Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

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Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by mundaire » Thu Jun 22, 2017 7:22 pm

A mind boggling 3.5 Kilometer shot! :shock:

Source: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/po ... e35415651/
Canadian elite special forces sniper makes record-breaking kill shot in Iraq

Robert Fife
OTTAWA BUREAU CHIEF — The Globe and Mail (includes correction)
Published Wednesday, Jun. 21, 2017 8:00PM EDT
Last updated Thursday, Jun. 22, 2017 9:39AM EDT

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A sniper with Canada’s elite special forces in Iraq has shattered the world record for the longest confirmed kill shot in military history at a staggering distance of 3,540 metres.

Sources say a member of Joint Task Force 2 killed an Islamic State insurgent with a McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle while firing from a high-rise during an operation that took place within the last month in Iraq. It took under 10 seconds to hit the target.

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“The shot in question actually disrupted a Daesh [Islamic State] attack on Iraqi security forces,” said a military source, who stressed the operation fell within the strictures of the government’s advise and assist mission. “Instead of dropping a bomb that could potentially kill civilians in the area, it is a very precise application of force and because it was so far way, the bad guys didn’t have a clue what was happening.”

The kill was independently verified by video camera and other data, The Globe and Mail has learned.

“Hard data on this. It isn’t an opinion. It isn’t an approximation. There is a second location with eyes on with all the right equipment to capture exactly what the shot was,” another military source said.

A military insider told The Globe: “This is an incredible feat. It is a world record that might never be equalled.”

The world record was previously held by British sniper Craig Harrison, who shot a Taliban gunner with a 338 Lapua Magnum rifle from 2,475 metres away in 2009.

Previously, Canadian Corporal Rob Furlong had set the world record in 2002 at 2,430 metres when he gunned down an Afghan insurgent carrying an RPK machine gun during Operation Anaconda.

Weeks before, Canadian Master Cpl. Arron Perry briefly held the world’s best sniper record after he fatally shot an insurgent at 2,310 metres during the same operation. Both soldiers were members of the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

JTF2 special forces are primarily tasked with counterterrorism, sniper operations and hostage rescue. Much of the information about this elite organization is classified and not commented on by the government. The unit’s snipers and members of Canadian Special Operations Regiment, who are carrying out the main task of training Kurdish forces, have been operating in tough conditions in Iraq.

The Trudeau government pulled CF-18 fighter jets out of Iraq in 2016 but expanded the military mission, which will see the number of Canadian special forces trainers climb to 207 from 69 in an assist, train and advise mission. Canadian commandos are not supposed to be involved in direct combat, but are authorized to go up to the front lines on training missions with Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and to paint targets for coalition air strikes.

For operational security reasons, sources would not reveal the names of the elite Canadian sniper and his partner, nor the location where the action took place.

A sniper and his observer partner are often sent to remote and dangerous locations to hunt down insurgents while having to carry heavy equipment. Once they have located the target, snipers follow the same methodical approach before each shot. Breathe in, out, in, out, find a natural pause and then squeeze the trigger.

Canada has a reputation among Western military forces for the quality of its snipers, despite the small size of the Canadian Armed Forces compared to the United States and Britain.

“Canada has a world-class sniper system. It is not just a sniper. They work in pairs. There is an observer,” a military source said. “This is a skill set that only a very few people have.”

The skill of the JTF2 sniper in taking down an insurgent at 3,540 metres required math skills, great eyesight, precision of ammunition and firearms, and superb training.

“It is at the distance where you have to account not just for the ballistics of the round, which change over time and distance, you have to adjust for wind, and the wind would be swirling,” said a source with expertise in training Canadian special forces.

“You have to adjust for him firing from a higher location downward and as the round drops you have to account for that. And from that distance you actually have to account for the curvature of the Earth.”

U.S. Sergeant Bryan Kremer has the longest confirmed sniper kill shot by a U.S. soldier. He killed an Iraqi insurgent with his Barrett M82A1 rifle at 2,300 metres in 2004.

Editor's Note: The distance of the record-breaking shot is 3,540 metres, not 3,450 as reported in an earlier version of this story.
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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by Vikram » Thu Jun 22, 2017 8:12 pm

Unbelievable shot. Perhaps, once in a lifetime feat. That is not to take anything away from the man and the gun.

I ran the ballistics for the .50BMG 750gr bullet. The numbers will give a sense of the enormity of this astonishing feat.


The drop at 3500 yards is 600 feet! And the shooter was placed on a high-rise. The velocity by that point is sub-sonic @ 938 ft/sec and the energy is still a potent 1466 ft.lbs.
ballistic_trajectory_chart- .50 BMG at 3500 Yards.png
.50BMG Ballictics-1.jpg
.50BMG Ballictics-2.jpg
.50BMG Ballictics.jpg

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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by mundaire » Thu Jun 22, 2017 9:14 pm

@Vikram, Thank you for the numbers in black and white. It truly is an astonishing feat and you're right about it most likely being a once in a lifetime thing.

Even if it was a one off day with zero breeze, it isn't an easy feat by any standards.

