Afstan: Brits finally get world sniping record from Canadians

Earlier:

It would seem the sniping record still stands

Now:

Hotshot sniper in one-and-a-half mile double kill

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 shooting — which took place while Harrison’s colleagues came under attack — was at such extreme range that the 8.59mm bullets took almost three seconds to reach their target after leaving the barrel of the rifle at almost three times the speed of sound.

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...

The rifle (ammo here):

...

L115A3 Rifle Parts

1. S&B 5-25x56 Day Scope
   Magnifies target up to 25 times allowing the sniper to identify targets more easily.
2. Folding Stock
   Reduces the length of the weapon when being carried in a backpack
3. Adjustable Cheek Piece
   Allows the sniper to comfortably align his eye with the day scope
4. Suppressor
   Reduces the flash and noise signature, reducing the chances of detection and thus increasing the survivability of the sniper
5. Adjustable Bi-pod
   Allows the sniper to support the rifle in a set position while locating the target
6. 5-round Magazine
   Allows the sniper to fire 5 rounds rapidly while being small enough not to interfere with the alignment

Calibre	8.59 mm
Weight	6.8 kg
Length	1,300 mm
Muzzle velocity	936 m/s
Feed	5-round box
Effective range	1,100 m plus

Via Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs.