American riflemen make 2.4-mile shot at Clark’s Knob ELR Match in US

How good of a shot are you? Maybe you can shoot dime-sized groups with your Cooey 75 at 50 yards, or so you tell your buddies at hunting camp, anyway. But, let's open that distance up a bit – say, out past two miles – could you connect at that range?

American shooters Robert Brantley and Ken Johnson can. On May 1, both rifleman made a 2.4-mile shot at the Clark's Knob ELR match in Tipton, Kansas. Brantley was first to hit the T8 target, at 4,229 yards. Johnson hit the target next; none of the other shooters at the event made the long-distance shot.

This shot is supposed to be a new long-range shooting record. Previously, the longest successful competition shot was a 2.35-mile shot Ryan Cheney (another American), who made the 4,137-yard shot back in March. He also made that shot at a Kansas event. Looks like Sunflower State residents have been putting their COVID downtime to good use, perfecting their long-range shooting skills.

What were they shooting?

Brantley's shot gained considerable publicity, because he's a Hornady-sponsored shooter, and the company was quick to publicize the feat. According to the company's press release, "Brantley used Hornady .416 Cal. 500 gr. A-TIP® Match bullets loaded in his 416 MCS wildcat in a GA Precision rifle to make the longest impact ever shot and recorded in competition … A-TIP® Match bullets feature an aluminum tip that’s precision machined and longer than polymer tips, that moves the center of gravity and enhances inflight stability, resulting in tighter groups and reduced drag variability. In addition, A-TIP bullets are sequentially packaged for the ultimate in consistent performance."

There's no word on what Johnson was using when he made the 2.4-mile shot, but as he owns K&P Gun Co., chances are he was using equipment his company built.