[Gay State Conservative]

The only experience I have here is having scored two or three point below "Expert" in BCT almost 50 years ago.That was pretty amazing because before my arrival at Fort Knox I had never even *seen* a firearm,let alone fired one.

It seems to me that unless a bullet is somehow laser guided or GPS guided (like most long rage missiles are) hitting a person at any more than a 100-150 yards is as much luck as anything else.

[PreciousLiberty]

“It seems to me that unless a bullet is somehow laser guided or GPS guided (like most long rage missiles are) hitting a person at any more than a 100-150 yards is as much luck as anything else.”

You’re beyond misinformed. Sniper kills have been made at over 2400 yards, with zero luck involved. A hunter with a decent modern rifle can routinely make shots at 400+ yards.

[Svartalfiar]

The only experience I have here is having scored two or three point below "Expert" in BCT almost 50 years ago.That was pretty amazing because before my arrival at Fort Knox I had never even *seen* a firearm,let alone fired one.

It seems to me that unless a bullet is somehow laser guided or GPS guided (like most long rage missiles are) hitting a person at any more than a 100-150 yards is as much luck as anything else.

Um, you do realize that your ranges at Knox included targets at 300m? That you were likely shooting with iron sights? 300m is about the same as 300yd. Unless you meant to say 1000-1500 yards?

[schurmann]

“...It seems to me that unless a bullet is somehow laser guided or GPS guided (like most long rage missiles are) hitting a person at any more than a 100-150 yards is as much luck as anything else.”

Gay State Conservative has the timeline mixed up, and really ought to brush up on system details before dismissing long range rifle fire.

Ballistic missiles (ICBM, SLBM) use inertial guidance: a deliberate choice, to avoid interference from the enemy.

Terminal homing munitions (aka “laser guided bombs”) were first used in action by USAF, in Southeast Asia in the late 1960s. They depend on good weather, and a designator aircraft (or ground unit) shining the laser on the target. The seeker head of the munition homes in on the laser spot. Very difficult to interfere with, but short range.

Satellite navigation was first used in 1960, but Global Positioning System was initiated in 1973, reaching full operational capability in 1995. Terminal guidance packages to bolt onto air-dropped munitions began right after Desert Storm; GPS guidance had the advantages of being completely immune to bad weather, the lack of requirement for a designator, and it was usable anywhere, day or night. Guidance packages were also less costly. Recently, development of combination GPS/laser guidance packages has been initiated.

Some cruise missiles use terrain contour matching (TERCOM), which compares radar returns to a digitally stored map. Improves terminal accuracy, and enhances survivability by allowing lower enroute altitudes and closer approaches to obstacles in the terrain.

Development of GPS-aided artillery projectiles began in 1992. The 155mm M982 Excalibur GPS-aided projectile was demonstrated in 2005.

Rifle bullets are too small to hold any GPS receiver or other current guidance package, plus actuators. But marksmen have been scoring hits out beyond a mile, without assistance from satellites or radio beacons, for generations. No luck, just skill.