1) Technically, the same could be said for Squall. They never really showed him using any extreme tactical knowledge, it was just implied in his character.

2) Squall never showed the ability to use the Gunblade as a ranged weapon. The actual gun portion of the weapon is used to amplify the damage dealt with a melee attack. There's no way to even know if it would fire straight if he tried aiming it at someone and picking them off at a distance.