Top Sniper Rifles

[PredFan]

Here is my most recent result at 300 yards. I won't be qualifying as a sniper, but pleased with it.

Most of us won't come close to qualifying as a sniper. But that is very good shooting at 300 yards!

Thanks.

Remington 700 series bolt action 30-06 shooting from a bipod, with a good scope. Also I made every one of those 30-06 myself. 150 grain bullet 49 grains powder, carefully measured.

 

[WinterBorn]

Here is my most recent result at 300 yards. I won't be qualifying as a sniper, but pleased with it.

Most of us won't come close to qualifying as a sniper. But that is very good shooting at 300 yards!

Thanks.

Remington 700 series bolt action 30-06 shooting from a bipod, with a good scope. Also I made every one of those 30-06 myself. 150 grain bullet 49 grains powder, carefully measured.

A solid rifle and good ammo. A great combination.

 

[Vikrant]

That price is for the scope.........not the rifle. ........

Well, without a scope/lens, a sniper rifle is worth crap. You cannot even effectively see a target without a scope which is about 2000 meters away from you let alone hit it.

Obviously you don't shot.

Because if you did.......you wouldn't have made such an ignorant statement. ......

I have been shooting since I was 14. I personally do not consider a rifle sniper rile unless it has range of at least 2000 meters. That is 2 KM. Anytime you are shooting a target over 1 KM, you need a scope. It is a common sense. Stop being a troll and contribute something meaningful.

 

[WinterBorn]

That price is for the scope.........not the rifle. ........

Well, without a scope/lens, a sniper rifle is worth crap. You cannot even effectively see a target without a scope which is about 2000 meters away from you let alone hit it.

Obviously you don't shot.

Because if you did.......you wouldn't have made such an ignorant statement. ......

I have been shooting since I was 14. I personally do not consider a rifle sniper rile unless it has range of at least 2000 meters. That is 2 KM. Anytime you are shooting a target over 1 KM, you need a scope. It is a common sense. Stop being a troll and contribute something meaningful.

With all due respect, 2000 meters is just under 1.25 miles. While 1 miles shots are made, they are not common. The range of the rifle is all well and good, but negating anything that will not do a 1 mile shot is kind of odd.

The rifle used by Carlos Hathcock would not fit your definition.

 

[Sunni Man]

Simo Häyhä was a Finnish sniper during WWll who was nicknamed the "White Death".

He holds the record for the highest number of confirmed kills of any major war .....505

Simo refused to use a scope because it forced the sniper raise his head in order to see thru the scope.

So consequently, all of his 505 kill shots on Soviet soldiers were with iron sights. .....

Simo H yh - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

 

[Vikrant]

Simo Häyhä was a Finnish sniper during WWll who was nicknamed the "White Death".

He holds the record for the highest number of confirmed kills of any major war .....505

Simo refused to use a scope because it forced the sniper raise his head in order to see thru the scope.

So consequently, all of his 505 kill shots on Soviet soldiers were with iron sights. .....

Simo H yh - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

During WWII, lots of action took place in urban areas where the cities were turned into rubles. These rubles provided excellent hiding spots to snipers that were carrying out resistance against occupying forces. The distances involved were not much. So it was quite possible to do sniping without scope.

 

[Vikrant]

That price is for the scope.........not the rifle. ........

Well, without a scope/lens, a sniper rifle is worth crap. You cannot even effectively see a target without a scope which is about 2000 meters away from you let alone hit it.

Obviously you don't shot.

Because if you did.......you wouldn't have made such an ignorant statement. ......

I have been shooting since I was 14. I personally do not consider a rifle sniper rile unless it has range of at least 2000 meters. That is 2 KM. Anytime you are shooting a target over 1 KM, you need a scope. It is a common sense. Stop being a troll and contribute something meaningful.

With all due respect, 2000 meters is just under 1.25 miles. While 1 miles shots are made, they are not common. The range of the rifle is all well and good, but negating anything that will not do a 1 mile shot is kind of odd.

The rifle used by Carlos Hathcock would not fit your definition.