Then again, humans never cease to go bigger/ better! :)

Cheers!
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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by Alab Arsalan » Thu Jun 22, 2017 11:20 pm

Can anybody see a human size target at 1km. pls stop believing this kind of bullshit, The 3,450-meter shot, which took about 10 seconds to reach its target, was independently verified by a video camera and other data, the source said. :roll:

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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by Vikram » Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:54 am

Alab Arsalan wrote:Can anybody see a human size target at 1km. pls stop believing this kind of bullshit, The 3,450-meter shot, which took about 10 seconds to reach its target, was independently verified by a video camera and other data, the source said. :roll:
Not with the naked eye but with rifle scopes. Top of the range Nightforce NSX scopes typically used on these sniper rifles offer 25x to 35x magnification. In simple terms, "an object would appear to be X times closer than it would with the naked eye". A 3500 yards target is seen as at 140 yards, 25X magnified. However, seeing is only one part of the entire exercise.

Also to consider:
Human-scale objects are resolvable as extended objects from a distance of just under 2 miles (3 km). For example, at that distance, we would just be able to make out two distinct headlights on a car.
https://www.livescience.com/33895-human-eye.html


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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by Hammerhead » Fri Jun 23, 2017 8:00 am

Alab Arsalan wrote:Can anybody see a human size target at 1km. pls stop believing this kind of bullshit, The 3,450-meter shot, which took about 10 seconds to reach its target, was independently verified by a video camera and other data, the source said. :roll:
You don't have to believe it sir but don't underestimate human capabilities.

Here is 86 years old guy put 3 shot under 6 inches at 1000 yards, just don't call it BS

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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by goodboy_mentor » Fri Jun 23, 2017 8:18 pm

The ballistics calculator says bullet drop at 3500 yards is 600 feet. It is being claimed target was at around 3500 meters. The bullet drop at 3500 meters will be more than 600 feet. Do the scopes of these type of rifles allow to be adjusted for such a high bullet drop?

The bullet took around 10 seconds to hit the target. Most probably the target must have remained almost static for 10 seconds. Target either must have been sitting or lying down somewhere. Very difficult to hit moving or walking targets at such distances.
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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by Alab Arsalan » Fri Jun 23, 2017 8:28 pm

just war propaganda against Taliban or ISIS. To shot in perfect condition is something but shooting in war condition is totally something else. and never conform by Canadian army! :!:

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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by Vikram » Fri Jun 23, 2017 11:33 pm

Alab Arsalan wrote:just war propaganda against Taliban or ISIS. To shot in perfect condition is something but shooting in war condition is totally something else. and never conform by Canadian army! :!:
While a healthy dose of scepticism is desirable, outright dismissal is not. It could be a hoax pulled off by the Globe and Mail and everyone else fell for it. Still, why is such a shot impossible? Extremely difficult with a lot of luck playing its role but why is it impossible? If the target was set in a position to carry out a task, would they not stay out at least for ten seconds?
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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by nitroex700 » Sat Jun 24, 2017 11:49 am

I have seen several videos of 4000+ yard shots with Cheytac rounds. Those rounds supposedly traverse the sonic barrier more seamlessly than other rounds. A 3550 yard shot with a 50 cal seems extremely difficult to me.. unless they've used some new ultra high BC ULD bullet design...

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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by essdee1972 » Sat Jun 24, 2017 4:25 pm

Good on the Canadians!!

Propaganda or not, if an IS / AQ / Talib was killed, even with the rifle muzzle touching the target, or with a knife, grenade, bare hands, it is laudable!
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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by kshitij » Sun Jun 25, 2017 12:09 am

essdee1972 wrote:Good on the Canadians!!

Propaganda or not, if an IS / AQ / Talib was killed, even with the rifle muzzle touching the target, or with a knife, grenade, bare hands, it is laudable!
This!!

Not to take anything away from the shot, it might be a once in a life time shot but that guy got it, put his round to good use. Hat tip to him :cheers:
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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by Alab Arsalan » Tue Jun 27, 2017 12:10 am

Feel sorry for my fellow Indian people :cry: Love to believe fake Story, :? Like To watch Fake Indian Films regardless of bad fake unbelievable story. Just Day Dreamer. :(

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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by Vikram » Tue Jun 27, 2017 12:54 am

Alab Arsalan wrote:Feel sorry for my fellow Indian people :cry: Love to believe fake Story, :? Like To watch Fake Indian Films regardless of bad fake unbelievable story. Just Day Dreamer. :(
All that is fine. You are not giving your specific reasons- in terms of ballistics and related info or any relevant reason. Would you like to explain why you think this is impossible?
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Re: Canadian sniper makes record-breaking 3,540m kill shot in Iraq

Post by nitroex700 » Tue Jun 27, 2017 11:31 am

Vikram wrote: All that is fine. You are not giving your specific reasons- in terms of ballistics and related info or any relevant reason. Would you like to explain why you think this is impossible?
I will do a new thread on its technicalities.. but pls realize that the 5-25x56 S&B PM-II scope on Canadian Tac50s has a 27.5 mil field of view at 5x. The shot will require a holdover of something like 87.5 mils even with best 50 cal ammo... 10s flight time, mirage, wind and the guy just not bending to tie his laces.. add to it the gigantic deflections due to coriolis and even spin drift.. all will come into play.....

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