Hunting. It's one of the most basic and innate forms of human nature. For thousands of years, hunting meant survival. It's how society was formed. Today, there is a disconnect in how our food gets to our refrigerators and tables, and for most, hunting has become a pastime rather than a necessity. In a recent video, Leupold brought YouTube personality, 2a Activist, and lawyer Colion Noir out to experience the thrill and the hardship of the hunt. Colion Noir is best known for his YouTube channel, Colion Noir, where he reviews new products, dissects court rulings, and discusses the importance of the 2nd Amendment.ABOUT LEUPOLD OPTICSLeupold Optics is a brand that is bigger than its product line. The company and its people live, breathe, and eat the things their consumers do. Unsurprisingly, they have a facility perfect for tuning up before a big game hunt that includes rifle setup and optics sight in, a flat range proving ground, and a dynamic range to practice hiking and shooting from uncomfortable positions. Colion learns the basics of backpack hunting in the hills and mountains of the American West. For many Eastern Hunters, hiking over thousands of acres of untamed wilderness to stalk and hunt is a dream—and Colion is living it. While the exact details of the rifle are unclear, the rifle appears to be a custom action and carbon-fiber barrel sitting in an MDT HNT26 chassis. The glass, of course, is from Leupold and comes from their VX-6 line—Leupold's highest tier in their hunting line. While the video overviews an amazing experience, connecting man and beast, it also highlights Leupold's line of products—from optics and binoculars to chest harnesses that keep everything close at hand.THE HUNTHiking over rough terrain is hard. Adding the logistics of carrying everything on your back, including a rifle and handgun, makes the experience all that more exhausting. But the serenity of nature substantiates the experience—or, as Colion describes it, "beautiful misery." Conversely, the video's highlight isn't Colion talking about his youth or experiences or even the products showcased, but the cinematography of the hunt. The beauty of nature, the peace and idyllic presence of the world, and inner peace are breathtakingly captured. All of this erupts into a conclusion that can only be described as reverence—a deep respect for the game taken, the challenges that were overcome, and the momentary realization of taking life. It's that deep respect that drives hunters. It was an experience that Colion craved. It was the connection he needed. While the urban lifestyle brings the immediacy of interaction, hunting in the mountains brings something entirely beautiful—inner peace.Check out Colion Noir's epic hunt, titled Colion Noir's FIRST Elk Hunt – Leupold Behind the Core, and all of the other epic adventure videos Leupold creates. More information about the MDT HNT26 Chassis System can be found here.RECENT MDT MENTIONS! Mountains, Mullets, Merica! Shorty 6.5 CreedmoorTeam MDT Wins the PRS Rimfire National Finale!Long Range Beginners: Tips & TricksSheep Hunting in Kyrgyzstan3,000 YARD TIKKA 7 SAUM RIFLEAndy Slade Wins The 2023 AG Cup!ABOUT THE AUTHORI have worked in the firearms industry for 11 years and counting. What started as a part-time job during undergrad has become a career. In that time, I have been lucky to work with some incredible people and companies. I also completed a Master of Arts in History from Cleveland State University. When I am not shooting, reloading, or working on my firearms, I am reading, writing, and tinkering with Legos.
