Ukrainian Sniper Breaks Cover to Claim World-Record Hit of More Than 2 Miles

[wew3]

The story does not state the caliber, but I'm assuming it's a 50. Appears to be a much larger case that the 50 BMG - I'm supposing that's what is shown in the side-by-side picture. Here's the description of the gun and some pictures.


Kovalskiy says that online critics are incorrectly basing many of their calculations on the type of bullet used by the record-setting Canadian sniper.

A round is made of the actual projectile that hits a target and the casing that contains the explosive material that takes it there. Kovalskiy’s round was custom-made by a local gunsmith. It has a similar projectile to the Canadian round but a larger case that could pack more propellant, making it faster.

At a location in Kyiv, Kovalskiy and his spotter laid out their gun and bullets for inspection.

The long, thin gun is a specialist sniper rifle called the Lord of the Horizon, of which Kovalskiy’s is around one of 10. The rounds are 16 cm long.

The barrel was made by the U.S. company Bartlein Barrels and the scope comes from Japan. But the rest is Ukrainian, adding to local pride.



From the WSJ.

Ukrainian Sniper Breaks Cover to Claim World-Record Hit of More Than 2 Miles
Long-distance shot sparks pride in Ukraine but some skepticism among other marksmen

By Alistair MacDonald
Dec. 4, 2023 9:16 am ET

KYIV—The Ukrainian sniper had lain still for hours in near freezing temperatures when the command came to take the shot at a Russian soldier almost 2½ miles away. “You can,” his spotter said, and Vyacheslav Kovalskiy pulled his trigger.

The bullet took around nine seconds to reach its target, who doubled up and fell, according to a video of the shot reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Kovalskiy and Ukraine say the shot set a new sniping distance record, breaking the previously acknowledged mark by more than 850 feet.

While combat hits such as this aren’t verified by a third-party adjudicator, the shot has offered Ukraine a morale boost when the country’s forces are struggling to make headway at the front line. A Ukrainian sniper, using a Ukrainian-made weapon and bullet, had broken the record. Sniping has played a prominent role in the war with Russia, where static front lines in a flat landscape suit the discipline, even as drones and mines change the way the marksmen operate.

...

Kovalskiy’s shot hit around 12,470 feet, around a third longer than the Golden Gate Bridge. That distance would break a record of 11,600 feet set in 2017 by a member of the Canadian Special Forces in Iraq.

Complete story at https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/ukr...hare_permalink

[West Chester]

Well sure does sound like a good propaganda story to boost morale.

[Royinmontco]

Wait, is he Canadian or Ukrainian?

[bogey1]

Looks to be a 50cal API in a huge case.

[DukeConnor]

12.7x114

[DukeConnor]

Here is a thread from m14 forum. The barrel maker provides some interesting info.

https://www.m14forum.com/threads/loo.../#post-4888375

[widgetman101]

Well sure does sound like a good propaganda story to boost morale.

Either that or a one in a million shot, I'm going with propaganda to boost morale.

[Emptymag]

Where's the video? It said it's been widely shared.

[Curmudgeon]

Where's the video? It said it's been widely shared.

I read somewhere that it's in Arlington, VA.

[Emptymag]

I read somewhere that it's in Arlington, VA.

Good summary!