Operation 1 mile

H

horsemen61

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Joined
Oct 20, 2011
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6,755
Hello all,

I have recently had an urge to shoot at 1 mile I think I have a rifle capable of it that rifle I’m question is a savage Model 12 target, F class,
Or something of that nature it is chambered in 6.5x284 with a 30 inch truck axle of a barrel it is a single shot with a large heavy stock it’s main purpose as far as I can tell is 1,000 yard competition but I haven’t tried that yet because I need a scope so let’s dive into that!

what scope would you recommend
What features would you recommend
How would you start getting ready to shoot at this distance

budget for the scope is $3,500

My goal is to eventually hit the milk jug at 1 mile some of you may know what I’m referring to here and the ultimate goal is to do it in as few shots as possible thank you for reading and for your thoughts
 
Good luck on your endeavor! My Dad is on the same quest lol.

We took his CM, and my 28Nos to a mile a few months ago, couldn't make contact with the 24x17 target, but it was fun.
Optics we were running were a Riton Conquer x5 5-25x50 and a Sightron SIII 10-50x60. With zero cant rails we were holding over considerably with the SIII, and the slower CM.
 
The 1 Mile Milk Jug Challenge is really just a matter of 1) having a reasonably accurate rifle, 2) having access to a 1 mile long range, and 3) having sufficient ammo and patience to connect.

There’s a big, big difference between a “one mile rifle” and a rifle which can hit a milk jug at a mile. A 6.5-284 might not be the former, but it’s certainly the latter.

A lot of optics can do the job, many of them costing much less than $3500. Robert Brantley (which you might recognize from his viral dirt road kitten rescue video last year) uses an inexpensive (~$1700 retail) Bushnell XRS II 4.5-30x50mm to win the King of 2 Miles competition a few years ago, of course, shooting much farther than a mile - albeit at proportionately larger targets than a milk jug.

Given $3500, I’d take a look at the Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56mm and the Vortex Razor Gen III 6-36x56mm. My money went to the ATACR. My “one mile” rifle is a 300WM, but I’ve gotten there with a few other silly things; 6 creed, 30-06, 338lap, 243win, 7RM… 6.5-284 will get you there.
 
I would start with a more modest goal and work up. A milk jug at a mile is a very small target. Good luck with your challenge.
 
d2wing said:
I would start with a more modest goal and work up. A milk jug at a mile is a very small target. Good luck with your challenge.
Click to expand...

The Milk Jug Challenge to which the OP is referring is an online trend, which largely started with a shooting range which would take newbies out to 1,000yrds and hit a milk jug within a day of instruction. Just a cherry on top to make the money seem better spent - since the fundamentals of long range marksmanship really aren’t as mystical and unattainable as some make them out to be. I didn’t use milk jugs, but used less ammo to put students on a 66% IPSC (12”x 20”) at 1000yrds within a few hours of instruction. Getting to a mile is certainly more difficult, but it’s really just a matter of attaining moderate skills and then playing probabilities - over 2/3 of the shots within a group will fall within the center 1/3 of a group, and about 40% of shots will fall in the center 1/6 of the group, so getting ONE bullet into 1/3moa at a mile is really just a matter of having:

1) A reasonably accurate rifle
2) Access to a 1 mile range
3) Sufficient patience and ammo to connect
4) A skilled spotter to observe and adjust fire

There have been a few teams self-proclaiming World Records in the last couple of years for long distance shots beyond 7,000 yards which played on this same game of statistical certainty.

Sure, hit something at 1,000 yards on your first day. Then shoot a bit to improve consistency at 1000. Or just shoot less rounds at a mile, with a good spotter, and hit a milk jug in 50 rounds or less.
 
