.22 cal base
- Thread starter el-rapha
- Start date
- Status
toecutter
Member
Not really
While there are some awesome .22 caliber rifles out there, there are none that have been adopted by anyone as a "sniper rifle". Most military sniper rifles out there shoot standard military calibers, and differ only in that they have ammunition which is more suited to thier task.
However, there are a number of varmint rifles out there in .223, .22-250, .220-swift, .22 hornet which are fine and accurate rifles, they don't meet the 'tacti-cool' mission of a 'sniper rifle'.
Accuracy for these calibers is excellent. I have fired quite a bit of match grade .223 in a Howa rifle I bought recently for proofing .223 loads. I have fired a number of savage 110 bolt guns in .22-250 that had astonishing accuracy. We were shooting at playing cards at 100 yards, and you could shoot the dagger out of the hand of the suicide king repeatedly.
For the most part however, these higher powered .22 cartridges are not really ideal for the role a sniper plays. Sniping is done at long range against human targets. .22-250 and .220-swift will pop a prarie dog, but the same bullets do not yield the kind of penetration required to take out a two-legged target at long range.
The .223 most closely fits this, being a military caliber, and having bullets that are designed to fulfill the sniper's role. However, most militaries classify .22 caliber rounds as being "too light" for the sniper role.
Until recently there was nothing truely approximating a sniper rifle chambered for the .223(5.56mm) cartridge. However, in the more recent war-on-terror the Seals, Army special forces, and others have now been issuing the SPR (Mk 12) to it's forces. This is essentially an AR-15 platform which has been optimized and accurized for the role of the designated marksman/sniper.
Other than this, there isn't much in the arena which fits the normal bolt gun (ala M40) approach to the sniper rifle.
While there are some awesome .22 caliber rifles out there, there are none that have been adopted by anyone as a "sniper rifle". Most military sniper rifles out there shoot standard military calibers, and differ only in that they have ammunition which is more suited to thier task.
However, there are a number of varmint rifles out there in .223, .22-250, .220-swift, .22 hornet which are fine and accurate rifles, they don't meet the 'tacti-cool' mission of a 'sniper rifle'.
Accuracy for these calibers is excellent. I have fired quite a bit of match grade .223 in a Howa rifle I bought recently for proofing .223 loads. I have fired a number of savage 110 bolt guns in .22-250 that had astonishing accuracy. We were shooting at playing cards at 100 yards, and you could shoot the dagger out of the hand of the suicide king repeatedly.
For the most part however, these higher powered .22 cartridges are not really ideal for the role a sniper plays. Sniping is done at long range against human targets. .22-250 and .220-swift will pop a prarie dog, but the same bullets do not yield the kind of penetration required to take out a two-legged target at long range.
The .223 most closely fits this, being a military caliber, and having bullets that are designed to fulfill the sniper's role. However, most militaries classify .22 caliber rounds as being "too light" for the sniper role.
Until recently there was nothing truely approximating a sniper rifle chambered for the .223(5.56mm) cartridge. However, in the more recent war-on-terror the Seals, Army special forces, and others have now been issuing the SPR (Mk 12) to it's forces. This is essentially an AR-15 platform which has been optimized and accurized for the role of the designated marksman/sniper.
Other than this, there isn't much in the arena which fits the normal bolt gun (ala M40) approach to the sniper rifle.
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Isn't the Remington 700 LTR available in .223? Law enforcement "snipers" need high accuracy, but typically not the extreme range capability of military snipers. I'd bet there are many law enforcement agencies with .223 "sniper" rifles. Heck, look at all the accurized M4s!
shermacman
Member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2002
- Messages
- 1,751
What defines a "sniper" rifle?
It seems that only gun-grabbers and mall ninjas use the term...
It seems that only gun-grabbers and mall ninjas use the term...
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Here ya go: http://www.remingtonle.com/rifles/700pltrtws.htm
Here is a pic of the SSG. Sorry for the Russian text, but you can see it's chambered in 5.45X39.
Steyr SSG 5.45X39
Steyr SSG 5.45X39
MCgunner
Member
So, tell me, just what defines a "sniper rifle" from an ordinary heavy barrel varmint gun???? 
I keep hearing the media say "sniper rifle" when someone is shooting people "sniper". I expect the Brady bunch any time to come out against "sniper rifles" and try to outlaw bolt action rifles with scopes. It's their MO, ya know.
I have three scoped bolt guns that will shoot 1MOA or less. They could be used to kill people instead of deer, I guess. Are they "sniper rifles"? As I heard it, when the military wanted to bring back snipers during the Vietnam war after dropping the ball and not establishing a sniper school after WW2/Korea, they went and bought a bunch of Remington 700s and stuck Unertl (sp?) scopes on 'em, instant "sniper rifle".
I guess I duplicated your sentiments.
I keep hearing the media say "sniper rifle" when someone is shooting people "sniper". I expect the Brady bunch any time to come out against "sniper rifles" and try to outlaw bolt action rifles with scopes. It's their MO, ya know.I have three scoped bolt guns that will shoot 1MOA or less. They could be used to kill people instead of deer, I guess. Are they "sniper rifles"? As I heard it, when the military wanted to bring back snipers during the Vietnam war after dropping the ball and not establishing a sniper school after WW2/Korea, they went and bought a bunch of Remington 700s and stuck Unertl (sp?) scopes on 'em, instant "sniper rifle".
I guess I duplicated your sentiments.
My thought is that it is issued in an ARMY, (not bought by an individual at True Value).
Examples are the Dragunov, SSG, M1D, etc. These are legitimate sniper weapons. The word is used by the media to inflame passions. I like how Rush Limbaugh calls them the "drive by media." Very apt expression.
Davo
Member
smells like a troll....
- Status
