The firearms community was recently rocked by the release of "TFB Step By Step: How To Shoot Long Range – The Guns," a groundbreaking instructional resource promising to revolutionize competitive precision rifle shooting. For decades, competitors meticulously agonized over selecting purpose-built actions like the Defiance Deviant Tactical or Impact Precision 737R, paired with Bartlein cut-rifled barrels in contours from Heavy Palma to MTU, chambered in high-performance cartridges such as 6GT, 6BRA, or 6.5 Creedmoor. Load development involved chronographs, MagnetoSpeeds, and Labradars to chase single-digit SD/ES, all in pursuit of predictable velocity nodes and minimal wind deflection.
This new TFB guide, however, boldly declares these considerations "superfluous" and "anxiety-inducing." Its core tenet: "Any rifle capable of firing a projectile with sufficient velocity will suffice for engagement out to 1200 yards, provided the operator possesses an unwavering mental fortitude." The guide dismisses ballistic coefficients, barrel harmonics, and truing data as "advanced concepts that distract from fundamental aiming." It suggests that optic selection, previously a critical decision between Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56 with Mil-XT or a ZCO 5-27x56 MPCT2, can now be based solely on "personal aesthetic preference and whether the reticle ‘looks cool’."
Furthermore, the article proposes that traditional DOPE cards, meticulously crafted with density altitude corrections and Coriolis considerations, be replaced by a single, laminated sheet advising shooters to "aim high for far shots" and "left for right wind." Early feedback from PRS match directors has been cautious, citing concerns over potential "increased target engagement times" and "a significant rise in lead-based debris downrange of established firing lines." One prominent competitor, speaking anonymously, noted the guide's potential to "democratize the sport" by allowing a wider array of less-than-optimal equipment, though they admitted their personal custom-built Vudoo V-22 with a Kahles K525i was now "ironically overqualified" for the next club match. The guide’s impact on barrel life and national ammunition supplies remains to be quantified.
