The EXACTO Sniper Rifle Program

[StainlessSteelCynic]

I love the title, Soon Rifles That Kill From a Mile Away, I remember the safety warning on packets of .22LR bullets saying that the round can be dangerous for a distance of up to one mile...
The writer still slipped up somewhat, he says Cpl Furlong's first two shots missed but that's not correct. The first missed and the second hit the target's backpack and was thus prevented from killing him. The third shot was a killing hit

[Ramjam]

You are so correct Eddie.

I looked at the date on the article and swear we were still in April.

Where has the year gone?

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

I love the title, Soon Rifles That Kill From a Mile Away, I remember the safety warning on packets of .22LR bullets saying that the round can be dangerous for a distance of up to one mile...
The writer still slipped up somewhat, he says Cpl Furlong's first two shots missed but that's not correct. The first missed and the second hit the target's backpack and was thus prevented from killing him. The third shot was a killing hit

I've been reading about this for years and I still wonder why the "target" didn't get behind some serious cover after the first miss. My impression is that the terrain on which which this engagement took place was rocky and mountainous, with ample cover and concealment. Was it on a narrow trail on a steep mountainside or something? Anyone know the details?

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Raellus

I've been reading about this for years and I still wonder why the "target" didn't get behind some serious cover after the first miss. My impression is that the terrain on which which this engagement took place was rocky and mountainous, with ample cover and concealment. Was it on a narrow trail on a steep mountainside or something? Anyone know the details?

My guess would be that at the distance involved the target didn't hear the rifle being fired or see any muzzle flash so he probably didn't realise in time that he was being fired upon.

[Eddie]

Originally Posted by Targan

My guess would be that at the distance involved the target didn't hear the rifle being fired or see any muzzle flash so he probably didn't realise in time that he was being fired upon.

That .50 cal. round would have a hell of a crack though. Even at that range. He should have heard that.

Maybe the guy was deaf? ::shrug::

[Targan]

At what range does .50 cal become subsonic? I don't remember but I guess you are right.

[Spoe]

Originally Posted by Targan

At what range does .50 cal become subsonic? I don't remember but I guess you are right.

By the JBM ballistics calculator, for M33 (650 grains, .34 G7, .51" dia, 2800 ft/s at the muzzle, 10000 ft altitude) you're looking at about 2.1 km.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Targan

At what range does .50 cal become subsonic? I don't remember but I guess you are right.

Could be. But wouldn't he hear and/or feel the impact of at least the second miss (the one that hit his ruck)?

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Raellus

Could be. But wouldn't he hear and/or feel the impact of at least the second miss (the one that hit his ruck)?

Sure, but in the time that it took him to work out what that impact on his ruck might have been, further thought processes would have been severely disrupted by an acute case of death. I guess what I'm trying to say is, in hindsight it might seem strange that he didn't react but I suspect he was suffering from what psychologists nowdays refer to as "cognitive dissonance". In the absence of easy to recognise clues, no discernable targets in front of him, possibly no bang or crack or flash, his brain may not have had enough information to reach the correct conclusion about what was happening (at least not in time to react appropriately anyway).

Edit: And now that I think on it further, at what altitude did this engagement take place? The speed of sound is different at altitude compared to at sea level. Up in the mountains would the round still be travelling fast enough to break the sound barrier? Is the speed of sound higher or lower at higher altitudes? (Embarassing, I should know this off the top of my head but I've just finished a very tough day at work and my brain is completely fried).