[14], Routh's attorneys argued that he was insane at the time of the murders. Kyle considered the MK11 a versatile weapon, one he could carry on patrols and still be useful in a sniping role. VA clinicians believed Routh's psychotic symptoms were caused by alcohol abuse and offered inpatient treatment. The actual death toll from his sharpshooting probably exceeds 200. During his first time on the firing range, Craig Harrison used a Dragunov sniper rifle, later describing how it felt in his autobiography The Longest Kill.. As previously mentioned, the finer points of Special Forces . AMERICA'S deadliest sniper, Navy Seal marksman Chris Kyle, had at least 160 confirmed kills in Iraq by the Pentagons official count. Chris Kyle was such a skilled marksman that he killed an enemy fighter 1.2 miles - 21 football fields - away with a single shot. Specifics: Perry held the record of longest sniper shot in history for perhaps the shortest time in history. This record-breaking shot took down an Islamic State insurgent in 2004, but few other details have been disclosed. Chris Kyle, musclebound, grim-faced and lethal, liked to tell stories. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, US hero Chris Kyle was a sharpshooter who served in Iraq, He was nicknamed the Devil of Ramadi by terrified Iraqi insurgents, Chris Kyle pictured with with his wife, Taya, in 2012. (28 photos)", "Preventing Diplomatic Recognition of the Confederacy, 186165", " :: ", "Canadian sniper crushes world record for longest confirmed kill in military history, reports say", "Army sniper films spot for History channel based on 1,300 meter shot in Iraq", "Marine Sniper Receives Bronze Star Medal for Valor", "Canadian elite special forces sniper makes record-breaking kill shot in Iraq", "SA skerpskutter skiet doodskoot oor afstand van meer as 2 km", "Sniper shot that took out an insurgent killer from three quarters of a mile", "Taliban remain in fear of lethal strikes", "Long range killer: Behind the scenes of Accuracy International", "SOFREP Exclusive: The inside story of Canada's JTF2 record-breaking sniper kill SOFREP Original Content", The ultimate sniper: an advanced training manual for military & police snipers, "Hotshot sniper in one-and-a-half mile double kill", "Soviet snipers in Afghanistan, 1979 1989 years", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Longest_recorded_sniper_kills&oldid=1138843864, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2019, All articles that may contain original research, Articles that may contain original research from April 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Articles with failed verification from February 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 23:20. 300 Winchester Magnum for most of deployments, his most famous and longest shot was taken with a McMillan-built TAC-338. Littlefield was hit seven times, including four that would have been instantly fatal. But it's likely the number was far higher, as he had 255 claimed kills - where a shot hits the target, but a fatality cannot be confirm during battle. Picking off an insurgent in Afghanistan in March 2002 from a distance of 2,526 yards . Kyle described punching out a man, later identified as Ventura, whom he said made offensive remarks about Navy Seals. U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Courtney P. Carr, adjutant general, Indiana National Guard, and Taya Kyle, widow of late U.S. Navy Seal sniper Chris . His sole mission in Iraq was to protect his fellow servicemen - his 'boys' who hailed him as "The Legend" for saving countless lives. The movie American Sniper is a surprise box-office hit, but it has also become a lightning rod. The Longest Competition Rifle Shot Ever | Outdoor Life His longest kill was 1.2 miles shot with his Lapua .338 Magnum . Craig Harrison is known predominantly for his record sniper shot that he made in Afghanistan, but his experience goes far deeper. Two years after being recorded, the longest sniper kill shot remains one of the greatest feats ever performed in military history. Later, Kyle called it a "really, really lucky shot." Chris Kyle didn't fit the stereotype of the sullen, lone wolf sniper. Meet the big shot - New York Post Two soldiers fired off simultaneously using the same weapons and ammo and, while the target was definitely eliminated, no one is sure which shooter was responsible for the kill. Routh's mother, who worked at the school that Kyle's children attended, had heard of his work and asked him to help her son. Chris Kyle: American Sniper - VA News You dont think of the people you kill as people. [citation needed], The science of long-range