1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, Welcome to Stuff from the Science Lab from how 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. Hey, guys, welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: This is Alison Madam, the science editor how stuff works 4 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 1: dot com. And this is Robert Lamb, science writer at 5 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com. Today we're straining a little 6 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: bit outside of our normal purview. We're going to delve 7 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: into the world of military snipers. Well, you know, it's 8 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: kind of a military science and you know we have 9 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: a lot of military stuff under the science banner at 10 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: how stuff works. So yeah, fair games. Yeah, yeah, so, um, 11 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: it was a pretty good article on our site that 12 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: I want to refer you guys to just upfront in 13 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 1: case I forget um and a certain bye Robert Valdez. 14 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: And we're gonna be talking about a lot of points 15 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: that he covered in Military Snipers. And it's worth pointing 16 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: out that this is one of the few articles that 17 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: has like a video game component to it, right, it does, 18 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: which I played this afternoon. Yeah, Um, did you try 19 00:00:57,760 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: it out? No? No, I haven't tried it out yet, 20 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: but well it's it's buried. It's on one of the 21 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 1: latter pages and you have to hit ten hidden targets 22 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: and you're supposed to do it within thirty seconds. So 23 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: you line it up in the scope and then UM, 24 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: hit the hidden target and then I got a hundred points. Wow, 25 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: So you're you're quite the sniper. I'm I'm interested to 26 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: try it out. I was. I always got to kick 27 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: out of out of games that had some video games 28 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: that had some sort of sniper component, like like the 29 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: Metal Gear Solid games specifically the one that came up 30 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 1: for PS two back in the day. There was like 31 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: an there was one awesome level in particular where you're 32 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 1: out there among these snow banks and you have a 33 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,479 Speaker 1: sniper rifle and there's another sniper UM, and you try 34 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: you have to try and figure out where the other 35 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: sniper is and you end up like having to identify 36 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: where they are based on UM. You can see their 37 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: breath rising on the other side of this little hill, 38 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: the sniper trying to pick off sniper. Yeah. Battle of 39 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: the Snipers. Yeah, it shows up in a lot of 40 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: video games. You know. It's like the sniper rifle is 41 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: is pretty common these days and your action oriented. So 42 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: in the video games, is there a spotter as well 43 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: or is it just a lone sniper? UM. I can't 44 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: speak for the moment. I know there's some like their 45 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: video games that have titles like sniper you know, but uh, 46 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: most of your games are going to be more like 47 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: solo type deals where you just have one dude with 48 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: and with a sniper rifle, the ones I've seen. Anyway, Okay, 49 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: well here we are. We're going to educate you because 50 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: it's not a lone gunman typically, well at least those 51 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: snipers who are working for law enforcement or the military. Yeah, 52 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: like think of it like chess in a way. You know, 53 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: you have all these special pieces, but they have to 54 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: they have to work as a team. They have you 55 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: have to one piece of support the other. Like you 56 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: don't just send a tank out and do an out 57 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: into the field. You send a tank out with infantry 58 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: support to cover its weaknesses and allow its strength to 59 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: shine through. Right, right, So snipers work in pairs, and 60 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,239 Speaker 1: uh is there even the Beltway snipers. I don't know 61 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: if you remember that, but back in two thousand two 62 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: in the in the US, there was this infamous pair 63 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: of snipers. It was an older guy. It was John 64 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: Allen Mohammed it and he was he was actually executed 65 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: in two thousand nine, and he had a seventeen year 66 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,959 Speaker 1: old accomplice Lee Melbo, and they were in the Washington, 67 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: D C. Area, and I think they were accused of 68 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: killing ten people. Yeah, it was. It was quite the stir, right. 69 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: So they were operating in a pair too. Um, So 70 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: you have the sniper who gets a lot of the glory, 71 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: but really you have the other half, the spotter, who's 72 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: tracking the target while the person pulling the trigger has 73 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: to recover from you know, gun recoil and stuff like that. 74 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: And you also have the spotter who's giving feedback on 75 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: the wind conditions and basically any condition that's going to 76 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: affect the shot. Yeah, if I if I remember correctly, 77 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: the hurt Locker features a great scene where you see 78 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: like a spotter helping a sniper. I haven't seen that. 79 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: I really do. You want to see it. It's really good, excellent. 