Fear & Loading: Public Eager for Long-Range Shooting

by
posted on August 10, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
bergara_lede.jpg

The inaugural Bergara Experience—a series of free events where the company assembles experts to provide shooters with long-distance tips and the ammunition to feed a small fleet of rifles during testing—took place Sat., Aug. 5, in North Carolina. The crowd was much larger than I anticipated and people were already lined up a half an hour beforehand for a chance to get behind a Bergara B-14 HMR.

I didn’t take one for a test drive, despite the fleet of 6.5 Creedmoor-chambered rifles available. Conversations with the shooters as they left the firing line were every bit as pleasant and recoil-free, though, and there were some interesting revelations.

First, perhaps foremost, people are eager to try their hand at long-distance. Roughly 60 shooters attended, and Norm McHenry drove 70 miles. When asked about the crowd, Paul Idol said he didn’t know what to expect, but “Thought we’d be first in line.” He wasn’t. Ryan Hudson said, “I kinda thought there’d be less people out here.”

Comments also make it obvious places to stretch the distance are rare commodities in some regions. Travis Wylie connected three out of three times at 550 yards, despite the fact, “I’ve never shot anything that far away.” When asked about his experience at distance, Steve Beezley declared, “This is the longest shot.”  He did it with a suppressor, by the way. Only one shooter I interviewed had experience at 300 yards or beyond—a Navy veteran.

The public is hungry for events like the Bergara Experience. “This is awesome. Beautiful place, nice facility….very well organized,” McHenry said. Idol concurred. “Within driving distance on a Saturday morning is outstanding,” he said. “I couldn’t say enough good things about it.” Beezley added, “I think it’s good to get people who haven’t done it a chance to try different rifles and setups.”  

Stay tuned to Bergara’s Facebook page for upcoming events.

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web
Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web

Gun Of The Week: Wilson Combat Division 77 Project 1

Join American Rifleman staff on the range in this video to get a closer look at Wilson Combat’s somewhat cryptically named “Division 77 Project 1.” 

The Armed Citizen® July 18, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Review: POF-USA LMR BASE Rifle

The Patriot Ordnance Factory LMR Base offers a .308 Win. chambering in a lightweight, AR-15-size package, which makes it a capable platform for today's new gun owner. And it comes at a fair price.

2025 Accessory Of The Year: Wyoming Sight Drifter

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Henry Donates Rifles To Support Young Leukemia Victim

Henry Repeating Arms has donated a limited run of 50 “Team Keane” Golden Boy .22 lever-action rifles to support 13-year-old Keane Rhodes of Universal City, Texas, who is currently undergoing aggressive treatment for ALL T-cell leukemia.

Rifleman Review: Springfield Armory Echelon

Springfield Armory introduced its Echelon in 2023, bringing a modernized, chassis-style, striker-fired handgun to the market that has since seen several notable line extensions.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.