Plinking In Afghanistan

This is some shooting:

A BRITISH Army sniper has set a new sharpshooting distance record by killing two Taliban machinegunners in Afghanistan from more than 1 miles away.

Craig Harrison, a member of the Household Cavalry, killed the insurgents with consecutive shots — even though they were 3,000ft beyond the most effective range of his rifle.

“The first round hit a machinegunner in the stomach and killed him outright,” said Harrison, a Corporal of Horse. “He went straight down and didn’t move.

“The second insurgent grabbed the weapon and turned as my second shot hit him in the side. He went down, too. They were both dead.”

...The distance to Harrison’s two targets was measured by a GPS system at 8,120ft, or 1.54 miles. The previous record for a sniper kill is 7,972ft, set by a Canadian soldier who shot dead an Al-Qaeda gunman in March 2002.

Since you ask:

His L115A3 long-range rifle, the army’s most powerful sniper weapon, is designed to be effective at up to 4,921ft and supposedly capable of only “harassing fire” beyond that range.

Here is the Brit Army website for that.

“Conditions were perfect, no wind, mild weather, clear visibility.

Conditions weren't so perfect for the insurgents.

SEMPER FI.  Here's what the real shooters are using.

Comments

[Danube of Thought]

When I was nineteen, I did a guy in Laos from a thousand yards out with a rifle shot in high wind. ...

[Ignatz]

Two in a row is almost unbelievable at that distance, regardless of conditions.

[Rob Crawford]

Two in a row is almost unbelievable at that distance, regardless of conditions.

And he hit THREE times -- the third shot hit the machine gun, disabling it.

As said over that AoS, this guy never needs to worry about renewing his man card.

[bunky]

Dot: Lethal Weapon!

[rse]

DOT-

So you did college and law school after being a soldier?

My son wants to that and I'm having a hard time with it. Extremely bright but won't apply himself apart from taking AP because they're more interesting.

Enjoys competing in marksmanship contests. Apparently all those Lego designs really help fine motor skills.

[anduril]

Sniping won't change what's really going on.

[JM Hanes]

Go Snipers!

Sheesh, I thought anduril had actually posted a one line comment.

[Danube of Thought]

RSE--I was just parrotting the Mel Gibson line fro Lethal Weapon that seems to crop up here every so often.

[Clarice]

In WWII a Finn racked up the greatest sniping record evah..against the Russians.
I think there's reference to it in the Benioff book TM recommended and is So good. It's also in Curzio Malaparte's Kaputt.

[Dave (in MA)]

A BRITISH Army sniper has set a new sharpshooting distance record by killing two Taliban machinegunners in Afghanistan from more than 1 miles away.

And a lot of guys have trouble even hitting the urinal.

[Danube of Thought]

Something called the EU Times is running a story to the effect that the Kremlin says the US has ordered a blackout over evidence that the Gulf oil rig was torpedoed by North Korea. If I can get the thing to open I will post a link.

[Danube of Thought]

Here's the link.

[Clarice]

That's been circulating for about 2 days,DoT. Other stories of sabotage have as well, but search as I have, I can't find any corroboration.

[tommy mc donnell]

why do people keep complaining about how american tass reports events. they have a political agenda and they are going to report events in what ever way is going to support that agenda. they been doing this for years. stop complaining, get your own media, boycott their sponsers, do something anything except complain. they are never going to change.

[Clarice]

I love the press telling the nutcases how to make a car bomb. I keep reading reports that the Times Sq goof used the wrong fertilizer, the accounts making clear to him and any who follow on they need , not just any old fertilizer, but ammonium nitrate.

Tomroow, they list local retailers and maps.

[jimmyk]

this guy never needs to worry about renewing his man card.

Then there's this:

In a remarkable tour of duty, Harrison cheated death a few weeks later when a Taliban bullet pierced his helmet but was deflected away from his skull. He later broke both arms when his army vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.

Harrison was sent back to the UK for treatment, but insisted on returning to the front line after making a full recovery.

I'm wondering what kind of ammunition was used that could kill those two instantly from that distance without hitting them in the head or the heart.

[PDinDetroit]

Two in a row is almost unbelievable at that distance, regardless of conditions.

