Best Sniper Rifle

[Shaughn Leayme]

The selection criteria for a Sniper in the military is intense and shooting, makes up a relatively minor portion of the overall requirements as a sniper is also used for purposes of gathering intel and directing artillery fire or air assets onto a target. You can be the best shot in the world, but if you lack or cannot acquire the woods skills needed to disappear in the tall grass or short grass for that matter and the patience and the mental toughness to operate in groups of two in a high threat enviroment sometimes far from friendly assets then it probably isn't for you and the screening will usually find that out in the early stages.

Military sniping is generally no closer than about 500 yards and concerns about a pulled shot or a miss are only relative in that a second shot to correct the error is now against an enemy that is now aware that you are out there and who is either trying to manuever against you and bring small arms fire to bear or is calling in a fire mission or air strike to get you.

In Law enforcement sniping/counter sniping (etc) is considerably tougher field of endeavour and the psychological screening is considerably different than what the military uses. You may find yourself in a hostage situation, where over the course of several hours you are switching off with your spotter to relieve strain and to try and stay relatively sharp and you will be close enough and have enough time to notice things about your potential target, that may remind you of a friend or relative, you will be close enough to look him in the eyes (so to speak) and if you have to shoot, it will be a cold deliberate act, when you are given the green light to do it, no heat of battle, kill or be killed response, you were given the go and you deliberately pulled the trigger.

Average distance at which a LE sniper shoots is about 71 yards and usually after waiting for several hours and with the real chance of an innocent dying because of a pulled shot or a miss.

In the military, if you show in training a certain leaning towards sniping, then you might get fast tracked into it, but usually expect to go at least 3 years, before acceptance to the school.

In LE, IIRC, I think it was at least 5 years on the job and based on your performance and experience to just be considered for the SWAT team and like I said the screening is considerably higher as are the expectations.

Killing/shooting someone in the heat of the moment, is considerably different than deliberately singling out an individual and killing/shooting them.

In real life there are consequences.

 

[Fed168]

Very well put, Shaughn.

 

[artherd]

Average distance at which a LE sniper shoots is about 71 yards and usually after waiting for several hours and with the real chance of an innocent dying because of a pulled shot or a miss.

I thought it was more like 71 FEET.

 

[Shaughn Leayme]

Yep, brain out of gear with fingers on the keyboard

 

[Guns_and_Labs]

Well, personally, I limit my long range sniping to gophers, the sworn enemy of ranchers and farmers. I find a Remington 40X in .22-250 does pretty well, and I suppose it would be good practice for snipers-to-be.

But then, I've also been working up loads on a Sako TRG-S in .338 Lapua, to be used in elk hunting. Of course, the plain old Springfield in .35 Whelen Improved has done just fine so far on elk out to 250 yards (the furthest I like to go on elk; stalking's more fun) -- but I do get a kind of kick {sorry, bad pun} target shooting with a round with more energy at 1000 yards than a .308 at 100 yards (well, 150). Perhaps I feel some kinship with our military snipers as I'm protecting our borders from illegal paper targets.

 

[DevLcL]

2 Things

First, I obviously don't know everything about being a sniper but I do know its VERY hard and time consuming among other things. Everytime I hear someone say that sniping is not good or not worth it, it just makes me want it more. For every person I see that makes a joke about snipers... makes me more accurate at the range. I've always had a HUGE tolerance for pain and I have very much in the way of patience... add to that my willingness to serve my country and more simply my willingness to survive and you've got yourself a not-too-shabby soldier in my book. Again I realise I don't know everything.

Secondly, As many of you suggested, I took the .22 out today and put 500 rounds through it (I think I melted the barrel, jk). I was shooting beer bottles and paper tagets... For the day im probably about 350 for 400 as far as hitting what I wanted to hit. Every shot I took I aimed, took a deep breth, waited for my figure 8 to hit the center, and BLAM! right on target almost every time.. The bottle were nothing, I hit them every single time first shot. The hundred or so I missed were on account of not hitting the bullseye on the paper taget... If you want to count just hitting the paper im probably about 399 for 400. I know this isn't exactly precise marksmanship but it's a good start I think. The extra hundred rounds were used to teach an old fridge a lesson.

I also put my 1911 skills to the test, every soldier needs a solid side-arm right? Unfortuntely I could only hit the fridge consecutively. The bottles took sometimes 4 or 5 shots to hit one. I know you guys are gonna give me hell about practicing for accuracy with a .45.

-Colin

**NOTE** single shots, no rapid fire, 150 yards (50 yards w/pistol)

 

[BlackCat]

150yd shots at beer bottles with a .22LR, hitting them the first time everytime huh? What kind of rifle/scope combo are you using to do this?

Wow, what are you waiting for, get off the damn computer and go join the military so you can become a sniper. More action, less talk.

 

[N3rday]

I've always had a HUGE tolerance for pain and I have very much in the way of patients

My mom does too...she's a doctor .