As someone who teaches long-range precision shooting for a good chunk of the year, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to refine how I explain the key ingredients to consistent success behind the rifle. We’re just about to wrap up our fourth five-day long-range precision course this year—and it’s only mid-March. Over time, I’ve found it helps to break things down into three core components. Each one has layers and subcategories, but looking at them as a whole gives you a clear picture of what it takes to hit your targets consistently. Of course, reading about this stuff only gets you so far. Real progress happens when you’re behind the rifle, under instruction, and making mistakes in a controlled, safe environment. That’s where the lessons sink in. And yes, that’s exactly why I designed my five-day long-range precision course the way I did. But for now, let’s dive into these three critical components. Programming Your Rifle and Optic Executing the Fundamentals of Accuracy Observing and Understanding Your Impact These three phases are the framework for success in long-range shooting. Mastering each individually and together is where things start to click. COMPONENT ONE: PROGRAMMING YOUR RIFLE AND OPTIC This is where everything starts. Nothing else matters if you’re not setting up your rifle system correctly and programming your optic for the shot you’re about to take. This phase is all about dialing in your data for known distances or using your reticle to range unknown distances and make solid decisions about how to engage. Sometimes, you’re working inside a distance where your caliber and speed make holdovers quick and easy. Other times, the target’s small enough or far enough away that it makes more sense to dial and settle in for a more precise shot. Knowing when to dial, when to hold, and how to confirm your parallax and magnification before breaking a shot is key. Understanding your equipment is key to long range success. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting. If something goes wrong in this phase—maybe you dialed the wrong number, your data is off, or a piece of gear worked itself loose—you may not even realize it until after the shot breaks. Worse yet, bad shooters don’t realize it at all. They take the shot, miss, and have no idea why. And in hunting or tactical situations, that can lead to disastrous outcomes—whether it’s an unethical shot on game or a failed engagement on a critical target. One of the best skills you can develop here is knowing when not to take the shot at all. Recognizing when something isn’t right—and having the discipline to fix it before pressing the trigger—separates decent shooters from true professionals. COMPONENT TWO: FUNDAMENTALS OF ACCURACY We’ve all heard the old phrases—“steady breathing,” “smooth trigger press,” and so on. And while there’s truth to all that, I’ve found that some people either overthink it or neglect certain areas that matter much more than they realize. Over the years, after working with hundreds of shooters, I’ve rethought a lot of what I was originally taught about precision rifle shooting. Some things still hold true. Others… not so much. The trigger press is, of course, a big deal. Slow, steady, and consistent. But hand placement on the stock also plays a huge role in maintaining precision, especially as you stretch the distance. That said, the most important factor in my book is cheek weld. If you’re not placing your face in the exact same spot every single time, you’re introducing inconsistencies in how your eye aligns with the reticle. Even small shifts change your perspective through the scope, and that can translate into misses—especially at distance. The fundamentals of accuracy are important whether prone or in a hasty position. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting. It’s not the sexiest piece of advice, but mastering your head placement and making it repeatable is one of the biggest game-changers for precision shooting. COMPONENT THREE: OBSERVING AND UNDERSTANDING YOUR IMPACT This is where good shooters become great shooters. Being able to see your impact—and understand why you hit or missed—is crucial. If you’re shooting a bolt-action rifle, that often means holding your position and watching for the strike before running the bolt. If you cycle the action too fast, you lose sight of your impact and the feedback it gives you. Gas guns don’t struggle with this as much, but the principle still applies: you need to see where your round lands before you make your next move. Being able to spot hits or misses through your scope is a skill that must be developed. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting. Once you spot your impact (or miss), you need to know exactly what correction to make. That’s how you stay in the fight and stay effective. This step is a huge part of growing as a shooter. How do you learn to see your own impact? It comes down to body position, recoil management, and following through after the shot. Over the years, I’ve been exposed to a lot of different techniques—some better than others. My time in the Marine Corps, and later running high-threat contracts in Baghdad, gave me a chance to really challenge some of the old ideas and develop new techniques that worked under pressure. These methods have helped shooters of all levels become more effective in less time. When you can see your shot strike and immediately make an informed correction, everything changes. Whether you’re working a precision rifle or a belt-fed machine gun in a sustained engagement, being able to track your impacts makes you significantly more effective. FINAL THOUGHTS At the end of every failed engagement, I like to ask my shooters a simple question: “What of the three steps went right, and what of the three went wrong?” The answer is simple. A poor shooter misses and doesn’t know why. A good shooter misses and knows immediately. An excellent shooter knows before they take the shot that something’s off—and they fix it before sending a round. That level of awareness only comes from mastering all three components: programming your rifle and optic, executing solid fundamentals, and watching and understanding your impacts. This has been a deep dive, but it’s the culmination of years of experience teaching people how to shoot at distance. Whether just starting out or fine-tuning your skills, these three components will always be at the core of long-range success. And while there’s no substitute for hands-on instruction, understanding why these elements matter is a solid first step. Articles from Rob Orgel of Emergency Response Tactical Long-Range Hunting and Shot Placement Eye Dominance and Handedness Maximizing Speed and Efficiency Are You Ready for Your Hunt? Combat Readiness Regaining Mental Balance Bullet Expansion for Rifle Hunting Three Biggest Dangers During a Hunt Five Common Questions About NFA Items 5 Things to Know Before Buying a Suppressor Physical Fitness In The Military Sig Sauer SniperFest: Review and Key Takeaways 7mm Backcountry: A Promising Caliber With Potential Pitfalls Winchester 21 Sharp: Is It Worth the Investment? There Is Only One Way to Buck the Wind Check out the latest video on our YouTube Channel!
