Sniper Record

DMeix · Mar 7, 2007

My dad just emailed me this...Not sure of the exact source, but you can find the info through Google easily enough.

A record of 25 years standing, for the longest combat kill by a sniper, was broken during Operation Anaconda by a Canadian sniper from Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), using MacMillan long-range TAC-50 .50-calibre rifles. The record was set by Corporal Rob Furlong at a confirmed distance of 2,430 metres (1.51 miles). The target was a Taliban fighter armed with an RPK machine gun.

5 bucks to anyone who can beat that.

ChipAyten · Mar 7, 2007

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Furlong

Nice piece of shooting there

Zaphod · Mar 7, 2007

DMeix said:
5 bucks to anyone who can beat that.

They'd deserve a lot more than 5 bucks for a shot like that!

The Commissioner · Mar 7, 2007

I wonder how high he held over the target.

Zaphod · Mar 7, 2007

...and if he lead him as much! :shake:

USNA69 · Mar 7, 2007

First shot was a miss, second got him in the backpack, and third nailed him in the torso. Sounds like he might have been artillery trained.

America's Finest · Jun 18, 2009

It is the longest confirmed kill but as I've heard many times, there may have been many longer shots but the distance was so long nobody could "confirm" the kill (too far behind enemy lines, etc).

packermatt7 · Jun 18, 2009

That brings up a line from Shooter that I can't remember... love that movie.

TAC-50 is a pretty sweet weapon.

packermatt7 · Jun 18, 2009

Found it:

"That's because long shots generally go places you wouldn't want to go afterwards to confirm 'em. Confirmation does pose a problem. You know what it takes to make a shot a that range? Everything comes into play that far. Humidity, elevation, temperature, wind, spin drift. There's a six to ten second flight time so you have to shoot it where the target's going to be. Even the Coriolis effect, the spin of the Earth comes into play."
-Bob Lee Swagger

America's Finest · Jun 18, 2009

packermatt7 said:
That brings up a line from Shooter that I can't remember... love that movie.

TAC-50 is a pretty sweet weapon.

Watching that movie makes you wish you were a sniper...at least for a while. :biggrin:

bmorris244 · Jun 19, 2009

My brother (king of trivia) was telling me the other day about this guy in WWII who holds the record for most sniper kills or something (I may be wrong). Apparently he sat and shot Russian snipers, finding them by looking at the light reflecting off their scopes. He refused to use a scope for this reason. He took a shot to the head or something, lived, and died of old age. Wow.
Anyone know the name of this guy?

DMeix · Jun 19, 2009

Meh...you don't have to be a sniper to do that kind of shooting. On the High Power Rifle Team, we compete at ranges from 200 to 1000 yds, using iron sights. At 600 yds and beyond you can easily watch the bullet travel downrange when spotting.

The fast shooting that Combat Arms Team does is awesome and all, but there's nothing sweeter than seeing the target come up with a big X on the score ring a half-mile away.

Gonzo15 · Jun 19, 2009

bmorris244 said:
My brother (king of trivia) was telling me the other day about this guy in WWII who holds the record for most sniper kills or something (I may be wrong). Apparently he sat and shot Russian snipers, finding them by looking at the light reflecting off their scopes. He refused to use a scope for this reason. He took a shot to the head or something, lived, and died of old age. Wow.
Anyone know the name of this guy?

Simo Hayha

gbo3 · Jun 19, 2009

Don't forget Gunny Hathcock.
http://oldbluejacket.com/CarlosHathcock.htm

I had the rare and privileged opportunity to spend a day with him in the early 90's. We sat on the floor in the den of his Virginia Beach home and relived his days in Vietnam. The best part had to be when he slipped on a pair of giant green sunglasses, he was like a kid. But what a legend!

Later we headed to the local donut shop where he entertained the the waitresses. He never left home without his hat or jacket with his trademark white feather on both.

Though he wouldn't talk much about it then, he was loosing the fight with MS that would claim his life just a few years later.

For a civilian, let alone a photographer to be able to enter his world, I was extremely honored and remember every minute of our visit as if it were just yesterday.