Check the LUN for information regarding the round used, appears to be an .338 Lapua Magnum (.338 "Super Magnum").

It looks like the elevation in this area (Musa Qala, Helmand, Afghanistan) is right around 3400', which affects the shot ability substantially as there was less "environment" to shoot through.

It is still 3 helluva shots. He had to take into account the "environmentals" while under fire and take 3 aimed shots that were perfect.

I took a deer at 205 yards last November with my .308 (7.62 NATO) and thought it was a good shot (missed the first shot, second shot was on the money).

[Danube of Thought]

The torpedo story seems way beyond the bounds of zany.

I had a hunting guide in Alaska who was a graduate of the USMC sniper school in Quantico. The final exam was a pass/fail test: you got five shots at a human torso silhouette at 1,000 yards. Three or more hits and you pass; fewer than three you fail.

[PDinDetroit]

I'm wondering what kind of ammunition was used that could kill those two instantly from that distance without hitting them in the head or the heart.

Check the LUN for info on the .338 Lapua Magnum. My guess is that it would be the 250 or 300 Grain variant of the bullet, although I could not find any info on Armor Piercing Type if used. The 300 grain round seems to have a better BC for the VLD type bullet.

For sure, this round was well under the supersonic range at that distance.

[Jane]

All I can Say is: HOly COW!

[Jack is Back!]

What's unbelievable is the precision of his calculations to the minute of angle at 3K yards. At 1K its something like 10 inches which extrapolating gets you to 30 inches (actually if you use 1.047 inches for 100 yards then its more like 31.41 inches. The drop with .338 at 300 grains low humidity and no wind would be something like more than 3 feet I would think. What does PDinDetroit have on the lapua 300 grain .338 performance?

But then he still has a long way to go to beat Long Trang du Kich (White Feather Sniper) Gunny Carl Hathcock.

[Steve]

Thank you for posting this! I find you blog VERY interesting!!

Steve
Common Cents
http://www.commoncts.blogspot.com

ps. Link Exchange???

[Jane]

What I want to know is how you can see that far. And do we assume he is shooting down hill?

[Rob Crawford]

What I want to know is how you can see that far.

Good eyes and high-power optics.

[peter]

Clarice posted:
I love the press telling the nutcases how to make a car bomb. I keep reading reports that the Times Sq goof used the wrong fertilizer, the accounts making clear to him and any who follow on they need , not just any old fertilizer, but ammonium nitrate.

Tomroow, they list local retailers and maps. end quote

So true. This bomber may have been a rank amateur, or he may have deliberately made his attempt to look more amateurish to hide his tracks. But you can still do an awful lot of damage even with amateurish bombs. Why educate the terrorist as to the right way.

Years ago, I handled a case involving a propane explosion at a restaurant. The fact of the matter is that propane is not all that dangerous. Might have singed some eyebrows and caused some cuts. But who knows, if it is just at the right mixture of air to gas, it can be very deadly.

[Uncle Pinky]

Amazing shooting indeed, but no love for the spotter? He's like the drummer, sniper's the lead singer, I guess.

I kid because I love. Guy must've been holding over 40 degrees. That's phenomenal.

[PDinDetroit]

JiB - The drop info ALWAYS depends on the ZERO of the rifle. See the LUN for info on the 250 Grain .338 Lapua from Sniper Central.

From Hornady's Website Ballistic Calculator, it appears that the .338 Lapua (250 Grain, .670 BC, 800 Yard Zero) will be nearly 80" Low at 1000 yards.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

When I was nineteen, I did a guy in Laos from a thousand yards out with a rifle shot in high wind. ..

Doesn't that story traditionally start "This is no bullshit...."

[Pofarmer]

I'm wondering what kind of ammunition was used that could kill those two instantly from that distance without hitting them in the head or the heart.

You take 300 grains, subsonic and probably tumbling at that point, and it really wouldn't matter. Although, typical sniper ammo is usually Full Metal Jacket just in case it needs to penetrate something. The foot/lbs of energy and internal shock wave would be pretty astonishing.

[PDinDetroit]

I'm wondering what kind of ammunition was used that could kill those two instantly from that distance without hitting them in the head or the heart.

