Longest kill shot by a Canadian Sniper

Last week a Canadian elite Joint Task Force 2 special operations unit sniper made the longest confirmed kill shot on record at 3, 540 meters. That's 11,614 feet. The sniper rifle used for the shot was the McMillan TAC-50 shown above. We often think of a sniper as a single soldier but it actually consists of a team, a sniper and a spotter. The shot was taken in Iraq as part of Canada's ground training and assistance program. The identity, location, and situation surrounding the shot remains classified.

To the uninitiated the previous record was held by a British sniper, Craig Harrison, at 2, 430 meters while deployed in Afghanistan. That's 7,973 feet. Not only did the Canadian soldier beat this record but blew it out of the water (pun intended). It may be a long time before anyone breaks this record.

When making a shot at such long distance, many factors come into play: Distance to target, wind, variations in wind direction over distance, the curvature of the earth, the torque of the rifled bullet as it passes from the rifle to the target, temperature, and how much the bullet will sink to the ground over the distance. With so many factors at play, it takes amazing skill, focus, and training to pull off a shot at this distance. In this case, the bullet took 10 seconds to reach it's target. That's a long time when you consider the the speed these sniper bullets travel.

As Canadians, we don't pride ourselves in the size and might of our armed forces, but in the skill they bring to the table. The Canadian CF18 pilots are world renowned as the best dog fighters in the world.

Hat's off to this unknown soldier in Iraq for the skill and dedication in service to your country with unparalleled professionalism. We have one less Isis fighter to worry about.