80 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: So yeah, it's it's a pair. Their elite long range 81 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: marksman and they're generally part of a special ops team 82 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: and they obviously can shoot with ridiculous precision, but they 83 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: tend to be even more than that. They're not just 84 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: pulling the trigger. They do more than just rack up 85 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: confirmed kills argualy. Their main role is recon or reconnaissance. 86 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: I feel like that a little bit of jargon I 87 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: threw in there for you. Yeah, that's nice. And so 88 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: they're very skilled at this thing they call the stock, 89 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: as in stocking stokers. Yeah. Stock. So there's even a 90 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: game that you play in sniper school military sniper school. 91 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: I assume they have the equivalent for law enforcements, some 92 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:32,679 Speaker 1: sort of training program, police academy or like police snipers. 93 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, yeah, you need the people who would be 94 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: a part of a swat team. Right, So in um 95 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 1: in military training, the snipers learned how to stock, and 96 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 1: so it's really interesting. There's this stock training. It takes 97 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: place in a big, old, open grassy range, right, and 98 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: your sniper students are going to start at one end 99 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: of the range. They're hanging out and about a thousand 100 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: meters down you have your instructors checking out what you're doing, 101 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: how well you're faring, and they're city on top of 102 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:02,359 Speaker 1: a truck or maybe a tower, and they have the 103 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: spotter scopes so they can see what's going on. They 104 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: can they have these specialized telescopes to see what's happening. 105 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: So they're they're trying to they're like judging them on 106 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: how stealthily I'm coming. So the sniper students have to 107 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: stalk toward the instructors without being seen. Right, So they're 108 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: in this grassy field and you know that the instructors 109 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: are actively looking for them, and the snipers are trying 110 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: to move toward them on the on the deal, you know, stealthily. 111 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: It's very interesting. Would you think you'd be able to 112 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: do that? Well, no, But but they also have some help, 113 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: you know. They they have camouflage, they have the gilly suit, 114 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: which we'll get into a little bit later, which is 115 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: a key part of a sniper's gear. It sounds pretty cool. 116 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:42,599 Speaker 1: I mean when I was in I was in Boy 117 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 1: Scouts and we would, uh, you know, you have all 118 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 1: your sort of official boy Scout things you have to 119 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: do like tie knots and you know, start fires and 120 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: identify trees and all that kind of stuff. But we 121 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: would often like end up displaying these like games out 122 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: in these fields you know where you know, it's stuff 123 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: like you're sort of like playing elaborate hiding go seek 124 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 1: out in a cornfield in the middle of the night 125 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: or things like that. So I could see where did 126 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: you really play hide and seek in a corn field 127 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: in the the middle of night, because that sounds pretty fun. Yeah, 128 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: we'll see one group would hide in the field and 129 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: then the other group would have flashlights and they would 130 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 1: come in looking for you. And it was really frightening 131 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: at times because it's kind of like, on one hand, 132 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: you're like, oh, my goodness, I'm afraid I'm gonna get 133 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: caught by the dudes with the flashlights. And then you 134 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 1: find like a really dark corner of the field and 135 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: you're you hunker down and then there's like nobody around 136 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 1: you and it's really quiet, and then you realize, oh, 137 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 1: my goodness, sound like out in the middle of the 138 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 1: woods and it's dark, and you started getting kind of 139 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: freaked out about that. So it was quite the adrenaline rush. 140 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,160 Speaker 1: So I could see where one of these stalking events 141 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: and sniper academy could be, uh, could be pretty exhilarating. 