The .338 Lapua Magnum was designed to arrive at 1000 meters with enough energy to penetrate 5 layers of military body armor and still make the kill.

[PDinDetroit]

That is one helluva round...

[PDinDetroit]

Full Image Link

[Pagar]

"Tomroow, they list local retailers and maps."

There will also be info on how to pay for it with a stolen credit card so as not to raise
suspicions by paying cash.

[Ignatz]

--At 1K its something like 10 inches which extrapolating gets you to 30 inches--

The drop is not linear, as a bullet trajectory is a downward, essentially parabolic, curve the moment it leaves the muzzle.

A lot of the reason for increased effectiveness is modern laser range finding devices. With perfect ranging and modern optics it is possible to adjust for elevation much, much more precisely than ever, but the tiniest breeze, even a poorly timed pulse, is enough to miss by a lot at that range.
Nothing shoots flat at 8000+ feet. Even a Lapua or 50 BMG at that range is dropping like a rock. He must have done a lot of 8000 foot practicing to have such a perfect handle on how much it was going to drop.

[Cecil Turner]

SEMPER FI. Here's what the real shooters are using.

Gotta admit being a bit surprised by that. I'd assumed they were transitioning to a .50 Barrett, or one of those newfangled "Interventions":

The Intervention holds the world record for best group at a distance, landing 3 bullets within 16⅝ inches (42 cm) at 2,321 yards (2,122 m) near Arco in Idaho.[citation needed]

Seems to me that's the main requirement, and the ballistics on a .408 have to be superior to a .308. Personally, I'd prefer the .50, but then I've always been a member of the "big gun" fan club.

Doesn't that story traditionally start "This is no bullshit...."

USMC standard is "this is a 'no sh!tter'" . . . but that'd be an acceptable variant.

[jimmyk]

When I was nineteen, I did a guy in Laos from a thousand yards out with a rifle shot in high wind. ..

Chaco: Doesn't that story traditionally start "This is no bullshit...."

My question is: Was the guy you "did" the same one you were aiming for? :)

[Danube of Thought]

Here it is from Moviequotes.com:

"When I was nineteen, I did a guy in Laos from a thousand yards out with a rifle shot in high wind. Maybe eight or even ten guys in the world could've made that shot."

[PDinDetroit]

CT - that Cheytac is a thing of beauty. Slender with beautiful lines, ready to take you out with one "bat" of her eye...

[jimmyk]

The drop is not linear, as a bullet trajectory is a downward, essentially parabolic, curve the moment it leaves the muzzle.

I thought they were talking about the drop due to the curvature of the earth.

The .338 Lapua Magnum was designed to arrive at 1000 meters with enough energy to penetrate 5 layers of military body armor and still make the kill.

Ok, but this was 2500 meeters or so. I would have thought it would have lost a lot of its force at that point.

DoT, I knew it was a movie quote, I just couldn't resist the joke.

[premier cracky]

The space torpedo is misunderstood. The point is it doesn't need deployment, but can be deployed anywhere. It can be sent from space, hit the water, go slinky like a mine and then mobilize at the target or simply the run in the ocean. It can also be fly close to the water before entering making time under water stalled.

The things are all excited over shit we used to put in the currents to measure shit. Be prepared.

[Danube of Thought]

I haven't taken a look at what kind of scope this guy was using, but I know that Carlos Hathcock (the Marine who got 94 kills in Vietnam) used a Unertl, which allowed you to crank in windage and range and would re-set itself so you could shoot with the cross-hairs on the target instead of holding off.

In 1994 I got a caribou in Alaska at about 400 yards with a 180-grain .30-'06. No wind at all, and I just held about eighteen inches above his shoulder. I really had no hope of hitting him, but down he went. I was using my great uncle's Marine Corps issue Springfield, which the Corps had sporterized and given him as a retirement gift in 1923. Take care of a weapon and it will last forever.

Just in the interest of full disclosure, I've missed plenty of shots from half that range.

[Rob Crawford]

Just in the interest of full disclosure, I've missed plenty of shots from half that range.

I've missed plenty from 1/8th that range.

