Rifle maximum range

[John Kettler]

For decades on the Forums, we have seen discussions rage about effective range vs maximum range for rifles with iron sights. As luck would have it, FB served me a tasty info plum, in the form of a guy who, using hand-loaded ammo and high ballistic coefficient bullets, hit a full size buffalo silhouette metal target from an astronomic 2.24 statute miles. This wasn't any sort of one shot, one kill situation. Quite the contrary. But it does show what can be done, and had there been a rifle squad standing in the area, several people would almost certainly have been hit, with bullets arriving sans any supersonic popping sounds because they were only going about 700 fps. The only clue, until the firing report eventually was heard (if it could be heard under the battlefield conditions, wind, etc., would've been a dust puff, splat sound in mud or a ricochet off something hard. Am not arguing this should be incorporated into CM, just that it gives a whole new level of meaning to those warnings on ammo boxes. The ammo used was more like sniper ammo, and the iron sights fitted were modern ones on an old Swiss 6.5 mm rifle. It may look like he's shooting from a bench rest, but the man is crippled in the right arm. He is supporting the front of the rifle with his left hand, while the apparatus, known as the Lead Sled, substitutes for being able to hold the rifle butt to his shoulder.

https://www.fieldandstream.com/guns/world-record-open-sight-rifle-shot/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR009vYkcGdmeHUlCwLmpBhnpM_msv2QnYH9XD5m96y89A9XCypIROZzGfY
 

Regards,

John Kettler

 

Edited October 20, 2021 by John Kettler