Patience, DevLcL, Patience.

Oh, and lots of practice.

 

[duckslayer]

150yd shots at beer bottles with a .22LR, hitting them the first time everytime huh?

That is quite impressive...I wish my resume could boast such wonderful accuracy...

 

[DevLcL]

Im really not kidding or exaggerating. Next time I go I'll have someone film it. Shoot...I'll mail anybody a copy of the paper target if they want it. I don't want to become a sniper because I just think its cool... I really can shoot. I've been hittin bottles with my pellet gun in my back yard since I was about 7.

Oh yeah, and Im just using the iron sights... no point in putting expensive toys on a cheap gun. I feel much better about owing the weapon tho, now at least It will feel a little better in my hands knowing I can shoot very well with it.

-Colin

 

[BlackCat]

Oh this just keeps getting better.

A target 3.5" across at 150yds with a .22 and open sights. What kind of wonder rifle is this? Who does your range measuring?

Just thinking you have a god given shooting talent doesn't make you cut out to be a sniper. There's plenty of us here who've been shooting since we were 7, or maybe even 5, not a big deal.

 

[carebear]

Offhand I suppose.

 

[bcbr]

Dev

I aint gunna doubt it ,seen to many thangs dun with phararmz that I belieeved could not be duun.
My max range prone with a 10/22 at a coke can with 90% hits eaaarrllyy morn is 105 yds with the standard sights on the rifle.
Prone and many dozen 1000z of rds thru that rifle. Very hard to do.
I wonder what the world record accuracy distance is with a .22lr?

 

[DevLcL]

Im not trying to set any records or boast about anything... I was just excetied to have done so well, and I thought some people here might want to know since they recommended me shooting it. I don't always shoot so good I just messed with the sights and got lucky I guess, also I was in the prone position and there was NO wind whatsoever.

 

[PzGren]

Fed 168 said it very well; shooting is the smallest part of sniping. You have to be patient, physically fit, and a good tactician, a tactical chess player.

The records set by Austrian snipers in the Wehrmacht on K98ks are outstanding. They are all from the Steiermark, a traditional poacher area.

Back in the late 1970s the snipers in the Panzergrenadier units in West Germany were issued selected G3s with Hensoldt scopes. 4x24, if I remember correctly. To become a sniper you had to shoot high scores with all standard weapons, pistol, UZI, light Panzerfaust, MG1, G3.
You also had to pass a sportstest; 200m timed swimming, lifting 125% of your weight over your head and run 100m in under 12 seconds were just some of those excercises.
The rifle was just a tool. And in the European landscape a shot past 600m is very rare. For desert warfare a long distance gun is,of course, more important.

 

[DevLcL]

Here's a few snaps of the miracle rifle.... lol

Note the wood engraving and the metal trigger. Not a bad trade for a set of used golf clubs if you ask me.

 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Take up squirrel hunting. The skills required are about the same as for "sniping". And there are no nasty moral or legal issues associated with blasting tree rats.

Get good at hunting squirrels, then buy a decent hunting rifle and a good scope. You'll be as close to being a "sniper" as you can get without joining the military.

 

[carebear]

Assuming they weren't Calloways or something, that is a pretty rifle and a good trade.

The hunting advice is spot on. Long range shooting is long range shooting, stalking an alert target unobserved is where you earn your stripes.

 

[kaferhaus]

Looks like a Marlin model 60.... good utilitarian semi auto. not known for accuracy... good squirrel gun at 50yds tops.

I don't believe you're hitting much with it at 150yds though.

 

[DevLcL]

It's really old, is it possible that they made them more accurate a while back?... I assure you I am hitting what I claim. It might not be 150yrds, that was just my guestimate, It could be more like 75 and im just smokin something. I don't shoot at any kind of organized range with known distances.

 

[Ouizel]

I've got a Marlin Glenfield Model 60 just like it, down to the squirrel.

I like it. I did cut a nail with it, at about 50 yds, scoped.

If I were in your shoes, I'd join the military. It really is the only way into the field.

Good luck.

 

[kaferhaus]

Bought Mine in 1973 from KMART. It was $60 including the 4x scope. Nice plinking gun. Has many features that are detrimintal to accuracy.

It's a semi auto

The magazine tube hangs off the front of the barrel

The iron sights are "crap" barley corn type with only crude adjustability

The receiver to stock bedding is a poor design

The trigger is just terrible for any type of accuracy work

But it is a "fun" rifle and that's why I still have it.

With match ammo and a good scope (not the one the rifle came with) mine will shoot 2-2.5" groups at 100yds if the wind is dead calm. ANY wind at all and those turn into 4-5" groups or worse.

And you're hitting targets less than 2" wide at 150 with iron sights with who knows what plinking ammo the vast majority of the time.....

You should be trying out for the Olympic team...

new world champion in the making!