The Tech Behind the Record-Setting 2.2-Mile Sniper Kill

Rifle equipped with the Charlie TARAC. As you can see then unit magnetically mounts to the front of the scope. (Photo: TACOMHQ)

During the latter part of June, the world was informed that Craig Harrison’s 2,475-meter record sniper kill had been surpassed. Most expected that his record had been beaten by a few meters, but the long range shooting community was shocked when it learned that the new record holder(s), a Canadian sniper team from Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2), made a 3,541-meter shot. Not only was the record beaten, but it was shattered!

To those of us that shoot long range, we combed the internet for some legitimate data about the shot, made a rough guess about the muzzle velocity of a Hornady 750-grain A-Max leaving a 29-inch barrel from a McMillian Tac 50, and started plugging data into our ballistic solvers.

SEE ALSO: Canadian Sniper Sets World Record with 2-Mile Kill Shot on ISIS Forces

Best guess, the marksman had to hold between 60 to 100 mils for elevation, and therein lies the problem. Simply put, even with a 30 MOA base and dialing the max elevation of a Schmidt & Bender or Nightforce, you simply do not have the mils to make a 3,541-meter shot. Yes, you could “stack mils” or back off your magnification to utilize the reticle, but that would make your target hard to see.  To be fair, there are rifles that are configured for extreme long range shooting, but they tend to be “one trick ponies” and not optimal for shorter engagements.

So how was it done? Walking around the 2017 SHOT Show, I vaguely remember seeing a device that could be snapped onto a scope that would immediately give an end user between 10 to 120 mils of elevation.

Enter the Charlie TARAC from TACOMHQ

You can purchase the Charlie TARAC for $1,499.00 (Photo: TACOMHQ)

The Charlie TARAC from TACOMHQ is a prism that can be configured to give a shooter between 10 to 120 mils of immediate elevation gain. Hypothetically, if I were shooting a 178 grain Hornady ELD-X from a .308 Winchester, and I wanted to take a 1-mile shot, my hold would be 28.2 mils. (DA/5,200 feet, Temp/100, MV/260 fps). If I had the Charlie TARAC configured for 30 mils, I would simply snap it to the front of my scope, dial down 1.8 mils, account for wind and take the shot.

In the video below you can see a representative from TACOMHQ discussing the product at the recent “King of The 2 Miles” match at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico.

I think the JTF2 team was probably using the Charlie TARAC for their record breaking shot. Having a bag full of Charlie TARACS that are calibrated for different mils would give a sniper team a lot of flexibility in the ranges at which they could engage a target.

Aside from the Charlie TARAC, the JTF2 team was most likely using a scope from Schmidt and Bender or Nightforce. The scope was probably outfitted with a Tremor 3 reticle and the team was using Applied Ballistics for their firing solution. It wouldn’t surprise me if members of JTF2 had a few lessons under the tutelage of Todd Hodnett at Accuracy 1^st. Overall a great shot, and I predict that the record will again be broken in the coming months. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

(Editor’s note: This article was a submission from freelance writer Thomas Gomez).