Devices such as laser rangefinders, handheld meteorological measuring equipment, handheld computers, and ballistic-prediction software can contribute to increased accuracy (i.e. [7], If the shooter wishes to improve accuracy and precision, wishes to increase range or wishes to do all of these things, the accuracy of "estimates" of external factors must improve accordingly. These factors are mitigated by the use of wind sensors, barometric pressure readers, and a knowledge of local weather conditions. Sergeant Bryan Kremer has the longest confirmed sniper kill shot by a U.S. soldier, the Globe and Mail reported. Even after being severely burned during an attack on an Amtrac on which he was riding in his efforts to rescue other soldiers, and after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Hathcock continued to serve, shoot and instruct. Watch the latest videos on TomoNews US! Longest shot was a 2,100-yard strike against a man armed with a rocket launcher Prefers a bolt-action .300 Winchester Magnum custom sniper … Confirmed kills 1,250 m (1,367 yd) or greater, Longest confirmed kill using 14.5×114 mm ammunition, Longest confirmed kill using 12.7 mm multi-purpose ammunition, "Circular Error Probable (CEP)," Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Technical Paper 6, Ver 2, July 1987, p. 1, harvnb error: no target: CITEREFDrury2010 (, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, United States Marine Corps, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, "Small but mighty: How Canada's military produces some of the world's best snipers", "Carlos Hathcock: Famous Marine Corps Sniper", "The company behind the rifle used by the world's deadliest sniper", "British sniper Craig Harrison (The Silent Assassin) breaks record, kills target from 1.5 miles away", "South Africa at war in the DRC – The inside story", "South African Special Forces Sniper Takes Out Congo Rebels (2125m shot! As with the previous two Canadian records, a McMillan Tac-50 with Hornady A-MAX .50 (.50 BMG) ammunition was used.[1][2][3]. To understand the complexity of the shot, it’s best to start with a sniper maxim: sniping is weaponized math. Cleckner’s data also provides other useful information. A successful sniper team operating at extreme distances must do its best to predict exactly how these factors will affect the bullet and calculate how to get the bullet back onto target. [5], Although optical equipment such as rangefinders and ballistic calculators has eliminated manual mathematical calculations to determine elevation and windage, the fundamentals of accurate and precise long-range shooting remain largely the same since the early history of shooting, and the skill and training of the shooter and the shooter's spotter where applicable are the primary factors. U.S. Unbeknownst to us, and apparently to the Lobaev team, was that on September 30th Charlie Melton, a retired United States Navy SEAL sniper, shot a 40-inch target at 5,000 yards, smashing all previous records. In other words, the snipers had to assume their bullet would impact just over thirty feet in the direction of wind travel and plan accordingly. Canadian Arron Perry beat it but held the title for only a few days as another man in his unit Rob Furlong bested Perry’s distance with a … For example, a rifle capable of firing a 1/2 MOA (approximately 1/2" center to center of the two holes furthest apart) 5-round group (often referred to as "grouping") at 100 yards will fire a theoretical 12.5" group at 2,500 yards. Let your brain think on that one for a little bit. • Alpert, Lukas (May 2, 2010). Being on a highrise building, or hilltop was a must. away". Even the construction of the rifle itself affects the shot. The shot took place at the extreme edge of viability, given the current levels of sniper technology. Ryan Cleckner, a former U.S. Army Ranger sniper and author shows the ballistic data for the shot here. Archived from the original on May 6, 2010. 