New World Record for Longest Confirmed Sniper Kill

August 2, 2017 By Dave Young (YoungBuckDave)

New World Record for Longest Confirmed Sniper Kill

In June 2017, a Canadian Sniper from Joint Task Force 2 successfully killed an Islamic State insurgent located over 2 miles away during an operation held in Iraq. From an elevated position, the sniper hit his target at 3,540 meters with his McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle. After the shot was fired, it took the 50 caliber round 10 seconds to reach its target. Let me help put this amazing shot into perspective for you: 3,540 meters is over 2 miles away which is 11,614 ft. That means the bullet traveled over 38 football fields to reach its destination!!! To achieve a shot like this the operator must account for many considerations before finally pulling the trigger and engaging the target. Some of the factors that went into this incredible shot include ballistic drop, elevation, wind, and even the Coriolis Effect which is the curvature of the earth before the shot can be taken.

The previous record was executed by a British SAS soldier in 2009, who took out a Taliban machine gunner at over 1.5 miles with his AW 338 sniper rifle. This specific rifle is chambered in 338 Lapua Magnum which is smaller than the Canadian Sniper's 50 caliber round but still serves as a very effective long-range cartridge. In 2017, this record was shattered by more than half of a mile to become the new world record for the longest sniper confirmed kill. All I have to say is I'm glad this guy is on our side!