A world-record shot by a Canadian sniper detachment could never have been made with the ammunition they were issued when they left Edmonton last winter, the triggerman said in a recent interview.

The Canadian .50-calibre rounds have a maximum range of between 2,200 and 2,300 metres. The U.S. rounds, they discovered, "fly farther, faster," said Cpl. "Bill", a 26-year-old native of Fogo Island, Nfld.

The two-man Canadian team, coupled with American Sgt. Zevon Durham of Greenville, S.C., made the kill from 2,430 metres on the second shot.

The first blew a bag from the hand of their target, an al-Qaeda fighter walking on a road.

"He didn't even flinch," said Bill, who spoke to The Canadian Press on condition that his real name not be used.

"We made a correction and the next round hit exactly where we wanted it to. Well, a bit to the right."

The kill, one of more than 20 unofficially accredited to Canadian snipers during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan's Shah-i-Kot Valley, beat the 35-year-old record of 2,500 yards, or 2,250 metres, set by U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Hathcock in Duc Pho, South Vietnam

-- (tomahak@cmil.com), January 19, 2004

Answers

P,

I do not believe that you are correct concerning the Hathcock shot, with regards to it being a one shot kill. I believe the accounts of the engagement state that the first shot disabled a bicycle that the target was using and that the second shot was the one that killed him. If I am incorrect I am happy to admit it, but I believe that is how it went down. I do agree however that the Hathcock shot is still somewhat more impressive, considering the weapon[M-2 HBMG] with an 8x Unertl scope. I am not taking anything away from the Canadian, but he was using a McMillan rifle with a Leupold 16x scope dedicated to the task of long range target interdiction. My hat's off to any man making any 1000+ metre shot in combat, I'm sure that the gunny and the newfie would ahave a lot to talk about.

Sincerely,

Brad A. Best

-- Brad A. Best (ianson65@hotmail.com), April 09, 2004.

Both are great shots, but even Carlos Hathcock admitted that his kill was pure luck. He had no idea where the round was going to go after the bullet fell below mach number. I'm not here to criticize, just figured I'd mention it.

-- Brad Kelsey (CF_18_Hornet_29@hotmail.com), February 13, 2004.

Hell of a shot, but Gunny Hathcock made his kill with the first round just below the chin of the VC in question, with worse equipment than the canadiens. (M2 with a field mounted scope)

-- P (na@nope.na), January 23, 2004.