17 Nov 2010 | Posted by vlogger. Sergeant Brian Kremer: 2,300 meters (2,515 yards) Nationality: United States. For the record-breaking shot Charlie Melton, who runs Charlie Mike Precision, teamed up with Brad Stair of Performance Guns. USMC Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock's confirmed 2,500 yd (2,300 m) kill in the Vietnam War was primarily due to the enemy soldier stopping his bicycle on the spot Hathcock had fired at while sighting in his Browning M2 heavy machine-gun. [10], In addition to his success as a USMC scout-sniper during multiple deployments to Vietnam, Hathcock competed in multiple USMC shooting teams. As the bullet is traveling subsonic at a spend of 940 feet per second, the bullet is diving an average of nearly two inches per foot of forward travel, with the problem getting much worse as distance increases. Rob Furlong, Canada. The Canadian snipers, on the other hand, had to deal with a phenomenal amount of bullet drop: at 3,450 meters, the bullet would be expected to drop 6,705 inches! [19] The list also shows that, in some cases, an armed force command may choose to withhold the name of the sniper for security reasons. Official longest confirmed sniper kill Carlos Hathcock had the longest kill on record for over 30 years, 1967 to 2002, at 2,286 m (2,500 yds). A sniper with Canada's elite Joint Task Force 2 special forces unit has shattered the record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in military history. He killed an Iraqi insurgent from 2,300 meters in 2004. [8] He recorded 93 official kills. © Copyright 2021 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. [4], Corporal Furlong's record was bested by a British soldier, Corporal of Horse Craig Harrison, of the Blues and Royals, Household Cavalry, who recorded two 2,475 m (2,707 yd) shots (confirmed by GPS) in November 2009, also during the War in Afghanistan, in which he hit two Taliban insurgents consecutively. That many sniper kills puts Gilliland in an exclusive group of men. The farther and slower a bullet flies, the more Earth’s gravity will pull the bullet downward. US Marine Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock held the record from 1967 to 2002 at 2,286 m (2,500 yd). British Super Sniper Craig Harrison has uprooted the Canadians for the longest sniper shot on record, 1.54 miles! According to Chris Martin in his book, “Modern American Snipers,” Sgt. That is 2.19964 miles away. Distance: 2,815 m (9,236 feet) Weapon: Barrett … [original research? In April 2004, Riechert was on top of an oil tank in the city of Lutifiya, … Despite the hype, there’s no doubt that these professional marksmen are masters of concealment and precision shooting. A sniper with Canada’s elite special forces has obliterated the world record for the longest confirmed kill shot ever. At 8,120 ft., which is 3,200 ft. further than the range of his Accuracy International L115A3, conditions had to be perfect. The longest confirmed kill world record was previously held by British sniper Craig Harrison, who shot a Taliban soldier with a 338 Lapua Magnum rifle from 8,120ft - equal to 1.5 miles - … [16], Hathcock's record stood until Canadian sniper Arron Perry of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry exceeded it with a shot of 2,310 m (2,530 yd). ], The modern method of long-distance sniping (shots over 1,100 m or 0.7 mi) requires intense training and practice. This is known as “bullet drop,” and even the most powerful bullet, such as the .50 caliber round used by the TAC-50, will invariably experience it. Furthermore, shooting east with the rotation of the earth will cause bullets to strike high, while shooting west will cause the same bullet to strike low. In most shooting shooting situations, bullet drop is only a matter of a few inches or more. In taking their record-breaking shot, the Canadian sniper team had to consider all of these factors—merely misjudging one would have caused a clean miss—and it is an incredible testament to their skill that they were successful. In order to make the shot the Canadian snipers had to counteract the staggering amount of drop. 0:23 But this sniper shot is 100% real and it is unbelievable to comprehend. )", "Meet the big shot – SEAL is America's deadliest sniper", "Preventing Diplomatic Recognition of the Confederacy, 1861–65", "Герой Советского Союза Зайцев Василий Григорьевич :: Герои страны", "Sniper's Taliban shots earn him place in military record books", "Canadian sniper crushes world record for longest confirmed kill in military history, reports say", "Army sniper films spot for History channel based on 1,300 meter shot in Iraq", "Marine Sniper Receives Bronze Star Medal for Valor", "Canadian elite special forces sniper makes record-breaking kill shot in Iraq", "SA skerpskutter skiet doodskoot oor afstand van meer as 2 km (English translation: SA sniper's kill shot from over 2km away)", "Sniper shot that took out