PRS PROFILE: COMPETING IS HIS THING

Why has Robert Brantley competed in so many matches across so many formats for so long? “My personal goal is to become the best I can be with a rifle,” he says simply.

COMPETING IS HIS THING

Longtime multidiscipline precision rifle shooter Robert Brantley on what makes him tick.

PHOTOS BY ROBERT BRANTLEY

Having competed in precision shooting matches for nearly 14 years – including the Precision Rifle Series, among other competitions – Robert Brantley has become “king of the road” in the longrange shooting world.

“I probably shoot more divisions than anyone else,” he explains. “My main game I’d say is PRS Open, but most still associate me with ELR (Extreme Long Range). This year I will shoot PRS Open, Tactical Division, AG Cup, as well as Rimfire. I will compete at both the national level as well as regional.”

Brantley typically shoots in around 40 matches a year, 20-plus of which will be PRS matches. Another 12 or so will be national-level two-day events, and he will also shoot field matches and NRL Hunter matches.

“This year we’ll shoot King of 1 Mile and King of 2 Mile matches,” says Brantley of the annual extreme long-range shooting competitions. “I’ll shoot consecutive weekends for eight weeks straight sometimes, with every single event being a long ways from home.”

By way of explanation, he says, simply, “My personal goal is to become the best I can be with a rifle.”

But there’s a reason Brantley

This year, Brantley hopes to build on his two podium finishes at King of 2 Mile, including first place in 2018.

Even with all his awards and accomplishments, Brantley is humble, saying anyone can compete in long-range shooting and it isn’t as difficult as many probably think.

“I run a very simple process and use minimal gear,” says the precision shooter. maintains such a hectic schedule – which also includes his job at Manners Composite Stocks, a brand he uses extensively in competition, as well as his part-time role with a reloading and optic company. His experiences over the past 14 years of competition would be enough to keep any passionate shooter coming back.

“I have several memories and shots I think about,” he says, reflecting on his career thus far. “I currently have the longest shot in rifle competition (2.45 miles), (I was) the first to have a first-round impact at 2 miles in a match, as well as the highest King of 2 Mile score prior to them changing the format. I’m also the only person with multiple podium finishes at King of 2 Mile.”

He continues, “My process is pretty much the same for both my PRS and rimfire rifles. I’ve placed second in the AG Cup, gotten a PRS bullet, made many podium finishes, and placed in the top 10 in multiple PRS finales.”

Though he’s earned many awards and accomplishments over the years, Brantley remains humble. “I like to tell the stories of how anyone can do this sport and (it) probably isn’t as hard as most think it is,” he says. “I run a very simple process and use minimal gear. I enjoy going into the various communities and learning di erent things from each to keep trying to better myself.”  Editor’s note: For more information on the Precision Rifle Series, visit precisionrifleseries.com.

ROBERT BRANTLEY’S RIFLE & GEAR

Brantley shoots for Team GA Precision and runs the following rig for his PRS rifle:

• Templar V2 (Defiance

Deviant) action • Manners TCS (Tunable

Competition Stock) • Bartlein Barrel in 6GT or .308 • Bushnell XRS3 in Badger hardware • Triggertech Diamond • Atlas Bipod • Armageddon Gear Bags • Brantley shoots for

Hornady for ammo and components • Brantley shoots for RCBS on the reloading side