Incredible Shot

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TXAZ

New member
A .50 BMG 1 mile shot, with 12 lives at stake. The SAS sniper drops an ISIS executioner and his buddies by hitting the flamethrower on his back, causing it to explode, killing the 'burner' and 2 others filming what was to be the death by burning of 12 hostages.

There's a question here for you, particularly if you've been a combat sniper: It's literally "a long shot". What goes through your mind as you aim the shot and prepare to fire, realizing missing could be pretty tragic for innocent people?

Here's 2 links:
UK version of SAS Sniper 1 mile shot

NY Post version
 
M

Mobuck

Moderator
Well, it did make a point to the bad guys. Now, they'll do their dirty work with more attention to the surroundings. On a side note, what really happened to the hostages? Just because Allah Dumbarse got torched, surely the proposed victims didn't just get up and walk away?
 
T

TXAZ

New member
Monicker
Reports indicated a joint US SF / Brit SAS freed the hostages shortly after the shot.
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
1760 yards isn't terribly far for a .50 BMG. Our Cpl. Furlong's shot was at a range of 2,657 yards. On a guy. Also with a .50. Think it was a Barrett Light too.
Hitting the flamethrower makes the rifle's one shot into an area weapon. Shooting one guy just means his buddies would kill the hostages.
"...Reports indicated..." Says that in the MailOnline article.
 
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rickyrick

New member
I know that 50bmg fired from an M2 can travel great distances.

This is my own observation with tracers.

I hit an old tank used as a target and one of the tracers bouced off of the tank and into some low clouds.

The distance is now fuzzy, so I don't want to tell a lie. I know it was 1k at least, the distance was known but I can't remember, so we will say it was 1k to be conservative.

It was automatic fire, and I walked the tracers onto the tank, it's not like this was an amazing shot or anything. I just cranked the T&E mechanism until I was hitting the target.

This anecdote is only to attest to the pretty incredible ranges a 50bmg is capable of. I routinely witnessed M2 fire reaching out there.
 
T

TXAZ

New member
T. O'Heir noted:
1760 yards isn't terribly far for a .50 BMG. Our Cpl. Furlong's shot was at a range of 2,657 yards. On a guy. Also with a .50. Think it was a Barrett Light too.
Hitting the flamethrower makes the rifle's one shot into an area weapon. Shooting one guy just means his buddies would kill the hostages.
"...Reports indicated..." Says that in the MailOnline article.
Click to expand...

1760 yards is a very impressive shot. Show up to the next .50 BMG shoot with a 1 mile range (ie Whittington) and you'll see you're very wrong. It's a pretty select group that can take a factory rifle and hit a B27 target at that range.

I'll give you that anyone can throw an 750 gr. A-MAX round (which Rob Furlong was reportedly using) 2657 yards or more just by pointing a .50 BMG up at about 35 degrees and pulling the trigger, but hitting a CoM target that is less than 1MOA, with wind, on un-level ground, a 4.62 seconds flight time, and aiming 251 feet above the subject of interest, where the bullet is dropping at an angle that would make a lot or roller coaster riders nauseous.


(The good Corporal was using a bolt action MacMillian Tac-50, much tighter tolerances than a Barrett, and a precision weapon, which is now on display.)
Tac50.jpg
 
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B

bfoosh006

New member
Do you guys realize how much drop there is with a Horn. 750gr AMAX at 2650fps ?..... 780.9 inches with a 800yd ZERO !?!?