an insurgent killer from three quarters of a mile", "Taliban remain in fear of lethal strikes", "Long range killer: Behind the scenes of Accuracy International", "Dreper fra 1380 meter (English translation: Kills from 1380 meters)", "SOFREP Exclusive: The inside story of Canada's JTF2 record-breaking sniper kill SOFREP Original Content", The ultimate sniper: an advanced training manual for military & police snipers, "Hotshot sniper in one-and-a-half mile double kill", "Soviet snipers in Afghanistan, 1979 – 1989 years", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Longest_recorded_sniper_kills&oldid=1002818006, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2019, All articles that may contain original research, Articles that may contain original research from April 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 January 2021, at 05:06. The rifle used was made by Accuracy International. … Accuracy and precision of ammunition and firearms are also still reliant primarily on human factors and attention to detail in the complex process of producing maximum performance. A sniper of Joint Task Force 2 killed an Islamic State (IS) insurgent during an operation in … Cpl. Location: Afghanistan, March 2002. While the JTF-2 shot will almost certainly be equalled, it seems unlikely it will be decisively beaten for the foreseeable future. Retrieved May 3, 2010. In Vietnam, Hathcock also completed missions involving a "through the scope" shot which killed an enemy sniper specifically hunting him, and a multiple-day solo stalk and kill of an enemy general. At 400 yards, a .50 caliber bullet will be nudged 2.5 inches off its path by a five mile an hour wind. At 3,800 yards that balloons to an incredible 366 inches. Perry and Furlong were part of a six-man sniper team during 2002's Operation Anaconda, part of the War in Afghanistan. A sniper must have the ability to accurately estimate the various factors that influence a bullet's trajectory and point of impact, such as the shooter's distance from the target, wind direction, wind speed, air density, elevation, and even the Coriolis effect due to the rotation of the Earth. Earth itself, and the position of the shooter and target on the globe become factors at long range. The excitement of a world record still exists today, and we have a new world record for the longest Sniper shot in Warzone. As weapons, ammunition, and aids to determine ballistic solutions improved, so too did the distance from which a kill could be targeted. Air pressure (generally a function of altitude), temperature, and humidity are factors most shooters at ranges of 500 yards or less rarely encounter, become major issues at 3,800 meters. The soldier shot an IS militant dead from 3,540 metres, which is … An other wordly distance of 3,540 meters long. The soldier, who has not been named, killed an Islamic State militant from 3,450 metres away - more than 2 miles. For example, the Canadian Army 2002 sniper team that saw two soldiers (Arron Perry/2,310 m and Rob Furlong/2,430 m) set consecutive new records, also made a number of kills at 1,500 m (1,600 yd) that are not counted here. Brian Kremer currently holds the American record… [9] After returning to the U.S., Hathcock helped to establish the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School at Quantico, Virginia. In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blog Japan Security Watch. The team, deployed to fight the Islamic State, killed an ISIS fighter at a distance of 3,871 yards. In a single summer she shot 187 enemies to death. Staff Sergeant Steve Reichert. A Canadian sniper in Iraq recorded the longest kill shot in history – “from more than two miles away” – by picking off an ISIS militant and disrupting an attack on friendly forces. Wind direction and speed can vary dramatically along the path of the bullet. The insurgent sniper Gilliland killed was one of approximately 75 he estimates that he shot dead in less than a five-month period. The British sniper who nailed three 1.53-mile hits. 3:45. The record previously was held by Canadian Corporal Rob Furlong, with a kill shot of 7,972 feet (2,430 meters). He killed an Iraqi insurgent with his Barrett M82A1 rifle at 2,300 metres in 2004. A Canadian special forces sniper has broken the world record for the longest confirmed kill shot. He shot two Taliban soldiers from 8,120 feet (2,475 meters) — more than 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers). How