Scottish sniper claims longest kill of Afghanistan war

[40below]

Love his quote:

Cpl Reynolds, who has killed 32 Taliban fighters, said: “I was quite proud of that shot. It is the longest recorded kill in Afghanistan. I am going to use that fact as a chat-up line in the pub when I get back home.”


ULTIMATE SACRIFICE: Private Adams, Cpl Mulligan, and LCpl Hopkins, pictured, were killed

Sunday August 9,2009

A SCOTTISH soldier has been praised for making the longest recorded kill in Afghanistan after shooting a top Taliban fighter from almost a mile away.

Corporal Christopher Reynolds took out the Afghan drug lord during some of the hardest fighting of the war so far.

The 25-year-old, of 3 Scots, The Black Watch, kept watch on a shop rooftop for three days to eliminate the target.

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/119427/Scots-sniper-kills-Taliban-leader-with-longest-shot/

 

[gaspasser]

1500m?  Longest Shot???
I think he has to put a few more metres on that shot to claim it.
Didn't Rob Furlong (IIRC) fire a kill at 2485m?
Almost double that Scots.

 

[George Wallace]

AH! Yes.  But he was a Colonial.  That doesn't count in Whitehall.    ;D

 

[Doom]

I'm sort of confused, always thought it belonged it Rob Furlong who is now resigned. But doesn't his kill still count?

 

[JBoyd]

BYTD, I believe it was 2430.

I also believe he holds the record for longest confirmed kill in combat (not just in Afghanistan).

Perhaps they are praising him because he apparently only used a single shot?, where as Rob Furlong fired 3 (IIRC) before he killed his target. Either way I have emailed the editor correcting them.. it is too bad that there is not a comments section though.

 

[mariomike]

This is what Wikipedia had to say:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Furlong

 

[Fishbone Jones]

BYTD, I believe it was 2430.

I also believe he holds the record for longest confirmed kill in combat (not just in Afghanistan).

Perhaps they are praising him because he apparently only used a single shot, where as Rob Furlong fired 3 (IIRC) before he killed his target. Either way I have emailed the editor correcting them.. it is too bad that there is not a comments section though.

It may have been a single shot to the chest that put him down but it wasn't the only shot he took at him.

But he admitted the top-level Taliban fighter – known as Musa – was so far away it took him a couple of attempts to get the aim right.

 

[George Wallace]

Perhaps they are praising him because he apparently only used a single shot?, where as Rob Furlong fired 3 (IIRC) before he killed his target.

The story says he made a couple of shots.

But he admitted the top-level Taliban fighter – known as Musa – was so far away it took him a couple of attempts to get the aim right.
Initially Musa, who was with four men, did not even realise he was being shot at.

 

[Roy Harding]

Maybe he just doesn't know about Rob Furlong's shot.

Either way - an impressive kill - and one to be proud of.

 

[JBoyd]

It may have been a single shot to the chest that put him down but it wasn't the only shot he took at him.

Ah, I missed that line I guess. Perhaps then they are only counting the confirmed kills within the Scottish/UK Militarys?

It would be humorous though if this Cpl used that line on someone that knew of Rob Furlong's record and corrected him

 

[brihard]

British tabloid media... the writing tends to lack some of the accuracy of the shot in question.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Maybe he just doesn't know about Rob Furlong's shot.

Either way - an impressive kill - and one to be proud of.

I don't know Roy. I find it hard to believe there would be anyone within the exclusive sniper community that wouldn't know about Furlong's shot.

 

[1feral1]

Perhaps the longest shot in AFG by a Pom?

Maybe the longest with a .338 maybe, as it does not mention the calibre.

During our work up trg for Conaught in the summer 1982, I managed to hit target fig 11 sized baloons with a 7.62mm C3 w/ZF69 optics at 900m, and I am a good shot, but I am far from a sniper  :nod: .

Either way, a well placed shot(s), and I am happy to say one less 'Alpha Hotel' in that part of the world.

OWDU

EDITed only for spelling.

 

[Roy Harding]

I don't know Roy. I find it hard to believe there would be anyone within the exclusive sniper community that wouldn't know about Furlong's shot.

I hear ya'.

On the OTHER hand - some folks just exist within their "own world" - in his case - the UK Army. 

In my case - Craftsman and Shaker furniture reproduction.  (I can bore you for hours on the subject - by the time your eyes have glazed over, I've got a certified cheque from your wife - watch your wallet!)

We all have our blinders on.  No matter which "world" we "inhabit".

I'm just sayin' that he may well think he does hold "the record" - not because he's ignoring Furlong's shot - just because he doesn't know about it.

 

[George Wallace]

That may be true to him in his little world......until he buys a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records he Googles Wikipedia.  ;D

[Edit to add: I wonder what the word on ARRSE is? ]

 

[Danjanou]

That may be true to him in his little world......until he buys a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records he Googles Wikipedia.  ;D

[Edit to add: I wonder what the word on ARRSE is? ]

Just checked no threads on it yet.

 

[GAP]

to you from failing hands
Monday, August 10, 2009
Article Link
It would seem the sniping record still stands
A headline in the Daily Express (via Darcey):

SCOTS SNIPER KILLS TALIBAN LEADER WITH LONGEST SHOT

Now check the range here by a member of the Canadian Army:

One shot, one kill

Much more detail here. On the other hand can you imagine the Canadian government allowing this to be printed (from first link)?

...
Cpl Reynolds, who has killed 32 Taliban fighters, said: “I was quite proud of that shot. It is the longest recorded kill in Afghanistan. I am going to use that fact as a chat-up line in the pub when I get back home.”..
posted by Mark, Ottawa at 9:04 PM 
More on link

The Longest Confirmed Sniper Shot in History
axis history article

Introduction

The news is in about the “impossible shot” – the full news, that is. For years, the internet and gun aficionados have been abuzz with rumours and speculation about this shot, but the complete facts were lacking until about a year ago. The sniper responsible was former Cpl. Rob Furlong, who at the time was part of an elite Canadian sniper group from the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (3 PPCLI). Furlong and the four others of the group were credited in particular with helping to rescue a company of American troops who had become cut off and pinned down by enemy fire during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan in 2002.


Confusion and Disbelief

For years there was confusion in media reports, and, in truth, the sniper team was partly to blame for this state of affairs. Furlong, adhering to a “code of the sniper”, had refused to identify himself correctly as the shooter – for years in encounters with the Press, he gave laconic interviews and a false name. To this day he refuses, as do his former team mates, to divulge any details about enemy sniper casualties, considering talk about numbers of enemy dead to be ghoulish and unprofessional.
More on link

 

[Danjanou]

Ok now the Brits on ARRSE are discussing it

http://www.arrse.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic/t=131014.html

Interesting the thing that comes up the most is the perceived persec violation.

 

[OldSolduer]

I thought snipers never revealed their identity....for obvious reasons the bad guys will want them gone.....so this guy put himself at risk unnecessarily IMHO.

 

[Danjanou]

I thought snipers never revealed their identity....for obvious reasons the bad guys will want them gone.....so this guy put himself at risk unnecessarily IMHO.

That appears to be the main point of discussion amongst the Brits. The jury still appears to out on whom to blame, the media, their Gov't or senior military.