I've hit a golf ball at 500 meters in a tactical match. I built the rifle that did it for the purpose of getting inside a 10" circle at 1000 yards, with a wildcat cartridge that there wasn't much loading data for, so it was basically starting from scratch, with a little help from some ballistics software and a program called Load From A Disk. The day after that match, I had the word "Titleist" engraved on the gun's floorplate. I still don't consider myself a sniper though, just somebody who goes out and shoots, A LOT, and enjoys long range riflery, to the point that I'm building a .45-70 blackpowder cartridge Creedmoor rifle on an ancient Egyptian Rolling Block action.
Not too long ago, there was an article in Precision Shooting Magazine about a gentleman who routinely took honors in long range benchrest, hunter category, using basically box-stock Remington 700 rifles in .308 Winchester. That was an eye-opener to me. Here was a fella who had practiced and become so attuned to his rifle and it's characteristics that he could wring that kind of performance out of a rifle that you or I could buy at Wal-Mart. To me, he has perfected The Art of the Rifle. Benchresters have made even tighter groups further out there, but their equipment reads like a Who's Who among custom smiths and designers. To pull a rifle out of the back of a truck, or carry one through the woods, then make accurate shots way out there from a cold bore, that's riflery at it's finest.
It also means money for equipment and ammo, (not necessarily your own, though, especially if you can get Uncle Sam to help you via Army or Marine marksmanship competition and grooming - I won't even talk about Air Force rifle marksmanship, because in my 14 years active duty it's a bit of a joke, reserved basically for those either in the Security Forces or Combat Arms, sorry for the rant) and practice, lots of practice, such that your back hurts in offhand competitions, and you can see your heartbeat in your sights. You tune out the bugs and sweat in your eyes, and concentrate. You're in your bubble. Sight alignment and squeeze, repeat. Dry firing over and over again, then loading live ammo for a target and practicing the same sight alignment and squeeze, but this time the gun goes bang. If you did it right, the gun surprises you from the report, but your target will show a hole where your sights were aligned the moment the sear was released. And even if your scores for the day weren't that good, you push yourself to go at it again and again, smoothing up all the rough edges in your technique until you can engage those targets with confidence and certainty.
My dad taught both my sister and I around 4th grade to shoot, and a lot of the above paragraph came from him, it's burned into both our minds 25+ years later. When the day comes I have a son or daughter of my own, I can only hope I'd make Dad proud by passing on his own version of The Art of the Rifle.
