Canadian snipers in Afghanistan?


Don’t know whether this is legit or not, but it is interesting. A friend sent me (without comment) the above video, along with the forwarded text below:

Before you click on the attachment, scroll down on this series of e-mails to read the narrative about what is going on in he attachment.  It is incredible.                                    

Scroll down and read the narrative before you watch the video…

Canadian Snipers in Afghanistan

This footage is pretty graphic and is the antithesis of the "Global
Hawk"; one on one, enemy in sight, one at a time, etc. I guess the
"technology" is in the weapon and the ammo and the "wonder" is in the
personnel who use it.

They never saw, or heard it coming.

Canadian Sniper wiping out Taliban Snipers. In Afghanistan . These
video shots are not made through the shooter’s telescopic sight… they
are made looking through the spotter’s scope. The spotter lies right
next to the sniper and helps the sniper to find and home in on thetarget.

The sniper is using a 50 caliber rifle. A 50 cal. round is about 7-8
inches long and the casing is about an inch in diameter. The bullet
itself is one-half inch in diameter and roughly one and one-half inches long..

Pay close attention to the beginning of the video. A Taliban is laying
on top of the peak in front of you… when you hear the shot fired….
watch what happens. The sniper is also about a half mile away… or
more. A Canadian sniper in Afghanistan has been confirmed as hitting an
enemy soldier at a range of 2,310 meters, the longest recorded and
confirmed sniper shot in history. The previous record of 2,250 meters
was set by US Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock in Vietnam in 1967. The
Canadian sniper was at an altitude of 8,500 feet and the target, across
a valley, was at 9,000 feet. Canadian sniper units often operated in
support of US infantry units, which were grateful for their help.

The record lasted only one day, until a second Canadian sniper hit an
enemy soldier at 2,400 meters (8000 feet).

The Canadian snipers fire special.50-calibre McMillan tactical rifles,
which are bolt-action weapons with five-round magazines. The Canadian
snipers were the only Canadian troops operating without helmets or flak
jackets as they had too much other equipment to carry. Each three-man
team has one sniper rifle, three standard rifles (Canadian C7s), one of
them with a 203mm grenade launcher.

When you watch what appears to be debris see if it isn’t a body flying after being hit.

There’s no original source cited, so I don’t know that clip’s provenance. Nor do I know whether my friend who sent it thought it was horrible, or cool, or what.

But I did have some questions watching it, such as:

  • I knew that a .50-cal. sniper round packed a lot of energy, but can it really throw a human body that far?
  • If this is really through a spotter’s scope, why are the bodies or debris or whatever being thrown sharply to the left? Wouldn’t the spotter be close to the shooter? The sound of the shot (assuming that’s not dubbed) occurs far before the impact is seen, which suggests the shooter is right next to the camera. The movement of the target after impact makes it look like the shooter is far off to the right, maybe at the third angle of an equilateral triangle, which would mean we’d hear the sound AFTER seeing the impact.

And now you might have a question for ME, which is, if I have so many questions, why pass it on? Why, because it’s interesting, and intriguing. Also, who knows — y’all might have some answers to my questions.

FYI, here’s another clip that purports to be about Canadian snipers:

17 thoughts on “Canadian snipers in Afghanistan?”

  1. Lee Muller

    Having fired a .50 Barrett enough to know, this look like patent BS. At 2,000 yards, a .50 BMG has the residual energy of a decent police handgun.

  2. Lee Muller

    Prior to that, the longest shot was by buffalo hunter and Army Scout Billy Dixon, during a gunbattle with 1,500 Indians at the Adobe Walls, on October 18, 1867, a shot of 1,538 yards with his buffalo rifle, using iron sights.
    Dixon was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The man fighting beside him that day was Bat Masterson.

