The inaugural NRA One-Mile Extreme Long Range Rifle Match, held last weekend at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, AZ, concluded with several participants successfully engaging the one-mile steel, profoundly impacting their understanding of basic physics. Under uncharacteristically clear Arizona skies, with a gentle 5-7 MPH full-value crosswind, competitors grappled with the daunting 1760-yard distance, pushing the very limits of what many considered plausible without divine intervention.
Local enthusiast Buford "Buck" Johnson, piloting a heavily modified Savage 110 in .300 Win Mag featuring a Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25x56mm with the PR2-MIL reticle and handloaded 208gr Hornady ELD-M, managed to score 3 hits on the 36" steel after an astounding 17 rounds. "The wind was... shifty," Johnson reported, visibly shaken. "And I swear the target was moving slightly left, then right. I've never seen anything like it past 600 yards." Indeed, many participants, accustomed to distances where spin drift is a theoretical concept rather than a mandatory wind hold, found themselves baffled by elementary external ballistics. Several reported struggling to distinguish between Coriolis effect, which was negligible on the North-South firing line, and their own inconsistent trigger pull.
The stage design featured a single, unsupported prone position from a concrete pad, presenting a stark challenge for those unfamiliar with anything beyond a benchrest setup. Event organizer Bartholomew "Bart" Crumpler noted, "We really wanted to push the envelope. One mile is a long way. We even had some guys bringing out spotting scopes with 60x magnification, just to confirm their shots. Groundbreaking stuff, really." The overall winner, 72-year-old Agnes Periwinkle, utilizing a custom .375 CheyTac built on a Defiance Machine Ruckus action, sporting a Kahles K525i 5-25x56mm with the SKMR4 reticle, firing Peterson brass loaded with Cutting Edge Bullets Lazer line, secured her decisive victory. Her precise 10.2 MRAD elevation and 0.4 MRAD wind hold, honed over decades of competitive air rifle, proved adequate against the bewildered field. "I just aimed higher than the target, sonny. Always works," Periwinkle quipped, offering invaluable insight into her ballistic prowess.