sniping came to fruition in the Vietnam War. Carlos Hathcock holds the Marine Corps record for the longest confirmed sniper kill shot. Navy Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle holds the record for most confirmed kills by a sniper. The enemy target, was not a sniper but some idiot Iraqi insurgent/soldier that was taunting them fr. . All sharpshooters must account for numerous intervening variables, including but not limited to gravity, wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, altitude and morethe weight of these factors can often become significantly more pronounced at greater distances. Conan O'Brien Chris Kyle Interview. Weapon: Browning M2. Cartridge: .50 BMG Conflict: Iraq War Operation Iraqi Freedom (beating Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's famous shot by over 400 yards) and the longest confirmed kill ever made with a Barrett M82A1 sniper rifle (known in the . He repeatedly risked his life serving his country in some of the mostdangerous terrain on earth. He was experiencing auditory hallucinations and paranoia and had threatened suicide. The Legend of Chris Kyle - D Magazine It needs to be stressed just how difficult it is to land a shot under these circumstances. His sister, Laura Blevins, called 9-1-1 and told the emergency operator: "They went out to a shooting range Like, he's all crazy. Chris Kyle, a former U.S. Navy SEAL credited with the largest number of confirmed kills, was one of two people fatally shot at a North Texas shooting range Saturday, Texas Highway Patrol confirmed . Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle fatally shot at Texas shooting range Clint Eastwood directed a film adaptation of American Sniper which was released in 2014. In 2016, the Associated Press reported that documents showed the number of medals slain Kyle received for his military service was different from what he indicated in his best-selling memoir. This list is not exhaustive, as such data is generally not tracked nor managed under any official procedure. Reports regarding the longest recorded sniper kills that contain information regarding the shooting distance and the identity of the sniper have been presented to the general public since 1967. He joined the Navy in 1999, and in . Regarded as one of the most lethal snipers in US military history, Kyle served four tours in Iraq before he was killed by former Marine Eddie Ray Routh at a Texas shooting range. Chris Kyle, U.S.'s deadliest sniper, offered no regrets | CNN Navy records show that he earned one Silver Star and three Bronze Stars with Valor, Nicholas Ranstad still holds the record for the longest shot made by a US sniper, their conditions didnt improve following a peace treaty signed with the government, and have committed all kinds of atrocities including using child soldiers, He first started shooting as a child to help get food, took down an Iraqi insurgent in 2004 with the longest confirmed sniper kill shot made by a US soldier, Arron Perrys record-breaking shot was broken by another soldier in his same unit, fine details that go into lining up the perfect sniper shot, from the direction of the wind to the shooters breathing, he felt totally abandoned by his regiment once he developed PTSD, while the target was definitely eliminated, no one is sure which shooter was responsible for the kill, This especially holds true when it comes to details of personal identity and how the task was carried out. Pau admitted: "Although the information on the DD214 should match the official records, the process involves people and inevitably some errors may occur.". EDIT: A Lapua .338 You can see the photograph of the actual rifle, in the book. D Mag says that, "while on the sniper rifle, Kyle had to do complicated math, accounting for wind speed, the spin of a bullet, and the curvature and rotation of the Earth. Because of the weapons sheer complexity, it required custom parts shipped from all over the world, including, Canada, New Zealand, Arkansas, South Dakota and Washington. Kyle and Littlefield had reportedly taken Routh to the gun range in an effort to help him with his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which he suffered from his time in the military. Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle in American Sniper. But it's likely the number was far higher, as he had 255 claimed kills - where a shot hits the target, but a fatality cannot be confirm during battle. The initial target date was in May 2021, but major complications in procuring and assembling the rifle and a protective bunker for the team of forward spotters pushed it back considerably. Kyle was also well-known for his incredible shots, his longest being a 2,100-yard kill with a McMillan TAC-338 sniper rifle. American Sniper (2014) - IMDb For operational security reasons and to preserve the safety of our personnel and our Coalition partners we will not discuss precise details on when and how this incident took place., Not just a record-breaking exercise, the JTF-2 operation had real military significance: The shot in question actually disrupted a Daesh [Islamic State] attack on Iraqi security forces, a sourcetoldCanadian newspaperThe Globe and Mail. Littlefield responded, "Watch my six," military slang meaning "watch my back. Hathcock also won the 1966 Wimbledon Cup, which is earned by the winner of the US 1,000-yard high-powered rifle National Championship. The reported kill shot was corroborated through video footage and subsequently confirmed by Canadas Armed Forces (CAF): The Canadian Special Operations Command can confirm that a member of Joint Task Force 2 successfully hit a target at 3,540 metres, read a CAF statement. Mistakes in estimation compound over distance and can cause a shot to only injure, or to miss completely. Kyle, 38, was shot to death Saturday - by a former Marine, police say - while shooting for fun on a Texas gun range. He repeatedly risked his life serving his country in some of the mostdangerous terrain on earth. Get the latest news delivered right to your email. The . Harrowing video has emerged of a racially charged incident that rocked an elementary school in Springfield, Ohio. Chris Kyle was such a skilled marksman that he killed an enemy fighter 1.2 miles - 21 football fields - away with a single shot. Bradley Cooper plays Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in US military history, who piled up enemy kills during the invasion of Iraq. Pau admitted: "Although the information on the DD214 should match the official records, the process involves people and inevitably some errors may occur.". The Captain who made this record shot is reported to have taken down up to 5 other targets in the same engagement. Gary Buiso. Jurors in 2014 awarded former Minnesota Gov. It was supposed to be a simple trip to the gun range. You can mess with the U.N. all you want, but when you start interfering with the right to get caffeinated, someone has to pay.". Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. But Ventura said it didnt come from Kyles widow or his estate, and that he didnt get an apology. Corporal Rob Furlong, who was in the same military unit as Arron Perry, was an ambitious type from the start, and he even taught himself to use a rifle ambidextrously! When two thugs tried to attack an elderly man, he pulled out his own weapon and fired back, scaring them away. The release of the film American Sniper . Marine Sniper Made Corps' Longest Kill Shot With Machine Gun The actor has said he phoned Kyle and told him, Hey, I know its Hollywood and you probably have a lot of trepidation, and you dont know me, but Im telling you, Im giving you my word, were gonna do everything we can and were gonna work with you., 80,000: Bounty, in dollars, that insurgents in Ramadi put on Kyles head. Despite their powerful and highly specialized equipment, asnipersreal professional bread and butter are the series of complex calculations that go into each shot. Who is Eddie Ray Routh, the man who killed Chris Kyle? According to a Sept. 14 news release from the boutique extreme long range shooting experience out of Jackson Hole, the two men, joined by a half-dozen friends, hit the 8 bullseye with their custom long-range rifle, surpassing the previous world record of 4 miles!, Austin and Humphries are co-authors of the 2021 book Nomad Riflemans Extreme Long Range Shooting Fun.. )", "Gun Charges Dropped Against Sniper Who Once Held Record in Afghanistan", "The 7 longest range sniper kills in history", "SERGEANT RANSTAD HONORED BY TN STATE LEGISLATURE, VISITS BARRETT", "Chris Kyle, America's deadliest sniper, offered no regrets", "Soviet snipers in Afghanistan, 1979 1989 years. This isnt the kind of thing where you buy a new rifle and some ammo right off of the gun store shelf and go get lucky, Shepard said. Even the most basic of sniper kills are impressive feats, and things get progressively more difficult with targets who are further away. American Sniper: What Rifle Did Chris Kyle Use? - The Epoch Times The Joint Task Force 2 unit is currently based at Dwyer Hill, which is relatively close to Ottawa in Ontario. But in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, at least five soldiers from three countries have made longer shots. Chris Kyle's long shot American Sniper is ironically associated with inaccuracy. 