One More For The Road

One more for 9 16 23

Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>🚧 One More For The Road: Saturday, September 16, 2023 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

"For some reason there's a slight pull on the passenger side of my car..."

One More For The Road: Saturday, September 16, 2023

 "For some reason there's a slight pull on the passenger side of my car..."

Heinz mark

Mark Heinz

Wildlife

<p>From the pull of the trigger, roughly 24 seconds elapsed before forward spotters heard the telltale plunk of a 422-grain copper bullet piercing the thin metal target.</p>
<p>The shooter was 4.4 miles away, a distance so great, the Earth&#x2019;s rotation came into play.</p>
<p>It was a new world record for a rifle shot, set by the Jackson-based Nomad Rifleman team led by Schott Austin and Shepard Humphries. The shot was made with a custom-built rifle chambered for the .416 Barrett cartridge.</p>
<p>During a Zoom interview Tuesday with Cowboy State Daily, Humphries declined to identify the team member who made the shot.</p>
<p>It beat the team&#x2019;s previous Wyoming state record of 3.06 miles. It also broke the previous world record shot of 4 miles set in 2020 by Paul Phillips of Texas.</p>
<p>The Wyoming team &#x201C;had easier conditions&#x201D; than Phillips because of the thin air at about 7,000 feet in elevation near Pinedale, where the shot was made Sept.13, Humphries said.</p>
<p>Still, even with the Wyoming air working in their favor, it was nothing short of miraculous for the shot, the 69th attempt that morning, to land inside an 8-inch orange bullseye. The bullseye had been painted in the center of a white, rectangular target measuring 120 inches wide and 92 inches tall.</p><figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-156 is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" data-id="24265"  src="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/man-with-bullet-9-20-22-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-24265" srcset="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/man-with-bullet-9-20-22-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/man-with-bullet-9-20-22-scaled-600x338.jpg 600w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/man-with-bullet-9-20-22-300x169.jpg 300w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/man-with-bullet-9-20-22-768x432.jpg 768w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/man-with-bullet-9-20-22-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/man-with-bullet-9-20-22-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/man-with-bullet-9-20-22-480x270.jpg 480w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/man-with-bullet-9-20-22-889x500.jpg 889w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" data-id="24264"  src="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-9-20-22-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-24264" srcset="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-9-20-22-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-9-20-22-scaled-600x338.jpg 600w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-9-20-22-300x169.jpg 300w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-9-20-22-768x432.jpg 768w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-9-20-22-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-9-20-22-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-9-20-22-480x270.jpg 480w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-9-20-22-889x500.jpg 889w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
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<h2>Two Years In The Making</h2><p>The team had been working to break the Texan&#x2019;s 4-mile record since it was set. However, supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the process of getting components to build the custom rifle, Humphries said.</p>
<p>Parts came from all over the world.</p>
<p>&#x201C;The muzzle brake came from New Zealand,&#x201D; he said. &#x201C;The barrel came from South Dakota and then went to Arkansas for structuring.&#x201D;</p>
<p>Other components came from Canada and elsewhere, and the rifle was assembled by S&S Sporting goods in Driggs, Idaho.</p>
<p>The rifle&#x2019;s scope zooms from 6 power all they way up to 35 power magnification.</p>
<p>&#x201C;I&#x2019;m not sure where it was set during the shot,&#x201D; Humphries said. &#x201C;When we&#x2019;re shooting extreme distances, we don&#x2019;t zoom all the way up to full power, because that can make things get fuzzy. We back off just a bit.&#x201D;</p><figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="4.4 Mile World Record Long Range Hit Sept 13, 2022" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RxmaIkKOdng?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>