The first rifle I learned to shoot was .303 bolt action that held a magazine of 10 rounds. It was a powerful rifle. I still remember the jolt it gave my shoulders. It had an effective range of 503 meters. The maximum range of the rifle was over 2700 meters. It was a pretty decent range but I never considered that to be sniping range. Snipers usually work in a team of two. They enter the perimeter of the enemy. They take the high value target out and then they get out before they are caught. To be able to escape alive, they need a safe distance between them and the enemy. That is what my common sense tells me.

 

[WinterBorn]

Simo Häyhä was a Finnish sniper during WWll who was nicknamed the "White Death".

He holds the record for the highest number of confirmed kills of any major war .....505

Simo refused to use a scope because it forced the sniper raise his head in order to see thru the scope.

So consequently, all of his 505 kill shots on Soviet soldiers were with iron sights. .....

Simo H yh - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

During WWII, lots of action took place in urban areas where the cities were turned into rubles. These rubles provided excellent hiding spots to snipers that were carrying out resistance against occupying forces. The distances involved were not much. So it was quite possible to do sniping without scope.

Simo Häyhä did most of his sniping outside urban areas. He used the snow and wilderness to hide.

Being a true sniper is only partly about being a great shot. It is equally about being able to remain unseen by the enemy.

The recent years of fighting in the middle east have made the long shots famous. Carlos hathcock spent 4 days and 3 nights crawlingthru 1,500 yards of open field. The enemy troops almost stepped on him several times. When he killed the NVA general, he had to crawl back out while the enemy troops searched for him. Feats like Hathcock's and Hayha's are what snipers do.

 

[WinterBorn]

That price is for the scope.........not the rifle. ........

Well, without a scope/lens, a sniper rifle is worth crap. You cannot even effectively see a target without a scope which is about 2000 meters away from you let alone hit it.

Obviously you don't shot.

Because if you did.......you wouldn't have made such an ignorant statement. ......

I have been shooting since I was 14. I personally do not consider a rifle sniper rile unless it has range of at least 2000 meters. That is 2 KM. Anytime you are shooting a target over 1 KM, you need a scope. It is a common sense. Stop being a troll and contribute something meaningful.

With all due respect, 2000 meters is just under 1.25 miles. While 1 miles shots are made, they are not common. The range of the rifle is all well and good, but negating anything that will not do a 1 mile shot is kind of odd.

The rifle used by Carlos Hathcock would not fit your definition.

The first rifle I learned to shoot was .303 bolt action that held a magazine of 10 rounds. It was a powerful rifle. I still remember the jolt it gave my shoulders. It had an effective range of 503 meters. The maximum range of the rifle was over 2700 meters. It was a pretty decent range but I never considered that to be sniping range. Snipers usually work in a team of two. They enter the perimeter of the enemy. They take the high value target out and then they get out before they are caught. To be able to escape alive, they need a safe distance between them and the enemy. That is what my common sense tells me.

Or they need exception skills at camoflage and evasion.

 

[Vikrant]

Simo Häyhä was a Finnish sniper during WWll who was nicknamed the "White Death".

He holds the record for the highest number of confirmed kills of any major war .....505

Simo refused to use a scope because it forced the sniper raise his head in order to see thru the scope.

So consequently, all of his 505 kill shots on Soviet soldiers were with iron sights. .....

Simo H yh - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

During WWII, lots of action took place in urban areas where the cities were turned into rubles. These rubles provided excellent hiding spots to snipers that were carrying out resistance against occupying forces. The distances involved were not much. So it was quite possible to do sniping without scope.

Simo Häyhä did most of his sniping outside urban areas. He used the snow and wilderness to hide.

Being a true sniper is only partly about being a great shot. It is equally about being able to remain unseen by the enemy.

The recent years of fighting in the middle east have made the long shots famous. Carlos hathcock spent 4 days and 3 nights crawlingthru 1,500 yards of open field. The enemy troops almost stepped on him several times. When he killed the NVA general, he had to crawl back out while the enemy troops searched for him. Feats like Hathcock's and Hayha's are what snipers do.

In my assessment, the most successful sniping campaign was carried out by Soviet resistance against German occupation. The success mainly came from snipers' ability to hide in the rubles that was created by indiscriminate German bombing. Snipers' ability to take shots even from a close range and then disappear among the ruble created a nightmare for Germans.

