Are You Ready: Long Range Matches
- Samuel Schmitt
- Feb 19
- 8 min read
Of all shooting matches, long-range rifle matches have some of the richest history in American shooting sports, with matches like the Camp Perry Service Rifle match being started in 1907 under the direct orders of Teddy Roosevelt. In recent years, matches like PRS, gas gun, and field matches have begun offering a fresh spin on the tried and true formula of American rifle matches.
Long-range matches of today rarely have you lying prone or sitting at a bench shooting at paper bullseye targets. Some may have you trying to get hits on a moving steel target, others may put you under a tight time limit, and a few may require you to complete physical tasks between or during stages.
These matches tend to run a gauntlet from stationary and technical to physical and adaptive. The more physical matches may still present you with very tough marksmanship challenges, but the time and conditions you’ll have to contend with will require a higher level of adaptability. With that in mind, let’s break down a few of the matches below. I’ll skip ELR and F-class, as I have no first-hand experience with either, but there’s lots of good information about them elsewhere on the internet for those.
The Long Range Match Gradient
Stationary/technical —---------------------------------------------------------------Physical/adaptive
ELR & F-class —--- PRS —-- Gas Gun —-- Field Match/NRL Hunter —-- Sniper Match
PRS
Precision Rifle Series matches (and similar style matches) require shooters to engage known distance targets at range with a limited round count from various positions. A basic PRS stage may have a stack of barrels near the start position and designate two targets down range at different distances. The shooter must engage each target from five different positions once, for a total of 10 shots, in 90 seconds. No makeup shots are allowed, so any miss is minus one potential point.
The target distances and locations are announced in advance, usually in a print out that is given to each competitor at sign-in. The shooter is allowed to look downrange through binoculars or a spotting scope to get a feel for the wind and range conditions, allowing one to put together a wind plan and decide in advance what kind of position to take when the time starts.
This type of stage may sound easy, but I assure you, it is not. Where PRS is tough is in the execution. Though the movement from position to position is usually very short, there isn’t much time to work with, requiring a high level of efficiency. Though the target distance is known, the targets are usually between 1.5 and 1MOA in size at any given distance, so in the above example, one of the targets might be a 5” plate at 500 yards. That may not be too difficult from a bench, but it is an entirely different challenge to execute under time pressure while balancing on a stack of barrels.
PRS has two types of match series, pro (2 day matches) and regional. Regional matches are hosted by local clubs and shooters who compete in them can earn points toward a regional championship. Regional matches are a great place to start, as they are generally less difficult and substantially less costly than the 2 day matches.
PRS has a lot to teach hunters and practical riflemen about efficiency in position building and wind calling. Unfortunately, the current “meta” in the open division of PRS is a 25 to 30 lb rifle. The reason heavy rifles are run by top competitors in open divsioin is that the weight absorbs more recoil and allows shooters to self-spot impacts and misses. This is critical for making adjustments to maximize points during a stage, but one could rightly be suspect of the utility of such a heavy rifle outside the world of PRS competitions. That said, the benefits of shooting a PRS match for testing and growing one’s fundamentals, position building, and wind calling, cannot be overstated. PRS is also adding a new “Sportsman” division this year, that limits the weight of the system being used (rifle, scope, suppressor, magazine, bipod, etc) to less than #13.
Tips for a PRS match:
Focus on making hits, rather than getting all your shots off. In the above example, if you fire 8 shots and get 6 hits, you are doing better than if you fired 10 shots, but only got 3 hits. Hits matter, not shots.
Rush your movement from position to position, but not your shot process. Make sure you’re taking time to execute the fundamentals of a good shot, because the small target size is incredibly unforgiving of poor execution.
Take the time to build a good position. Make sure you get steady before taking your shot, again, using your time to get hits rather than getting all your shots off is the path to improvement in PRS.
Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the target layout before you go up to shoot. Practice transitioning from target to target with your binoculars or spotting scope before you’re on the clock so that you don’t get lost once you’re behind your gun.
Gas Gun Matches
In the past few years, there has been a rise in matches that are centered around semi-automatic rifles. These matches can be similar to PRS in format but tend to have the targets closer, larger, and with a higher round count. In a sample gas gun match, there might be a total of 20 possible hits, with targets of 2 MOA (8” at 400 yards) and a time limit of 90 seconds. Unlike PRS matches, some gas gun matches, like the Quantified Performance series, give shooters unlimited round count to get the required hits, thus allowing one to take full advantage of the rate of fire of gas guns, though this varies from club to club (with the exclusion of the QP series).