From this ballistic calculator....

http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-resource/ballistics-calculator

Your Input Variables

Ballistic Coefficient 1.050 Velocity, (ft/s) 2650 Weight (grains) 750,
Maximum Range (yds) 1760 Interval (yds) 100 , Drag Function G1
Sight Height (inches) 1.5 Shooting Angle (degrees) 0 Zero Range (yds) 800
Wind Speed (mph) 0 Wind Angle (degrees) 90 Altitude (ft) 0
Pressure (hg) 29.53 Temperature (F) 59 Humidity (%) 0.78

Ballistics Results

Range (yards) Velocity (fps) Energy (ft.-lb.) Trajectory (in) Come UP in MOA Come UP in Mils Wind Drift (in) Wind Drift in MOA Wind Drift in Mils
Muzzle 2650 11694 -1.5 0 0 0 0 0
100 2565 10959 20 -19.1 -5.6 0 0 0
200 2482 10263 36.2 -17.3 -5 0 0 0
300 2401 9601 46.8 -14.9 -4.3 0 0 0
400 2321 8972 51.3 -12.2 -3.6 0 0 0
500 2243 8376 49.3 -9.4 -2.7 0 0 0
600 2166 7811 40.5 -6.4 -1.9 0 0 0
700 2090 7277 24.2 -3.3 -1 0 0 0
800 2016 6771 0 0 0 0 0 0
900 1944 6294 -32.8 3.5 1 0 0 0
1000 1874 5845 -74.8 7.1 2.1 0 0 0
1100 1805 5423 -126.7 11 3.2 0 0 0
1200 1738 5028 -189.2 15.1 4.4 0 0 0
1300 1672 4658 -263.3 19.3 5.6 0 0 0
1400 1610 4314 -349.9 23.9 6.9 0 0 0
1500 1549 3994 -450 28.6 8.3 0 0 0
1600 1490 3697 -564.5 33.7 9.8 0 0 0
1700 1434 3423 -694.6 39 11.3 0 0 0
1760 1401 3269 -780.9 42.4 12.3 0 0 0


And if there was a 10mph wind coming from the 90degree left or right....135 inches of drift....

We all know the wind could have been blowing 3 different directions over that mile.....


The cross hairs on the scope would have had to have been perfectly level with the rifle to use the turrets effectively.....
 
O

Old Bill Dibble

New member
IDK, as noted with an M2 Machine Gun the shot is not that difficult. The last time I qualified on the M2 was in the previous decade but we shot at a target at 1500 meters. It was fairly easy to hit if you were paying attention. Also with a machine gun you are shooting multiple rounds and some will doubtless miss.

Part of it may be MG rounds move a bit quicker. M33 ball out of 45" barrel is moving almost 3000fps. The drop will be less and it will be less subject to wind.

I am not trying to denigrate the shot. It was a good shot, it was a tough shot I am just not sure it was "that" amazing. Not by a skilled and trained shooter with top of the line weaponry.
 
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redlightrich

New member
To OP, sorry, I have no idea what the shooter may think during the seconds leading up to the impact. I would imagine there are a lot of thoughts going thru their mind.

However, I think this was a difficult shot, at least by untrained standards, and any shot that helps rid the world of sadistic, misguided terrorists is a good shot indeed.

God bless America, and all the American Allies!!!!

Peace
 
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Wyosmith

New member
I am wondering what kind of bullet was used. When I was in the Marine Corps I saw M-60 machine guns and M-2 Brownings fire at drums of gasoline with a tracer every 5 rounds and the gas would catch fire after a while in some cases because a tracer would light the spilled gas on the ground. But in no case would a tracer ignite the gas in a barrel even when the barrel was only 1/3 full.

Now there are explosive rounds made that will light it up. Aircraft used them as far back as WW2, but I wonder how accurate such bullets can be. The specs on those round say they are accurate out to only 700 yards and that is for hitting something as large as an enemy fighter plane.

I hear tell of some explosive 50 cal bullets that are specifically developed for sniping toady, but I have no knowledge of them myself. In my day we didn't have them. Anyone care to enlighten me?
 
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HiBC

New member
To the OP's question:I'm not a Veteran or sniper in any form.I don't know for sure.
I will speculate that in the seconds before the shot,there is total focus on executing the shot.
I speculate that focus/discipline suspends distracting thoughts.

As far as fuel ignition,don't flame throwers have a pilot light?

And I am sure there are precision grade specialty rounds produced for the 50 BMG.
 
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