The longest range recorded for a sniper kill currently stands at 2,430 meters (2,657 yd, or 1.51 miles), accomplished by Master Corporal Rob Furlong, a sniper from Newfoundland, Canada, in March 2002 during the war in Afghanistan. Furlong made this record-breaking kill while he was participating in Operation Anaconda. He was a member of the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI). To make the kill, he used a .50 caliber BMG (12.7 mm) McMillan TAC-50 bolt-action rifle.[8] If one takes the time-in-flight of the bullet with air resistance to be conservatively about 1.5× the flight time without air resistance, that would be about 4.5 seconds (2,430 m ÷ 823m/s[9] = 2.95s). Over that time, neglecting any aerodynamic lift on the bullet in flight, it would drop almost 100 m on its way to the target. The previous record was held by U.S. Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock in February 1967 during the Vietnam War, at a distance of more than 2,347 yards (2,146 m) using a scope-mounted Browning M2 .50 machine gun.
The Canadian shot took two tries at a man walking from a fixed location and practically no wind.
Many doubt the Canadian shot.
I have killed a running deer at 500 yards once in my life. I learned to shoot as a kid and was polished at the John F. Kennedy School for Wayward Boys. Even in my best moment I would not even consider attempting the shot you are talking about with a friendly in the area. Reading the wind on the open sea would be VERY hard. My son was a Delta sniper for five years. He would not even try this shot either.
Yes many have been killed from ships but not anywhere near the range. The Navy tried to approach the lifeboat and the pirates fired on them. So no getting closer.
Bogus, don’t we have the capability to have one or a few seals too pop up out of the water and take a shot from some semi submersible platform? If not we should. With the waves bobbing up and down and some camo(bluish?) they should be set at 200 yards. Nightscopes and shoot at night from 75 yards, no?
Well stated. The reputation of snipers in the riggings are well based, but remember, those were shots taken generally on the same vessel as boarders came aboard and probably within 10-50 meters.
It’s tough enough to land a 105 or 5” shell within 50 ft of the vessel on standard swells, not to mention attempting to land a sniper rifle round even from a couple of a hundred yards out at sea.
Of course a nuclear sub might simply surface beneath her with some SEALS/FORECON performing a deck launch to gain control rapidly.
Get your point on 1 mile range. Distance was not a part of original post.
Still and all, its damn puzzling that the Navy would stand off 1 mile. Let the jb’s shot their AK’s at the ship its unlikely they have a great deal of ammo to begin with.
Were they 500 yards off, friendly or not, it would be a much easier shot. Unless the seas were exceptional a ship the size of Destroyer should not react excessively to mild seas and should be a suitable platform, would you think?