There are two predominant trends in rifle shooting I’ve observed in recent years. First, people are interested in greater levels of precision (rifles, ammunition, shooting). Second, people are shooting at longer and longer ranges. So it’s no surprise that ELR (Extreme Long Range) shooting has become MUCH more popular in the last few years. And that’s why I’m interested in getting “hands-on” at 1 mile and beyond. And what better way to mentally prepare than to talk with Emil Praslick who was on the winning King of 2 Mile team in 2017!

Here are some talking points from our discussion:

Q: What is ELR?

A: Typically ELR would entail shooting at ranges beyond 1000 yards. In ELR competition, targets will typically start at about 1500 yards

Q: What are some of the bittest challenges when shooting ELR?

A: There are a lot of challenges, some of the most difficult are:

• Wind is more of a factor (non-linear) the further you go out
• Spotting hits and misses is VERY difficult at extreme ranges
• It can be difficult to get enough elevation adjustment out of your scope (periscopes are used to compensate)
• Targets are very small at these ranges
• First Focal Plane (FFP) scopes magnify the reticle greatly at maximum magnification which cuts of a lot of holdover

Q: What are some specifics for ELR?

• Load development: You should favor precision (shot disperson) and SD/ES of velocity over raw velocity (faster is not better here). Shoot for an SD of 7 FPS or less
• Use slower powders for larger cartridges like Vihtavuori 20N29 and Vihtavuori 24N21
• Use an optics setup with plenty of vertical adjustment, and special devices (periscope, inclined rail, etc) as needed
• Bullets should be selected (such as Berger hybrids) that have the most consistent BC rather than the highest BC

King of 2 Mile Discussion

Since Emil was on the winning team for King of 2 Mile back in 2017, I thought it would be interesting to summarize some of what he shared:

• 1st round hits (or within 1 target) can be expected out to 2400 yards
• Light shifts image (solution could be correct, get a miss) a phenomenon not fully understood yet
• Wind gradient comes into play and must be understood (Wind shear)
• Going back to last year’s conversation: simple wind calcs/multipliers are helpful

I want to personally thank Emil for the time with him at the SHOT Show this year, and I’m really looking forward to my journey this year with ELR shooting!

Links to Capstone Resources

Capstone Precision Group landing page:

Berger Bullets:

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Thanks,
Gavin