Are snipers and recon still valid in infantry battalions?

[kaur]

Fuch mentioned silenced Russian rifle - i remembered killing of Dagestan interior minister with silenced rifle - i remembered killing of US soldiers in Iraqi urban check points - John West has written book about those kind of action and this is called "Art of urban sniping". This book and everyday life in some violent urban centers has spoiled one more time the definition of sniper. In western sniper community the sniper is man who can achieve 1st shot hits in very long distance. In Iraq the distance is sometimes 50 meters. This difference is very well covered by Greg Roberts in the article "Insurgency sniping" in "Combat and Survival" magasine. This fact makes me come back to Spicers definition:

Sniping is the employment of individual shooters from concealed positions with no warning, from any distance, depending on the range of the weapon. This is not to say, of course , that to maximize the chances of sniper surviving to fight again, the longer the distance between him and the victim the better. Conversely, if the sniper is able to conceal himself and endage successfully at close range, then that is also sniping.

If we talk about such short distances, then every scout can be sniper. Here couple German snipers talk about distances during II WW.

6. What was the range of the furthest target you ever fired at, and what kind of target, size?

A. About 1,000 meters. Standing soldier. Positive hitting not possible, but necessary under the circumstances in order to show enemy that he is not safe even at that distance! Or superior wanted to satisfy himself about capability.

B. 400 to 700 meters.

C. About 600 meters, rarely more. I usually waited until target approached further for better chance of hitting. Also confirmation of successful hit was easier. Used G43 only to about 500 meters because of poor ballistics.

http://www.snipersparadise.com/history/german.htm

I speculate that for average scout those distances are not hard to achive. Today the sniper community is pushing the distance limits via what they define their professional skills. When Canadians achieved record shot in Afgansitan, then everyone is trying to copy this (German spotting scopes, Swiss range finders, expencive rifles etc). For average scout this is too much. In Afganistan with huge terrain with open fields of fire, this need is understood, but in a lot of other places?

This is nice article by Michael Haugen that talks about calibres and distances.

http://www.remingtonmilitary.com/art...02005.05MH.pdf