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USMC Sniper stops insurgents from 950 yards
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/m...58?opendocument ^

Posted on 11/30/2004 3:35:05 PM PST by InfantryMarine

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To: InfantryMarine

An excellent film on snipers in Stalingrad in WW II: "Enemy at the Gates" (2001) starring Jude Law and Ed Harris.


61 posted on 11/30/2004 4:26:54 PM PST by Ciexyz (I use the term Blue Cities, not Blue States. PA is red except for Philly, Pgh & Erie.)
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To: Revolting cat!



Is the rifle scope calibrated to account for that 30ft drop? I mean, he doesn't just aim at the empty air above the target does he? (Stupid questions from the sniping challenged.)



The steps in the process.

1. The rifle is sighted in at some known range, such as 300 yards.

2. The target area has been layed out in a carefully plotted grid, denoting distances to available landmarks. The distances can be determined with a laser range finder.

3. There are compiled drop tables for the rifle/cartridge combination. There are also windage tables for the rifle/cartridge combination. The sniper uses the drop table and the windage table to determine how to adjust the sights. The sniper does adjust his scope sight to reflect those indicated adjustments. Some scopes actually have markings on the crosshairs, to aid in holdover or un holdunder, so that there is not as much continual adjustment of the sights.

4. Finally, the sniper carefully squeezes off the shot, hoping there is not a sudden shift in wind during the time between the discharge of the rifle and impact time.

If everything comes together properly, the result is one dead terrorist/enemy.


62 posted on 11/30/2004 4:30:33 PM PST by punster
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To: Revolting cat!
aside from focus, windage and elevation adjustments, each scope has a built in cam that is calibrated for a given round/bullet so that a scope for a .308 put on a .223 or vise versa would not shoot on target point of aim.
63 posted on 11/30/2004 4:30:41 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist ©® - Dubya... F**K YEAH!!!)
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To: Eaker

3Batt5Mar ROCKS!


64 posted on 11/30/2004 4:36:23 PM PST by humblegunner (And who knows what else?)
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Comment #65 Removed by Moderator

To: dumpdaschle
Checking the ballistics table on the snipercentral site, M118LR rounds, simplifying by assuming a linear drop between 900 yds and 1000 yds, shows a drop of a little over 16 feet at 950 yards.

BUT - that's based on a 600 yd "zero".

Further examination of said table shows the bullet will rise 17.4 inches at 100 yards, which means that the initial trajectory of the bullet is heading at a point 174 inches above the point of aim at 1000 yards (for the 600 yard zero).

Adding that 174 inch (approximately 15 feet) rise initial trajectory to the actual drop of 16 ft puts the actual drop from the boresight at about 31 feet.

By my calculations, anyway.

66 posted on 11/30/2004 4:43:04 PM PST by DuncanWaring (...and Freedom tastes of Reality)
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To: John123
How do you aim at a target and compensate for a 30 foot drop?

Set the cross hairs on the scope to compensate for the computed range.

67 posted on 11/30/2004 4:43:55 PM PST by Mike Darancette (RICE '08)
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To: InfantryMarine

As a darts player I say, good arrows sir!


68 posted on 11/30/2004 4:49:25 PM PST by everydayislikesunday
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To: bullseye876
Even better when you contemplate how quickly he must have squeezed off the shots. The last guy killed was the driver; unless he was a complete freaken idiot, wouldn't he have tried to get out of Dodge pretty quickly after seeing each of the two mortarmen take a round in the chest?

To set up an old joke, I wonder what the last thing to go through his head was after seeing his two co-terrorists get splattered.

69 posted on 11/30/2004 4:49:42 PM PST by Mr. Lucky
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To: bullseye876
Even better when you contemplate how quickly he must have squeezed off the shots. The last guy killed was the driver; unless he was a complete freaken idiot, wouldn't he have tried to get out of Dodge pretty quickly after seeing each of the two mortarmen take a round in the chest?