160 of the claims were confirmed. When he's not writing, working or spending time with his family, Matt enjoys PC Gaming, Science Fiction and YouTube. Ventura, a former Underwater Demolition Teams/Seal member, testified he never made the comments and the altercation never happened. The longest 'confirmed kill' sniper shots EVER made | theCHIVE For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, US hero Chris Kyle was a sharpshooter who served in Iraq, He was nicknamed the Devil of Ramadi by terrified Iraqi insurgents, Chris Kyle pictured with with his wife, Taya, in 2012. The details of the battle have been kept under wraps, but his Mar. The story of the astonishing long-range shot began in 2020, right after the team at Nomad Rifleman succeeded in helping a client achieve the Wyoming state record with a target strike at an impressive 3.06 miles, the news release said. Before his murder in 2013 at 38, the so-called deadliest sniper in American history nurtured a comic book narrative. But before he was fatally shot on a Texas gun range, the war hero said he was more interested in the people he'd saved - "thats the number Id care about". A third shot took out the insurgents' machine gun. The 2,500-yard shot was just one of the 93 confirmed kills Hathcock made during his career. Then there is the Coriolis Effect, which requires snipers to account for hemispheric drift. American Sniper True Story vs. Movie - Real Chris Kyle, Taya Kyle The film American Sniper is adapted . He spotted a man on a roof, who initially didn't appear to be carrying a weapon - but hours later, a further check revealed the insurgent was clutching a possible RPG (rocket-propelled grenade). Chris Kyle, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History. As a US Navy SEAL, he earned the nickname "The Legend" among US Marines, while his enemies dubbed him "The Devil of Ramadi.". . The McMillan TAC-338 is a specialized sniper rifle made to "exact" specifications with long range lethality and precision in mind, explains Military Factory. But by then Kyle had become a controversial figure. It was . [citation needed] Snipers have had a substantial history following the development of long distance weaponry. American Sniper Rifles: 5 of Chris Kyle's Favorite Sniper Rifles Browning M2 "Ma Deuce" Heavy Machine Gun. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth", "Details announced for Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's memorial service at Cowboys Stadium", "Residents Line I-35 to Pay Respects to Slain Navy SEAL", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murders_of_Chris_Kyle_and_Chad_Littlefield&oldid=1135122116, Chris Kyle (April 8, 1974 February 2, 2013), age 38. The records for the longest sniper kills among the armed forces began to be published in 1967 during the Vietnam War by the US Military. 2004 shot is the longest recorded sniper kill by an American. Lewis Capaldi handled himself like a true pro, simply backing away from the mic and hanging on to the stand while his fans took the lead. By Ian Aldrich Updated: Aug 10, 2020 He has said that his overall experience eroded his trust in the armed forces. [9] After returning to the US, Hathcock helped to establish the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School at Quantico, Virginia. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. With Bradley Cooper, Kyle Gallner, Cole Konis, Ben Reed. US Marine Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock held the record from 1967 to 2002 at 2,286m (2,500yd). Perry was accused of desecrating corpses, but the issue was dropped due to lack of evidence. 8 Longest Sniper Shots in History - Guns and Ammo Snipers: The Four Greatest Marksmen In Military History Routh was a 25-year-old Marine who had experienced post-traumatic stress disorder. Kyle said that he was on a house's second floor, scanning the village with his rifle scope. Also, questions were raised about the true number of medals he'd been given for his military success. [5], Although optical equipment such as rangefinders and ballistic calculators have largely eliminated manual calculations to determine elevation and windage, the fundamentals of accurate and precise long-range shooting remain essentially the same since the early history of shooting, and the skill and training of the shooter, and the shooter's spotter where applicable, are the primary factors. But in 2017, Ventura confirmed the defamation case had been settled. Landing a shot at this distance requires not only intimate knowledge of how your weapon handles, but ariflecapable of reliably performing at that level. Those