Varminterror said:
The Milk Jug Challenge to which the OP is referring is an online trend, which largely started with a shooting range which would take newbies out to 1,000yrds and hit a milk jug within a day of instruction. Just a cherry on top to make the money seem better spent - since the fundamentals of long range marksmanship really aren’t as mystical and unattainable as some make them out to be. I didn’t use milk jugs, but used less ammo to put students on a 66% IPSC (12”x 20”) at 1000yrds within a few hours of instruction. Getting to a mile is certainly more difficult, but it’s really just a matter of attaining moderate skills and then playing probabilities - over 2/3 of the shots within a group will fall within the center 1/3 of a group, and about 40% of shots will fall in the center 1/6 of the group, so getting ONE bullet into 1/3moa at a mile is really just a matter of having:

1) A reasonably accurate rifle
2) Access to a 1 mile range
3) Sufficient patience and ammo to connect
4) A skilled spotter to observe and adjust fire

There have been a few teams self-proclaiming World Records in the last couple of years for long distance shots beyond 7,000 yards which played on this same game of statistical certainty.

Sure, hit something at 1,000 yards on your first day. Then shoot a bit to improve consistency at 1000. Or just shoot less rounds at a mile, with a good spotter, and hit a milk jug in 50 rounds or less.
Click to expand...
Yes, I understand that it is as much a game of chance or statistics as it is accuracy. Not my cup of tea but I suppose I could be tempted to try it once. I tend to think in terms of 100% kill shots rather than keep shooting until you get a hit.
 
d2wing said:
I tend to think in terms of 100% kill shots rather than keep shooting until you get a hit.
Click to expand...

When you develop a cartridge, a bullet to fire from it, and a powder to propel it which can deliver 100% of shots within 1/3moa at a mile, I’ll buy it.

A new perspective I might offer you:

People do things off of the edge of the paper, in the grey space, so that we learn what is out off of the edge and eventually, the map grows and that currently unknown grey becomes a known part of a future map. When I was a kid, shooting 1000yrds was revered much in the way is shooting 2 miles today. My son has already shot to 1400 yards at half the age I was when I first shot 1000, and on targets 1/4 the size, and with cartridges burning 1/3 to 1/2 the powder. When his son is his age, they’ll be laying down behind rifles chambered for the next generation of whatever cartridge you invent as the next generation beyond today’s 375 Cheytac and 416 Hellfire, and they’ll be looking at 2 miles in the same way I weigh shooting a mile; challenging, but reliably attainable. And what someone considers to be a 100% reliable effective range for kill shots while hunting will be longer then than they are today, because the tools to do the job will have improved, drug along by the progress of guys shooting 2 miles to 4 miles today… records are made to be broken, and almost every long range competition record on the books has been broken, many repeatedly, in the last decade. Why? Because we’re all getting better. 400 yard deer hunting will be the new 200yrd deer hunting some day.
 
I want to try it too, but only as a novelty. Eventually though, I'd like to get proficient out to 1500, just need to rake together about 5 grand for gun, optic and some reloading supplies. I'll do it sometime...
 
Varminterror said:
When you develop a cartridge, a bullet to fire from it, and a powder to propel it which can deliver 100% of shots within 1/3moa at a mile, I’ll buy it.

A new perspective I might offer you:

People do things off of the edge of the paper, in the grey space, so that we learn what is out off of the edge and eventually, the map grows and that currently unknown grey becomes a known part of a future map. When I was a kid, shooting 1000yrds was revered much in the way is shooting 2 miles today. My son has already shot to 1400 yards at half the age I was when I first shot 1000, and on targets 1/4 the size, and with cartridges burning 1/3 to 1/2 the powder. When his son is his age, they’ll be laying down behind rifles chambered for the next generation of whatever cartridge you invent as the next generation beyond today’s 375 Cheytac and 416 Hellfire, and they’ll be looking at 2 miles in the same way I weigh shooting a mile; challenging, but reliably attainable. And what someone considers to be a 100% reliable effective range for kill shots while hunting will be longer then than they are today, because the tools to do the job will have improved, drug along by the progress of guys shooting 2 miles to 4 miles today… records are made to be broken, and almost every long range competition record on the books has been broken, many repeatedly, in the last decade. Why? Because we’re all getting better. 400 yard deer hunting will be the new 200yrd deer hunting some day.
Click to expand...
Good point.
 
adcoch1 said:
I want to try it too, but only as a novelty. Eventually though, I'd like to get proficient out to 1500, just need to rake together about 5 grand for gun, optic and some reloading supplies. I'll do it sometime...
Click to expand...

You reload already, yes? Do you have a 300wm, or even 7RM?

