RR,

Well, that was good for a chuckle after a long day at the office. I probably should have been clearer in my sarcastic remark about Wally World. I think you and I both know that the selection there isn't going to be up-to-par with the kind of equipment you're going to need to be a competent long-range shooter.

That aside, nothing you can buy will ever MAKE you a long-range shooter, and you described the discipline involved already. This is a credit card world. And I hope you'd agree that credit cards might buy all the stuff you need EXCEPT for the skill and experience. Considering what you've posted already, I wouldn't consider you an "average shot". I'm an average shot with average equipment. I can do better with custom equipment, I just can't afford to do anything but borrow it from friends.But, I'm quite familiar with long-range ballistics, even to the point of compensating for meteorologic data and rotation of theEarth (granted, we're talking ranges well beyond 10,000m now).

Actually, what has me worked up the most is the "flippancy" manyposters have today with long-range shooting. Some are full of crap. Some are extremely competent riflemen. But, who's to tell the difference (I mean, you ALMOST believed that I'd go to Wal Mart for a Horus Vision)? If I hadn't called you out, no one here would know anything about your evolution as a shooter, other than how irritated it makes you when someone says you shouldn't hunt at long range. So, in a sense, anyone who's reading this should now know that while long-range hunting is possible, one doesn't become proficient at it overnight, thanks alone to a particular rifle or scope. What I'd hate to see encouraged is someone to try this with their rack-grade model 700 and think they'll be as effective as you are. They'll simply be disappointed.

As far as "advantage" goes, I wish I had some photos of the country I hunt uploaded. Just too much timber, it's very rare you'll see across a canyon from one ridge to another without knocking down some trees first. You're just not going to see much farther than 300 yards. And if some guy with a Wal-Mart rifle and VX-1 does take a poke at something I'm stalking from 700 yards away, he probably isn't going to hit it in the first place. Not much of an advantage, eh? I just hope he doesn't hit ME.

With all due respect, I don't doubt at all your ability. If someone's truly interested in long-range shooting, I'd hope they'd tag up with someone like you and learn about it,as opposed to someone who's just full of testosterone and BS.