Once upon a time i was in that group.THEN I joined the military, now I know what it means to be in a high stress environment and what it does to fine motor skills. No I dont do that anymore but it sure does give you interesting stories. yes in low stress times it is possible to use one shot one bullet but in times of stress be aware ammo usage will go up
Having been in urban combat situations a number of times (which for me doesn't qualify as a low stress environment), I disagree. In the role of a Police or Military Sniper, it's always a one shot one kill mentality. Too many rounds give away your position, which counters your stealth advantage. As an assaulter in an urban environment, you have to maintain fire discipline if you care about friendly casualties and members of the public.
I imagine that your experiences have been within a foreign combat operations area. In a Wartime scenario, I can understand your point-of-view. For Survival purposes, if I need to go to war it will be one shot at a time... 🙂
None you improvise, one (or more) is luxury.
We all strive for that But a friend of mine who's listed as one of the top 5 military sniper may tend disagree it took 3 shots.Others engaged enemy combatants and caused blood trails but nothing confirmed. Once you start engagement at ranges over 1500 m it is a lot of calculations. a small gust of wind up close when supersonic may not matter but once trans and sub it makes a huge difference. When shooting in urban environments/ closer range its possible for your maxim to be true. Once range weather and open environment is figured in... At this point we are both correct as its never been stated where this engagement happens. Have a great day
it's generally Police policy to use a .308 up to 800 meters. For a target between 800 and 2000 meters the Barrett is the weapon of choice. When firing a light .50 you have to be extremely particular of the backstop. The range of this round (how far the bullet will go) is approximately 6000 meters. If you miss a shot at 2000 meters, you have a potentially deadly projectile moving past the target, perhaps for over 3 kilometers (or until it hits something). This may not be an issue in an environment like Afghanistan, but it's a huge risk within a Canadian city.
In all practicality. there's seldom a reason to fire a light .50 at anything other than a vehicle past about 1200 meters outside of a War environment. In the history of sniping, there have only been 13 confirmed kills beyond 1250 meters. These have all been accomplished in an active war zone; the majority accomplished with a light fifty.
If your friend made a kill past 1250 meters, it was in March 2002 and he used a light fifty. Rob and Arron made some incredible shots that day, but the bullshit they had to deal with from the CF was tragic! The Sniper world is a small one...
None you improvise, one (or more) is luxury.
You have that right.
Wayne,
In the history of sniping, there have only been 13 confirmed kills beyond 1250 meters.
Where do you get the number 13 from?
If hes talking to the guys I know the records are kept here and there. Ranging from Jim Gilliland to Mr. JTF2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_recorded_sniper_kills
I count 19 there. And I thought Cdn Mil. used McMillan TAC 50. Not the Barret M82 Light Fifty.
That is correct and its shown as that .
Wayne,
In the history of sniping, there have only been 13 confirmed kills beyond 1250 meters.
Where do you get the number 13 from?
I've read a number of books, reports and had various conversations during my years in the trade. I believe that this number is in the ballpark, although not all can be confirmed through my knowledge. The point I was trying to make was that kill shots beyond 1250 meters are not a normal occurrence. They are in-fact an exception. As has been pointed-out, there are many factors that affect accuracy including:
Air Temperature
Barrel Temperature
Ammunition Temperature
Shooter Temperature
Humidity
Elevation
Wind/Coriolis Effect
Light
Shooting Angle
Weather
Drag Coefficient
Bullet Velocity
Terminal Performance
In all modesty, I would have to say that in my prime, I was good at my job and have placed well in several international invitational tactical competitions. That said, even with a light 50 a kill shot on a human target over 1250 meters would involve a sizable quantity of luck. There's a world of difference between 1000 and 1250 meters and two-fold more between 1250 and 1500. Some of the above listed criteria can be measured. Others simply cannot.
One of the Combat Sniper's greatest skills is his ability to move close enough to the target, so as not to be seen. The key rule is to get close enough for a one shot kill. In most circumstances, you would not jeopardize the mission by shooting more than one shot on your target. After the first shot, you have alerted the target and possibly revealed your position. Snipers operate discretely in two man teams. Other operations involve the Sniper acting as oversight to cover forward tactical operations.
I count 19 there. And I thought Cdn Mil. used McMillan TAC 50. Not the Barret M82 Light Fifty.
The McMillan and the Barrett are both Light 50's. They utilize a 50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun) round. Snipers use a variety of Match loads and bullet weights/materials for different applications.
None you improvise, one (or more) is luxury.
Sounds like we need a thread on snipers/sniping.
I though this thread was on "how many thousands of rounds does a survivalist need" 😉
So when does a .50 bmg round become a light 50. I'm curious because I've only heard the Barrett M82 rifle called the Light 50 and that nickname was due to rifle weight, not caliber. Are you sure you were not confusing the Barrett with the Tac 50?
So when does a .50 bmg round become a light 50. I'm curious because I've only heard the Barrett M82 rifle called the Light 50 and that nickname was due to rifle weight, not caliber. Are you sure you were not confusing the Barrett with the Tac 50?
I can only provide you with my understanding. In the military the 50 Cal refers to the M1921 Browning Machine Gun (BMG), M2 Browning MG (BMG), M85 etc. that use the .50 BMG round. The various Sniper rifles that use the same round were called Light 50's to differentiate them from a heavy machine gun or 50 Cal. Set-up the 50 and set-up the Light 50 have two distinctly different outcomes...
Anyway, Snipers in the U.S. Army. SEALS, Marines, JTF, Canadian Forces, SAS, British Army and numerous national and international Police Departments that use Sniper Rifles utilizing the .50 BMG round refer to them as light 50's. Not everyone uses the Barrett.
None you improvise, one (or more) is luxury.
Sounds like we need a thread on snipers/sniping.
I though this thread was on "how many thousands of rounds does a survivalist need" 😉
Sorry, it ended-up going in a different direction didn't it. I'm bad... 🙁
None you improvise, one (or more) is luxury.
My apologies
I'm not disputing anyone!!! The thread on sniping is very interesting, might be worth starting its own thread so it can be easier found from the search function.
On a different note, Mrs HP said no to buying a .50... you know for when I would have to defend the house against robbers, hiding behind the fridge, in the neighbors' kitchen ;p