New British Sniping Record

[philw]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/afghanistan/article7113916.ece

A BRITISH Army sniper has set a new sharpshooting distance record by killing two Taliban machinegunners in Afghanistan from more than 1 miles away.

Craig Harrison, a member of the Household Cavalry, killed the insurgents with consecutive shots — even though they were 3,000ft beyond the most effective range of his rifle.

“The first round hit a machinegunner in the stomach and killed him outright,” said Harrison, a Corporal of Horse. “He went straight down and didn’t move.

“The second insurgent grabbed the weapon and turned as my second shot hit him in the side. He went down, too. They were both dead.”

The shooting — which took place while Harrison’s colleagues came under attack — was at such extreme range that the 8.59mm bullets took almost three seconds to reach their target after leaving the barrel of the rifle at almost three times the speed of sound.

The distance to Harrison’s two targets was measured by a GPS system at 8,120ft, or 1.54 miles. The previous record for a sniper kill is 7,972ft, set by a Canadian soldier who shot dead an Al-Qaeda gunman in March 2002.

In a remarkable tour of duty, Harrison cheated death a few weeks later when a Taliban bullet pierced his helmet but was deflected away from his skull. He later broke both arms when his army vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.

Harrison was sent back to the UK for treatment, but insisted on returning to the front line after making a full recovery.

“I was lucky that my physical fitness levels were very high before my arms were fractured and after six weeks in plaster I was still in pretty good shape,” he said. “It hasn’t affected my ability as a sniper.”

Harrison, from Gloucestershire, was reunited in Britain with his wife Tanya and daughter Dani, 16, last month. Recalling his shooting prowess in Helmand province, he said: “It was just unlucky for the Taliban that conditions were so good and we could see them so clearly.”

Harrison and his colleagues were in open-topped Jackal 4x4 vehicles providing cover for an Afghan national army patrol south of Musa Qala in November last year. When the Afghan soldiers and Harrison’s troop commander came under enemy fire, the sniper, whose vehicle was further back on a ridge, trained his sights on a Taliban compound in the distance. His L115A3 long-range rifle, the army’s most powerful sniper weapon, is designed to be effective at up to 4,921ft and supposedly capable of only “harassing fire” beyond that range.

“We saw two insurgents running through its courtyard, one in a black dishdasha, one in green,” he said. “They came forward carrying a PKM machinegun, set it up and opened fire on the commander’s wagon.

“Conditions were perfect, no wind, mild weather, clear visibility. I rested the bipod of my weapon on a compound wall and aimed for the gunner firing the machinegun.

“The driver of my Jackal, Trooper Cliff O’Farrell, spotted for me, providing all the information needed for the shot, which was at the extreme range of the weapon.”

Harrison killed one machinegunner with his first attempt and felled the other with his next shot. He then let off a final round to knock the enemy weapon out of action.

Harrison discovered that he had set a new record only on his return to UK barracks nine days ago. The previous record was held by Corporal Rob Furlong, of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, who was using a 12.7mm McMillan TAC-50 rifle.

Tom Irwin, a director of Accuracy International, the British manufacturer of the L115A3 rifle, said: “It is still fairly accurate beyond 4,921ft, but at that distance luck plays as much of a part as anything.”

News of Harrison’s success comes amid concern over a rival insurgent sharpshooter who in a five-month spree has killed up to seven British soldiers, including a sniper, in and around the Taliban stronghold of Sangin.

In a later incident during the tour, Harrison’s patrol vehicle was hit 36 times during a Taliban ambush. “One round hit my helmet behind the right ear and came out of the top,” he said. “Two more rounds went through the strap across my chest. We were all very, very lucky not to get hurt.”

[fightingquaker13]

I don't know whether this was posted before or not. It still bears repeating. The army in this country and most others has always had an uneasy relationship with snipers. "Too cold booded"! As though random death is better. This goes to once again prove that a good sniper is the equivelent of artillery support without the wait, fear of screwing up map coordinates on either end, and collateral damage. A Designated Marksman per platoon, with tricked out rifles, and two dedicated snipers (with appropriate weapons and spotters) per company could solve a lot of problems in our current theatres of operation. They're a lot cheaper than air support as well. Just sayin'.
FQ13

[billt]

"His L115A3 long-range rifle"

What caliber? .338 Lapua?  Bill T.

[fightingquaker13]

"His L115A3 long-range rifle"

What caliber? .338 Lapua?  Bill T.

I thought TW would beat you to it! $8 a round, but by God it works at a mile and a half!
FQ13 who would find a way to own one too if there were any ranges longer than 100 yards in these parts.

[philw]

I thought TW would beat you to it! $8 a round, but by God it works at a mile and a half!
FQ13 who would find a way to own one too if there were any ranges longer than 100 yards in these parts.

My club has a 300 Meter Range
 
looking at going to another club that is 600 Meters   ( bit of a Drive, over an hour, however it is with some of the blokes I shoot at my club)

and have a range I have not been to yet (and I realy should)  and they go out to 1300 meters for the long range stuff 

and that is a 30 Min drive       

however don't try and get a .338 lap here atm  there is a shit storm atm over that and a couple of others that has been happening for a wile

I will update you soon about that I have been meaning to for a while now

[Sponsor]

[fightingquaker13]

My club has a 300 Meter Range
 
looking at going to another club that is 600 Meters   ( bit of a Drive, over an hour, however it is with some of the blokes I shoot at my club)

and have a range I have not been to yet (and I realy should)  and they go out to 1300 meters for the long range stuff 

and that is a 30 Min drive       

however don't try and get a .338 lap here atm  there is a shit storm atm over that and a couple of others that has been happening for a wile

I will update you soon about that I have been meaning to for a while now

For once I am envious of you Phil! I would love a nice long range rifle, but around here it would be like buying a Ferrari to drive in city traffic. The best I can do is sight in at 25 and figure how it would translate to 250 and beyond. Even a mil dot is a waste of money as you'll never get to properly practice with it. Your gun laws may suck, but I envy you your wide open spaces. Hell, maybe I'll be the one claiming asylum and asking to crash on your couch.
Cheers
FQ13

[fullautovalmet76]

Thanks for the post, Phil. Here's a link to British army's web site on the rifle:

http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/support-weapons/1459.aspx

[tombogan03884]

"Crazy range" shooting is basically indirect fire like with artillery. Like machining it is more a function of mathematics and precision machined components than what we normally think of as "shooting".
These guys are not "Little sure shot's" like Annie Oakley, they are highly skilled operators of "long range projectile insertion systems".
Think of the difference between hack sawing some off your rifle barrel or turning it down on a lathe  3.250 inches  

[twyacht]

Aim Small, Miss Small,...



When you care enough, to send the very best....

[sledgemeister]

For once I am envious of you Phil! I would love a nice long range rifle, but around here it would be like buying a Ferrari to drive in city traffic. The best I can do is sight in at 25 and figure how it would translate to 250 and beyond. Even a mil dot is a waste of money as you'll never get to properly practice with it. Your gun laws may suck, but I envy you your wide open spaces. Hell, maybe I'll be the one claiming asylum and asking to crash on your couch.
Cheers
FQ13

I feel your pain, I am on the little island down under, any long range shooting would probably sink a fishing boat 
It seems after we pointed out the mainlanders geographic fo-pa and pointing out that we are actualy on top of the world  they stole all our land away......bastards