In 2009 I was aspiring to be a raging 3 gunner, had nice 1911's, was more than proficient, Benelli SBE, mag extension, was working on tactical stock for it, and had just bought a JP CTR 02, and I was handy with a carbine.
I learned about a smith south of town who was good with 1911's, and I wanted some work done. Going out the first time, had no idea where I was to go, huge building, but 3 pickups were parked a 100 yards away. I pulled up to them and a friend and I get out. It surely didn't look like a range, but 2 were shooting, no visible targets close. One guy, wearing an eye patch was really friendly, and was shooting left hand off his tailgate, looked uncomfortable as all get out. We ask what he was shooting at, he pointed out a little white speck way out there, it was over 700 yards away, and if i recall, 4" wide by 6" tall. I had an inner chuckle and suppressed the offer of a 100 buck bet on hit-miss. Glad I stayed quiet, because he beat that plate up, it swung rather violently when hit. We were asked if we wanted a try, my friend took a shot and failed, I knew better, but we watched in amazement for an hour before meeting the smith and dropping my pistol off.
When I picked the pistol up after completion, the smith and the same guy were shooting, they had a few targets dotting the landscape. This was interesting. By the time i left that day, 3 gun was a passing thought, and I needed a LR rifle and a Nightforce.
The friend, who had accompanied me both times, had taken a LR course, and owned a 308, but he told me on the way home, during the course, he could not hit a man size torso plate at 600 yards. He kind of gave up on it, now these guys were hitting way smaller targets, way farther out with some cartridge called a 6.5x47 Lapua.
I found a lightly used Cooper Phoenix in 6.5x284, and a NF at a gun store in Rapid City, SD. Here I am.
Thanks, interesting topic, fun to know how we all fell to an addiction.