Explore the interview

  1. Kinport Peak Rifles and Justin’s ELR journey
  2. Why larger ELR cartridges matter
  3. The .416 Warthog
  4. Chambers, reamers and component compatibility
  5. Brass stretching and case-head separation
  6. Fire-forming wildcat brass
  7. Barrel break-in
  8. Barrel cleaning and copper fouling
  9. Extreme spread and primer consistency
  10. Brass sorting and internal volume
  11. Neck tension and bullet seating
  12. The .460 Warthog and barrel life
  13. Scopes, rails and heavy-rifle choices
  14. Load development
  15. Testing at 2,500 yards
  16. Ask your question?

Justin Linenbach, owner of Kinport Peak Rifles, won the ELR Alliance season finale, Thunder in the Osage, and captured the 2026 National ELR Heavy Gun Championship. He achieved these results shooting his own wildcat .460 Warthog cartridge. In this RifleTalks video interview, we explore the Warthog family of wildcat cartridges he developed, and the rifle-building, brass preparation and load-development work behind his extreme-long-range shooting.

Screenshot of Justin Linenbach’s match results and points
Match results shared in connection with Justin Linenbach’s victory.

In this edition of My ELR Story, RifleTalks speaks with Justin Linenbach of Kinport Peak Rifles about the engineering, maintenance and testing decisions behind extreme-long-range shooting. Explore the subjects below, from Warthog cartridges and brass behavior to barrel care and testing at 2,500 yards.

1. Kinport Peak Rifles and Justin’s ELR journey

Justin describes how Kinport Peak Rifles grew from custom rifle work into purpose-built extreme-long-range systems.

Play 00:17 in article

2. Why larger ELR cartridges matter

A discussion of the transonic region and why projectile choice becomes critical beyond conventional long-range distances.

Play 03:57 in article

3. The .416 Warthog

Justin introduces the cartridge’s design philosophy, case selection and intended two-mile performance.

Play 05:45 in article

4. Chambers, reamers and component compatibility

How brass dimensions, chamber geometry and component sourcing interact in custom ELR builds.

Play 10:19 in article

5. Brass stretching and case-head separation

Justin explains the relationship between chamber fit, sizing and the internal damage that can develop in fired cases.

Play 13:03 in article

6. Fire-forming wildcat brass

A discussion of the considerations involved in preparing new cases for custom chambers.

Play 18:29 in article

7. Barrel break-in

How Justin approaches the early life of a barrel before evaluating its long-range performance.

Play 23:36 in article

8. Barrel cleaning and copper fouling

Justin’s approach to fouling, cleaning intervals and maintenance in ELR competition.

Play 25:10 in article

9. Extreme spread and primer consistency

Why consistent ignition and measured velocity variation matter for distant targets.

Play 29:45 in article

10. Brass sorting and internal volume

How sorting cases into batches supports more consistent testing.

Play 33:23 in article

11. Neck tension and bullet seating

The role of cartridge assembly consistency in a heavy ELR rifle.

Play 35:50 in article

12. The .460 Warthog and barrel life

The larger Warthog design and what Justin has observed about barrel longevity.

Play 37:44 in article

13. Scopes, rails and heavy-rifle choices

Optics elevation, mounting arrangements and considerations when selecting an ELR platform.

Play 44:42 in article

14. Load development

How Justin evaluates velocity consistency and repeatability before moving to longer distances.

Play 58:48 in article

15. Testing at 2,500 yards

Why Justin verifies rifle and ammunition performance at extreme distance rather than relying on short-range groups alone.

Play 60:40 in article

Ask your question?

Have a question for Justin about the Warthog cartridges or the topics discussed in this interview? Submit your question below. Selected questions may be answered in a future RifleTalks feature; a response is not guaranteed.

Open the question form in a new tab

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