AMERICA'S MOST RESPECTED LONG-RANGE COURSE

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 WOW, if you are thinking of shooting long range this is the place to go. The instructor James is the best there is and knows how to teach in a way that you will understand and learn the correct way of shooting long range! Shooting and hitting your target at 1000 yds is pretty amazing. I was there the week of Easter and the 1000 yard Easter egg hunt was a blast, and yes I did hit the egg with the calls from my spotter James Eagleman. The facilities are top of the line and the staff is great. Ms Mary always made sure you had plenty to eat and did a great job at keeping us all happy including my wife that came along for the 1000 mile road trip! The lodging, range, and facilities all around was great, a pleasure to be there and very welcomed when you show up. Thank you to all the staff for the great hospitality.  

 Instruction, instructor, staff, facility, classroom, meals, and service were all 5 star. If you want to learn how to take the step from hunting confidently at 300 yards to 600/700 yards, the course will exceed expectations. You will successfully shoot 1000 yard targets in only two days. Look forward to going back for more instruction. Money well invested.  

  I attended at the end of June this year, what appealed to me about this program was the sincerity of all the Personnel, and I can say that is the way the entire staff really is when you get there
There is no smoke and mirrors, if you pay attention you will learn Mr. Eaglemans method of reading wind not to mention many other shooting tips that combine for a very positive experience
Food and accommodations were GREAT!!
I would highly recommend it for anyone at any age!!  

Level 1 Course

This course was two days, taught by James Eagleman. James is former sniper with a strong background in math and physics. He marries shooting math and physics to produce what is likely the most accurate long range shooting approach in existence. The Level 1 course is all about learning his technique for reading wind with shots from 550 to 1,000 yards. I won't spill the beans, but his wind reading approach uses mirage and rain to a level of accuracy that is truly incredible. In the level 1 course you will use school rifles which are Barbour Creek suppressed 6.5 Creedmoors with Track scopes. To give you a sense of how good this technique is, at the conclusion of the school, each shooter is required to make three kill shots on each target from 550 to 1,000. @cbvanb and I both cleaned the course with 18 kill shots and no misses. We called the wind for each other and obviously got it correct!

The level 1 course included James' ballistic app. I went into this thinking that I would learn from the course but continue to use the applied ballistics app. Man was I wrong. James' app is so far superior to applied ballistics that there is absolutely no way I was staying with the old app. You can actually use James' app to correct the inherent errors in the other app!

Level 2 Course

This course was also two days but was held in hill/canyon country to produce cross/quartering/following and frontal wind shots in heavily contoured terrain. Shots ranged from 550 yard to a mile. In all honesty, the 6.5 CM becomes unstable beyond about 1,450. My 6.5 PRC with a better bullet selection would have been capable of hits to a mile. Lesson learned!

The highlight of this class was a shot I called for @cbvanb. It was 1,450. I gave him the holdover, read the wind, and told him to push right 9 MOA. He centered the bullseye. At that point James Eagleman just grinned, gave us the thumbs up, and said 'you guys get this stuff!' We were both very consistent in various wind conditions to 1,450 with hits made to 1,550. With adjustments we are making to our equipment, I am looking forward to going back and making that one mile shot!

Thoughts:

I have no interest in hunting at these ranges. However, this school made me a much better shot. At this point, 600 yards is a chip shot with my 6.5 PRC.

If you are interested in this school, invest in a very good spotting scope. Mid grade scopes like Leopold just do not have what it takes to read mirage effectively. @cbvanb and I shared his Swarovski BTX 30x90. It was outstanding. James uses a Swarovski BTX 30x65. I have just purchased a Swarovski BTX 30x65 for my own work.

The 6.5 Creedmoor gets a lot of crap. I was absolutely amazed at the capability of this round at range. Note, the school does not promote this round for long range hunting, stating that it is realistically limited by energy to somewhere around 800 yards.

Bullet stability is a critical factor. I was using the 143 gr Nosler AB LR. This bullet loses stability at about 1,300 yards in my rifle. I have switched to the 143 gr Norma Bondstrike. This bullet is stable to a mile. James' app calculates bullet stability.

If you enjoy pushing yourself, consider this school! 

