British army sniper Craig Harrison has logged the longest sniper shots in military history by dusting two Taliban machine gunners from a distance of 8,120 feet (2706 yards). That's better than a mile and a half, and beat the old record by 150 feet or so. The bullets took almost three seconds to reach their target.
Corporal Harrison took his shots in November of 2009, but the details were released to the news media only today.
Corporal Harrison took his shots in November of 2009, but the details were released to the news media only today.
The new record sent me digging through the manuscript of The Last Bartender, which I'm in the process of locking down for print publication. I'd referenced the previous record in there (held by a Canadian sniper using a .50 caliber system) and needed to adjust the text to reflect the new reality.
Corporal Harrison used used the pricey, British-built L115A3 Long Range Rifle, firing a 8.59mm (.338 caliber) bullet. Here's a brief video describing the weapon system:
It really gives new meaning to the phrase "Reach out and touch somebody." I'm hoping to get the print version of The Last Bartender out to you by June. Meanwhile, the Kindle version is already available, and the first two chapters are available here. Nice shooting, Corporal Harrison!
May 6, 2010 Update: Here's a Fox News clip featuring a brief discussion of Corporal Harrison's accomplishment. It's not very technically astute but it does give you some idea of how difficult making a shot like that is, much less two consecutive shots.
May 6, 2010 Update: Here's a Fox News clip featuring a brief discussion of Corporal Harrison's accomplishment. It's not very technically astute but it does give you some idea of how difficult making a shot like that is, much less two consecutive shots.
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