the 50 bmg they are using is a mcmillan tac 50. an excellent weapon.

cold zero

Do any of you guys know what kind of rifles and calibers are used by US snipers out in Iraq and also what kind of distances they are good for? Don't wish to sound bloodthirsty here but I'd like to find out a little more.
Regards

I believe they are using the M24 (7.62mm Nato) and the M82A1 (.50 MG) aka the Barrett light .50. Capabilities of both weapons systems extend to the limits of the cartridges for which they are chambered. If there are other weapons systems they are using in the sniper role I imagine it is one of the M16 variants. Just about every Marine and soldier I've seen has some sort of optical sight mounted (many are private purchase).

Yeah Hobie,
I have noticed a lot of troops with some scope or reddot sight mounted on their M 16s, in photos or in the news films on TV at night.

I was thinking back when I hauled an M16 around when I was a guest of Uncle Sam. if I had to haul that baby into combat a reddot sight would look like a pretty cheap investment.

Now if they would just arm them with a cartridge with a little more ooomph on target. I always thought the M 16 with a 223 case necked to take a 90 grain or so 25 caliber slug.

As a varmint shooter I am glad that the 223 exists. If I would have had to carry a 22 caliber into combat, I would have wanted just a little bit more bullet weight to rely on than the 22 caliber 223s offer. But I missed crossing that bridge by the grace of God.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

throw in an odd M-14 here and there for a DM rifle

Swiss, yes definately Swiss Snipper rifles

The M-40A3 is the new general purpose reach-out-and-wax-um weapon for the Marines. It is chambered in the 7.62X51mm and sports a 24", 1:12, 5 grove bore. This replaces the A1.

When I was up at Quanitico a year or so ago, one of the guys was complaining that AR10ts were just about unavailable. According to him the Corps was buying them as fast as they could be made!!!!
Jim

I'm not sure which branch of the service or if it's more than one but I saw a show on the tube last year. The men involved were practicing on a range and all were shooting the 300 win mag round.

go to gettyimages.com and type in Fallujah or sniper, and you'll find a ton of pictures. I was trying to link some here but I couldn't get it to work.