Featured Image Credit: Nomad Rifleman Extreme Long Range Shooting/YouTube
Topics: News
Poppy Bilderbeck
The world record for the longest rifle shot was broken by a group of long-range shooting instructors.
Scott Austin, Shepard Humphries, and a group of six others known as the Nomad Rifleman, had previously held the record of 3.06 miles shot earlier in 2020.
The previous world record was set at four miles and was shot in 2020.
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The same group returned to the deserts in Wyoming on 13 September 2022 in a bid to reclaim the crown.
The anonymous shooter – who hasn’t revealed his identity because he’s 'a quiet, self-effacing guy and made us promise that if we got a hit, we would keep his name and identity private, so let’s call him ‘Winston',' according to the press release - was chosen for his 'great trigger finger' and 'smart analytical business mind'.
Winston shot at an eight-inch bullseye and managed to overtake the group's previous world record by 0.4 miles, having shot from 4.4 miles away.
"This was the most challenging, difficult, frustrating, time-consuming and yet rewarding professional project I have ever undertaken," Humphries said.
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The 'one-of-a-kind' rifle Winston use to make the record-breaking shot was a custom-made gun 'with custom parts coming in from Canada, New Zealand, Arkansas, South Dakota, Washington and elsewhere,' built by Scott Null and his sons, Meshac and Nehemia, of S&S Sporting in Idaho.
The rifle took more than a year to construct.
Austin reflected: "Together, we’ve spent over 1500 hours in research, highs and lows, blood, sweat, excitement and tears, with dozens of amazingly gifted people and businesses personally invested in the goal.
"This monumental task paid off yesterday with overwhelming satisfaction when we heard crackle over the radio: ‘We have our first target hit confirmed. HIT!’"