were the moments when he thrived.". Meet the big shot. The impact was confirmed by a hole in the target 3.125 inches from dead center and a recovered bullet. Even after being severely burned during an attack on an Amtrac on which he was riding in his efforts to rescue other soldiers, and after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Hathcock continued to serve, shoot and instruct. But in this case, the identity of the shooter who made this record shot genuinely isnt known for certain! The reputation of Kyle as the most lethal sniper in American military history is not disputed. In 2017, a sniper from Joint Task Force 2 (JTF-2) neutralized an . And by doing his job so well, better than anyone in his countrys history, he saved many American lives.. Man Who Killed American Sniper Chris Kyle Explains Why he Did It - LADbible M40a5 civilian equivalent - The Equivalent 2,100: Number of yards away from which Kyle hit a target in Iraq, making him reportedly just one of only five people on earth who could do it. A Canadian sniper breaks the record for the longest confirmed kill shot Matt covers politics, faith, history, national and global news. Kyle, who was a former Navy SEAL, and his friend Littlefield were walking down range to set up targets when Eddie Ray Routh opened fire and hit both of them. [6] On the way to the shooting range, Kyle texted Littlefield, "This dude is straight up nuts." The former Marine accused of killing "American Sniper" Chris Kyle and his friend said he shot the two men because they wouldn't . [19], A memorial service was held for Kyle at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on February 11, 2013. The 5 Longest Confirmed Sniper Kills in History - Coffee Or Die In January 2010, he was sent on a humanitarian mission to Haiti. His skills with a rifle were . Since the identity of the shooter is uncertain, some people argue that this shot shouldnt even qualify as a record. Former CNN host and anti-Iraq war campaigner Piers Morgan, however,defended the man behind the movie, saying: Chris Kyle, American Sniper, was NOT a coward. January 1, 2012 5:00am. Chris Kyle, whose story . And Rough Creek was the place that marked the fatal intersection of two veterans of the war in Iraq: Kyle, often called the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history, and Eddie Ray Routh, a Marine . Andrew Caballero-Reynolds - AFP / Getty Images. How far was Chris Kyle's longest sniper kill? The verdict was appealed. He refuses to discuss "body count." The 8 Longest Sniper Shots Ever Recorded on the Battlefield Snipers arent heroes. Here's What You Need to Know:Landing a shot at this distance requires not only intimate knowledge of how your weapon handles, but a rifle capable of reliably performing at that level. Navy Seal sniper Chris Kyle explains some of the details from his book American Sniper, including the differences between the SEAL teams and how he was able to make a 2,100 yard shot in combat. The name of the Springfield Armory M25 White Feather sniper rifle was based off the name White Feather that the North Vietnamese Peoples Army of Vietnam gave Hancock. Hathcock became a US Marine Corps legend as a result of his many accomplishments, and even had a variant of the M21 named after him. Chris Kyle was the deadliest sniper in U.S. history, both for the total number of confirmed kills, and for the longest shot resulting in a kill: 2,100 yards. The 2nd Ranger Battalion, the unit that Kremer served in, is one of three ranger battalions that belong to the United States Armys 75th Ranger Regiment. Handheld meteorological instruments only measure conditions at the location they are used. Since prosecutors decided beforehand not to seek the death penalty, the trial judge, Jason Cashon, immediately sentenced Routh to life in prison with no possibility of parole. But in 2017, Ventura confirmed the defamation case had been settled. Kyle later downplayed the long-range kill as a really, really lucky shot". It was the worlds eighth-longest confirmed kill shot by a sniper, reports D Magazine. Navy documents show Kyle earned one Silver Star and three Bronze Stars with valor, instead of the two Silver Stars and five Bronze Stars his book says he received. "The joke was that President Bush only declared war when Starbucks was hit. As previously mentioned, the finer points of Special Forces military accomplishments are often kept private in order to protect the soldiers. You may opt out at anytime. After blasting box office records and being up for six Oscars, left-wingers tried to torpedo Snipers gong hunt at the Academy Awards. 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