[insu cracky]

I miss Kenndy

[PDinDetroit]

DoT - Standard Remington Ballistics for the round list drop at 33.8" at 400 yards (assuming 200 yard zero). Based upon hold over you mentioned, I'd say it was a very good guess.

I personally favor the Hornady SST, the new ones are even better (Superformance) as I have gotten my Ruger M77 Mark II .308 at 1-1.25" grouping at 100 yards. This is plenty good "minute of deer" for me.

LUN

[Ignatz]

--I haven't taken a look at what kind of scope this guy was using, but I know that Carlos Hathcock (the Marine who got 94 kills in Vietnam) used a Unertl, which allowed you to crank in windage and range and would re-set itself so you could shoot with the cross-hairs on the target instead of holding off.--

Looked up the rifle and it looks like it was probably a Schmidt & Bender; insanely expensive German scopes. Probably cranked up to 25X. They have adjustable parallax of course and nearly infinite click elevation and windage adjustments.

400 yards is a mighty fine shot under hunting conditions with an '06.

[PDinDetroit]

Ignatz - GunBroker has one up for sale at $3,399.99. That is way more than insane...

Think I will stick to my Nikons, thank you very much...

[MassJim]

I am thinking that the winter Olympics has the biathlon, this would be a great event for the summer Olympics. The talibanithlon.

[Barney Frank]

"When I was nineteen, I did a guy in Laos"

Me too.

[Ignatz]

Slightly OT but there is an ominous trend developing with terrorist attacks.
After Richard Reid, just a few months after 9/11 and before we had a chance to really develop procedures and intelligence, all the attempted attacks and plots in the US were disrupted in the planning stages.
Recently however they're only discovered after the fact.
It is only because the last two attempts have been by incompetents that we have avoided tragedies and we apparently haven't had an inkling of them prior to the attempt.
The "smart" set now operating in DC is going to get some of us killed. And when it does I hope it pays an appropriately high price.

[statistics, damned statistics and liars.]

"Doesn't that story traditionally start "This is no bullshit....""

Hey, Chaco. DOT is also wealthy. (rich bullshit)

[Bill in AZ]

Recently however they're only discovered after the fact.
It is only because the last two attempts have been by incompetents that we have avoided tragedies and we apparently haven't had an inkling of them prior to the attempt.

Some moron this weekend said it wasn't terrorism because they heard no "chatter".

Marc Thiessen covers this pretty well in his book "Courting Disaster". Zero has reverted to BJ Clintons MUCA (Missile Up Camels A$$) strategy of fighting terrorists. Just shoot 'em when he needs political cover for some domestic disaster instead of the much harder job of tracking, rendering and asking questions with the help of some water if necessary. Not only that, he gutted the CIA program for doing this. Kinda hard to hear chatter when you have no one to talk to.

[daddy]

Inbound tonite we were chatting about our out of control spend freak politicians in these perilous economic times, and I had commented on the importance of having of a stash of those important precious metals, gold and silver, upon which my partner, without missing a beat, touted also the importance of having a stash of that 3rd important precious metal.

I looked at him quizzically, and he answered matter of factly, "Lead."

Touche'.

[Frau Sitzpinkler]

"And a lot of guys have trouble even hitting the urinal."
FLOTUS is going to eliminate that.

PDinDetroit - Has the de-urbanization in Detroit progressed enough to hunt deer downtown?

[Danube of Thought]

DOT is also wealthy. (rich bullshit)

Only when I want to piss off the leftists. Fortunately, that's 100% of the time.

[anduril]

FBI Identifies a 'Person of Interest' in Times Square Bombing Attempt, ABC News Has Learned

Headline only.

[anduril]

America's Little Lenin? Joel Rogers and the Obama Movement

[Johnny]

When I was nineteen, I did a guy in Laos

Oh yeah? Well...

I shot a man in Reno. Just to watch him die.

[Clarice]

Fox News:
Federal authorities have identified person of interest in Saturday night's car bomb attempt in New York City's Times Square, Fox News confirms.

The person is a naturalized American citizen who was in Pakistan for several months and returned to the United States recently, though the person's identity has not been made public.

The latest developments come as a senior administration official confirmed earlier to Fox News that investigators have begun to suspect the failed attack was the work of an international plot. The official could not definitively say whether a foreign conspiracy was behind the incident, but that the body of evidence was moving in that direction.