In February 2026, I returned to Barbour Creek Long Range Shooting School in Alabama for a second Level 1 course, this time combined with Level 2, under the instruction of James Eagleman who also has Eagle Ballistics and Eagleman Long Range Shooting and Hunting School.

James, a retired Army First Sergeant/Master Sergeant, delivers thorough, no-nonsense training rooted in real-world experience. His explanations are clear and packed with detail—even on the second time through Level 1, I picked up several key refinements on ballistics, wind reading, and rifle setup that I’d missed before.  After class, he personally helped me dial in two of my own rifles, getting them precise enough to break clays at 1000 yards.  James teaches you how to read the wind at distance.  His Eagle Ballistics app has too many features to list.  It’s intuitive, easy to navigate and accurate.  It’s mind blowing to imagine getting all of the information and features in there. 

Level 2 shifts to practical, real-world scenarios: shooting across varying terrain and reading wind across valleys.  It emphasizes applying skills in realistic conditions. 

The program stands out for its integrity: they offer a wide range of equipment for students to try, with zero sales pressure—just education to find what fits your style. The facilities are exceptional with an impressive range set up with life-size animal targets and highlighted kill zones.  The level 2 range has challenging setups that mimic backcountry hunting. I’d love to have access to something similar closer to home. Lodging, meals, and hospitality were gracious and welcoming throughout.  They do build some pretty special guns if you’re in the market. They were happy to show us what they had (we asked), but never put pressure on us to buy. 

For anyone serious about long-range precision—whether for hunting or mastering their rifle in demanding conditions—James Eagleman provide outstanding value: proven skills, no fluff, no upselling. Highly recommended. I’ll be back when I can.

 What can I say.  Perfect experience this past weekend with these folks.  My son and I traveled 11 hours to attend this class and it was well worth the drive.  James is a wonderful instructor and is able to articulate his experience and training in an easy to comprehend fashion for all ages and genders.  Mark and Lisa make it extremely easy to feel at home in their presence and facilities.  Tony is a true asset to the operation and filled our ears with great stories and his wife Felicia filled our stomachs with some great home cooking.  I can't thank them enough for the memories they allowed my son and I to make.  Feels like we made friends for life in 2 days time.  Looking forward to seeing you all again soon. 

Can't say enough about how awesome and knowledgeable James is.  I've been in law enforcement for over 25 years and been to countless classes all over the country.  James is easily one of the best instructors I've ever had (in any subject.)  No ego, no condescension, just decades of knowledge distilled down to easy to understand fundamentals. And if you listen and do what he says, you WILL be hitting clays (and maybe even a golf ball!) at 1,000 yards.

Facilities are great, Mark, Lisa, Tony and Felicia are all fabulous and make you feel at home.  Food was incredible, all equipment was top shelf. 

I will be going back.

 James taught me more about shooting in one weekend, and in simple terms under real world conditions . I never would have learned on my own. Not to mention shooting in a hurricane at swinging golf balls . Definitely the best instructor/ teacher I have ever been around . He is a wind reading machine.  I’m so thankful to have completed both courses under his watch  

 Got invited to go to the level one class. Would have never have thought about doing this had it not been for the invitation. Instructor was extremely knowledgeable and made everything very easy to understand and had a shooting at 1000 yards comfortably by the first day. The lady that prepared the meals was super nice and took care of us very well service was 10 out of 10. I would strongly recommend this to anyone interested in shooting, long distance. 

years in the Army and numerous advanced shooting schools under my belt, I came in with solid experience, but James Eagleman’s instruction took my skills to another level.

His Army sniper background and master instructor expertise shine through in every aspect of the course. The way he breaks down complex topics is exceptional. It’s practical, precise, and immediately applicable; by the end of the first day, I was dialing in consistent hits out to 1,000 yards with even greater confidence than before.

James provides personalized coaching in a small group, adapting to experienced shooters while ensuring everyone progresses. This course stands out for its depth in long-range hunting fundamentals and real-world application. Highly recommend it—I’m already planning to return for Level 2

This week I attended level 1 and level 2 classes taught by James Eagleman at Barbour Creek. While I rarely write reviews, I feel compelled to write this one.