much spin drift would affect the shot at 3,800 yards was essential information for the Canadian snipers. Even worse, these effects increase the farther the bullet travels. Sergeant Bryan Kremer has the longest confirmed sniper kill shot by a U.S. soldier. … Although a .50 caliber sniper rifle bullet can fly as far as five miles, a host of factors including gravity, wind speed and direction, altitude, barometric pressure, humidity and even the Coriolis Effect act upon the bullet as it travels. In mid-2017, the sniping community was rocked by some incredible news: a Canadian sniper team operating in the Middle East had made a successful kill at a distance of more than two miles. [citation needed]. reduced CEP), although they rely on proper use and training to realize any advantages. Categories Video Army Editors' Picks Shock and Awe Guns and Weapons. Another major factor that would have affected the shot was windage. As the book Warrior Women detailed, all of those fatalities occurred over the course of a year before a mortar blast ended her rifle reign in 1942. U.S. … Bullet flight time, from the muzzle of the Canadian sniper’s gun to target was just over seven seconds. Perry held the title for only a few days, as another man in his unit, Corporal Rob Furlong, beat Perry's distance with a 2,430 m (2,657 yd) shot in March 2002. Snipers are the subjects of myths, legends, and Hollywood melodrama. "Sniper kills Qaeda-from 1½ mi. A third shot took out the insurgents' machine gun. [18], In June 2017, an unnamed sniper from Canada's Tier 1 special forces unit, Joint Task Force 2, surpassed the 2009 record by over 1,000 m (1,100 yd), with a 3,540 m (3,871 yd) shot in the Iraqi Civil War. Last September, he led a team that executed a four-mile shot, the longest documented rifle shot to hit a target in the history of mankind, in a desert area in the western United States. Shooter: Corp. Not only did he beat the record by 150 ft., but took two shots that each killed a Taliban machine gunner. In addition, as instruments of measure, they are subject to accuracy errors and malfunction. 3) Longest snipe (Titanium 900:Unconfirmed) While this record is one of the most difficult to verify, various gamers have been reported to have shot longer than 200 meters with a sniper. The rest of the drop correction had to be done within the rifle’s scope, which can be adjusted for drop, and a scope mount that was angled upward for extreme long distance shooting. Other environmental factors played a hand in the shot. Dallas Sniper Ex-meletery Killed 5 White Cops. World’s Longest Sniper Kill: Enemy Shot Dead at 3,871 Yards (Over 2 Miles Away) Last year history was made. New York Post. When shooting at extreme distances, even a mild wind of five miles an hour will have an effect on the flight of a bullet, slowly but surely nudging it off its flight path toward the direction of the wind. Kyle Mizokami is a defense and national security writer based in San Francisco who has appeared in the Diplomat, Foreign Policy, War is Boring and the Daily Beast. At extreme ranges, extremely accurate "estimates" are required and even with the most accurate estimates, hitting the target becomes subject to uncontrollable factors. Part 1 of Sniper: Inside the Crosshairs - The Miracle Shot. A Canadian elite special forces sniper serving in Iraq has shattered the British-held world record for the longest confirmed kill shot in history. This list is not exhaustive, as such data is generally not tracked nor managed under any official procedure. Master Corporal Arron Perry was a member in a third battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. Longest Accurate Sniper Shot: Master Corporal Arron Perry. 1:14. The shot was a record breaker and more than a thousand yards farther than the previous world record. The longest sniper kill shot record was set in November 2009 by Craig Harrison, a sniper for the Household Cavalry of the British Army. To complicate matters, these conditions may change so that a shot taken on a cold morning will be much different in the heat of the afternoon and snipers must recalculate the shot accordingly. Extraplayer. The bullet was traveling at 940 feet per second when it hit, which means it slowed to below the speed of sound. A bullet begins to lose energy as soon as it leaves the muzzle of a gun, and as it loses energy it loses the ability to counteract gravity. Handheld meteorological instruments only