 

[Vikrant]

Well, without a scope/lens, a sniper rifle is worth crap. You cannot even effectively see a target without a scope which is about 2000 meters away from you let alone hit it.

Obviously you don't shot.

Because if you did.......you wouldn't have made such an ignorant statement. ......

I have been shooting since I was 14. I personally do not consider a rifle sniper rile unless it has range of at least 2000 meters. That is 2 KM. Anytime you are shooting a target over 1 KM, you need a scope. It is a common sense. Stop being a troll and contribute something meaningful.

With all due respect, 2000 meters is just under 1.25 miles. While 1 miles shots are made, they are not common. The range of the rifle is all well and good, but negating anything that will not do a 1 mile shot is kind of odd.

The rifle used by Carlos Hathcock would not fit your definition.

The first rifle I learned to shoot was .303 bolt action that held a magazine of 10 rounds. It was a powerful rifle. I still remember the jolt it gave my shoulders. It had an effective range of 503 meters. The maximum range of the rifle was over 2700 meters. It was a pretty decent range but I never considered that to be sniping range. Snipers usually work in a team of two. They enter the perimeter of the enemy. They take the high value target out and then they get out before they are caught. To be able to escape alive, they need a safe distance between them and the enemy. That is what my common sense tells me.

Or they need exception skills at camoflage and evasion.

You will still need distance as cushion even if you are sniping in a rubble or mountainous terrain. The amount of distance you need depends on the terrain. Let us take an example of Afghanistan. This war was known for creating lots new world records in sniping as far as the distance is concerned. This tells you about the importance of distance even in a terrain like Afghanistan where you could easily evade. When you are sniping against guerrilla forces, you want to maintain your distance because they can be quite mobile.

 

[Sunni Man]

Calling soldiers who specialize in 2,000+ meter shots a "sniper" is really a misnomer.

In reality, they are technology based "marksmen" who excel in only one area of the snipers craft. ......

 

[Vikrant]

Calling soldiers who specialize in 2,000+ meter shots a "sniper" is really a misnomer.

In reality, they are technology based "marksmen" who excel in only one area of the snipers craft. ......

Modern warfare requires modern soldiers. It is the technology which distinguishes a modern soldier. Even the drone pilots are soldiers because their base could get hit.

 

[WinterBorn]

Calling soldiers who specialize in 2,000+ meter shots a "sniper" is really a misnomer.

In reality, they are technology based "marksmen" who excel in only one area of the snipers craft. ......

Modern warfare requires modern soldiers. It is the technology which distinguishes a modern soldier. Even the drone pilots are soldiers because their base could get hit.

But to limit sniper rifles only to those capable of accurate shots in excess of 1 mile is not an advantage, imho.

 

[Vikrant]

Calling soldiers who specialize in 2,000+ meter shots a "sniper" is really a misnomer.

In reality, they are technology based "marksmen" who excel in only one area of the snipers craft. ......

Modern warfare requires modern soldiers. It is the technology which distinguishes a modern soldier. Even the drone pilots are soldiers because their base could get hit.

But to limit sniper rifles only to those capable of accurate shots in excess of 1 mile is not an advantage, imho.

In a war you need all kinds of weapons to give you an edge. That is not being disputed here. In an urban warfare, technically speaking, you can hide in an alley and possibly take out a target with a 9mm Glock. According to dictionary, that would be sniping. There is no hard fast rule in a war. You have to do what you have to do. But, you also have to categorize weapons too - especially if they require special training. In order to categorize a weapon, you have to assign specific attributes to it that will define qualifying criteria on that weapon. Once you look at a sniper rifle within this context then it is not hard to understand why range becomes an important defining characteristics.

 

[WinterBorn]

Calling soldiers who specialize in 2,000+ meter shots a "sniper" is really a misnomer.

In reality, they are technology based "marksmen" who excel in only one area of the snipers craft. ......

Modern warfare requires modern soldiers. It is the technology which distinguishes a modern soldier. Even the drone pilots are soldiers because their base could get hit.

But to limit sniper rifles only to those capable of accurate shots in excess of 1 mile is not an advantage, imho.