Team MDT delivered outstanding performances across multiple disciplines and locations, showcasing their skill and precision in competition. From the USA to Italy, these competitors demonstrated their ability to excel under various conditions and challenges. Kicking it off, Team MDT Shooter Mike Lilly claimed an impressive 2nd place finish at the NRL Hunter GA match at Arena Training Facility in Blakely, Georgia. At the Southern Iowa Showdown PRS match in Diagonal, Iowa, Team MDT Shooter Keith Baker finished strong, earning 3rd place overall. MDT Supported Shooter Zane Kuhn also had an excellent performance, claiming Top Suppressor and 6th place overall in the highly competitive event. MDT Supported Shooter Michael Bae, a Northwest MDT shooter, and IPRF Rimfire Team Canada member, had a jam-packed weekend, competing in two separate matches across two countries. On Saturday, he participated in a regional PRS rimfire match in Chilliwack, BC. Then, on Sunday, he competed in his first NRL22X match—the NW Evergreen Battle Presented by DM Targets in Snoqualmie, Washington. After enduring 14 hours of travel, Bae secured 1st place in both matches. Michael credited the modularity and consistency of his MDT ACC Elite chassis for giving him a competitive edge. Initially, he planned to use his newly acquired Modacam Custom Rifles Vudoo 360 for the Chilliwack match. However, due to incomplete paperwork for cross-border transport, he made a last-minute switch, swapping in his factory Vudoo into the ACC Elite chassis on Saturday night. Despite the different barrel profiles, the chassis' modular design and weight system allowed him to balance both rifles identically in mere minutes. After swapping his scope, he found his zero was only 0.2 mils different between both rifles! Picture of Matt Hornback at the Sincity match Adding to MDT's weekend success, Matt Hornback delivered a strong performance, finishing 3rd place at the Sin City Precision Rifle Match. Rory and Daniel Gibbons took their competitive spirit to Livorno, Tuscany, Italy, to compete at the Le Arcate Shooting Range. However, weather complications on the first day forced the organizers to postpone the match due to heavy rain. Fortunately, on the second day, conditions improved, and the competition resumed. Rory Gibbons secured 2nd place, with his brother Daniel taking 3rd overall, making their International trip a great success. Congratulations to all of Team MDT! Team MDT Shooter Rory Gibbons! Check out the latest video on our YouTube Channel! COMPETITION RESOURCES FROM MDT NRL Hunter Gear Breakdown NRL Hunter Stage Breakdown Tricky Props | PRS Stage Breakdown Getting The Most Out Of Your Shooting Bag How To Run A Sub-30-Second PRS Barricade A Pro's Approach to Complicated Stages | PRS Stage Breakdown How To Clean A PRS Stage: Francis Colon Stage Breakdown How PRS Will Make You A Better Hunter How Pro Shooter Francis Colon Sets Up His Rifle 12 Essentials For Match Shooting In The Rain - Precision Rifle Tips Mastering The Mental Game Of PRS: An Easy Way To Achieve A Higher Score Advanced Target Acquisition - How to be a Better Shooter PRS Shooting Mistakes You're Probably Making How To Adjust A Rifle In 2025 16 Tips No One Tells Beginner Shooters
Bergara, a Spanish company, has gained a reputation for producing high-quality rifles at affordable prices. Ed Shilen of Shilen Rifles Inc. developed the barrel-making processes used by Bergara. As you can imagine, accuracy is their pedigree. Fortunately for DIYers, Bergara now offers barreled actions! And these aren't just a basic offering. The actions are derived from Bergara's Premier Series—manufactured in Georgia—and are paired with either a 416R stainless barrel or one of Bergara's Cure Carbon fiber barrels. So, how would you outfit one? That's where Michael Chiarappa of Hunt Fish Shoot (HFS) guides us in their weekly video. This week's Hunt Fish Shoot video showcases two barreled actions that HFS has received from Bergara. Chiarappa plans to build these into two different style rifles: a long-range hunting rig in 7mm PRC and a precision rifle in 6mm Creedmoor for PRS-style competitions. The competition rifle features a heavy-profile stainless barrel and will be mated to an MDT ACC Elite chassis. The 7mm PRC incorporates Bergara's Cure Carbon fiber barrel. HFS will set this into an MDT HNT26 chassis. By utilizing MDT chassis and optics from Vortex alongside triggers from TriggerTech, HFS will transform these rifles into efficient machines optimized