is the .223 a typical 'sniper' round?

[Lurker]

I don't recommend that you perform that trick in public again as doing so could easily get you an all expense paid vacation courtesy of Club Fed lasting the next five years or so.

L

[LonePalm]

I cannot help but wonder why this idiot has only taken 1 shot, and not a number of shots. If he is using the AR or the Mini, he certainly has a number of rounds available. If this is the cas and it is a bolt or single-shot, the police are going to have a HUGE plate of crow to eat.

If you only take one shot, it is difficult to judge the direction the shot came from. Two shots and it's easy. Three and my deaf neighbor can tell you the direction the shot came from.

This guy's a bastard but he's not stupid.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[Lion Den Dan]

Finally, some one with a clue

[templar]

I've heard the media rattling off figures like 400 yards.

I'm not a particular .223 fan except for fun shooting. But, I've made real consistant hits at 400 yards using either 55 or 60 grain bullets. Still fairly effective at that range too. A 60 grain fired at an initial of 3100 fps should still have about 400+ ft/lb left at 400 yards. About as much as a .45 at the muzzle.

The combination of the light slug, ...

You're right. That's why Im not much of a .223 fan. the amount of powder isn't the factor to consider though. It's the muzzle velocity and terminal velocity at a specific range that counts. The .223 isn't a bad round, it just isn't a good one by my standards.

The 0.308 or 7.62mm rounds are superior to the 0.223. I'd think the 0.308 would be accurate for between 300 and 400 yards.

.308 usually refers to the 308 winchester cartridge. 7.62 refers to the 30 caliber bullet diameter. 7.62 bullets are used in the .308 Winchester, 30-06, some 7.62x39, 300 H&H, 300 win mag, 300 weatherby, etc.

Basicaly, all 30 calibers are substantially more powerfull than the .223. 800 yards is quite possible with the .308, although most people I know usually limit that round to around 600. Mile long shots are quite possible with the big magnums, though the .50 BMG would be the choice for this range if you want to count on the shot.

The shape of the actual slugs is also important

IMHO, the most important factor for really long range, assuming top quality everywhere else.

Most firearms are much more accurate than the person using them.

[RLK]

Ten years ago I was a power weightlifter who bench pressed 400 pounds and military pressed 300+. I'm now 40 pounds lighter and have a platoon of doctors. I don't need 7mm mag. It would break me to pieces. I don't even like 44 mag pistol. Were I were to shoot anything military long range, my choice would be an M1 Garand with a scope if I could get one. After the second day of training I never felt any recoil and never hear that rifle go off. The only thing I heard was the clack of the bold going back.

[Age of Reason]

OK--military round, that's what I thought.

Odds are, if the sniper is a terrorist, he'd have the most experience with military arms, as there are probably few sporting rifles circulating among mideast terrorists as compared to military rifles.

Anybody know what calibers are common among mideast terrorists?

[templar]

At 50, I can't see my front sight and the target at the same time.

I ran across that problem a few years ago, then I finally discovered rifle scopes. Back to as good as ever again.

[tall_tex]

I thought that using condoms was our national duty, I did recycle the plastic pop bottle, so, I probably should get an award. Of course, thinking has always got me in a lot of trouble. Thanks for the heads up. Tom

[Capt_Hank]

This is my choice that I use for varmint hunting.... long range. This is loaded for a Ruger M77V/Leopold Vari-X III 6.5 - 20 x 40. 0.308 Winchester...... 150 gr. Nosler/Winchester Ballistic Tip..... 46.0 gr. IMR 4064... 200 yard zero (1.8 inches high @ 100 yards). Rifle is sighted in using MOA scale. With my range finder I can then adjust the clicks on the scope to compensate for distance. Small entry wound in the ground hog or fox, exit wound the size of your fist. Have regular kills out to 300 yards of ground hogs. Remember a ground might stand 18" high. Most of the time, only his head and shoulders are visible. There is still plenty of down range energy in the 150 gr. Nosler.

[pa_dweller]

This is with iron sights.

Exactly! Those who regard the .223's accuracy as mundane apparently don't know that this caliber dominates the high power trophy awards at Camp Perry.

[Shooter 2.5]

The M1 Garand is a horrible choice for long range shooting. There are too many things to go wrong and for just plain mainteance. Hanging that gas cylinder out on the end of the barrel was corrected by the M14/M1A. I spent a huge amount of money trying to get a Garand to work and finally went with the M1A. After one season I switched to a Armalite Eagle AR and shot Master the first match I went to.

[pa_dweller]

Terminal ballistics drawings

[Shooter 2.5]

Everyone who is curious about this round should call a gunshop and ask if there's a High Power Match in their area.
They would get a real education.

I would suggest a praire dog shoot but I understand no one discusses their private haunts. LOL

[tall_tex]

When I go shoping for amo for my .243, I get two choices, 80's and 100's. When I bought the rifle, I went to the range to zero it in, is used 80's, when I went to CO. to hunt deer, we all checked out our zero's, when I checked mine I used 100's, at about 50 yards, I was 12 inches high, the 22's loose trajectory, very quickly, of course, this is my personal experience.

There are a lot of FReepers on this thread with more knowledge than I have. All I have is experience.

Sorry, but a 100 yard shot is only a pistol shot if you are very lucky. While you are shooting your pistol at me at 100 yards, I will nail you with an arrow. Sorry.....

[Radioactive]

They are not usually not as accurate.

[Lurker]

Any competent shooter on the planet realizes the sound muffling capabilities of the 2 liter pop bottle, but actually doing anything with such knowledge is a direct violation of Federal Law and could earn a careless individual the direct attention of the fine folks at F-Troop.

We all know that those people would rather burn a family to death in the course of a 'search' for rubber washers, conduit, and normal everyday reloading supplies than appear in court.

As my grandfather used to tell me: "A word to the wise is sufficient."

Regards,

L

[Lurker]

If you want to see something really cool, mash here:

http://www.gokart.net/shop-utopia/mccann/rifles/garand/garand.html" Magnum Garands

[tall_tex]

Man, an M1 holds eight 06 shells, shoot all the targets, you win. Earned my expert badge in the Army with the M1. Trust me 50 is not old. Tom

[Shooter 2.5]

I watched a 60 year old guy use his match .45 on a piece of board that was about the size of a man's torso and he was wearing that board out. Where in Texas are you? I can show you people shooting clay pigeons laying on a bank at 70 yards away with every sort of handgun.
Yes, a pistol isn't as good as a rifle and a rifle isn't as good as air support.

[BIGZ]

You miss the whole point! The .223 is not a sniper rifle as is being suggested by the press. It is a varmint gun. I have been shooting for quite a while myself and with a rifle that drops 12 to 13 inches in 300 yards you have to be quite good.