it a new, novice or the knowledgeable shooter
Fundaments; here is where you learn the marksmanship techniques you need to know and follow when you are firing your firearm. You learn what is going on in the shooting cycle and how it all works - from the time you load your rifle, press the trigger, the gun fires, you feel the recoil, the bullet flies and you evaluate the result on paper when you hit the target. From sighting in, to hitting at a specific place on a target 1000 yards away. It is all there. You can almost smell the gunpowder and hear the crack of the bullet (he even tells us WHY it makes that cracking sound!)
Application: This the final section on applying what you have learned. So you can set up your rile and scope properly, get into position to shoot and then not only hit your target; game or paper. Then what changes you need to make to make it happen, as well as how to solve the problems that come up when your bullet does not go where you wanted, and then how to move to where you do.
The author provides a set of appendices for the reader, with a set of ballistics tables, sample DOPE (Data On Previous Engagements) cars/pages for continuous future reference Dope and set of targets. He also provides the online info to go and download them as well.
So, what did I take away from reading it is: I have personally made changes in how I shoot, and it makes a tremendous different, even something as small as how I place my hand when I am getting ready to press the trigger. I now have a much better awareness of what and how Indeed to do things to put the bullet where I want - consistently. And that is the KEY word in this book – how to do it consistently. .His recommendations on cleaning and tools are invaluable, and as many things are confirmed as debunked in this book, all combined to make you a better shooter. His many principles and training is also supported and validated as it relates to other diverse learning environments; from Project Appleseed Marksmanship events to personal mentoring by some outstanding national-level match winning shooters.
It is an easy reading book, but it is NOT designed as a book you read through once, cover to cover, and then put away. It is designed and functions more like you have an over-the-shoulder trainer and mentor with you, and you find yourself referring back to different sections as you gain experience. You will find yourself going back and reviewing concepts as you gain more experience. The demystifying of concepts such as MOA and MIL, ballistics, Coriolis Effect, etc is outstanding because of the way he simplifies them. He then lets YOU decide if you want use the techniques in the book, to go into more depth in other resources now that you have the background in all facets of long range shooting.
Finally, I have found those in the long range shooting community a fun, dedicated group, wanting all to enjoy the sport, and all willing to offer their assistance, and this handbook provides all that from one of the best – Ryan Cleckner.
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