Posted on 01/04/2005 3:11:49 AM PST by mental
The Army adopted the M-24 Sniper Weapon System roughly 12 years ago. the rifle itselt is pretty basic... a highly accurized Remington Model 700. The real key is that this is a system, the rifle, the scope (Leupold straight 10 power with a Mill dot reticle) and the ammunition all work together. the elevation adjustment on the scope is specially cammed for the ballistics arc of the M118 Special Ball Ammo. The mill dot reticle is set up with mill dots on the crosshairs in order for the Sniper to calculate the range to the target using the mill dot ranging formula. This is very accurate and almost foolproof method of ranging. The mill dot reticle is only available to the military. Many scope manufatures have built in range finders but they are generally not universal, in other words they are set up to work on specific animals.
Hmmm... Let's see now...
You can get the scope with the cam, and *I think* with the dot reticle (if it's the one I've seen... I forget the manufacturer... if you mention the name I'll remember it). You're right that it has to be used with one type of ammo. There was a version of it (which I HAVE, and PAID a LOT for, and is now available for CHEAP at Cabela's) that has exchangeable cams so you can use it with different rounds, by installing the right cam, but it failed the drop test so the military never adopted it. (Forget the name of *that* manufacturer too). I don't plan on dropping mine, so I'm not worried. of curse, that implies that I'll ever Get Around To mounting it on the rifle, which up to now I've just been shooting with iron sights (even at 600 yards; they work just fine on an Abdul-sized target at that range).
Shepard also makes scopes calibrated for the ballistics of a single round, with a rangefinding reticle. I think you can get a mil. version with those, too (with the dots, or circles)?
I'm not so sure that what you're talking about, is actually unavailable...
I'm blowing smoke again.
The version I've got, that failed the drop test but works just fine on Bambi and liberals, has a double-cam system so you can change the elevation compensation on the fly.
The version the military uses, that will tolerate being used to beat Abdul to death with the scoped weapon without losing its zero, requires *exchanging* cams so you have to buy the cam for the specific round.
there... maybe I got it right that time...
Dang it! now that is going to have to go on MY must have list. I remember that when I was introduced to the M-24 my instructor stated that the reticle was off limits....but that was a really long tome ago, Times change. I manage to do pretty well with my 300 ultramag and 3 to 9 variable nowdays though.
I think you can get *either one* though... when I bought the "universal" one with the "adjustable" ballistics, it was unavailable anywhere. As soon as I blew the dough on it, of curse Cabela's came up with it for cheap. (Typical... I never learn.) The one with the change-it-out ballistic cam, that the military uses, I've seen in the gun shows. (ARMS? IT's bugging me that I can't remember the name).
Maybe there's a civilian and military version of the reticle, but I doubt it - why would they care?
You may be talking about the scope on the Marine M-40. I only know the M-24 and the cams were not interchangable back then. But I do know that after I got out there was talk of rebarreling to either 300Win Mag or 338laupa, If this was the case then for sure the Army would have had to upgrade the scope to one with interchangeable cams.
Joined on USMC Birthday eve.
Get some.
This is a couple of days late but---did the Leatherwoods have cams?
I wish that Hare had used a scoped rifle to see how he would do at those ranges. Also, it would have been nice if they could have tried some of the Postell or Schmitzer style target bullets. Of course the point of the tests was to see what grunt-issued rifles and ammo could do.
The guy trying to imply that a 400 to 500 grain bullet was essentially harmless at 1500 yards really made me laugh. One of the Army's parameters for adoption of the 45-70 originally was that it had to KILL HORSES at long ranges like 600 yards or better in order to break up enemy cavalry charges.
*That*, I think, is the one with the dual-cam system which allows you to change the elevation compensation for the actual round you're using.
The one the military uses, which is made by a different company, (I think?), also uses a cam but the cam that's on it is only calibrated for 165 grain .308 ammo.
The story may be basically true, but I concur that the name and hometown of the sniper are not real. I'll bet they threw a dart at a map of the Red States to pick his "hometown."
Wow! I didn't know that!
I know it will nearly kill your shoulder!
My .50 is much less punishing than that 45.70.
I used to hunt the little brush white tail with a 44.40 saddle rifle. The energy of that round at a hundred yards would knock them flat!
While most admirable, given todays small arms accuracy, this is hardly the thing of legend. At the second Battle of Adobe Walls, CMOH recipient Billie Dixon shot the Comanche medicine man Isa Tai off his horse at over 1,500 yards with an old Sharps 50 cal.
You can read aobut it here, http://www.juntosociety.com/native/adobewalls.htm
Awesome shot!
Makes ya proud.
That is an odd little coincidence.
As impressive as this is (and it is impressive), it still doesn't beat Billy Dixon's shot that killed an Indian (sorry, Native American) during the battle of Adobe Wells. That shot was done with a Sharps .50 and was a little over a mile long.
I thought so myself......
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