  4. newsman

    Dear Mr. Warthen:
    If you or any of your people at “south Carolina’s Largest Newspaper,” have wondered why ‘The State,’ continues to hemorrhage subscribers and employees the answer is very obvious today with the choice of your ‘above the fold’ story.
    When I look at the front page of a newspaper, ANY newspaper, I immediately conclude that what I see ther is the most important story of the day – the thing that most people will be discussing and what we need to follow if we are to keep up on current events – one of the reasons why I have subscribed to your paper for about 15 years.
    Now for today’s headlines from “The State.”
    The above the fold story is that “hold your breath,” — a new director has been found for the SC philharmonic. At the top of the paper is the image of Serena Williams and a tidbit about her winning a tennis tourney. Perhaps the most riveting story of all on YOUR FRONT PAGE is “Do you look like Kenny Chesney?
    There is your answer as to why your subscriptions are dwindling and your credibility is in the toilet.
    We have a SC boy threatening to blow up his high school. Yes, right here in SC. Not some national story of a far-away place where sadly, these things happen.
    He is busted by his parents who turn him in to law enforcement.
    He has sufficient materials sent to his home to make bombs.
    He is planning to blow up his high school and kill as many of his fellow students as he can.
    And, the story is on your page B5. B5? B5!
    If there is one thing that newspapers are supposed to do better than anyone else, it is to cover local news.
    Where is your news judgment?
    Re-design the front page by God. Put the story there. Ther is no excuse for this.
    You’ve have totally lost it.

  5. Phillip

    To Newsman:
    The SC Philharmonic is the resident professional symphony orchestra of our city. The recent season has been a year-long audition of seven candidates from all over the nation, each of whom conducted a subscription concert. The selection of the new music director represents the first change of artistic leadership at the orchestra in 14 years. The continued evolution of the cultural scene in this city, of which this conductor search is a big part, is part-and-parcel of the larger story of overall changes that Columbia is experiencing.
    I agree with you insofar as we see far too many frontpage headlines about Gamecock football, and why the State devotes so much space to coverage of American Idol really leaves me stupefied.
    But this rare (and trust me, if you see another story about the arts on the front page within 2 or 3 years I’ll be amazed) “guest spot” on A1 for classical music in Columbia is in this case very appropriate and is to be applauded.

  6. bud

    Sorry Philip but I disagree. The philharmonic story was a nice Metro or Life and Style story but hardly worthy of the leading news story of the day. The State has of late demonstrated a complete inability to get their priorities straight when it comes to the front page. I’m glad someone other than me has noticed this. How about this for a front page story:
    More convicted felons enlisting in Army, Marines
    Or maybe this:
    Retail gas hits record $3.50 a gallon as oil marches higher
    Or:
    Georgia-Russia Tension Escalates

  7. Bill C.

    SC Philharmonic… in Columbia… South Carolina hmmm, who woulda thought??? In other words, and I believe I can speak for 99.999% of the SC population, “Who cares?”.
    This philharmonic story appealed to what… 200-300 readers throughout the state?

  8. mark g

    1…I’ve fired an M40A and an M25 “light sniper” rifle. I concur the first video is BS.
    2…I like seeing arts and culture on the front page from time to time.

  9. Herb Brasher

    This is sad. We have three huge idols in this country. Money, sex, and militarism. All three words represent legitimate, God-given needs, but they have become all that we live for, it seems. And religion is only important as long as it does not critique our basic foundational, idolatrous values. Our religion’s purpose is to reinforce our cultural values, not to counter them.
    The more I look at it, the more I think that Jim Wallis’ call to repentance is desperately needed.