<h2>Science Of The Shot</h2><p>Landing a bullet on target at 4.4 miles was &#x201C;simply phenomenal,&#x201D; said long-distance shooting enthusiast David Asmuth of Laramie. He&#x2019;s the president of the Laramie Rifle Range board of directors.</p>
<p>&#x201C;It&#x2019;s a one-in-a-million shot. They said it&#x2019;s not statistically repeatable,&#x201D; he said. &#x201C;The amount of precision and time that went into that shot was simply amazing.</p>
<p>&#x201C;When a bullet is in flight for that long, you have to take into account the rotational speed of the earth. What you&#x2019;re shooting at isn&#x2019;t going to be in the same place it was 24 second ago when you pulled the trigger.&#x201D;</p>
<p>Ashmuth said the longest shots he&#x2019;s ever made were 2,220 yards with a bullet flight time of about 4-5 seconds.</p>
<p>A massive flight arc had to be calculated to make the 4.4 mile shot work, Humphries said.</p>
<p>The angle of the rifle&#x2019;s barrel, coupled with shooting from a ridge above the target, accounted for the arc in the bullet&#x2019;s trajectory, he said.</p>
<p>&#x201C;That made it more like artillery, where you&#x2019;re lobbing it in,&#x201D; Humphries said.</p><figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-158 is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="798" height="1024" data-id="24271"  src="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-fly-9-20-22-798x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-24271" srcset="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-fly-9-20-22-798x1024.jpg 798w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-fly-9-20-22-600x770.jpg 600w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-fly-9-20-22-234x300.jpg 234w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-fly-9-20-22-768x986.jpg 768w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-fly-9-20-22-1197x1536.jpg 1197w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-fly-9-20-22-480x616.jpg 480w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-fly-9-20-22-389x500.jpg 389w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-fly-9-20-22.jpg 1304w" sizes="(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px" /></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="827" height="1024" data-id="24272"  src="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-on-target-9-20-22-827x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-24272" srcset="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-on-target-9-20-22-827x1024.jpg 827w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-on-target-9-20-22-600x743.jpg 600w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-on-target-9-20-22-242x300.jpg 242w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-on-target-9-20-22-768x951.jpg 768w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-on-target-9-20-22-480x594.jpg 480w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-on-target-9-20-22-404x500.jpg 404w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/bullet-on-target-9-20-22.jpg 966w" sizes="(max-width: 827px) 100vw, 827px" /></figure>
</figure><p>The .416 Barrett cartridge is made by &#x201C;necking down&#x201D; a .50 Browning Machine Gun (BMG) round to accommodate the roughly .40-caliber bullet. It&#x2019;s a relatively short, stout bullet that proved ideal for its purpose, Humphries said.</p>
<p>&#x201C;Traditionally in extreme long-range shooting, we wanted long, skinny bullets,&#x201D; he said. &#x201C;However, we discovered that as a bullet crosses over into subsonic velocity, it flies better if it&#x2019;s shorter and fatter.&#x201D;</p>
<p>The .416 Barret bullets were leaving the rifle&#x2019;s muzzle at a velocity of roughly 3,300 feet per second, Humphries said. They dropped into subsonic velocity at about 1,100 feet per second and were traveling at a downward angle and about 600 feet per second as they reached the target zone.</p>
<p>Regarding it taking 69 shots to hit the mark, with all the variables that had to be taken into account, &#x201C;we were thrilled it was so few,&#x201D; Humphries said.  </p>
<p>Thanks to the rifle barrel&#x2019;s structuring, which involved specialized dimples and venting holes, overheating wasn&#x2019;t a problem.</p>
<p>&#x201C;The barrel never got any hotter than about 80 degrees,&#x201D; he said. &#x201C;That allowed us to take a shot every minute or two or three.&#x201D;</p><figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-160 is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" data-id="24267"  src="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-2-9-20-22-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-24267" srcset="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-2-9-20-22-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-2-9-20-22-scaled-600x338.jpg 600w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-2-9-20-22-300x169.jpg 300w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-2-9-20-22-768x432.jpg 768w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-2-9-20-22-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-2-9-20-22-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-2-9-20-22-480x270.jpg 480w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-2-9-20-22-889x500.jpg 889w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" data-id="24268"  src="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-1-9-20-22-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-24268" srcset="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-1-9-20-22-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-1-9-20-22-scaled-600x338.jpg 600w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-1-9-20-22-300x169.jpg 300w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-1-9-20-22-768x432.jpg 768w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-1-9-20-22-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-1-9-20-22-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-1-9-20-22-480x270.jpg 480w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/spotter-1-9-20-22-889x500.jpg 889w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
</figure>

<h2>Sound, Not Sight</h2><p>Forward spotters were in five bullet-proof bunkers near the target, Humphries said. They had to rely on their ears rather than their eyes to guide the shooter&#x2019;s adjustments.</p>
<p>&#x201C;When we were making 2-mile shots previously, we could rely on dust from the bullet impacts to help us walk the shots in to the target,&#x201D; he said. &#x201C;With these shots, we discovered we couldn&#x2019;t see most of the bullet impacts.</p>
<p>&#x201C;The bullet is coming down so slowly, and at about a 48-degree angle, it was just penetrating into the ground without kicking up dust.&#x201D;</p>
<p>Instead, spotters had to listen for the bullets thudding into the ground and radio back to the shooter to adjust accordingly, he said.</p><figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-162 is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" data-id="24269"  src="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-1-9-20-22-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-24269" srcset="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-1-9-20-22-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-1-9-20-22-scaled-600x338.jpg 600w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-1-9-20-22-300x169.jpg 300w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-1-9-20-22-768x432.jpg 768w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-1-9-20-22-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-1-9-20-22-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-1-9-20-22-480x270.jpg 480w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-1-9-20-22-889x500.jpg 889w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" data-id="24270"  src="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-2-9-20-22-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-24270" srcset="https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-2-9-20-22-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-2-9-20-22-scaled-600x338.jpg 600w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-2-9-20-22-300x169.jpg 300w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-2-9-20-22-768x432.jpg 768w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-2-9-20-22-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-2-9-20-22-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-2-9-20-22-480x270.jpg 480w, https://csd-legacy-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2022/09/gun-2-9-20-22-889x500.jpg 889w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
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<h2>What&#x2019;s Next</h2><p>Records are made to be broken, but Humphries said he isn&#x2019;t certain whether his team will set the next one.</p>
<p>&#x201C;You know, we haven&#x2019;t decided yet,&#x201D; he said about attempting to go farther than 4.4 miles. &#x201C;This project was much harder than we anticipated.&#x201D;</p>
<p>While extreme distance shooting teams keep &#x201C;some secrets,&#x201D; he said they also don&#x2019;t mind sharing much of what they&#x2019;ve learned, giving others a chance to keep stretching the distances.</p>
<p>&#x201C;Now, the next people who beat us – whether that&#x2019;s in a few days or a year or 10 years from now – they have some knowledge from our shot that they can use,&#x201D; he said.</p>

World shot record 9 20 22 scaled

<title>🚧 At 4.4 Miles, Wyoming Team Sets New Rifle Shot World Record | Cowboy State Daily</title>

From the pull of the trigger, roughly 24 seconds elapsed before spotters heard the telltale plunk of a 422-grain copper bullet piercing the thin metal target 4.4 miles away, setting a new world record.

One More For The Road: Saturday, September 16, 2023

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