[RJ]

Lemme guess Clarice...

He is a known Presbyterian.

[scott]

I don't know what type of fertilizer was in the locker but "not the kind that will explode" doesn't cut it with me.

Just about anything will explode given the right preparation - being intentionally vague. I have an account at LLNL explosives library if you get my drift.

[Pagar]

"The latest developments come as a senior administration official confirmed earlier to Fox News that investigators have begun to suspect the failed attack was the work of an international plot."

From the Why do we Do This Department!

"Top GOPer says no 'foreign connection' in Times Square threat"

[Jane says obamasucks]

Actually they said he was a southeast asian.

[nathan hale]

King, isn't usually off in this way, on this subject, but the general guidance seems to be,
if you've been to Pakistan recently, and there
is no good reason for you to have been, a red
flag should be posted

[sbw]

Cheytac -- the key is the computer... factoring in the angle of the shot relative to planetary spin.

[nathan hale]

Is Bloomberg, just getting stupider, or we're just starting to notice

[peter]

Big story erupting at University of Virgina about a male lacrosse player killing a female lacrosse player. Expect the tabloids to be sending lots of reporters to Charlottesville.

[sbw]

Hey, Daddy. My son really liked your phone conversation.

And my wife says anytime you want to set down on KRME's 2 mile runway you are welcome for dinner. We are under the marker 20 NM NW of the UCA VOR on ILS RWY 15, about 2.7 NM from the runway. By the lake, VFR.

[nathan hale]

I know this is supposed to be negative, but I hear nothing but pride in the organization's
operations, in the LUN

[Pagar]

Bloomberg has been inhaling too much salt. It has affected his brain.

[Pofarmer]

Also, keep in mind folks, these guys aren't shooting out of the box Wal-mart ammo. They are using custom rounds sized and headspaced for the rifle, custom powders, specialized bullets, etc, etc, etc.

[Pofarmer]

Since this has sort of devolved into a general guns and ammo thread. Several of us are going on a Prairie Dog hung in Colorado in July. The last few days I've been making up some rounds for my 22-250. Yesterday I was working with some 50 grain Hornady V-max's. Most know that the 50 Grain Hornady SPX with Hogsdon's H-380 is a legendary bullet. Yesterday I was shooting Varget at 100 yards, and when I got up to max load and hit the "sweet spot" I had 3 rounds touching at 100 yards. That was fun.

[iCRACKY]

Females. See her pick up the briefcase.

[Janet]

Bloomberg has been inhaling too much salt.

Over at Ace of Spades they keep referring to "Big Salt". LOL!

[nathan hale]

I admit I didn't know about Lapua 338, till that episode on NCIS

[Fussioncrack]

It's a detector, so like it detects remote detonation explosives, so like if you had it detect and remotely detonate that would be the kind of explosive that wouldn't explode if detected, unless the detector remotely detonated remote detonation explosives that detected the elite detector detecting it and detonated itself without remote detonation from the remote detonator, non elite.

[Janet]

Great New Zeal link anduril @ 7:17.

[glasater]

Think I will stick to my Nikons, thank you very much...

So will I PD....

Once had dreams of a 200-400mm lens but I didn't keep up with my pushups.

[MikeS]

Back in 1969 the Marine Corps required 500 "meter" shots prone with the M14 which fires a 30 cal or 7.62mm round. This with iron sights! No scope! I understand that the range is now 500 yards with the M16, 223 caliber. Link

This link shows what happens when a 50 cal sniper round hits its' target. Warning this is gory!

[RJ]

Pink mist!

[Pagar]

"pride in the organization's
operations,"

Sounds to me like good Americans are alive because of their operations.

"Prince also described how his private air force (which he recently sold) bailed out a US military unit in trouble in Afghanistan."

Politically written ROEs kill Americans.

[Melinda Romanoff]

DoT-

That EU Times link loaded up my bot filters somethin' fierce.

Unless you have really, really strong anti-everything software, watch out for that one now. It was probably ok earlier, but the site
s totally corrupted now. Very Norky.

[JM Hanes]

DoT: "Just in the interest of full disclosure, I've missed plenty of shots from half that range."