142 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 1: So while they're stalking, they're they're trying to be these 143 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 1: masters of stealth, and they're doing stuff like reporting on 144 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: the enemy's size, their strength, their location, and this is 145 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:55,720 Speaker 1: all pretty helpful and radioing that back to the commanding officers. Yeah, 146 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: you've got a guy who can get in there close 147 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:01,119 Speaker 1: without being seen. So I mean the the reconnaissance value 148 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: there is immense, perhaps yeah, generally, perhaps more so than 149 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 1: his ability to take out a key component of that enemy. Yeah, 150 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: so let's talk about that. Who are they trying to 151 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: take out? Not the average soldier, That's the thing, because 152 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: I think that's another thing about video games. There's some 153 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: games where you kind of have a sniper rifle, but 154 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 1: you're basically just killing everything in sight. And that's not 155 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 1: what this is about. This is about a precision um strike. 156 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: This is about identifying key person and important aspect of 157 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: the enemy's forces and removing it from play and maybe 158 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: striking a little terror in the process. So who makes 159 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: you think who would you think might be one of 160 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: those key people that you'd want to um, the cook 161 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: because of the cook's gone to know um, well, the 162 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: obviously any kind of command, um kind of in an 163 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: individual in command would be a key target. Uh, somebody 164 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: that has you know, um like a communications officer, you 165 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 1: know that kind of thing. Yeah, yeah, pilots um Veldes 166 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: also talked about drivers and your communications operators stuff like that. 167 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: So here's something that I hadn't really thought about. Um, 168 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: there's a famous movie scene or maybe many famous movie 169 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: scenes in which the enemy's location is disclosed by say 170 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 1: the flare of a cigarette, you know, the little orange 171 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: no at the end of a cigarette or the match right, 172 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: you know, and they light up and it's say goodbye. 173 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: So snipers are ultra ultra observe it. That's something they're 174 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: superbly taught in sniper training school. So a sniper is 175 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: gonna see you know, a sniper is gonna be able 176 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:38,719 Speaker 1: to discern who's who in the battlefield. They're going to 177 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: pick up on all sorts of subtle cues. You know, 178 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: they're looking at the way you know, body language, they're 179 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: looking at say you make the mistake of saluting your 180 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 1: commanding officer in the field, Well, then what's going to happen? Right, 181 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 1: And this is actually like becomes more and more important 182 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: as we move farther away from like the the the 183 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: outdated vision of a military where like the guy in 184 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: charge it has a fancy hat, you know, I mean 185 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: you have you have you have combinants who do not 186 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: have uniforms, uh, you know, especially in the field, you know, 187 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: and they probably don't have uniforms at all. You know, 188 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: like if you're insane a situation like in Afghanistan or something. 189 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: To figure out who's in charge, you're gonna have to 190 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 1: observe and see based on their social interactions and the 191 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: way they carry themselves. You know which guy is the 192 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: is the command unit, right, and so you don't have 193 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,319 Speaker 1: these key people. So a sniffer is going to look 194 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:32,439 Speaker 1: for something called a target of opportunity. So this could be, uh, 195 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: somebody like an officer taking a break to smoke cigarette, 196 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 1: or maybe a pilot who's flight checking his helicopter, or 197 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: you know, a guard who's patrolling the camp or the base. Yeah, 198 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 1: somebody who just suddenly they're an easy target to pick off, 199 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:51,680 Speaker 1: which in taking that guy out might not actually like 200 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: it's not like, oh my goodness, Doug's gone, so we're 201 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: just gonna give up the war now, you know, we're 202 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 1: just gonna completely surrender. But but everybody else in Dougs unit, 203 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: it's gonna be like, oh my goodness, Doug just bought it, 204 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: you know, going out to smoke a cigarette. It like 205 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: it breaks down morale, yeah, absolutely, And then it's not 206 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: just people thereafter, it's also material things too, stuff like 207 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: a generator or radio transmitter or um a fuel tank exactly. Yeah, yeah, 208 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 1: something of gray importance to the force there. Yeah, And 209 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:27,959 Speaker 1: you were just talking about how a single hit can 210 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 1: really demoralize the enemy, and so snappers are called force 211 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 1: multipliers by army strategists, and so it's all that means, 212 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 1: as you guys could probably guess, is that sniper teams 213 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 1: can do much more damage than you'd think an individual 214 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: would be capable of causing. Yeah, they can kind of 215 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 1: spread chaos, you know. So let's get to the other 216 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: half of the team, the spotter. The spotter tracks the 217 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 1: shots fired, right, Yeah, and you can tell this by 218 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: um And we were talking about these high velocity, long 219 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: range rounds and a lot of times they're gonna lea 220 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: a vapor trail. Yeah. The main way I could relate 221 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: to this because I don't know that I've played a 222 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 1: video game that had a vapor trail after you fired 223 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 1: a sniper rifle. And maybe I'm just playing the wrong games, 224 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 1: but but one game does come to mind, a little 225 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: iPhone um app that everybody plays these days called Angry Birds. 