Extreme Long Range With West Coast Long Range - Make It To A Mile

There’s a place just down the road from the Quail Point Hunt Club in Zamora, California. It doesn’t look like much at first—just rolling hills, dry grass, and silence. But climb to the top of that ridge and you’ll find a view that stretches far beyond the reach of most shooting ranges. This is where West Coast Long Range runs their Make It to a Mile clinic—a structured, hands-on introduction to Extreme Long Range. It blends classroom fundamentals with real-world application, giving shooters the knowledge they need and the space to push their skills past 1,000 yards. This isn’t theory in a vacuum. It’s ELR with purpose, designed for those ready to step into a discipline where precision meets problem-solving.

An Intimate Format, By Design

The clinic ran over two days—Friday and Saturday. I arrived on Day 2, as the class was already deep into their progression. It was a small group, which is expected. This isn’t a high-volume match environment or a beginner-level intro course. There’s a lot more that goes into attending something like this, from the gear and the mindset to the willingness to confront the realities of ELR shooting. That said, it’s not exclusive. You don’t need a $10,000 rifle and a .375 CheyTac to try. WCLR makes the clinic approachable by offering a limited number of high-quality loaner rifles, allowing shooters to step into the experience without the full financial commitment upfront.

A Different Kind of Challenge

At WCLR’s Ladies of Long Range event, every shooter hit the 1,000-yard target. It was proof of what’s possible when education, equipment, and support align. But Make It to a Mile is a different challenge entirely. From the beginning, Mark Zorich sets expectations: only 30 to 40 percent of shooters typically connect at a mile. That isn’t discouragement—it’s context. ELR isn’t just longer-range shooting. It’s an entirely different discipline with different demands.

What makes it so challenging isn’t just the distance—it’s the environment. The range sits atop a high ridge, overlooking open terrain with no wind flags, no tree lines, and no visual wind cues. Shooters are left to work with mirage, dead grass, and feel. The angles are steep, the conditions dynamic, and the feedback honest. If your dope is off or your fundamentals break down, the target won’t lie.

Where Long Range Becomes ELR

Hitting at a mile isn’t just about dialing more elevation. Once you pass 1,000 yards, everything changes. Bullets enter transonic speeds. Wind drift increases exponentially. Vertical stringing becomes more pronounced. The margin for error shrinks fast—and the consequences of bad data or sloppy execution grow large. You’re no longer just adjusting for drop. You’re managing time-of-flight, angle, mirage, drag, and a constantly shifting environment. A slightly off wind call, a soft trigger break, or a round with inconsistent velocity can mean the difference between steel and dirt. That’s what makes ELR different. That’s what makes it honest. This is where gear matters. Optics with reliable tracking, bullets with proven BCs, and rifles that hold vertical aren’t just preferences—they’re necessities. But so is patience. So is feedback. So is knowing that you might not hit today, but you’ll leave understanding why.

As of May 2025, the longest confirmed shot in a competition stands at 4,344 yards—2.47 miles—set by Josh Silby with a .416 Hellfire and a 550-grain Lazer bullet. That beat Pieter Eksteen’s 4,279-yard hit with a .375 CheyTac. These weren’t exhibition shots with unlimited attempts. They were made under pressure, under rules, and with very few chances. They represent the peak of what’s possible. But Make It to a Mile isn’t about chasing records. It’s about taking the first serious step toward that world. For many, it’s their first experience with ELR. For others, it’s the next step forward. Either way, nobody leaves this clinic without learning something—and no one leaves without a deeper respect for what it takes to push precision that far.

Coaching That Meets You Where You Are

The shooting began on what I later realized was the small hill—a spot that reaches just past 1,000 yards. Most shooters started there around the 700-yard mark, confirming their dope and getting their bearings. When I’d visited the site the weekend before, I didn’t even register it as a separate ridge. It wasn’t until Day 2 of MITAM that I realized the climb to the real firing line was still ahead. That’s where the real long shots live. And that’s also where my Nissan Rogue nearly tapped out on the incline. I miss my truck haha.

Once shooters transitioned to the big hill, the course opened up. Targets ranged well beyond 1,200 yards, culminating at the full mile. From that elevated position, the wind took on a different character—subtle at the line but unpredictable downrange. Mark Zorich and Jerry Wasemiller were on the line throughout, offering steady, focused coaching. With such a small group, there was time to dig into each rifle setup, wind call, and trigger press. If a shot missed, they didn’t just call correction—they explained the why behind it. If a shot landed, they made sure you understood what made it work. That kind of feedback—measured, clear, and free from ego—is what separates WCLR from typical instruction.

A Shot That Mattered

Some moments stay with you—not because of the distance, the gear, or the group size—but because something deeper happened when the trigger broke. Kim’s mile hit was one of those moments. She made it in under ten shots. Impressive by any standard. But the round that landed wasn’t the real story. The real story started long before the line. Long before the rifle.

Kim didn’t grow up around firearms. She wasn’t just unfamiliar—she was afraid. Deadly afraid, in her own words. But fear has a way of turning when the world shifts around you. As she watched liberties erode and the idea of personal responsibility take on new weight, something clicked. She made a decision: to face it head on. Not in defiance, but in ownership.

Like many who walk into this space as outsiders, she went deep. Research. Reviews. Rabbit holes. She built a rifle that could hit. A system that could hold its own. Then she booked her first course—Long Range Shooters of Utah. I’ll be honest—I was jealous. I’d met the crew briefly at SHOT Show, and making it out there is high on my list. But for all its value, that course left a mark. She missed the shot on the Mile Milk Jug Challenge. Came close, but not close enough. That shot stayed with her. So when she signed up for Mark Zorich’s class at West Coast Long Range, it wasn’t just training—it was unfinished business.

This time, the setting was different. So was the support. Mark didn’t sit back behind a spotter—he leaned in. Hands-on, eyes-on, even behind the rifle when needed. Kim said it best: she felt taken care of. And that care mattered. When her round connected at a mile, it didn’t just ring steel—it broke something open. She was in tears. Not from shock, but release. That kind of release you only feel when fear turns to power, and doubt turns to proof. Everyone on the line felt it. Coaches. Shooters. Me. It changed the air. She didn’t just bring a rifle to the line—she brought the weight of everything it took to get there. And when the right gear met the right guidance—and the shooter showed up with something to prove—you got more than just a hit. You got a shot that mattered.

Looking Forward

There’s something grounding about this event. It’s stripped down. Quiet. Focused. And intentionally difficult. But it offers something that’s hard to find in shooting sports: a true gateway into ELR—one that doesn’t cut corners, but also doesn’t shut people out. You don’t have to show up with the perfect rifle or a match-winning background. You just have to show up curious, open, and ready to be challenged. If you want to know what a mile looks like from behind the rifle, start here.

Website: https://www.wclrprecisionshooting.com

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/westcoast_longrange/

Impact Scoring: https://www.impactscoring.net

PHOTOS AND VIDEOS FROM THE EVENT: https://www.blackplagueprecision.com/portfolio

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