Longest recorded sniper kills

Reports regarding the longest recorded sniper kill that contain information regarding the shooting distance and the identity of the sniper have been presented to the general public since 1967. Snipers in modern warfare have had a long history since the development of long distance weaponry. As weapons, ammunition, and aids to determine ballistic solutions improved, so too did the distance a kill could be targeted from. The modern methodology of long-distance sniping (over 1.25-kilometre (0.8 mi) shots) requires intense training and practice. A sniper must have the ability to accurately estimate the various factors that influence a bullet's trajectory and point of impact, such as range to the target, wind direction, wind velocity, air density and elevation of the sniper and target. Mistakes in estimation compound over distance and can cause a shot to only injure, or to miss completely.[1] Devices such as laser rangefinders, handheld meteorological measuring equipment, handheld computers, and ballistic-prediction software can contribute to increased accuracy.

Contents

History

The science of long-range sniping came to fruition in the Vietnam War. Carlos Hathcock held the record from 1967 to 2002 at 2,286 m (2,500 yd).[2] He recorded 93 official kills before an injury halted his service on the front lines.[3] After returning to the U.S., Hathcock helped to establish a school for training Marine snipers, the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School, at the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia.[4] It took over thirty years for Canadian Master Corporal Arron Perry of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry to beat Hathcock's record. Perry held the title for only a few days as another man in his unit (Corporal Rob Furlong) bested Perry's distance with a 2,430 m (2,657 yd) shot in March 2002. Furlong took the shot while supporting American soldiers during Operation Anaconda in the beginning years of the latest War in Afghanistan. The current record is held by United Kingdom's Corporal of Horse (CoH) Craig Harrison, who in November of 2009 recorded a 2,475 m (2,707 yd) shot in the War in Afghanistan.[5]

Confirmed kills 1,250 m (1,367 yd) or greater

Sniper Date Distance Weapon Ammunition Nationality Military Unit Conflict References
Corporal of Horse (CoH) Craig Harrison November 2009 2,475 m (2,707 yd) L115A3 Long Range Rifle .338 Lapua Magnum LockBase B408 bullets  United Kingdom Household Cavalry War in Afghanistan [5][6]

[7][8]
Corporal Rob Furlong March 2002 2,430 m (2,657 yd) McMillan Tac-50 Hornady A-MAX .50 (.50 BMG)  Canada 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry War in Afghanistan [9]
Master Corporal Arron Perry March 2002 2,310 m (2,526 yd) McMillan Tac-50 Hornady A-MAX .50 (.50 BMG)  Canada 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry War in Afghanistan [9]
Sgt. Brian Kremer March 2004 2,300 m (2,515 yd) Barrett M82A1 Raufoss NM140 MP (12.7 mm multi-purpose ammunition)  United States 2nd Ranger Battalion Iraq War [10]
Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock February 1967 2,090 m (2,286 yd) M2 Browning machine gun .50 BMG  United States United States Marine Corps Vietnam War [2]
Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle August 2008 2,100 yd (1,920 m) .338 Lapua Magnum  United States US Navy SEAL, Team3 Charlie Iraq War – Sadar City [11][12][13]
Corporal Christopher Reynolds August 2009 1,853 m (2,026 yd) Accuracy International L115A3 .338 Lapua Magnum LockBase B408 bullets  United Kingdom 3 Scots – The Black Watch War in Afghanistan [14]
Unknown Norwegian sniper [A 1] November 2007 1,380 m (1,509 yd) Barrett M82A1 Raufoss NM140 MP (12.7 mm multi-purpose ammunition)  Norway Norwegian Army 2nd Battalion War in Afghanistan [15]
Staff Sergeant Jim Gilliland [A 2] September 27, 2005 1,250 m (1,367 yd) M24 rifle 7.62x51mm NATO  United States 2nd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division Sniper Shadow Team Iraq War – Ramadi [16]
Notes
  1. ^ Longest confirmed kill using 12.7 mm multi-purpose ammunition
  2. ^ Longest confirmed kill with a 7.62x51mm NATO chambered rifle

See also


References

  1. ^ Plaster 1993
  2. ^ a b Henderson 2003, p. 181
  3. ^ Gaijinass (May 6, 2010). "The way of the Gun: USMC S/S". Gaijinass. http://gaijinass.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/1655/. Retrieved May 6, 2010. 
  4. ^ Henderson 2003, p. 283
  5. ^ a b Smith 2010
  6. ^ Chandler 2010
  7. ^ Alpert 2010
  8. ^ Drury 2010
  9. ^ a b Friscolanti, Michael (May 15, 2006). "We were abandoned". Maclean's. http://www.macleans.ca/canada/national/article.jsp?content=20060515_126689_126689. Retrieved May 3, 2010. 
  10. ^ Sheridan, Michael (May 03, 2010). "British sniper Craig Harrison (The Silent Assassin) breaks record, kills target from 1.5 miles away". Daily News. http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-05-03/news/27063420_1_afghan-soldiers-sniper-helmand-province. Retrieved May 3, 2010. 
  11. ^ Buiso, Gray (January 1, 2012). "Meet the big shot - SEAL is America’s deadliest sniper". http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/meet_the_big_shot_BxlVpxzQijkC9mwZcmwkrN?utm_source=SFnewyorkpost&utm_medium=SFnewyorkpost. Retrieved 2012-01-03. 
  12. ^ Zennie, Michael (2 January 2012). "255 confirmed kills: Meet Navy SEAL Chris Kyle... the deadliest sniper in US history". Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2081430/255-confirmed-kills-Meet-Navy-SEAL-Chris-Kyle--deadliest-sniper-US-history.html#ixzz1iRYSA4Of. Retrieved 2012-01-02. 
  13. ^ Sanchez, Raf (2 January 2012). "'The Devil of Rahmadi' named America's deadliest sniper". The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8990552/The-Devil-of-Rahmadi-named-Americas-deadliest-sniper.html. Retrieved 2012-01-02. 
  14. ^ Mail Foreign Service (August 15, 2009). "British sniper describes moment he shot Taliban commander... from TWO KILOMETRES away". The Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1206553/British-sniper-tells-moment-shot-Taliban-commander--TWO-KILOMETRES-away.html. Retrieved May 5, 2010. 
  15. ^ Johnsen 2008
  16. ^ Harnden 2006
  17. ^ Brownlie 2003, p. 63
  18. ^ Westwood 2005, p. 212
  19. ^ Fredriksen 2010, p. 306
  20. ^ http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=481

Bibliography