226 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:19,200 Speaker 1: It's like everybody, like my wife's addicted to it, and 227 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 1: I've played that. Something's pretty phone addicted to angry birds 228 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: bring up angry birds among iPhone owners, and it's like 229 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 1: people go crazy for it. And it's like a game 230 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 1: where you sling shot little birds at little pigs that 231 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:36,200 Speaker 1: are in fortresses. It's silly, it's cute, but slingshotting birds cute. 232 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 1: Well they're cute birds. Yeah, So you sling shot the 233 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 1: bird right and you miss right, But after you fire, 234 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: you can see the trajectory of the shot tracked little dots, 235 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:47,840 Speaker 1: and so you can then you can sort of correct 236 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 1: your shot based on that trail. So it's not as 237 00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 1: simple as that with sniper rifles obviously, but it reminds 238 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: me of that. It's it's like, oh, we can see 239 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 1: based on the vapor trail how the last shot went, 240 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 1: and we can kind of wrecked based on that. Yeah, 241 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 1: so Vel does um he interviewed an Army Ranger sniper, 242 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: which is pretty cool. Yeah he went after a Yeah, 243 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: yeah he did. And uh, the sniper that Vell does 244 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 1: quotes says, um kind of just looks like mixed up air. 245 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 1: You can see through it, but you see the distortion. 246 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: I think of it as if you're ever looking at 247 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:22,079 Speaker 1: a grill. You're grilling something outside and you can see 248 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: the distorted air kind of rising off the grill, kind 249 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:27,680 Speaker 1: of like waves and yeah, or if you look across 250 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: asphalt on a really hot day, right yeah, same sort 251 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 1: of thing, or at least I would think it would 252 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 1: be the same story. That's that's my interpretation too. In 253 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 1: the spot are also is going to help your sniper 254 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 1: to factor in the condition, so you know your wind, weather, visibility, pressure, humidity, 255 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 1: because remember we're talking about pretty long ranges, and the 256 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:49,679 Speaker 1: farther you get away, the more precise you have to 257 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: be when you're aiming your weapon, right right, Yeah, and 258 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:53,599 Speaker 1: you have to account for the changes they're going to 259 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: take place over all of that a long distance, be 260 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:59,840 Speaker 1: it wind or just gravity, yeah, planel gravity can affect 261 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:04,079 Speaker 1: your shot. So perfect conditions according to sniper, yeah no wind, 262 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:06,680 Speaker 1: mild weather, clear visibility. But that's not going to happen. 263 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:10,560 Speaker 1: So given them, you know, there's a rare days a 264 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 1: snipery team has to correct for things like that. So 265 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:14,959 Speaker 1: they have to correct for the way, you know, the 266 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: bit of bullets are going to spin and drift, and 267 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:20,679 Speaker 1: they do that with this thing called MOA or a 268 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: minute of angle. I hope they call it MOA. Maybe 269 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 1: they call it m o A. I don't know. Snipers 270 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 1: right in and tell us MOA makes me think of 271 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 1: like a giant flightless bird, but in m o A 272 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: sounds a little more like military, you know. So this 273 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: is the unit of measurement that snipers use. They rely 274 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 1: on to to measure accuracy, and their spotters are going 275 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 1: to help them with figure out how to get the 276 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 1: best shot and and factor in MOA there or m 277 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 1: o A right now, the spotter is not just you know, 278 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 1: along for the ride. I mean, he's armed as well, 279 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 1: so he's there to provide supporting fire if suddenly the 280 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: sniper becomes the target or they have to you know, 281 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: eat a hasty retreat and uh you know and fire 282 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,440 Speaker 1: some shots along the way. Yeah, he's going to have 283 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 1: typically like an assault rifle in automatic assault rifle, I mean, 284 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:12,839 Speaker 1: because remember his his main duty is to protect the 285 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 1: sniper and thus the unit. Essentially. Here's the other thing 286 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: that I'm not sure spotter is like too much. I 287 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: was reading that being a spotter is kind of like 288 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:27,080 Speaker 1: being a sniper apprentice. Um, you know, I'll be like 289 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 1: an extremely valuable one though. We're kind of like a 290 