  10. Phillip

    Bill C: 200-300 readers? Try 12,000, which is the annual attendance at SC Philharmonic concerts. Just because you’re not aware of something doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. I think your image of SC in this respect is woefully out of date.
    The SC Arts Commission has not done, to my knowledge, another survey of the economic impact of the arts in this state since the one they did in conjunction with the Moore School of Business over 6 years ago. But even then, on average in both 2000 and 2001, the arts in South Carolina directly and indirectly supported $700 million in wages and salaries, 30,000 jobs, and $1.9 billion in economic output. Things probably dropped after 2001, but I would bet have grown past those figures since then.
    Columbia’s reputation (beyond our state’s borders) as an arts-friendly town has grown enormously in recent years, and I can say that from firsthand knowledge via conversations I’ve had from New York to LA. We must be doing something right. There’s a whole other side to the this town, Bill, that you might not realize. Time to update your image of Columbia. The Philharmonic matters to far, far more people here than you ever imagined. And the hiring of Maestro Nakahara is indeed a big step in the continued transformation of that organization.
    Bud, as far as the front page goes…I never count on the State as my major source of national or international news anyway…I really only subscribe to it for coverage of the city and state, various aspects. It seems like often the front page is still some local or regional story, which is OK with me. So this was a local story, seems to me OK. Anyway, let us classical musicians have our all-too-brief moment in the sun! We promise to retreat back into our caverns after this.

  11. bud

    Phillip, upon further review your arguments are persuasive. So I’ll withdraw my earlier criticism. No harm in having the philharmonic on the front page. If it helps Columbia’s standing in the larger artistic community that is a good thing.

  12. Bill C.

    12,000 for the entire season? Let’s see, there are seven concerts each year… that breaks down to about 1700 people per concert. And we all know that when attendance is taken by the people putting the event on those numbers are usually inflated by at least 10%… so let’s put the actual number at around 1500. I think we used to get that many at the annual high school band and choir concerts.

  13. dub

    Today, the lead story in The State is the student bomb plot. All is not lost.
    But Saturday’s (or Sunday’s, I forget which) no-news-at-all, three-quarters-of-the-front blast of Spurrier-Gamecock propaganda was an embarrassment to journalism in our state, nation and hemisphere.
    The philharmonic page-topper was just an example of a newspaper in a city that has almost no culture pretending Columbia is the sophisticated place The State’s newspeople wish it were.
    Fewer than 2,000 seats filled per concert seven times a year? One night of Kenny probably beats that.

  15. Wow

    Wow, if those Canadian SAS guys are firing 203mm grenade launchers they are bad boys. I think the grenade launcher your friend references is a M203 which is technically, a 39mm grenade launcher.
    Yes, the Canadian SAS guys have been making some nice shots however, the record of 2400 metres was set using an American rifle with a drop of 147 feet.
    With regard to the authenticity of the video, I very much doubt it is legit considering OPSEC.
    Any more questions?

  16. Søren Kjær Vestergaard

    THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR LIFE IN THE NEW WORLD
    In the present world there are no scientists who question the climate crisis.
    Nobody knows when it will hit the world and at what magnitude.
    The good story is that the world will survive and so will you.
    Our present leaders seem to believe that the New World will leave them with a paradise in Afghanistan.
    In this paper I will state to you why this is a miscalculation and I will tell you how you and your family will be safe.
    First I must state that there is no reason to be unsecure about what is coming.
    The turbulence in the world has ended. Our present leaders who are still in office have lost their authority.
    They are not running the World any more.
    At this moment we are left to lead our self.
    From today and to the New World has formed we must be self guided.
    We must know that we are safe as long as we have faith in our heavenly Father.
    We will be guided by God to be at the right spot when changes come.
    There is no reason to panic. There is no reason to have fear.
    What we will see in the world starting from today is people beginning to help and love each other.
    Because this is how God will become visible for us.
    The truth is that God is a part of us and that we get connected to God when we are doing his will on earth.
    When God is visible for us he will show us the way.
    God has given us a free will to choose between good and evil.
    But God won´t allow us to destroy his creation.
    Our planet is special to him and he cares about us as though we were the only world in the universe.
    Starting from today, we will see people of different races and religions starting loving each other.
    We will see businesses sharing their wealth with the pore and helpless.
    Our leaders in office don´t run the world any more.
    Their time is over.
    Their strategies to find safe haven in Afghanistan before finding God is naïve.
    Their intelligence is not adorable.
    Read the New Testament to find answers to your questions.
    Remember that God hates the sins but loves the sinner.

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