g.willikers said:
It seems like it's the old question of the chicken or the egg.
Before trying to figure out what stuff to buy, gotta' ask, how is your rifle shooting skill?
Maybe, but in reality most folks can probably get their feet wet in medium and long range shooting without buying anything. If you own a bolt action centerfire hunting rifle, you can most likely shoot steel out to 500 yards without too much difficulty. 800 and beyond maybe not, most scopes do not have the elevation to get on target, but you can still challenge yourself and your equipment without spending any money.
I have posted this before, it is me shooting a steel IPSC target at 470 yards with a K98 with iron sights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWOePGiaBcM Once I got the elevation hold figured, I went 3 for 3.
This is shooting the same target at ~700 yards with a 3.5X scope. Little more challenging because the ammo wasn't great, and the conditions were a little trickier:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lqKEugctjg
A lot of people seem to think that shooting that far is some sort of witchcraft, it really isn't, just physics. The tricky part is reading the wind, but that just takes practice. A LOT of practice.
Please note, I am talking about shooting targets, not game. Getting the range or the wind wrong on steel means you kick up some dust. Getting it wrong on a deer means a cripple that will eventually get eaten by coyotes.