for specific tasks. Bergara's introduction of barreled actions allows shooters and enthusiasts to buy a near-custom rifle at a fraction of the cost, enabling them to customize it to their exact specifications. This is great for shooters who enjoy tinkering with their guns. Soon, HFS will delve deeper into the builds and the components used. If this interests you or you want to watch their reviews, check out Hunt Fish Shoot on YouTube. Check out the latest video on our YouTube Channel! BUILD ARTICLES FROM MDT Custom Rifle Build - MDT Oryx | Zermatt Action | 6mm Arc Midwest Long Range Savage Mark II 22LR Budget Build $10,000 Rimfire Build The Ultimate 10/22 Build Premium Lightweight Hunting Build Backfire: 7MM PRC Build Desert Precision Gunworks Rimfire Build Impact Shooting 300 PRC HOWA Rifle Build Howa 1500 Carbon Creedmoor Build Ultimate Reloader - 7MM PRC Freedom Rifle Build Pushing the Limits of Economic 22 LR Builds The Rifle Keith Built Long Range With The Lillys - NRL Hunter Builds Building a General Purpose 300 Win Mag Rifle Building a 308 Tikka Rifle Building a 6mm GT for Competition Building a Lightweight Buffalo Rifle Building a Custom Bergara B14 for Competition Learning to Build a Custom Rifle
As an instructor with many years of firearms education and experience, I conduct regular five-day, six-hour courses on long-range shooting and use the 1,000-yard paper target range with various clients and their gear. I've learned a great deal about wind. Here's what I've found: there is no replacement for experience—and not just any experience, but experience with your specific caliber and setup. BREAKING DOWN BALLISTICS Before we start, let's take a quick look at Ballistics. Ballistics is broken down into three categories. Internal Ballistics: Everything that happens inside the weapon from when you press the trigger until the bullet exits the barrel. External Ballistics: The bullet's flight from the barrel to the target. Terminal Ballistics: The behavior of the bullet upon hitting the target. Our focus here is external Ballistics: understanding the flight path of your round. Three main factors affect this path—the shooter, gravity, and wind. SHOOTER INFLUENCE The shooter's skill is paramount. Employing your rifle correctly is an art that requires time, experience, and training. Many of my clients attend my five-day Long Range course, followed by the four-day advanced course and, for those truly dedicated, the four-day Level Three Long Range course. Beyond avoiding recoil anticipation and executing a proper trigger press, you must also accurately program your scope with the necessary data to intersect your bullet with a target. Once you've set up correctly, pressing off the shot becomes a critical step that demands a strong foundation. Foundational skills are essential for consistent performance. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting. THE ROLE OF GRAVITY Gravity is a consistent force that pulls your bullet down as it travels to the target. As the distance increases, so does the effect of gravity on your bullet. This increase is not linear; bullet drop grows incrementally as the range increases. While gravity is predictable and repeatable, experience and careful data collection (commonly referred to as DOPE—Data of Previous Engagement) are essential for accuracy. THE CHALLENGE OF WIND Wind is by far the most complex factor to manage in external Ballistics. Its effects increase with distance due to the bullet's slowing Velocity over time. A bullet traveling from 100 to 200 yards does so relatively quickly, but from 900 to 1,000 yards, its slower speed results in greater "dwell time"—the time during which wind can affect it. Additionally, wind conditions at the shooter's location often differ from those downrange. While the wind at your feet might indicate general direction, the wind acting on the bullet during its travel is far more critical. Observing mirage patterns and vegetation movements at various distances can provide much greater use for predicting bullet flight path. Relying solely on electronic devices that measure wind at your position will likely lead to errors in the projected flight path. To succeed in the wind, observe multiple wind indicators between your barrel and the target and prioritize the one with the most significant influence. Study this changing wind as you prepare to send your round. Wind can be hard to measure in the mountains. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting. THE IMPORTANCE OF BULLET AND BARREL SPECS It's important to note that caliber and barrel length will affect Velocity, and how well the bullet maintains it significantly impacts how much wind will influence its flight. For instance, a .308 with a 26-inch barrel will perform differently than the same caliber with a 16-inch barrel due to changes in muzzle velocity. In this example, the round started slower in the 16-inch than the 26-inch. Certain calibers, such as 6mm Creedmoor or 6mm GT, have become favorites among Precision Rifle Series (PRS) shooters due to their high Velocity, low recoil, flat trajectory, and reduced wind drift. Different barrel lengths will affect velocity. Photo courtesy of Nick Setting. KEY TAKEAWAYS You need intimate knowledge of your rifle and your bullet's flight path. Even if you can consistently hit steel targets on the range under varying wind speeds, real-world hunting or shooting scenarios often introduce additional challenges. While electronic devices may aid in reading wind, they cannot replace the hands-on experience required to navigate complex wind conditions over long distances. Investing time with your rifle, learning the behavior of your caliber, and applying it to different environments will pay dividends in achieving precision and accuracy. Remember, there is no substitute for proper education and the supervised study involving range time, ammunition expended, and the lessons learned through trial and error. Photo courtesy of Matt Dubber. Articles from Rob Orgel of Emergency Response Tactical Long-Range Hunting and Shot Placement Eye Dominance and Handedness Maximizing Speed and Efficiency Are You Ready for Your Hunt? Combat Readiness Regaining Mental Balance Bullet Expansion for Rifle Hunting Three Biggest Dangers During a Hunt Five Common Questions About NFA Items 5 Things to Know Before Buying a Suppressor Physical Fitness In The Military Sig Sauer SniperFest: Review and Key Takeaways 7mm Backcountry: A Promising Caliber With Potential Pitfalls Winchester 21 Sharp: Is It Worth the Investment? 16 VS 64 Year Old | Long Range ShootOut
How shooting matches makes you a better hunter Shooting precision rifle matches is the best practice for hunting. Ryan McLean covers some of the similarities between shooting matches and making shots on game animals. He covers positional shooting, shooting movers, using your optic and reloading. THE GEAR Check out the gear we highlighted in the video. mdt TIMBR FRONTIER STOCK SHOP NOW MDT ACC ELITE CHASSIS SYSTEM SHOP NOW mdt lightweight premier scope rings SHOP NOW mdt 20 moa picatinny scope base SHOP NOW more from mdt watch: getting the most out of the mdt baker wings Keith Baker, Team MDT pro shooter, invented the Baker Wings to get an advantage over his competition. Your non-shooting hand can now improve target acquisition and recoil management. watch: HOW TO SET UP YOUR SCOPE FOR LONG RANGE ACCURACY An improperly set up scope can cost you points at a match or a trophy animal on a hunt. If you trust your local gun store to properly set your scope up then you’re good to go. But, if you don’t, we have Pro Shooter Keith Baker. WATCH: HOW A PRO SHOOTER SETS UP HIS .22 What is your perfect rimfire rifle build? Pro shooter Andy Slade breaks down the setup he used to reach the podium at the PRS Rimfire Series Finale in Texas.
Is a $5,000 rifle really worth it?
And how does it stack up against a more common $500 hunting rifle? That’s exactly what we set out to find. We tested a $500, $2,500, and $5,000 rifle to see how they compare in terms of group size, long-range accuracy, comfort for different heights, and overall shootability.
The MDT Field Stock is a drop-in, easy-to-install upgrade that instantly enhances accuracy, precision, and overall shooting experience. This feature-rich chassis is perfect for anyone looking to get more out of their rifle—whether for hunting, competition, or plinking. Check out the full breakdown!
What happens when a top senior shooter faces off against a top junior shooter?
MDT Team shooters Gage Caples (16) and Rusty Ulmer (64) go head-to-head in a friendly PRS long-range mock match. Watch to see how their styles, techniques, and mindsets compare!
Top pro shooters break down the most common mistakes they see at matches. In this video, they reveal these critical errors, explain why they cripple your score, and—most importantly—show you how to fix them so you can shoot with more confidence and precision!
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