His classes are outstanding! James is a wonderful instructor, who manages to work with shooters of all levels in a seemingly effortless way and lift them to skill levels, they would never have thought possible before.

James helped me become a better shooter - working with me on my form and teaching me techniques to stabilize my rifle. James effortlessly coached me to the point, where I took a 1000 yd shot at a 3.5 inch clay pigeon without hesitation -- and hit it in the center.

During the level 2 class James made me a better hunter. He taught me ways to stabilize my rifle in the field, that had never occurred to me before during many years of hunting. It was amazing how stable I could get my rifle - even kneeling or standing - with simple tools that I have with me while hunting. Level 2 is taught in the field, engaging life-sized animal targets with anatomically correct vitals at distances from 500 yd to over 1600 yd.

These life-sized animal targets were painted completely in natural colors - unlike the life-sized animal targets with bright white vitals that we engaged during the level 1 class. This made the experience as close to reality as possible. Glassing for the animals across the valley, finding them and shooting downhill, uphill or across the valley - at all kinds of different angles - made it realistic.

When I hit a springbok's 6" vital zone at 1210 yd with my first shot, it seemed almost easy, despite the wind hold of 14 3/4 MOA.

Everything up to this point is absolutely worth the course fees!

Now it was time to switch position with my spotter. This is where the real magic of taking a class with James Eagleman starts. Learning his method for calling the wind is literally priceless and it can only be learned in his classes - and boy did I learn!

When my partner missed at first, I realized very fast that me hitting targets wasn't due to my great shooting skills, but owed to his correct wind calls. James coached me to the point, where I could make wind calls independently. By the end of the second day, I successfully put my partner on target all the way out to 1611 yd in a 7.7 mph wind crosswind. By then that felt like a way bigger achievement than hitting the target myself with my partner calling the wind.

The biggest compliment, I can give James, is telling my children to take his classes. I'm confident that they will benefit tremendously from his teaching.

 What an incredible training experience!  Everything from the facilities, to the entire team is first class!  Simply put, you will not find a better long range shooting course anywhere.  If you are a shooting enthusiast, avid hunter or just interested in expanding your knowledge in the shooting sports, this is a must do.  Mark, and his team have created a world class training program.  James is not only incredibly knowledgeable, he holds nothing back to ensure that you leave this program with the information and the practical skills to become an extremely proficient long range hunter.  I am simply blown away by the results!  James, you made the classroom time interesting and the time behind the gun an absolute blast (forgive the unintended pun).  You teach from real world experience and the results are remarkable.  Lisa, thank you for creating a welcoming experience and thanks to Tony and Felicia for some great conversation and wonderful meals.  Don't just think about it, book this training! 

  I recently completed Level 1 at James Long Range Shooting School , and it was hands down the best long-distance shooting course I’ve ever attended. With 14 years in the Army and numerous advanced shooting schools under my belt, I came in with solid experience, but James Eagleman’s instruction took my skills to another level.
His Army sniper background and master instructor expertise shine through in every aspect of the course. The way he breaks down complex topics is exceptional. It’s practical, precise, and immediately applicable; by the end of the first day, I was dialing in consistent hits out to 1,000 yards with even greater confidence than before.
James provides personalized coaching in a small group, adapting to experienced shooters while ensuring everyone progresses. This course stands out for its depth in long-range hunting fundamentals and real-world application. Highly recommend it—I’m already planning to return for Level 2! 

  I recently attended James Eagleman's shooting classes and found that I knew nothing about reading wind, that said, James Eagleman is a Top Notch instructor, extremely knowledgeable, straight to the point and easy to understand, and before you know it you’re shooting and calling shots on range further than you ever have with confidence after level 1. Level 2 brings a whole new level of confidence with not only making shots but calling the shots in hunting situations from 500 to 700 yards which is nothing and becomes somewhat boring but very satisfying knowing you can achieve shots like these by applying his method of reading wind and as James says “these are just chip shots are you ready to have some real fun” which brings us to longer ranges 900 to 1600 yards. Level 2 was amazing, this is where you really put your new skills to the test. I have to say I’m really glad I attended both classes. This was an amazing experience that cannot be taught by anyone else 

