It is obvious why “long glass” is needed to hit a 5-inch X-ring on a 1,000-yard target.

These days, we talk about 1,000 yards like it was nothing, but I can clearly remember the first time I hit a water-filled Coke can past 300 yards. It was more than a decade ago, and after that shot, I thought my brand-spanking-new Model 700 Varmint Synthetic was a death ray and my shooting skills were on par with Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Hathcock. Most riflemen today would hardly bat an eye. Snipers, benchrest, and F-Class shooters not only hit targets at three times that range, but they stack shot after shot into groups I would be proud of at a paltry 500 yards.

Long-range shooting requires long glass, and many scope makers have responded by producing all kinds of high-powered optics. Sorting through them all left me scratching my head, so I called Bob Hart, a friend who has competed in a wide variety of long-range competitions, to help figure out what was important and what was not. Hart is a fourth generation gunsmith who has won national and international titles in benchrest competitions. His shop, Robert W. Hart & Son, builds all kinds of rifles, but long-range and benchrest rifles are his passion.

Hart said the first consideration is choosing between variable and fixed power. Always searching for ways to eliminate variables, benchrest shooters usually stick with a fixed-power scope with the degree of magnification depending on the match. Weaver's fixed-power T Series scopes can be had in 36X, 24X, 10X, or even 6X. Tactical and F-Class shooters should keep their options open.

"Matches are held in all kinds of weather, and on hot days, the mirage can be so bad that it obscures the target," Hart said. "You can't hit what you can't see, so you want the option of less magnification."

Long-glass power ranges are generally much wider and reach much higher than those found on sporting scopes. Nikon's latest entry into long glass, the Monarch 8-32X 50mm SF, starts at 8X and winds all the way up to 32X. Leupold's Mark 4 LR/T series is extremely popular with target shooters and starts at a sporting-like 3.5-10X range. That range is great for snipers and marksmen who might shoot out to 700 or 800 yards away but are more likely to see shots well inside 200 yards. Field of view is more important than magnification. The 6.5-20X LR/T model is more appropriate for long-range competition since it allows a more precise placement of the crosshair.

While wide power ranges offer some big benefits, there is a catch. The eye relief often changes from one end of the power range to the other, and it is pretty obvious that shifting one's head back and forth on the riflestock is a little less than consistent and not good shooting form. Hart said buying a quality scope will help eliminate some of the eye relief change, but a competitor has to factor in point-of-impact shifts when changing power in a match.