Did you know, three of the five world records for the longest army sniper shots were set by Canadians? One of those famed shots was made in 2017. An on-duty Canadian serviceman pulled the trigger on the longest hit ever recorded in human history, with a 3,871 yard shot. That’s equal to just over six CN Towers laid end-to-end!
Watch the video below or keep reading to learn the three factors behind that groundbreaking long shot.
1. Equipment
First thing’s first. You need the right tools for the job. In all of Canada’s records, those tools were a combo of the McMillian Tac-50 sniper rifle paired with a Hornady A-MAX .50 BMG — travelling at roughly 1,274 KM/hr, which is actually faster than a jet plane. Even at that speed, the bullet still took close to ten seconds to reach its target.
2. Environment
Wind, humidity, and elevation are all major factors that have to be taken into consideration. Any long range target shooter (or hunter) knows just how much bullet deflection the wind can cause. And when you’re making a 3,871 yard shot, it can be a lot!
Also in a long distance sniper shot, even the air’s molecule density can affect a bullet’s trajectory. Did you know that higher humidity might make the air feel more dense, but it’s actually thinner?
Lastly, you can’t believe the earth is flat and be a sniper shooter at the same time. That’s because of the Coriolis Effect — the phenomenon that the earth’s rotation can influence the accuracy of your shot. Essentially moving the target towards or away as your bullet heads towards it. And long-distance shooters need to know how to make the proper adjustments. Wanna learn more? Check out our video about the 3 Nerdy Insights of Long Distance Shooting.
3. Biology
Your adrenaline is running. Your heart is racing. And you’re breathing fast. All aspects you need to control, if you’re going to make a shot at this distance. At long distance, even the slightest jerk when pulling the trigger will mean a missed shot. An absolute zen like state is mandatory. So just take a deep breath, and squeeze.
Interested in becoming a skilled long-range shooter? Well, it’s going to take time and a whole lot of practice to master all the ins and outs, as well as understand the factors to make these types of shots. Especially when it comes to world record distances.
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