I'm fairly convinced, after spending the time I have at 1 mile and longer ranges, of 2 things:

1) Somewhere between 300wm and 338Lapua is the optimal window for 1500-1760yrds

and

2) Most Marksmen already capable of printing cloverleaf groups at 100yrds can quickly be coached by a skilled spotter to reliably deliver at a mile. Might start with 4moa targets, but quickly achieving reliable 2moa or tighter.

Even if you don't already own a 300wm, picking up a 338Lapua in a Ruger Precision or Savage and any of many scopes would get you banging steel at a mile for far less than $5k.

(Acknowledging here also, Uncle Jerry is a brilliant showman. Sticking those little 6-8" balloons in front of 3-4moa steel makes those videos far more impressive. Impressive nonetheless to hit even 4moa steel, especially offhand, but getting credit for popping the balloons with spall makes the precision seem that much more unattainable).
 
Varminterror said:
You reload already, yes? Do you have a 300wm, or even 7RM?

I'm fairly convinced, after spending the time I have at 1 mile and longer ranges, of 2 things:

1) Somewhere between 300wm and 338Lapua is the optimal window for 1500-1760yrds

and

2) Most Marksmen already capable of printing cloverleaf groups at 100yrds can quickly be coached by a skilled spotter to reliably deliver at a mile. Might start with 4moa targets, but quickly achieving reliable 2moa or tighter.

Even if you don't already own a 300wm, picking up a 338Lapua in a Ruger Precision or Savage and any of many scopes would get you banging steel at a mile for far less than $5k.

(Acknowledging here also, Uncle Jerry is a brilliant showman. Sticking those little 6-8" balloons in front of 3-4moa steel makes those videos far more impressive. Impressive nonetheless to hit even 4moa steel, especially offhand, but getting credit for popping the balloons with spall makes the precision seem that much more unattainable).
Click to expand...
I do reload, but I am without any magnum rifles at the moment other than a 357 mag. I've taken 30-06 to 950 a few times, and once shot at a mile with a 300wm hunting rifle, but I figure 5k should get me a decent rifle, optic, and enough ammo to make me proficient out past 1k yards. Most of my shooting now is within 300 yards, I'm rusty at long range.
 
https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting...-bolt-action-rifle-338-lapua-magnum/p/1521011

https://www.amazon.com/Nightforce-Optics-5-5-22x56-Riflescope-Illuminated/dp/B00784RRNY

These two will get done what you want to do. Leave you money for dies, brass, projos, powder... and it will come in under $5K.

https://mannersstocks.com/stocks/hunting-stocks/

Or you could upgrade your 300WM and save money. There are all kinds of stocks that can be swapped out.

Plus you could send your action out and have all kinds of work done. Depending on how far you want to go with it.
 
Last edited:
I was able to join the 1 mile club when I was on active duty. The target was a steel full sillouette (19 x 39). The rifle was a standard US Army M24 SWS, with a Horus 5-20X Falcon with H59 reticle. Ammo was factory 7.62 NATO M118LR (175 grain SMK). Horus TRAG software and Kestrel were also used. 2 rounds was the standard, I was able to get a 2nd round hit. Don't know the "budget", it was all US mil issued equipment.
 
You dont need a huge budget to get to a mile. You need an accurate rifle and a scope that has good tracking. Better optical clarity will definitely help spot misses easier, especially if you are needing to spot your own shots. I personally will take better optical clarity over higher magnification.

The first time I shot at a mile my friend was shooting a factory Bergara chassis rifle, with a ATACR 5-25, and was using factory 147 ELDM ammo. Obviously that isnt a "budget" rifle but the 1000 dollar HMR shoots pretty dang good as well. A Viper PST Gen2 5-25 is no Nightforce but from my experience they track well and have decent glass for the money.

Maybe shop around online for some sales and you can get the Bergara HMR, rings, bipod, and the Viper PST Gen2 5-25 for right around 2000 dollars. Not then best setup to get followers on Instagram but it will work.

6.5 Creedmoor will get you to a mile. Ive done it a few times and my buddy has done it many times with his Bergara. He also recently did it with a Tikka 223 using 88 grain ELDM bullets. However, using one of his custom built 300 Winmags makes it A LOT easier.
 
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