Target Shooting

I see this way too often. Shooters want to have all of the great gear that has been developed for Law Enforcement and Military applications. The US military currently fields some of the best gear in the world. Barrett, Trijicon, Aimpoint, Elcan, FN, Colt, Sabre Defense and so many other top notch manufactures offer the same high tech gear to US civilians that Militaries around the world either field, or wish they could field. I've seen shooters read about how accurate a rifle & optics package can be at ranges out to 2000 yards, and mortgage their homes to duplicate the setup on their dining room table. These same shooters are extremely disappointed when they shoot this high end gear on their local 100-300 yard range just to find that gear is shooting 3 or 4 inch groups. This brings us to a defining moment when a shooter realizes the difference between shooting at a bullseye target vs shooting at a person or a piece of equipment. Typically, the larger the caliber, the less accurate it is. Its a point of contention these days because of the accuracy of the 17 HMR, but for more than a century, the 22 LR was considered the most accurate round on the planet. Competitors routinely shoot 22 LR competitions in which the center bullseye is .223 in diameter. Anything that isn't a perfect center hit scores a 9. I've competed in these matches during my time in ROTC at the University of Missouri, and I've seen several shooters put 10 rounds through 10 different bullseyes to score a perfect 100. That's real accuracy. Those rifles and their applications don't have a place on a battlefield or LE situation, beyond training. Similarly, shooting 338 Lapua or 50 BMG's at bullseye targets at known ranges doesn't translate into the experience the shooter is often expecting. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for these rifles being in civilian hands and there are some great long range competitions that have been developed around this gear. However, if you are investing in gear that is touted as the greatest gear because the military uses it, I suggest you take a look at your application. Matching the proper gear to the proper shooting situation will guarantee a satisfying shooting experience without spending a lot of money for equipment you don't need. I can't tell you how many Barrett M99's I've taken on trade that were never fired by their original owner. The Internet advertising world and the real shooting world are vastly different.