To set up an old joke, I wonder what the last thing to go through his head was after seeing his two co-terrorists get splattered.

70 posted on 11/30/2004 4:50:17 PM PST by Mr. Lucky
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To: punster
If everything comes together properly, the result is one dead terrorist/enemy.

Granted Buffalo are large but Buffalo Hunters made kills at 1,000 yards using iron sights.

71 posted on 11/30/2004 4:50:22 PM PST by Mike Darancette (RICE '08)
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To: InfantryMarine

The other Marine Corps Motto?.....

"One Shot, One kill!"


Semper Fi!


72 posted on 11/30/2004 4:50:53 PM PST by Joe Marine 76 (Peace through superior firepower and manuever!)
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To: sgtbono2002
>>>Great shooting, but I dont think news stories of snipers should use their names.<<<

My thought exactly - and they also give his home town. This is a very bad practice....and should be stopped.

We probably have a number of "Islamfacists" in America that might attempt revenge.

73 posted on 11/30/2004 4:52:35 PM PST by HardStarboard (Surrounded by Kerry/Edwards Signs in Washington State)
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Comment #74 Removed by Moderator

To: cmsgop

Yes, it's two par-5s end to end! Astounding! Great telsight obviously.


75 posted on 11/30/2004 4:57:37 PM PST by expatpat
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To: cmsgop

Yes, it's two par-5s end to end! Astounding! Great telsight obviously.


76 posted on 11/30/2004 4:57:44 PM PST by expatpat
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To: Mr. Lucky

to finsh that joke.... A 7.62 mm round? :)


77 posted on 11/30/2004 4:59:08 PM PST by Americanwolf (www.geocities.com/arizonapatriots/ArizonaPatriots.html.. Serving those who serve us.)
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To: expatpat

Yes it is!


78 posted on 11/30/2004 4:59:45 PM PST by cmsgop
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To: John123

The M40A4 scope has cams that you use to dial in the estimated range and windage. These cams change the point of aim by moving the vertical and horizontal crosshairs. That causes the shooter to elevate and/or traverse the rifle barrel to again place the crosshairs on the desired part of the target. This compensates for the drop of the projectile during it flight to the target.

Not sure if they are used by Marine snipers, but the Marine Corps does have handheld laser range finders available that could help help with range extimation.

Wind direction and it's estimated speed comes through experience gained through making lots of long distance shots on the range.

Among the many prerequisites for eligibility to become a Marine sniper is the obvious one of being a high scoring expert shooter with the standard M16A2 service rifle. So these Marines are already very consistently making accurate shots out to the 500m range required on the standard rifle qualification course. Their training in the Scout-Sniper Course increases the ranges that they can acheive consistent hits under varing conditions of weather and lighting.

However, combat introduces alot of variables (e.g., the targets are moving around alot while they set up the mortar for firing). The real skill shown in this series of shots is that the Sergeant Dandoval probably had only a few seconds where the targets were still enough to apply his marksmanship skills and get the shots off. He proobably was cycling the action and making his successive shots as fast as he could to take advantage to the slight delay the targets would have before realizing they were under attack. With a one second time of flight, I suspect that the loader (1st shot) and the gunner (2nd shot) were both hit before they realized they were under sniper attack. The driver (3rd and 4th shots) probably did know something was happening but was wounded before he could take cover. And then Sergeant Sandoval sent him to meet Allah and collect his 72 virgins.



79 posted on 11/30/2004 5:01:17 PM PST by Captain Rhino ("If you will just abandon logic, these things will make a lot more sense to you!")
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To: InfantryMarine
This Marine knows what it takes to get the job done! Well done, HoooRah! I can't wait to hear what this motivated individual does with even better fire power and optics, might make the magic 2Km "shot of the day".
80 posted on 11/30/2004 5:03:39 PM PST by 7thOF7th (Righteousness is our cause and justice will prevail!)
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