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: golf caddy, right I would I would take extreme offense 291 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:36,880 Speaker 1: to that if I were, Well, that's what kind of 292 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 1: what like when you make ca I mean, obviously it's 293 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: not the same thing, but but like calling him apprentice, 294 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: it's kind of like this what he's learning, he's learning 295 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: in the field, And how better are you going to 296 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:47,160 Speaker 1: learn if you're not out in the field practicing these skills, 297 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 1: because eventually a lot of spotters will wind up, you know, 298 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: picking up all the knowledge and maybe leading their own team. Well, 299 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:59,280 Speaker 1: in Caddyshack, the caddies all played golf, and well, anyway, 300 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 1: I hope not make any more points based on caddy 301 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 1: shot And this is a podcast, but ultimately it is 302 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: the sniper. He's going to get to make all the calls. 303 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 1: He's going to get to have the final say. He's 304 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: the one who's gonna be coordinating with command to put 305 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: together the mission, and when they're out in the field, 306 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 1: he's gonna have the final word in determining stuff like 307 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: root your position, um, you know, rendezvous points and even 308 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: how they're going to escape the scape route. Cool. So, yeah, 309 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: he's calling the shots. He's a dudent. He's a guy 310 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 1: calling the shots. He's the guy making the shots and 311 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 1: the spotters, the guy helping him make those shots. Indeed, 312 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 1: so what kind of gear are these guys carrying? Some 313 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 1: pretty pretty high tech stuff at time? Right, Well, if 314 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 1: you're going for one shot, one kill, you gotta your 315 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: equipment really matters. So a sniper rifle. But that's kind 316 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,000 Speaker 1: of an ambiguous term because sniper rifles can be all 317 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,280 Speaker 1: sorts of there's no set model of sniper rifle. They 318 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: can be uh, they can be a bolt action, so 319 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 1: that that just means for non gun knowledgeable people like myself, 320 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 1: a bowl action just means that you have to reload 321 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: after every round fired. Yeah, so what's the disadvantage of that, Well, 322 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 1: that you have to reload after every shot fired, right, 323 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 1: and then of course you're that movement, that reloading movement 324 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: could give away your position, right right, and petty much 325 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 1: anything can give away your position. You know, if you 326 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: have a semi automatic, which is another option for a 327 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 1: sniper rifle, Um that that also comes with it's you know, 328 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: own special ways of being detected by the enemy. Yeah, 329 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: I mean, and all these things are most of these 330 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:31,840 Speaker 1: weapons are gonna make a lot of sound. I found 331 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 1: it interesting that these were sniper rifles were often referred 332 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: to as crew served weapons. Yeah. Yeah, the idea that 333 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: it's a it's you know, it's a big gun, but 334 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:42,800 Speaker 1: unlike all your video games or most of your video games, 335 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: you need two people to operate it correctly. Yeah. I mean, 336 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: like we're talking about before, if you come under fire 337 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: and you've got to get out of there fast, you're 338 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 1: not really going to want a sniper. Yeah, the sniper 339 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: rifle just becomes luggage at that point totally. I imagine 340 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: ditch it, although I don't know that for sure, but 341 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,040 Speaker 1: if you're if you're beating a history treat I you 342 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: really take in your gear with you. Soldiers abandon their 343 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: gear in the field. Well, I think the general idea 344 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 1: is that as pricey as gear is, its yeah, it's 345 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:13,560 Speaker 1: generally pricier to to train the individual, you know, to 346 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 1: use that equipment. So it's you know, it's kind of 347 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:18,200 Speaker 1: like the whole ejection seat in an airplane thing, right, 348 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:23,160 Speaker 1: like a fighter jet. No, no, keep going with us. Well, 349 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: well it's not a perfect analogy, but but like with 350 00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:27,720 Speaker 1: the fighter jet, you have the objection seat because if 351 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:29,919 Speaker 1: there's something's going wrong with the plane, so you know, 352 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: you'll reach a point where it's better to save the 353 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 1: pilot than to you know, further endanger the pilot to 354 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:36,640 Speaker 1: say of the point, okay, okay, I got you. There's 355 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 1: I mean, there's there kind of comes like a line 356 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 1: you know that you right, right, So maybe they're ditching 357 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:44,360 Speaker 1: the sniper riffle, but I imagine they're encouraged to bring 358 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: it back if they can. But yeah, well, the sniper 359 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 1: riffle is going to be more than your average gun. Obviously, 360 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: it's it's match great, right, So it's it's gonna be 361 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: fine tuned, probably by a professional gun sniff to ensure 362 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:58,959 Speaker 1: accuracy and reliability. These are the kind of things that 363 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: you know, somebody who would be participating in a professional 364 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:05,880 Speaker 1: like gun shooting competition, which these are high grade weapons. 