A lengthy interview in Recoil Magazine. Here's some nuggets, but definitely read the whole thing.
Which calibers do you think we’ll see more of?
TH: The 300 Norma is an amazing caliber. I was a big fan of .338 until I shot a 300 Norma, and now that’s all I shoot for long range. The .260 Remington, I think you’re going to see a huge jump with it coming up in the future. We’re already seeing a lot of players moving in that direction, and a lot of venders making better ammo.
If I could only have two guns in my safe, they would be: a 300 Norma and a .260 LaRue. The .260 would replace all my M4s and all my .308s. It’s a great caliber because it’ll go transonic at 1,000, so it’s a caliber that can do everything an M4 can do all the way up to nearly a 300 Win Mag. It’s ease of shooting, and no recoil makes it great. A lot of the competition world already knows about .260 and 6.5 Creed, so the .260 — I think you’ll really see it coming into its own in the near future.
The 300 Norma is the best long-range caliber you can get into today. I think 300 Norma will take over and rule the long-range, hunting, and military markets for the next decade.
The 300 Win Mag, is a weapon system I was not originally impressed with. But, it’s going to make a resurgence because of the .230 Berger, you get the capability of a .338 Lapua. And, it’s what we call a Walmart gun. You can go to any store in the United States and pick up 300 Win Mag ammo to go shoot pigs at 200 meters for when you don’t want to shoot your good Berger ammo.What would you suggest for someone looking to buy his first long-range rifle?
TH: There are two different applications: bolt gun and semi-auto.
For a bolt gun, you have affordable and top of the line. For affordable, the Tikka T3 Tactical. It’s one of the best rifles you’ll lay your hands on. It’s a phenomenal little gun. It’s an entry-level gun, but I’m not for sure it’s not as accurate as some of the more expensive rifles you could buy. For top of the line, a Surgeon Rifle. I own several Surgeons, and love them — never had a problem with them. And, Surgeon is a great company.
For the gas guns, or semi-auto, I wouldn’t buy a gas gun that isn’t a LaRue. LaRue Tactical is by far the best in the marketplace.So are you saying you don’t load bipods anymore?
TH: If I’m shooting close, like 300 meters, or movers, I do load my bipods heavy because doing so will not pull me off the target. But, if I’m doing 800-meter head shots, I will load bipods as consistent to when I zeroed, trued, and gathered my information out to those distances. It’s not an always or never when referring to bipods. It just depends.
When I shoot long range, the process for loading my bipods is:
- I pull the weapon system into my shoulder
- Load the bipods with my shoulder
- Once my NPA is established and my crosshairs are on the target,
- I then start loading to the target,
- And, as I load to the target, as soon as my bipods start to roll,
- I hold the pressure that I have at that point,
- And pull the trigger.
What you’re looking for is being consistent with the weapon system.