Longest Confirmed Kill - US Army Sniper
Army sniper Staff Sergeant Jim Gilliland, who has an estimated 55 to 65 kills in less than five months, has set a new record for the longest confirmed kill in Iraq at over three-quarters of a mile. 1 down, 1 billion to go. Of course, if all the Muslims in Europe and America were to kindly get out, it would make it easier for us to get rid of all of Islam. Here's his story:
UK Telegraph,
Sniper shot that took out an insurgent killer from three quarters of a mileRAMADI, Iraq -- Gazing through the telescopic sight of his M-24 rifle, Army Staff Sgt. Jim Gilliland, leader of Shadow sniper team, fixed his eye on the Iraqi insurgent who had just killed an American soldier.
His quarry stood nonchalantly in the fourth-floor bay window of a hospital in battle-torn Ramadi, still clasping a long-barreled Kalashnikov. Instinctively allowing for wind speed and bullet drop, Shadow's commander aimed 12 feet high.
A single shot hit the Iraqi in the chest and killed him instantly. It had been fired from a range of more than three-quarters of a mile, well beyond the capacity of the powerful Leupold sight, accurate to 3,300 feet.
'I believe it is the longest confirmed kill in Iraq with a 7.62mm rifle,' said Sgt. Gilliland, 28, who hunted squirrels in Double Springs, Ala., from the age of 5 before progressing to deer -- and then to insurgents and terrorists.
'He was visible only from the waist up. It was a one-in-a-million shot. I could probably shoot a whole box of ammunition and never hit him again.'
Gilliland is certainly being too modest.
Related:
The Sniper Eye (now Defunct Blog),
Life in Iraq - As a US Army Sniper"It was a hot summer day and the sun was starting to come down when we were walking in a wedge formation through the city, exfilling back to the FOB. My teammates and I were exhausted and dripping sweat but none the less we were focused and alert.
The city was quiet, unusually quiet.
Suddenly from behind a dumpster enclosure popped up an insurgent with a red Haji-wrap over his face and an AK47. “Bratttttttttttttttt!” His AK sprayed at us. We knelt down on the hot pavement and returned fire. But, he ducked back behind the wall first."
Blackfive, Marine Sniper takes out Insurgent Sniper
Marine snipers from 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment shot and killed an insurgent sniper and spotter preparing to shoot at passing Marines, June 16. And the insurgents were going to use a stolen Marine sniper rifle for the attack.
That rifle – an M-40A1 – belonged to the "Magnificent Bastards” of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, a battalion within the Regimental Combat Team 5 family. It was taken by insurgents when a team of four Marines were killed in a rooftop outpost June 21, 2004, in Ramadi.
Update - 13 Feb 2010:
Caveat: Please be advised that Gilland holds the record for the longest sniper shot recorded for a 7.62mm rifle in Iraq. This means there could be a longer shot for a 7.62mm outside of Iraq. For completeness I should mention that the longest sniper shot by US military was taken by Sgt Brian Kremer of the US Army's 2nd Ranger battalion in 2004 Iraq (2,340 meters).
The record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in combat by anyone is held by Rob Furlong, a former corporal of the Canadian Forces at 2,430 metres.
Update - 6 May 2010:
The World`s Longest Sniper Kill at 8120 Feet