Different matches also try to balance the capabilities of varying calibers like 5.56 and 6mm ARC in different ways. Some put different caliber guns in different divisions. Others prefer to balance via stage design. Some just make you grit your teeth and figure it out like a man. As we’ve discussed before, it's best to go in with an open mind, roll with the punches, and focus on learning and development rather than running the gear race, especially early on.
Gas gun matches are great, because they don’t require a purpose-built precision set-up. If you have an AR-15 with a magnified optic and decent ammo, you’re probably good to go.
Tips for these matches are largely similar to PRS tips with one notable exception:
When you’re planning your stage, think about how wide the targets are. If you’re at a QP gas gun match (or any gas gun match that allows follow-up shots for misses) and you can’t tell where you’re shots are going, make your windage (left and right) correction at least as wide as the target. Is that target you missed to the left of a .4 mils wide target? Make sure you come right at LEAST .4 mils with your follow-on shot, otherwise, it’s a waste of an adjustment and ammo. .
Field Match / NRL Hunter
Field matches like NRL Hunter are made up of blind stages. Before you shoot the stage, you’ll be told what you’re looking for, but you will not be given target location, range, or direction. Instead, it’s up to you to find and range the targets on the clock.
In NRL Hunter, you’ll be shooting fewer targets per stage than PRS (four targets maximum), and be given more time (4 minutes for solo, 6 minutes for teams of two), but I assure you, that time goes by a lot faster than you think. In that time you have to unpack all the gear you’ll be using, locate all the given targets, establish ranges of the targets, come up with an engagement/wind plan, build a shooting position, hope you don’t forget where the targets were, and engage the targets in the proper order.
This type of match can be intimidating for shooters unused to the format, and some matches have beginner divisions. NRL Hunter, for example, has a “skill” division where shooters pay a lower entry fee, do not compete for prizes, and can “choose their own adventure” by asking for help with things like target location, ranges, wind calls, etc.
Tips for a field match:
A good tripod is worth its weight in gold, especially if you’re good at shooting off it. Because you don’t know what you’re required position will be, a good tripod gives you the option to build a solid position no matter what you encounter when you walk up to the stage.
Laser range finding binos are also essential for this type of match. The first field match I attended was a 3-day match. I brought binoculars and a separate range finder. By day 2, I had ziptied the binos to the LRF and swore to buy a pair of LRF binos as soon as I got home.
Have a process you follow before, during, and after each stage. Know beforehand how you’re going to unpack your gear, manage your data, scan for targets, etc.
For instance, I know that as I’m running up to the stage, I will put my bipod legs down so I can ground my rifle with my right hand. I then slip my pack off my left shoulder and unclip my tripod. I set-up the tripod, and take out my laser range finding binos and rest them on the tripod as I begin scanning for targets. I have processes like this for the entire stage, even though I don’t know the exact particulars of what the stage will require of me, I know my priorities of work so there’s no hesitation when the time is running.
Sniper Match
A sniper match is essentially a field match with more chaos. Much like tactical 2 gun, sniper matches take joy in not giving competitors much if any insight into what to expect. The stages are usually blind, include some sort of stressor like a physical task, and usually require competitors to be in teams of two.
Each sniper match is different. There is no unified league, but all will test one’s adaptability and physical fitness in some way. Many require you to work with a teammate. Some, like the Mammoth Sniper challenge, require competitors to travel significant distances between stages with all their gear and meet strict time hacks during the movement. Some stages may lock you in a connex box with blaring music to try and confuse your communication with your partner. Some may make you pick your way out of handcuffs before you can go to your gun and start engaging targets. The only constant is the need to apply marksmanship and fitness under stress.
The chaos of a sniper match can help a trained rifleman find flaws in his skillset that need to be refined in practice. However, for a brand new shooter, these sniper matches are not necessarily a good fit, as the level of chaos can cause them to task saturate and become quickly overwhelmed.
Many of the tactical 2 gun and field match tips apply to sniper matches. It’s also important to pick a teammate that you’re comfortable communicating quickly and clearly with. And, ideally, someone who won’t get too agitated when you start swearing at them in frustration (I, of course, would have no experience with this).
Wrap-up
We are privileged to live in a golden age of competitive shooting. No matter your training goal or skillset, there is almost certainly a type of match where you can push yourself, grow as a marksman, and meet great people. Whether you want to test your skills under chaos or push yourself to the limits of your current technique, the pressure of competition is a good place to see if your training is working and provide a goal for practice.
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions - I’ll see you on the range.
Other posts in our Competition Shooting Series:
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