SIGforum.com Main Page Mason's Rifle Room "Special Operations Command is looking at a new 6.5 mm round for its sniper rifle"
Main Page Mason's Rifle Room "Special Operations Command is looking at a new 6.5 mm round for its sniper rifle"Page 1 2
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The last direct contact I had with a sniper was 3-4 years ago, when a just-retired Ranger sniper instructed a couple of Rifles Only precision rifle courses in Colorado. The Ranger used a KAC SR-25 in 308 and his observer partner used a Remington bolt action 300WM. IIRC from his book describing his time in the sandbox, the Ranger had 38-ish confirmed with the SR-25 and his partner had 25-ish confirmed with the bolt action. IMO the Ranger was one of the finest marksman I've ever seen. Few people can shoot more precisely than Jacob Bynum (owner of Rifles Only) and this Ranger is one of them. The Ranger was just getting acquainted with 6.5 chamberings (Creedmoor, Lapua, Remy) that year, mainly from students in precision rifle courses. He was a ballistics wiz -- had tables for 308, 300WM, and 338LM pretty much in his head for their effective distances. In a couple of the evening "hydration sessions" the Ranger noted that his field effectiveness would likely have improved slightly with the SR-25 if he were using one of the 6.5 chamberings instead of his 308. The reasons included less wind drift, less drop, and greater kinetic energy beyond 400-ish yards. He described how many of the targets he engaged were partially covered, say behind low walls and berms. Which means head shots and partial torsos were common, at distances of 400-600 yards. Evidently a number of his missions were to provide oversight for marines entering villages. The Ranger preferred positions 400 yards out from potential targets -- in his opinion that keep him relatively safe from the AK-47s that would be returning fire, once the Ranger team began firing. In his opinion, the SR-25 in 308 was effective in his sniper role to roughly 750 yards, against targets without armor. He did note that he still liked his partner having the 300WM for more distant targets, and for targets that needed a little more oomph. | |||
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Ride the lightning |
Good story, and I do not doubt it. 7.62 has put a lot of people down for the count. .300 and up also comes with the drawbacks of increased system and ammunition weight, increased recoil, and increased noise, although two of those things are mitigated with a good suppressor. | |||
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I just remembered the Ranger's name -- Nick Irving. My memory was a bit off, as the webz says 33 confirmed while deployed as a sniper. Nick stated his partner used a can on the 300WM. But one time the can wasn't on the 300WM and Nick wasn't wearing ear pro. Evidently there was some colorful language exchanged afterwards. | |||
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| Ride the lightning |
Ouch. Been there. My dad touched off a braked .300 WBY twice right next to me, no ear pro, while hunting. That was uncomfortable. Still not as bad as some stuff from deployment, though. Damnit, now I can hear my ears ringing again... | |||
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Energy and shot placement are what kill people. The 6.5mm rounds have less drop and less windage than .308 at any range (and get to the target faster), so shot placement is easier. Depending on the specific loads, the 6.5mm rounds have more energy than .308 past 300-400 yards. Then, also, there's the fact that the supersonic-to-subsonic transition often royally screws up accuracy. Long range .308 loads usually hit the transition around 1000 yards. The 6.5mm cartridges make it to 1400-1600.
The 6.5mm cartridges' advantages over .308 are pretty significant. Ballistically, the 6.5mm cartridges can't compete with .300 Win Mag or .338 Lapua. But .300 Win Mag takes a heavier rifle and has heavier ammunition than .308 or the 6.5mm cartridges, and .338 Lapua takes a heavier rifle and has heavier ammunition than .300 Win Mag. There's a big jump in recoil with each step up, too. The military seems to think there's a place for a lighter platform like .308. Going from .308 to a 6.5mm expands the conditions in which the lighter rifle is enough.
According to this page ( https://www.americanrifleman.o...tnam-to-afghanistan/ ) the military uses a 220 SMK at 2850 fps for their .300 Win Mag sniper rifles. With that combination, the drop from 500 yards to 700 yards is a little over five feet. You can't just pull the trigger and expect a hit. | |||
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Obviously you think too small ... you can always get another 80 Mil to get another bunch of brand new rifles (tax payers). Why they didn't see the writing on the wall 4 years ago that the 7.62 is a dated cartridge is the question and why didn't they look at improving it then? If you really want something you'll find a way ... ... if you don't you'll find an excuse. I'm really not a "kid" anymore ... but I haven't grown up yet either  | |||
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SIGforum.com Main Page Mason's Rifle Room "Special Operations Command is looking at a new 6.5 mm round for its sniper rifle"
Main Page Mason's Rifle Room "Special Operations Command is looking at a new 6.5 mm round for its sniper rifle"© SIGforum 2024