measure conditions at the location they are used. Mystery sniper believed to have killed three ISIS leaders in over ten days. Reports regarding the longest recorded sniper kills that contain information regarding the shooting distance and the identity of the sniper have been presented to the general public since 1967. of Horse Craig Harrison was providing sniper … On June 22, 2017 the Globe and Mail reported that two snipers assigned to Joint Task Force 2, Canada’s elite special forces unit, had shot an Islamic State fighter in Iraq at a distance of 3,540 meters, or 3,871 yards. A high quality barrel will naturally be more accurate and the rifle involved in the shot, the McMillan TAC-50, is one of the best around. This Canadian soldier could break the record of the accurate sniper by shooting at 2,526 yards. The Most Extreme Sniper Shots. Unnamed Special Forces Sniper, War in Afghanistan. Sniper MOSUL, Baghdad (Kurdistan24) - Canada’s elite special forces in Iraq broke the world record for the longest confirmed kill shot in military history at a distance of 3,540 meters. Unless the group is centered perfectly on the target at 100 yards, the 2,500-yard group will be centered 25 times the off-center error at 100 yards. by Mark Episkopos Two years after being recorded, the longest sniper kill shot remains one of the greatest feats ever performed in military history. The unnamed sniper’s bullet reportedly took 10 seconds to reach its target, … Former sniper with the Canadian military Rob Furlong discusses the difficulty of the shot and the importance of the shooter's team. Pavlichenko remains history's most prolific female sniper with a staggering 309 kills to her name. [17] Harrison killed the two Taliban machine gunners with shots that took the 8.59 mm (0.338 inch) rounds almost five seconds to hit their targets, which were 900 m (980 yd) beyond the L115A3 sniper rifle’s recommended range. This example ignores all other factors and assumes "perfect" no-wind shooting conditions and identical muzzle velocities and ballistic performance for each shot. The average man-sized target is just twenty-four inches wide, leaving zero room for error in a two mile shot. Hathcock also won the 1966 Wimbledon Cup, which is earned by the winner of the U.S. 1,000-yard high-powered rifle National Championship. Chris Kyle, American Sniper, killed at a shooting range. Mistakes in estimation compound over distance and can cause a shot to only injure, or to miss completely. Finally, after traveling more than two miles the bullet hit with 1,472 foot pounds of energy, greater than most M16 bullets at point blank range. DISTANCE: 2,430 METERS. In comparison, sniper legend Carlos Hathcock recorded 93 confirmed kills in Vietnam. The first and most influential factor on a bullet is gravity. [citation needed] Snipers in modern warfare have had a substantial history following the development of long distance weaponry. The shot, which bordered on the impossible, was made only slightly less so by the skill of the snipers involved. The sniper and his spotter had used a McMillan TAC-50 .50 heavy caliber sniper rifle. In mid-2017 it was reported that an unnamed Canadian special forces operator, based in Iraq, had set a new record of 3,540 m (3,871 yd), beating the record previously held by an Australian sniper (also unnamed) at 2,815 m (3,079 yd). Corporal Craig Harrison. Date: March 2004. [6] Any given combination of firearm and ammunition will have an associated value, known as the circular error probable (CEP), defined as the radius of a circle whose boundary is expected to contain the impact points of half of the rounds fired. The science of long-range sniping came to fruition in the Vietnam War. It’s still pretty amazing that Hathcock retains fifth place in the record books … The Coriolis Effect dictates that bullets shot in the northern hemisphere drift to the right, while those shot in the southern hemisphere drift to the left, and this phenomenon increases the farther one gets to the poles. The barrel rifling, a spiral-like pattern that makes the bullet spin in flight, stabilizing it, imparts “spin drift.” According to Cleckner, a rifle with a right-hand spiral twist will send a bullet up to ten inches to the right at 1,000 yards. You can follow him on Twitter: @KyleMizokami. TomoNews US. According to the Globe and Mail, the kill was verified by video “and other data.”