Long-Range Shooting, a discipline that challenges the limits of a rifleman’s precision and skill, has captivated me in a unique way. In those moments of absolute concentration, when the wind gently caresses my face and the crosshairs of my beloved spotting scope, the Sightmark Latitude, lock onto a distant target, I experience a deep connection with my surroundings and a sense of fulfillment that transcends words.
I enjoy being a "spotter," an observer and guide for other shooters, spending hours behind my scope to help fellow shooters achieve precision accuracy with their shots. The satisfaction of watching a round impact a steel plate at long range thanks to my guidance and the incredible power of my spotting scope is an unparalleled experience. The joy of passing on my humble expertise and evolving alongside other shooters is immense. The world of Long-Range Shooting and hunting is a community where friendship, camaraderie, and mutual respect intertwine with competition and personal growth. The Sightmark Latitude Spotting Scope has accompanied me on every trip, competition, and hunt as a tool that not only enhances my own skill but also allows me to be a student and guide for those who share this passion. Every time I look through my scope, every time I share a piece of advice, I feel that I am living my true passion, a passion that has enriched my life in ways I could never have imagined. Long-range shooting to me is an exciting world of friendship, patience, and precision that intertwine in a hypnotic dance through the lens of a good scope. Some of my range buddies have become just as close as the band of "cousins and siblings" I shared adventures with as a youth. Now, we experience the same thrills as adults.
The author at a tournament.
Every day, when I hold a firearm or look through my Sightmark Latitude, I feel like I'm returning to those childhood days in the Pampas, where imagination was my only weapon and nature was my refuge. It's as if the wind whispers the childhood secrets I learned as a boy. My journey through the passion for shooting and hunting is more than a hobby; it is a return to my roots that reaches to the very depths of my humanity, a deep connection with the ancestral essence that makes me feel complete. Although my life has changed and time has left its mark on me, I can still hear in my mind the stories of my childhood, the happy toll of the supper-bell, our laughter when we raced on horseback, the wise voice of the estate manager, the great gaucho and horse-tamer Don Angel, whose taught us fieldwork as well as life with infinite patience...
Even though the past is past, I choose to transform the grief of what was lost into a celebration of the enormous gift we had, that continues to live in my heart today. I am a guardian of tradition, a lover of nature, and an eternal child who plays on the vast Pampas, where every trip, every hunt, and every shot mark a chapter in the story of my life and a connection to the land that watched me grow. With every crack of my rifle, and every step of my many journeys, I find fulfillment and the eternity of those golden days, and thus, the “Estancia” and its memories continue to live in me forever.
The author (left) after winning the 2022 Long Range Argentinian National Championship.
To read part 1 of this story, click here.
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