That was definitely one hell of a good shot. Along the same lines, there was a Canadian sniper team in Afghanistan who apparently have the "world
record" kill shot (a rather distasteful though nonetheless damn impressive record to hold IMO), measured by laser rangerfinder to be 2,430 meters
(nearly 2.5 kilometers). This was achieved with a .50 Caliber McMillan bolt-action sniper rifle firing US-made ammunition. Apparently, the standard
.50cal ammo supplied by the Canadian government lacks the range to "reach out and touch someone" beyond 2300 meters, so the sniper teams buy their
bullets from the US of A instead.
The kill, one of more than 20 unofficially accredited to Canadian snipers during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan's Shah-i-Kot Valley, beat the
35-year-old record of 2,500 yards, or 2,250 metres, set by U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Hathcock in Duc Pho, South Vietnam.
Here is a link to the full article.
www.snipercountry.com...
Interestingly, the day before the 2,430 meter "world record" shot, another Canadian sniper team beat Gunny Hathcock's record as well, making a
confirmed kill from a range of 2310 meters. Shooting ACROSS a valley from an altitude of 8500 feet ASL, they engaged and killed a Taliban target that
was 500 feet higher up (9000 feet ASL) on the opposite cliff.
Also whenever you are talking about long-range sniping, a significant amount of credit has to go to the man behind the spotting scope as well, because
the relevant data that he feeds to or confirms for the shooter before the trigger is pulled (distance, windage, atmospheric pressure, slant range,
etc) is absolutely vital for scoring a "good kill" at that kind of range. There is certainly a degree of luck involved as well (good luck for the
shooter and bad luck for the target).
Cheers gang!
