A new long-range sniper record

The ranges at which enemies can be engaged with modern sniper rifles seem to get longer and longer as the technology improves. The previous record was held by a Canadian sniper, Corporal Rob Furlong, equipped with a McMillan Tac-50 rifle in caliber .50 BMG. In 2002 he hit a Taliban opponent in Afghanistan at the remarkable range of 2,430 meters (2,657½ yards, or 7,972½ feet) with his second shot.

Corporal Furlong's record has just been broken by a British sniper. The Times reports:

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 [.338-inch] 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 (2,707 yards, or 2,475 meters), 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.

. . .

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.

L115A3 Long Range Rifle (click image for a larger view)

“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.”

There's more at the link.

I'm particularly impressed with this feat of marksmanship because of the caliber used. The .338 Lapua Magnum is a much smaller and lighter round than the .50 BMG which has dominated ultra-long-range marksmanship up to now. It's designed specifically for long-range sniper work, but had been regarded by many US marksmen as simply not as good as the larger round for such tasks.

Cartridge size comparison, from left to right:
5.56x45mm. (.223 Remington) - standard US infantry M4/M16 round
.338 Lapua Magnum (as used in the British L115A3 Long Range Rifle)
.50 BMG (as used in US long-range sniper rifles such as those from Barrett or McMillan)

Corporal Harrison's achievement is likely to make many of them reconsider their options, particularly because rifles built for the smaller round are a lot lighter and less bulky than those made to absorb the recoil of the heavier .50 BMG round. This makes them much easier to carry for extended periods.

Congratulations to Corporal Harrison on his remarkable marksmanship.

Peter