Rob C: "I've missed plenty from 1/8th that range."

I've missed plenty.

[Pofarmer]

I'd put a Nikon Monarch up against about any scope up to 3 times the price. Almost bought a Vortex Viper. Have heard good things about them.

[PDinDetroit]

PDinDetroit - Has the de-urbanization in Detroit progressed enough to hunt deer downtown?

Naw, only in the outlying suburbs and only if the birkenstock liberals haven't already invaded. Unfortunately, it appears that LEO's are on the menu lately in the MurderCity. LUN

[PDinDetroit]

Not completely OT, we have had quite a bit of police presence at the Renaissance Center within the last 3 weeks, including daily sitings of the drug/bomb sniffing dog and his partner. They are definitely watching but have been very tight-lipped about what is going on...

[PDinDetroit]

MikeS - One of my favorite firearms is a newer-model Mini-14, just took one of them out to the Lapeer Gravel Pit last Saturday for a 100 rounds or so (Open Range). I just wish it fired the 7.62 NATO (.308) instead of .223/5.56 NATO.

I have so far resisted the urge to pick up a Springfield Armory M1A...

[Pofarmer]

. I just wish it fired the 7.62 NATO (.308) instead of .223/5.56 NATO.

I don't think you really want a .308 in that itty bitty frame. However, I've seen some AR-15's in 308, that, well, if I ever came across an extra $3,000 bucks or soooooo....................

[matt]

The kids down at the sniper school at Pendleton hunker down by the side of Basilone Road and fire at targets 1500 yards away. Up until a few years ago they were using the M-40, which is a Remington .30-06, but now they're getting more Barratts and M-48's.

The other sweet setup is the Knight's SR-28/M-110, which the Army and SEAL's are now using as a mid-caliber (.308) tool.

What gives me hope is that in observing the PLA a couple of years ago they were using some sort of hybrid rifle that just didn't look like it could get the job done. What was really. really scary is thay they do not use bunkers and berms. Some poor recruit stands up and holds the target on a stick over his head. I shit you not. I saw it.

[PDinDetroit]

However, I've seen some AR-15's in 308, that, well, if I ever came across an extra $3,000 bucks

DPMS makes a AR-15 type (AR-10) in .308 (LR-308) for under $1200. The Springfield Armory M1A is about $1500-$1700, and would be my preferred choice.

I am not recoil sensitive, so .308 in a semi-auto would be just fine by me (not interested in full-auto).

[daddy]

Thank you sbw for the kind words and the invite, which unfortunately I'll probably never get to take advantage of. I enjoyed banging out that phone-con, as the beer was very good last night. Hey to your son:)

[Rob Crawford]

One of my favorite firearms is a newer-model Mini-14, just took one of them out to the Lapeer Gravel Pit last Saturday for a 100 rounds or so (Open Range). I just wish it fired the 7.62 NATO (.308) instead of .223/5.56 NATO.

I just bought a Mini-14 -- the all-weather model. I've only had it out to the range once, long enough to learn that I hadn't gotten the scope anywhere NEAR zeroed and had left the borrowed bore sight at home. However, firing over the iron sights was fun and surprisingly accurate -- considering I hadn't fired a rifle in almost 25 years, and that had been a .22 LR.

You do know about the Mini 30, don't you? It's a Mini-14 chambered in .308. LUN for Ruger's page.

How's your experience with the accuracy? Their reputation -- mainly the older ones -- is for not being that accurate, but I figured I'd always be the biggest source of error with any gun, and I wanted the reliability.

[LUN for Der Spiegel's take on the climate wars.]

But I didn't shoot the deputy. I have reliable witnesses placing me a good mile and a half away.
=====================

[PDinDetroit]

RC - the Mini-14's that have serial numbers starting with 580-xxxxx (starting in 2005) and above were created after the retooling Ruger went through after numerous complaints. The barrels are also thicker, which may cause you issues with adding a flash-hider or muzzle-break to it.

With the retooling and thicker barrel, you should be between 1-2.5 MOA at 100 yards with good optics and decent ammo (if you do your part). The thicker barrel helps with the "stringing" effect that the thinner barrels had when heating up.