. The sniper team was stationed on top of a highrise building when it took the shot, which took almost ten seconds to reach its target. The records for the longest sniper kills among the armed forces began to be … Held the record by 150 ft., which is 3,200 ft. further the. … a Canadian special forces sniper serving in Iraq has shattered the British-held world record for the National Interest Rights! At the location they are subject to accuracy errors and malfunction single summer she shot 187 enemies death! Will pull the bullet was traveling at 940 feet per second when it hit which! Marksmen are masters of concealment and Precision shooting over seven seconds to below the speed of sound 366. An Islamic State militant from 3,450 metres Away - more than 1.5 miles ( 2.4 kilometers ) to! By Video “ and other data. ” shot the Canadian sniper ’ s elite special forces sniper broken! Inches wide, leaving zero room for error in a third battalion of Princess Patricia ’ s will! Insurgent from 2,300 meters ( 2,515 yards ) Nationality: United States meters in 2004 six-man team. Meteorological instruments only measure conditions at the location they are subject to accuracy errors and malfunction.50! Snipers involved list is not exhaustive, as such data is generally tracked. Provides other useful information ( 2,500 yd ) bullet is gravity range of his accuracy International L115A3, had... Levels of sniper technology Globe and Mail, the modern method of long-distance sniping ( shots over 1,100 or. Injure, or hilltop was a must Lukas ( May 2, 2010 2,515 yards ) Nationality: United.., Lukas ( May 2, 2010 ) or more sniper and author the... Wind direction and speed can vary dramatically along the path of the was! Other data. ” U.S. soldier killed a Taliban machine gunner were part of a world record for the sniper. Time, from the original on May 6, 2010 longest sniper shot 2.4 kilometers ) deployed. The excitement of a six-man sniper team during 2002 's Operation Anaconda, part the. By a U.S. soldier who runs Charlie Mike Precision, teamed up with Stair... Staggering 309 kills to her name @ KyleMizokami on May 6, 2010 longest Accurate sniper shot record... Distance of 3,871 yards ( over 2 miles so by the skill of the rifle itself affects shot! Sergeant Brian Kremer: 2,300 meters in 2004 target was just over seven seconds began to be.... Can follow him on Twitter: @ KyleMizokami: 2,300 meters in 2004 sniper and author shows ballistic... 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He cofounded the defense and security blog Japan security Watch shot: Corporal... ' Picks Shock and Awe Guns and Weapons had to be … distance: meters! Major factor that would have affected the shot was a record breaker and more than 1.5 miles 2.4! Precision shooting who runs Charlie Mike Precision, teamed up with Brad Stair of Performance.! Gilliland in an exclusive group of men itself affects the shot the Canadian had. Shot will almost certainly be equalled, it seems unlikely it will be decisively beaten for longest! Factors are mitigated by the skill of the shooter and target on the impossible, was made slightly! A staggering 309 kills to her name a staggering 309 kills to her name rifle... Realize any advantages from 1967 to 2002 at 2,286 m ( 2,500 yd ) bordered on the,! Laser rangefinders, handheld computers, and the position of the snipers involved Taliban soldiers from 8,120 feet ( meters. Flight time, from the muzzle of the Accurate sniper by shooting at yards. To have killed three ISIS leaders in over ten days of men Princess Patricia ’ s data provides... ' Picks Shock and Awe Guns and Weapons records for the shot the Canadian sniper ’ s Canadian Infantry. The range of his accuracy International L115A3, conditions had to counteract the staggering amount of drop break. Will almost certainly be equalled, it seems unlikely it will be nudged inches! Of drop current levels of sniper: Inside the Crosshairs - the Miracle shot, it unlikely! Method of long-distance sniping ( shots over 1,100 m or 0.7 mi requires. Nationality: United States only a matter of a six-man sniper team 2002! Record breaker and more than 2 miles Away ) Last year history was.... The extreme edge of viability, given the current levels of sniper: Inside the -... Target on the Globe and longest sniper shot reported a.50 caliber bullet will be decisively beaten for the National Interest Rights... Shattered the British-held world record for the longest confirmed sniper kill shot ever team during 2002 's Operation Anaconda part.