[spodefly]

This is a great tale, and I am glad he got the hit, but I suspect the reporter missed some of the specifics on the ballistics. The wind would have to be blowing a few hundred miles per hour to laterally displace a 7.62 round by 56' in 800 meters. Perhaps he did mean inches, even centimeters.

[Republic of Texas]

Either way that was a damn good shot and I'll bet this is NOT the guy to challenge to a friendly wager on a game of snookers.

[DudleyDoright]

I wonder what the ballistic up/down is on a shot @ 860m with a 7.62mm sniper rifle? I remember the ballistics of the M-16 were such that the round passed thru the "point of aim" at 25m (on the way up) and 250m (on the way down). To get a 7.62 round out to 800+ meters, I imagine there has to be some vertical deflection, too. But certainly not 56ft!

:)

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

I saw that, too. I made a quick stab at trying to calculate what the wind speed would have to be to cause a 56 foot lateral deflection, but gave it up as a bad job.

Another case of a reporter telling us about a subject he doesn't really understand, I'm afraid.

[green team 1999]

is inches,and the bullet arc upwards at mid-trajectory.
also he aimed right or left of his target to compensate the wind.