Luck was certainly involved. Even if he and his spotter were able to precisely take into account all the known variables at the instant of the shot and come up with a definitive hold for elevation and windage, once that trigger is pulled, the wind would have to remain constant in velocity and direction for those 2 miles and for the duration of the flight time. I was a competitive benchrest shooter and I have missed many times by getting caught in a sudden wind gust or shift and I wasn't shooting anywhere near 2 miles. With wind flags out over much of the distance at a range, it is not unusual to see some flags going one direction and other flags just yards away, facing in a completely different direction. Such an unseen condition as that in the field would throw off a shot even at distances much less than the 2 miles these guys were shooting. That doesn't take anything away from the shot or the skill of the shooter. But it was for certain a S.W.A.G. shot. Hey, if you don't try a shot like that, you'll never make it. I'm happy for him and glad he took and made the shot.
Last edited by cooper57m; 06/23/17.
