Oh Canada. . . Snipers

[Tecumsehsbones]

OK, sorry if it offends your natural Canadian modesty, but your snipers are the best, bar none, in the world.

As an American, I don't understand why it comes out that way. We have ten times your population, and like you, we have a hunting tradition that includes long shots. Against smaller targets, too.

Still, for a small country (population-wise) with a small army, youse guys stand out in kilometre+ shooting.

If I was some scumbag Solider of Allah who had gained the divine favor of commanding a brigade size force, and I heard that the "international coalition" had been augmented by Canadians, I think I'd revise my routine to "critical command duties" from inside the bunker.

Our SF may be "Death From Above," but your snipers are "Death and you'll never know where it came from."

 

[Jinentonix]

OK, sorry if it offends your natural Canadian modesty, but your snipers are the best, bar none, in the world.

As an American, I don't understand why it comes out that way. We have ten times your population, and like you, we have a hunting tradition that includes long shots. Against smaller targets, too.

Still, for a small country (population-wise) with a small army, youse guys stand out in kilometre+ shooting.

If I was some scumbag Solider of Allah who had gained the divine favor of commanding a brigade size force, and I heard that the "international coalition" had been augmented by Canadians, I think I'd revise my routine to "critical command duties" from inside the bunker.

Our SF may be "Death From Above," but your snipers are "Death and you'll never know where it came from."

3.5 km kill shot is the record held by a Canadian. That's some scary serious accuracy. Canadian snipers also hold 3 of the top 5 spots. Ironically the best US sniper (that's been made public) comes in at #6.

I think part of it is the Canadian Forces for a long time have had to do more with less. As a result I think they rely more on their fundamentals than technology, Not that they don't take advantage of technology when the govt is willing to give it to them.

One thing that surprised me though was an armoured shooting competition between US and Canadian armour. Canada was using the Mk1 Abrams at the time sans the gun stabilization technology. (You guys won't share that tech with anyone)
The Americans won the competition but not by much at all.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

3.5 km kill shot is the record held by a Canadian. That's some scary serious accuracy. Canadian snipers also hold 3 of the top 5 spots. Ironically the best US sniper (that's been made public) comes in at #6.

I think part of it is the Canadian Forces for a long time have had to do more with less. As a result I think they rely more on their fundamentals than technology, Not that they don't take advantage of technology when the govt is willing to give it to them.

One thing that surprised me though was an armoured shooting competition between US and Canadian armour. Canada was using the Mk1 Abrams at the time sans the gun stabilization technology. (You guys won't share that tech with anyone)
The Americans won the competition but not by much at all.

Like I said, for reasons I plain cannot calculate, but are clearly there, you guys are the best. Full stop. Y'all can do more with a basic hunting rifle and a quality scope than we (or anybody else) can do with custom furniture, computer-assisted whatever, and high-tech doo-dahs.

Nothing but respect.

(Yeah, I went shooting today. I got 10/10 in a 10 cm circle at 100 metres with a 7.62x51, Browning rifle with a 42x3-9 scope. I'm a good shot. Good enough to be in AWE of your guys.)

 

[Jinentonix]

Like I said, for reasons I plain cannot calculate, but are clearly there, you guys are the best. Full stop. Y'all can do more with a basic hunting rifle and a quality scope than we (or anybody else) can do with custom furniture, computer-assisted whatever, and high-tech doo-dayhs.

Nothing but respect.

(Yeah, I went shooting today. I got 10/10 in a 10 cm circle at 100 metres with a 7.62x51, Browning rifle with a 42x3-9 scope. I'm a good shot. Good enough to be in AWE of your guys.)

That's some pretty tight shooting yourself Tec. But yeah, I was a pretty good shot in my day and I still have trouble wrapping my head around a 3.5km kill shot. That's God level extermination.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

That's some pretty tight shooting yourself Tec. But yeah, I was a pretty good shot in my day and I still have trouble wrapping my head around a 3.5km kill shot. That's God level extermination.

Yep, I pretty much calculate he just rared back and flang a thunderbolt, and later told HQ it was a rifle shot, not admitting that he was a son of Odin.

Y'all got some of that blood up there.

 

[Jinentonix]

Yep, I pretty much calculate he just rared back and flang a thunderbolt, and later told HQ it was a rifle shot, not admitting that he was a son of Odin.

Y'all got some of that blood up there.

Yep, we may have a reputation for being polite and friendly, but never mistake those traits for us being doormats. (Not directed at you specifically).

While not sniper related, you should read up on the story of Leo Major. He was born in New Bedford MA but moved to Montreal as a kid. He is the epitome of "I sure am glad he's on our side".

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Yep, we may have a reputation for being polite and friendly, but never mistake those traits for us being doormats. (Not directed at you specifically).

