Deep in the Heart of Texas, 90 miles from the Texas and Mexico border lies a long-range precision rifle mecca. Private citizens and professionals from all over the world have been making the trek down to see Jacob Bynum at Rifle’s Only to learn how to shoot long for that essential edge in competition, hunting, and tactical environments. Jacob and his staff were there from long-range rifle’s humblest beginnings, when a box-stock Remington 700 in .308 outfitted with a basic hunting scope and shooting off a bag was the hot setup. Precision chassis and stable bipod options were still years away.

Deep in the Heart of Texas, 90 miles from the Texas and Mexico border lies a long-range precision rifle mecca. Private citizens and professionals from all over the world have been making the trek down to see Jacob Bynum at Rifle’s Only to learn how to shoot long for that essential edge in competition, hunting, and tactical environments. Jacob and his staff were there from long-range rifle’s humblest beginnings, when a box-stock Remington 700 in .308 outfitted with a basic hunting scope and shooting off a bag was the hot setup. Precision chassis and stable bipod options were still years away.

However, the basic fundamentals of marksmanship have never changed, and the curriculum at Rifle’s Only focuses on tried-and-true techniques developed by Jacob himself that have become part of the long-range shooting handbook. Jacob likens those fundamentals to a cake recipe: follow the steps and find success. The proof that Jacob’s system works is hung all over the walls at Rifle’s Only. Thank you plaques we cannot photograph from the most elite fighting forces in the world are everywhere. A Chinook helicopter blade with hand-scrawled paint pen messages to Jacob hangs in his building and flags from countries all over the world hang there too; this is an international affair located right here in Texas.

However, the basic fundamentals of marksmanship have never changed, and the curriculum at Rifle’s Only focuses on tried-and-true techniques developed by Jacob himself that have become part of the long-range shooting handbook. Jacob likens those fundamentals to a cake recipe: follow the steps and find success. The proof that Jacob’s system works is hung all over the walls at Rifle’s Only. Thank you plaques we cannot photograph from the most elite fighting forces in the world are everywhere. A Chinook helicopter blade with hand-scrawled paint pen messages to Jacob hangs in his building and flags from countries all over the world hang there too; this is an international affair located right here in Texas.

In addition to the classes, Jacob and the folks at Rifle’s Only host a variety of matches. There’s a healthy long-range club nurtured by Jacob in South Texas that is populated by professional and civilian shooters who call Rifle’s Only home. In addition, the Rifle’s Only Brawl is a yearly match that’s top notch in the world of precision shooting, and competitors travel from all over the country to compete. You’ll find shooters from all walks of life, from a group of SpaceX engineers building rockets on the Texas coast, to Law Enforcement, to military snipers, to big game hunters from Alaska, all focused on learning and having fun on Jacob’s sprawling and challenging multi-day course.

In addition to the classes, Jacob and the folks at Rifle’s Only host a variety of matches. There’s a healthy long-range club nurtured by Jacob in South Texas that is populated by professional and civilian shooters who call Rifle’s Only home. In addition, the Rifle’s Only Brawl is a yearly match that’s top notch in the world of precision shooting, and competitors travel from all over the country to compete. You’ll find shooters from all walks of life, from a group of SpaceX engineers building rockets on the Texas coast, to Law Enforcement, to military snipers, to big game hunters from Alaska, all focused on learning and having fun on Jacob’s sprawling and challenging multi-day course.

The stages Jacob cooks up at the Brawl are the stuff of legend, with quick-moving targets known as “movers” darting across your reticle. You’ll also have to shoot from under tables and on top of culverts, and maybe build a firing position inside a helicopter, all in the span of a few hours. The match kicks off with Jacob’s signature ladder speech where he covers the ins and outs of the match stages, offsetting the groans from the competitors on the difficulty of some of the setups with a lot of humor. There are definitely such things as stupid questions at Rifle’s Only, and Jacob will let you know when one has been asked. It’s all part of the experience at Rifle’s Only.

The stages Jacob cooks up at the Brawl are the stuff of legend, with quick-moving targets known as “movers” darting across your reticle. You’ll also have to shoot from under tables and on top of culverts, and maybe build a firing position inside a helicopter, all in the span of a few hours. The match kicks off with Jacob’s signature ladder speech where he covers the ins and outs of the match stages, offsetting the groans from the competitors on the difficulty of some of the setups with a lot of humor. There are definitely such things as stupid questions at Rifle’s Only, and Jacob will let you know when one has been asked. It’s all part of the experience at Rifle’s Only.

After the official match is done for the day, Jacob usually has a surprise for the attendees; this year, it was an incredible .22 stage with a cash buy-in, winner takes all format. The targets were on a couple of homemade tracks where movement was completely randomized by a computer and programmed by a friend of Jacob’s. We’ve never seen anything like it, and it was built specifically for this event. Jacob held court during the impromptu match, both encouraging and admonishing folks brave enough to give it a try. By the end of the evening, everybody was involved and, while highly competitive, the jokes were flying fast in the family atmosphere. That sort of twist on a match day is part of the magic at Rifle’s Only.

After the official match is done for the day, Jacob usually has a surprise for the attendees; this year, it was an incredible .22 stage with a cash buy-in, winner takes all format. The targets were on a couple of homemade tracks where movement was completely randomized by a computer and programmed by a friend of Jacob’s. We’ve never seen anything like it, and it was built specifically for this event. Jacob held court during the impromptu match, both encouraging and admonishing folks brave enough to give it a try. By the end of the evening, everybody was involved and, while highly competitive, the jokes were flying fast in the family atmosphere. That sort of twist on a match day is part of the magic at Rifle’s Only.

To cap off the weekend, homemade Texas BBQ was provided, and one of the healthiest prize tables we’ve ever seen greet the competitors. People stuck around for hours to bench ice and talk. Like most events, everybody ends up smiling, regardless of their performance. It’s also easy to see many new friendships being born at Rifle’s Only. The place is hallowed ground for the rifle shooter, but carries none of the pretentiousness you might expect at one of the world’s greatest learning centers. It’s a testament to the incredible environment created by Jacob and his dedicated crew over the years. It’s an understatement to say that there is nothing quite like it.

To cap off the weekend, homemade Texas BBQ was provided, and one of the healthiest prize tables we’ve ever seen greet the competitors. People stuck around for hours to bench ice and talk. Like most events, everybody ends up smiling, regardless of their performance. It’s also easy to see many new friendships being born at Rifle’s Only. The place is hallowed ground for the rifle shooter, but carries none of the pretentiousness you might expect at one of the world’s greatest learning centers. It’s a testament to the incredible environment created by Jacob and his dedicated crew over the years. It’s an understatement to say that there is nothing quite like it.

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