Accurate shot at long range distance like a clever trick — in the past, this shooting was the result of the phenomenal abilities of the shooter, and often by accident. Today is a combination of high technology and advanced methods of training. .ru has made a rating of the most distant sniper shots of all time.
In its ranking, we only took long shots made by military snipers in armed conflict. A record shot should be unique to its era and glorify the shooter. Set the record needs to stay on for quite a long time, or made the shot needs to break the record unbeatable for decades.
“From this distance they couldn’t hit an elephant”
The names of the first shooters, famous for the deep shots, remained in the history only thanks to their victims, a high — ranking military commanders. The first certified ultra-long shot belongs to the era of the Napoleonic wars — his victim was a French General, Baron Auguste de Colbert. In 1809 he was struck down by a Rifleman of the 95th British infantry division, a certain Thomas Plunkett — he’s in fifth position. It is believed that Plunkett killed Colbert, with incredible for the time of 600 metres. And to prove that the hit was not random, even with one shot he killed the General’s and adjutant — however, this is more of a legend. There are no exact data about how the weapons used by the British shooter. Some sources say that Plunkett shot from a standard smoothbore musket of the sample of 1722, the famous Brown Bess. But likely a long shot was fired from a rifled choke, which at that time appeared in the British army. By the way, the snipers of the British nineteenth century — the military, hunters, athletes have often used a rather unusual technique — they shot lying on his back, leaning the barrel on the Shin of the bent leg. It is believed that this poses to Plunkett and shot de Colbert.
Tom Plunkett
Image: The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum
“From this distance they couldn’t hit an elephant” — these were the last words of the American General John Sedgwich — a second later he fell from a sniper’s bullet. This is a Civil war in the USA 1861-1865. In the battle of Spotsylvania when it’s to be fought on the US side, ruled by artillery fire. Hands of the confederates, seeing the enemy General, began hunting for him, staff officers lay down, and invited his commander to take cover. The position of the opponents separated distance of about one kilometer. It’s to be it, considering it a safe distance, began to blame his subordinates for timidity, but did not finish — bullet is an unknown Sergeant Grace hit him in the head. This is probably the most long shot of the nineteenth century, though we cannot say, was it an accident or not. This is the fourth position of the ranking.
Description for long range shooting — at a distance of a mile — also found in Chronicles of the war of independence and Civil war in the United States. Among the North American militia were a lot of good hunters, and as weapons they used long-barreled large-caliber hunting rifle and fittings.
Carlos “White feather”
The first half of the twentieth century did not bring a deadly new records, at least those that have become part of history and glorified the shooter. During the First and Second world wars, the skill of the snipers was determined not by the ability to make long-distance shot, and the number of enemies killed. It is known that one of the most successful snipers of all time — Finn Simo Hayha (on account of his to 705 slain enemy soldiers) — he preferred to shoot from a distance of no more than 400 meters.
Carlos Hathcock
Photo: thebrigade.com
New records range had weapons significantly superior to the characteristics of regular sniper rifles. This weapon was Browning machine gun M2 caliber 12,7х99 mm (50 BMG), developed in the early 30-ies of the last century. During the Korean war, American soldiers began to use it as a sniper rifle, a machine gun equipped with a telescopic sight and could fire at will. With the help of the party of the Vietnam war, an American Sergeant Carlos Hathcock (Carlos Norman Hathcock II) set a distance record that held for 35 years. In February 1967, the Americans destroyed the enemy from a distance of 2286 meters in the third position. From your sniper M2 Hathcock single shots are guaranteed to be impressed with the growth target at a distance of 2000 yards (a little more than 1,800 meters), approximately twice in comparison with the regular army “vysokochetkoe” M24 in calibers .308 Win (7,62×51 mm), and 300 Win Mag (7,62х67 millimeters).
The Vietnamese called Hadaka “White feather,” he alleged, despite the requirements of masking, always fastened to hat feather. Some sources claim that the command of North Vietnam appointed by the head of the sniper award in 30 thousand dollars. It is noteworthy that its highest award — a Silver star — Hathcock not received for a sniper shooting and for saving comrades from a burning armored personnel carrier.
Rifle McMillan TAC-50
Photo: militaryfactory.com
Encouraged by the success Hatkoti, the U.S. military has established a special Commission, which studied the possibility of creating a heavy sniper rifle based on Browning.
Rifle from the garage
Rifles machine gun the Americans never did. But in 1982, a former police officer Ronnie Barrett (Ronnie G. Barrett) in a garage workshop constructed a sniper rifle in 12.7 mm, later, she received the designation of the Barrett M82. The inventor suggested his invention of the monsters arms market, such as Winchester and FN, and after the refusal of the latter have established their own small-scale production, registering the Barrett Firearms company. The first clients of Barrett were the hunters and civilian fans of precision firing, and in the late 80s, a batch of 100 M82A1 rifles purchased troops of Sweden, after the Swedish rifle Barrett became interested in the American military. Today, the word “Barrett” has actually become synonymous with heavy precision rifle.
Ronnie Barrett
Photo: americanrifleman.org
Another vysokochetkoe” 12 gauge 7х99 millimeters began producing in the mid-80s, a small American company McMillan Bros. Rifle received the name of McMillan TAC-50 — now use special units of the U.S. and Canada.
The full advantages of large-caliber precision weapons opened up in Iraq and Afghanistan. With the outbreak of hostilities in the middle East, the snipers of the Western coalition began to update the records range almost every year. In 2002 in Afghanistan, the canadian arrone Perry (Arron Perry) from the rifle McMillan TAC-50 was struck by the Mujahideen from a distance of 2526 yards (a little more than 2.3 thousand meters), thus breaking the longstanding record Hadaka. In the same year his compatriot Rob Furlong Rob Furlong) made a successful shot at 2657 yards (just over 2.4 thousand meters). These two shots in the second position.
To shooters from Canada crept close American sniper Brian Kremer Brian Kremer) — in March of 2004 in Iraq with a rifle Barrett M82A1 he struck the target at a distance of 2300 meters. It is believed that over two years of service in Iraq Kremer made two successful shots with a range of more than 2,100 meters.
Craig Harrison
Photo: @ GunAdvocate
In the first place — unmatched to date record of British Craig Harrison (Craig Harrison). During operations in Afghanistan in November 2009 at a distance of 2470 metres he destroyed two Taliban machine gunners and their machine guns. In recognition of the Craig, in front of three successful shots he had to make nine more sighting.
