Texan breaks marksmanship world record with 3-mile shot

A man from West Texas has just set a new world record after hitting his target from 3 miles away.

41-year-old Bill Poor hit a 53″ target from 5,280 yards with a .408 CheyTac firing a 390 gr bullet at 3,160 fps after firing eight shots. The previous record of 2.84 miles (5,000 yards) had been set by retired Navy SEAL Charles Melton in 2017 after firing thirty-eight shots.

Due to a technicality, neither Meltron nor Poor’s shots have yet been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. “They do not recognize shots with optics,” Poor told the Dallas News. “Several guys have tried and sent them in everything, but for some reason they just don’t want to take it.”

A spokesperson from Guinness explained that the variance between “optical devices” is prohibitive of “keeping a level playingfield.” Nonetheless, Poor’s shot is absolutely incredible.

“It didn’t happen overnight,” Poor explained. “It took a lot of homework and a lot of science.”

According to the Abilene Reporter,

Cold weather will lessen density altitude, basically the thickness of the air as it is measured from sea level, Poor said. Hot weather likewise will thicken it. This affects whether the bullet will fly directly to the target or if it will need to climb to sustain its lift.

The morning of his shot, Poor recorded the temperature at about 55 degrees, having risen from the mid-30s earlier in the day.

“In order to shoot in that low of density altitude, I had to come up much higher in the scope,” Poor said. “The scope had to have more dope in it and the barrel had to be at a much deeper arch to hit the target.”

The Earth’s curvature is calculated to be about three miles at six feet, so Poor had to fire from a raised platform to see the target. A spotter watched the target with binoculars, while another was downrange.

Melton has announced that he will attempt to break the new record with a 6,000 yard shot in the near future. Poor is currently looking for a 5-mile capable piece of land for the “ultimate shot.”