Super Snipers to Target Terrorists
14 April Daily Mail - The Super Snipers Who Will Target Terrorists ... From Three-quarters of a Mile by Christopher Leake and with a Hat Tip to Council member Merv Benson at his Prairie Pundit blog.
Quote:
The [British] Army is creating a new breed of super-sniper to take on insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan who use innocent women and children for cover.
Until recently the Army's regiments had an average of just four snipers each and they were taught the basics of their role within their units.
But now senior officers have decided to double the number of snipers - and to train them to a far higher standard on an intensive eight-week course at the Army's weapons training ground in Brecon, Mid Wales, where they will learn the kind of advanced skills previously limited to units such as the SAS.
To complete their transformation into super-snipers, they will be trained to use a devastating new weapon - the British-made L115A1 rifle which can bring down an enemy target nearly three-quarters of a mile away with remarkable accuracy.
Army insiders say its great advantage is that snipers will be able to kill with a single shot, avoiding the "collateral damage" of hitting innocent bystanders.
Although the L115A1 will not officially be used by regular soldiers until next year, Army sources admitted last night that a small number would probably be trialled in the two war zones in the next few months...
I may end up ruffling some feathers when I say
we (both Americans and Canadians) have some excellent .338 rounds and rifles that bring down grizzlies at 500 yards.
I have nothing against our forces getting the best available, however...
Exactly why do we need to buy a weapon system from another country ?
The 338 Ultra, A poor man's Lapua: Check out any hunting magazine or American Rifleman's latest. The Lapua requires lots of modification to work in a Remington action and that means high cost. The Ultra round is a factory available chambering and requires no modification to the Remington. These can be built for almost the same cost as a .308 sniper rifle.
The British Army says:
http://home.swipnet.se/longrange/british_army_338.htm
Quote:
“It had to convince us that it had a 70 per cent chance of hitting the frontal aspect of a Land Rover at 1,500m – that’s seven out of ten shots on target – and it will. And there’s enough energy in the round to do disabling damage at that range.”
I have to admit, I have never shot a Land Rover at 1,500 meters :cool:
Sorry, but smells of politics to me :mad: