How NRL Hunter and PRS made me better at Hunting

This title really seems absurd. How can shooting PRS with completely unrealistic setups make me a better hunter? NRL Hunter speaks for itself, but I wanted to take a few minutes to take you down the rabbit hole I have entered. Start your MDT Crush It timer to keep me honest. This won’t take long.

So once upon a time, I was born in South Dakota and hunted all the time, then I joined the Army, and eventually we hunted all the time there as well. Usually, only when we had good tags for a terrorist infested Game Management Unit. Iraq and Somalia were among my favorite draws. Anywho.

I heard about NRL Hunter from my old Army buddy, Retired Colonel Lynn Ashley. He had shot the Georgia Leupold Southern Hunting Challenge at The Arena and raved about it. I was intrigued. Then I heard about PRS. I knew it existed, but I just didn’t have any interest in it. Then it happened: I listened to a few buddies talking, found a match, and signed up. As soon as I did that, I proudly declared, “I’m in, now what?” Brad Wright, who at the time I didn’t personally know, immediately texted me, saying, “Bro, do you have any clue what you are getting into?”

“Yeah man, some PRS. I was a sniper in the Army and eventually even taught sniper school while stationed with 1st Special Forces Group. I got this.” I honestly felt like it would be fun.

“Hey man, can you meet me at K&M?” Brad was a member and invited me to be schooled up on PRS.

After that day, my learning curve spiked straight up. I had a Sig Cross with a short barrel and a Leupold MK-5 5-25. PRS was tough, and I loved it. Before long, I was on the phone with Team MDT shooter Francis Colon. He and his teammate Chad Heckler had taken me under their wing just like a Chicago slum crack dealer. Francis sent me a list of what I needed, including an MDT ACC Elite chassis. Chad spun the Bartlein barrel in 6mm Creedmoor since I was planning to shoot factory ammunition. I was a drug addict, and my favorite illegal substance was long-range shooting.

If you have the opportunity to shoot PRS, do it. This experience helped me tremendously with my entry into NRL Hunter. I struggled with target locating and data management, but the shooting was made somewhat simpler through the application of precision shooting techniques. Handling a support bag, dialing dope, and calling hits, and more importantly, misses.

So after shooting PRS, although on a very limited basis, and NRL Hunter, as often as I can. I must say my confidence in the field has grown exponentially. Having the ability to fly out West, check zero and velocity, and then understand the process of setting up your Kestrel or Range-Finding binoculars is a skill I wish I had had when I was in the Army. Now I get to apply that new skill set to increase my confidence and competence when hunting. To those of you still serving in the military, get out and shoot NRL Hunter and PRS. It will hone your skills for your next “hunting trip”.

“Hey man, can you meet me at K&M?” Brad was a member and invited me to be schooled up on PRS.

For those of you who aren’t drawn to competition, get out and try NRL Hunter. It’s a skill builder for every hunting situation. You’ll practice finding targets under time pressure, getting accurate ranges and data, and building a stable, durable shooting position. After the shot, you’ll call your impact, or more importantly, your miss, and quickly reengage the target. It’s about as close to a real hunt as it gets.

“Hey man, can you meet me at K&M?” Brad was a member and invited me to be schooled up on PRS.

I don’t fancy myself a long-range hunter; I try my best to get as close as possible. But over the last few years, when I have had opportunities to shoot animals that just a few years ago would have been tough, I feel completely prepared to make an ethical shot at extended distances. Which, for me, is 600 yards. Obviously, we shoot much farther than that on smaller targets during competition, but live animals are different than steel plates. The other factor that used to cause me consternation was the wind. Now, after many competitions, I feel confident when making wind calls using my Kestrel and analyzing the environment. I have also started to integrate a Ckye-Pod Triple pull bipod, level, and shooting bags into my hunting setup.

So, for all you dudes sporting cool MDT Chassis and talking about how great you shoot. Come out and compete. First, you might get humbled, but if you hang around long enough, I promise you will learn a thing or two. I know I have.

See you on the range! Kyle Lamb

About The Author

Sergeant Major Kyle Lamb retired from the United States Army after 21 years of service, 18 of which were with US Army Special Operations Forces. His time in the service includes 16 years with 1st SFOD-D Delta Force. Lamb has served in many conflicts, including Mogadishu, Somalia, for the Black Hawk Down incident; Desert Storm with 5th Special Forces; Bosnia; and 5 tours to Iraq during the Global War on Terror with Delta. Lamb has been decorated for valor several times for operations around the world, including the Silver Star.

Kyle and his wife, Melynda, are the founders of Viking Tactics, Inc., a Tactical training and equipment business that caters to the warfighter and law enforcement market. The Lamb’s also recently started the Stay in the Fight Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization intended to help bridge the gap for working Americans in need.

Sergeant Major Kyle Lamb is a highly sought-after instructor, speaker, and mentor. Lamb has also written three books: Green Eyes and Black Rifles, Stay in the Fight!!, and his latest book, Leadership in the Shadows. Leadership in the Shadows highlights lessons in leadership learned from battlefields around the world. In his free time, SGM Lamb forges knives and tomahawks and spends many days fishing and hunting.