 WOW, if you are thinking of shooting long range this is the place to go. The instructor James is the best there is and knows how to teach in a way that you will understand and learn the correct way of shooting long range! Shooting and hitting your target at 1000 yds is pretty amazing. I was there the week of Easter and the 1000 yard Easter egg hunt was a blast, and yes I did hit the egg with the calls from my spotter James Eagleman. The facilities are top of the line and the staff is great. Ms Mary always made sure you had plenty to eat and did a great job at keeping us all happy including my wife that came along for the 1000 mile road trip! The lodging, range, and facilities all around was great, a pleasure to be there and very welcomed when you show up. Thank you to all the staff for the great hospitality.  

  Instruction, instructor, staff, facility, classroom, meals, and service were all 5 star. If you want to learn how to take the step from hunting confidently at 300 yards to 600/700 yards, the course will exceed expectations. You will successfully shoot 1000 yard targets in only two days. Look forward to going back for more instruction. Money well invested.  

   I attended at the end of June this year, what appealed to me about this program was the sincerity of all the Personel, and I can say that is the way the entire staff really is when you get there
There is no smoke and mirrors, if you pay attention you will learn Mr. Eaglemans method of reading wind not to mention many other shooting tips that combine for a very positive experience
Food and accommodations were GREAT!!
I would highly recommend it for anyone at any age!!  

 I just returned from Level one and Level two at James Long Range Shooting School and wanted to leave a review. I come from a Law Enforcement sniper background, and as such I have studied long range shooting for decades. I think I learned more in 4 days with James than I had accumulated up to that point, and that is after having attended an FBI sniper course, as well as one special forces sniper course many years ago.
The depth of wind knowledge alone is worth the price of admission, and the app that James has developed is astounding in its capabilities. I have been a diehard Applied Ballistics guy for years now, and honestly, I'll keep using it, but the Eagle Ballistics app performs the same functions, and a whole lot more. This course is heavy on theory, but much heavier on real world practice. Prior to last week I wouldn't have bothered to shoot at a clay pigeon at 1000 yards, but after having done it, I now see that with the right equipment and knowledge base it is well within my capabilities.
The facilities are perfect for the instruction offered, and the accommodations are very comfortable. We had a great group of shooters in class, and everyone got along well.
I would offer two pieces of advice for anyone going. First, if your lifestyle is dependent on internet access you're going to have problems. Cell service is spotty, and the internet service is even less reliable. I'm taking some classes and had counted on studying while at Barbour Creek, but that was virtually impossible. I did make arrangements with the office staff to take a couple tests after hours, and they were more than accommodating.
Secondly, the ability to read mirage is heavily dependent on quality glass. The spotting scopes provided by the school are barely adequate, and fortunately for me and my partner I brought along my Swarovski 95mm BTX. That made all the difference, and by the end of the week several students were actively shopping for one. A high-end fixed spotting scope at 30-35X is best suited for the school and the skills taught there. James isn't necessarily happy with the optical equipment available, but it is not up to him what is provided to students.
Lastly, if you do go, there is a lovely woman named Mary who does all the cooking and takes care of the rooms. Please consider tipping her at the end of the school. She works as hard as anyone there and always has a smile on her face.
My shooting partner and I are already planning on going back next year for a refresher.  

 I just spent the first two days of November at James Long Range Shooting School, I left far more confident at a 700 + yard shot, which I would not even considered prior to class. James, Tony and Mark were all excellent people to get to know and generous with there knowledge and made it extremely easy to understand, even the most confusing parts of the course.
James‘s experience with not only the subject matter, but with teaching itself is invaluable I won’t go into his win technique, but it is second to none and everybody will tell you that wind is what gets you all the rest is just math. Their accommodations were wonderful, the food was awesome, and everyone there was a pleasure to meet. I look forward to using what I’ve learned and going back for level two I may even take level one again as a refresher right before level two. I emailed Jim, and said I needed to know what I don’t know and I think that was important. I am basically self educated in long range shooting, but after this class, I have to agree with Jim,. long range doesn’t start until 625 yards, and I do indeed consider that a chip shot now, so if you’ve been on the fence, do yourself a favor book with Jim, and you will not be disappointed