While not sniper related, you should read up on the story of Leo Major. He was born in New Bedford MA but moved to Montreal as a kid. He is the epitome of "I sure am glad he's on our side".

I'll look him up. Much as it may offend those who've slotted me as a "lefty," both sides of my blood and my own life experience do like the story of a hard man.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Yep, we may have a reputation for being polite and friendly, but never mistake those traits for us being doormats. (Not directed at you specifically).

While not sniper related, you should read up on the story of Leo Major. He was born in New Bedford MA but moved to Montreal as a kid. He is the epitome of "I sure am glad he's on our side".

OK, I read his Wikipedia article. I hope the town of Zwolle has a statue of him, the enemy who saved them from being levelled by an artillery barrage by accurate, intelligent reconnaissance.

THAT was his greatest feat. Any thug can kill. A really, really capable thug can kill a lot of people.

But Mr Major was a man, in the best and finest sense of the word. When he needed to strike, he struck like Thor's hammer. But he also had the discernment to spare the innocent from his fury.

He should have gotten at least one VC.

Good-looking sonofabitch too.

 

[Serryah]

OK, sorry if it offends your natural Canadian modesty, but your snipers are the best, bar none, in the world.

As an American, I don't understand why it comes out that way. We have ten times your population, and like you, we have a hunting tradition that includes long shots. Against smaller targets, too.

Still, for a small country (population-wise) with a small army, youse guys stand out in kilometre+ shooting.

If I was some scumbag Solider of Allah who had gained the divine favor of commanding a brigade size force, and I heard that the "international coalition" had been augmented by Canadians, I think I'd revise my routine to "critical command duties" from inside the bunker.

Our SF may be "Death From Above," but your snipers are "Death and you'll never know where it came from."

Part of why I wish I'd gotten into Air Cadets sooner; they had rifle camp for six weeks; not just doing drill but actual range officer training and shooting. That I could'a got into real easy.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Part of why I wish I'd gotten into Air Cadets sooner; they had rifle camp for six weeks; not just doing drill but actual range officer training and shooting. That I could'a got into real easy.

As the American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) ad slogan used to be, "Reach out and touch someone."

 

[Jinentonix]

OK, I read his Wikipedia article. I hope the town of Zwolle has a statue of him, the enemy who saved them from being levelled by an artillery barrage by accurate, intelligent reconnaissance.

THAT was his greatest feat. Any thug can kill. A really, really capable thug can kill a lot of people.

But Mr Major was a man, in the best and finest sense of the word. When he needed to strike, he struck like Thor's hammer. But he also had the discernment to spare the innocent from his fury.

He should have gotten at least one VC.

Good-looking sonofabitch too.

No statue but there's a street right in the center of town that's named after him. I also agree he should have gotten at least one VC but a pair of DCMs is some damn respectable hardware too.
I also like how he was supposed to get sent back home after being injured, twice, and both times he went AWOL from the hospital to rejoin his unit. That's a man with an incredible sense of pride and duty. Losing the use of an eye and having both legs seriously injured and refusing to leave the war takes a man of special character.
Men like Leo are also why I'm very careful to make sure I point out that French-Canadians fought bravely during WW2 when I slag on the Quebecois for refusing to go fight "England's War".

 

[The_Foxer]

As an American, I don't understand why it comes out that way. We have ten times your population, and like you, we have a hunting tradition that includes long shots. Against smaller targets, too.

With our military budgets, they can only afford to give our guys a few bullets to practice with so they really learn to make them count.

The rest of them have to run around shouting "pew! pew!" at practice.

 

[Taxslave2]

interesting story from my father long ago. Not even sure how true it is.
Back around the early 1920s the Kaiser was visiting Switzerland, and the Swiss army sharpshooters were putting on a demonstration for him. The President? of Switzerland boasted he had 50 000 troops just as good. The Kaizer asked what would happen if he sent 100 000 troops over the hill? the Swiss leader looked him in the eye and said" they would each have top fire two shots" . That is supposedly how Switzerland remained neutral.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

interesting story from my father long ago. Not even sure how true it is.
Back around the early 1920s the Kaiser was visiting Switzerland, and the Swiss army sharpshooters were putting on a demonstration for him. The President? of Switzerland boasted he had 50 000 troops just as good. The Kaizer asked what would happen if he sent 100 000 troops over the hill? the Swiss leader looked him in the eye and said" they would each have top fire two shots" . That is supposedly how Switzerland remained neutral.

Could be true, but it woulda been the teens. We wiped out the German Empire in 1918 and made it a republic. No Kaiser. Just Herr Hohenzollern.

 

[Taxslave2]

Could be true, but it woulda been the teens. We wiped out the German Empire in 1918 and made it a republic. No Kaiser. Just Herr Hohenzollern.

Right.