The mini-14 is great fun for plinking and would be my choice for a SHTF weapon (cheapest one is less than $700). I have 3 of them and the Ghost Ring Sights are very accurate for offhand shooting. I have fired 600-700 rounds at a single range outing and never had a FTF or FTE. The Mini-14 follows the design of the M-14 and has a self-cleaning piston block.

The Mini-30 actually fires the 7.62x39 (AK Soviet Round), which mimics the 30-30 in performance. The Mini-30 has not always been chambered properly for this round (it is actually .311 not .308). You could pick-up an SKS for far cheaper.

I would suggest the following if you are going to keep your mini-14:

1. Get a Brass Catcher. My mini-14's throw brass a helluva long way (25-40 feet). Your "range neighbors" will thank you. For your mini, I would get the E&L Model 102A which will hold approximately 3 20-round mags of brass (http://www.brasscatchers.com/store/brasscatcher.html).

2. Try different ammo to see what yours likes to "eat" the best. I was able to find Lake City Bulk (Federal) in 1000 round boxes for both .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO (55 grain FMJ). Yes, the mini-14 can handle BOTH!

3. Strip the Mini-14 down completely for a cleaning after purchase and a few rounds down the pipe. I have found that they have some residue from manufacturing and the oiling that is there does not last long. Mine seems to like Break Free CLP.

4. If you cannot get the accuracy to 1-2.5 MOA, pick up a Barrel Strut that connects to the barrel. The following site has some info on it: http://www.perfectunion.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=106

[Rob Crawford]

I did have a couple of FTEs. It's weird, I had bought some brand-name ammo at a local store, and that stuff had three(!) FTEs out of 30 rounds. The other rounds ejected real close, something I knew was not typical of the Mini. I also had some bulk reloads from Georgia Arms, and had no problems with that. I'm almost afraid to use the rest of the brand-name stuff.

I haven't tried 5.56 NATO in mine, yet. The ability to use both was one of the reasons I got it.

One thing I've done with all (three) of my guns is to strip and clean them BEFORE their first trip to the range. I want to make sure I *CAN* clean them, and I like to get off whatever packing grease they come with.

I'll take a look at the barrel strut. I bought this as a SHTF rifle, but I'd like to get into the range's varmint shooting contest for practice. Since that's all at 200 yards, I'll need all the help I can get for accuracy.

Thanks!

[PDinDetroit]

I did have a couple of FTEs. It's weird, I had bought some brand-name ammo at a local store, and that stuff had three(!) FTEs out of 30 rounds.

I have seen UMC .223 Remington (white/green box of 20, 55 Grain, L223R3) FTE's at times (bolt comes back and locks with the shell still in the extractor). It has been generally with a newer-model Wood Stock Mini-14 that had not been broken in yet (581 Series). If mine continues, I will be contacting Ruger for support.

You can contact me offline - PDinDetroit AT sbcglobal DOT net.

[MikeS]

I never had any sniper training but I do have an opinion regarding Martin Riggs' 1000 yard shot in high wind.

Most likely Riggs' rifle was a highly tuned Remington Model 700, firing either 30.36 or Win 308 rounds. Even though the 308 trajectory would have had about a 30 foot vertical drop over 1000 yards, every sniper and most gun enthusiasts would have made that shot in no wind. Sniper rounds are meticulously loaded for consistency. Each round in a box of ammo would reach 1000 yards within inches (vertically) of the others.

High winds are a much tougher problem for a sniper. High winds tend to be gusty. If the wind is coming from directly from the front or rear, it has almost no effect on the trajectory, gusty or not. A steady breeze, even at 90 degrees to the target, can be easily calculated. The problem is that the wind is seldom steady, and even if it is steady where you are it may not be steady 1000 yards away.

Here is one of the reasons they send snipers to kill snipers.
A sniper would likely move, or approach in the first place, so that he had to deal with a headwind or tailwind rather than a crosswind, making it a much easier shot. That's probably one of the reasons they use snipers to hunt snipers.

[Pete]

- 3 shoots 3 hits at that distance with .338LM

- Bullet thru his helmet a few weeks later and survived.

- Survived IED explosion with both arms broken a few weeks later

What a gigantic pile of horsesh*t...lol...