In a war you need all kinds of weapons to give you an edge. That is not being disputed here. In an urban warfare, technically speaking, you can hide in an alley and possibly take out a target with a 9mm Glock. According to dictionary, that would be sniping. There is no hard fast rule in a war. You have to do what you have to do. But, you also have to categorize weapons too - especially if they require special training. In order to categorize a weapon, you have to assign specific attributes to it that will define qualifying criteria on that weapon. Once you look at a sniper rifle within this context then it is not hard to understand why range becomes an important defining characteristics.

Indeed, it needs to have a good range. But over a mile?

If you look at a list of the longest distance confirmed kills for snipers, at #8 is CPO Chris Kyle for a 1,920 meter shot. So 7 snipers have recorded kills at 2,000 meters or more. At #14 on that list is a SSgt that made a 1,250 meter shot with a bolt action in 7.62x51mm (.308NATO). So, while a 2,000 meter shot may happen every once in a while, they are still rare. If a rifle will handle it's work at 1,000 meters it should suffice for all but the most extreme situations and in the hands of only the finest.

Longest recorded sniper kills - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

 

[WinterBorn]

Most people think of the Barrett 50 when they think of mile long shots. And that rifle WILL make the shots. But it is an extremely specialized piece of equipment. And the 50 cal cartridge was actually designed to take out equipment and vehicles, not individuals. The rifle weighs 30+ pounds empty, and it is almost 5 feet long. And even that rifle is rated with an effective range of 1,800 meters.

 

[westwall]

That price is for the scope.........not the rifle. ........

Well, without a scope/lens, a sniper rifle is worth crap. You cannot even effectively see a target without a scope which is about 2000 meters away from you let alone hit it.

Obviously you don't shot.

Because if you did.......you wouldn't have made such an ignorant statement. ......

I have been shooting since I was 14. I personally do not consider a rifle sniper rile unless it has range of at least 2000 meters. That is 2 KM. Anytime you are shooting a target over 1 KM, you need a scope. It is a common sense. Stop being a troll and contribute something meaningful.

A "sniper rifle" is one that is built for the maximum accuracy with a cold shot, usually for the military or law enforcement, but not exclusively. When I attended the Thunder Ranch Precision Rifle class back in the day there were a few civilians scattered amongst the military and SWAT personnel. And range doesn't matter. Most people can't afford a rifle that can shoot accurately to one kilometer much less two so your qualifier of limiting it to rifles with that capability flies in the face of reason. Carlos Hathcock used a very good sniper rifle that could hit accurately to around 1.2 clicks. You going to tell HIM it wasn't?

 

[jon_berzerk]

That price is for the scope.........not the rifle. ........

Well, without a scope/lens, a sniper rifle is worth crap. You cannot even effectively see a target without a scope which is about 2000 meters away from you let alone hit it.

Obviously you don't shot.

Because if you did.......you wouldn't have made such an ignorant statement. ......

I have been shooting since I was 14. I personally do not consider a rifle sniper rile unless it has range of at least 2000 meters. That is 2 KM. Anytime you are shooting a target over 1 KM, you need a scope. It is a common sense. Stop being a troll and contribute something meaningful.

1500 meters when fired from a supported non-benchrest position

 

[westwall]

Most people think of the Barrett 50 when they think of mile long shots. And that rifle WILL make the shots. But it is an extremely specialized piece of equipment. And the 50 cal cartridge was actually designed to take out equipment and vehicles, not individuals. The rifle weighs 30+ pounds empty, and it is almost 5 feet long. And even that rifle is rated with an effective range of 1,800 meters.

Actually the Barrett is not capable of hitting at person at over one kilometer regularly. It's not accurate enough. And, hitting a person at that range also requires luck and the target not moving between shots. The CEP (circular error probability) of the projectile at those ranges is great enough that the majority of the shots will miss. The accuracy of a goo .50 cal is 1/2 MOA (minute of angle) that means the group size at one thousand yards is 5 inches. Ten inches at two thousand yards etc. If the target is laying down the projectile has a narrow angle where it can hit. All of that makes those types of shots exceedingly difficult.