365 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:10,439 Speaker 1: And they were also talking about sniper rifles having this 366 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:12,960 Speaker 1: free floating barrel and that's going to make sure that 367 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,400 Speaker 1: the barrel touches the least amount of the weapon possible. 368 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:17,680 Speaker 1: And the idea here is that it's going to help 369 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 1: with cutting down on vibration from the recoil. They're expensive, right, 370 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:24,199 Speaker 1: you'd guess that. I mean, they may cost as much 371 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: as fifteen dollars and up, I would imagine and on 372 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: the lower edge, maybe you're looking at eight thousand, and 373 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: of course you're gonna need a sniper scope, and that's 374 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: what the spotter man's. This is the this is the 375 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:41,359 Speaker 1: scope that like you look through to see what you're targeting. Yeah, 376 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:44,919 Speaker 1: it's specialized, you know, specialized telescope. And we do have 377 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 1: an illustration on the site in case you guys are curious. 378 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 1: It's pretty cool that we did a while ago. Here's 379 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 1: my favorite part of sniper equipment. What's that? They're kind 380 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:58,520 Speaker 1: of hilarious looking. Yeah. Yeah, if you've ever seen it, 381 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: it's kind of like when you see a soul that 382 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: looks like he just spent the night in a swamp, 383 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:04,919 Speaker 1: or he kind of looks like swamp thing. You know. 384 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 1: It's got all this liked definitely, you know, foliage hanging 385 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 1: off of them, and sticks and branches and bramble, and 386 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,359 Speaker 1: it can look a little comical. Yeah. I kind of 387 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 1: think of it like Chewbacca. But I think of Chewbacca 388 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:19,200 Speaker 1: a lot these days. Apparently Chewbacca with like leaves cotton 389 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 1: his fear. Yeah, that's the exact kind of thing it 390 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:26,160 Speaker 1: looks like. Yeah, so it's just camouflage because The overriding 391 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 1: point here is that I mean, clearly you don't want 392 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: to be spotted by your enemy, but also you're gonna 393 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 1: want to blend in with nature. And the important thing 394 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 1: here is the angle of your gun, you know, the 395 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 1: straight line of whatever equipment you're carrying. Um, anything out 396 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:43,120 Speaker 1: of place is going to be spotted by the enemy. Yes, 397 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: I mean especially so this is interesting. Um rifles. They 398 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:49,680 Speaker 1: make little Gilli suits for their rifles even Yeah, I 399 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:51,159 Speaker 1: think I've seen those. Yeah, it's kind of like a 400 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:56,159 Speaker 1: big camouflage sock that gets pulled over the the the barrel. 401 00:19:57,520 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: Now are you going to tell the history of the 402 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 1: gil suit because it seems worth if you're Alley, do 403 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 1: do you remember the history of the Gill series? Yeah, well, 404 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: correct me if I'm wrong, But I believe you said 405 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,720 Speaker 1: it was of Scottish origin. It is, and the idea 406 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:13,680 Speaker 1: of being back in ye olden times. Yeah, you would 407 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 1: have Hagets, I believe correct. I'm sure we have Scottish 408 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: listeners who can correct us on these things. But basically 409 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: you'd have your big game preserve that belonged to a lord, 410 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:28,399 Speaker 1: you know, and uh, the lord would decide that he 411 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 1: wanted to say, shoot a deer or you know, or 412 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 1: you know, an arrow or whatever at a deer. Right, 413 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 1: but the lord doesn't want to actually go out into 414 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 1: the wilderness and you know, put in all the time, 415 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 1: you know, and maybe he's not that good, and it's 416 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:43,919 Speaker 1: the job of his underlings to let him think that 417 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 1: he's good. The gamekeeper specifically, who I picture, even though 418 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 1: it's Irish, I picture Darby O Gill from Darby Gil 419 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:52,159 Speaker 1: in a little People. Okay, as long as we're going 420 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 1: to keep on with Caddie Shock, it's definitely oh Bill 421 00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: Murray Yeah, okay, Yeah, let's change it. Let's picture Bill 422 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:04,159 Speaker 1: Murray in this silly suit. Yeah, yeah, okay, so I 423 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: got that images. Yeah. So in fact, I think he 424 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: does have a gilly suit and Caddy shactor. Oh he does, yeah, yeah, 425 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:12,680 Speaker 1: when he's hunting the gopher. I'm pretty sure he does. Wow, 426 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,440 Speaker 1: it comes back to Caddy. Yeah. So so yeah, Bill 427 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:18,359 Speaker 1: Bill Murray's character is in this Uh was it Carl? Yeah? 428 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 1: I think it was Carl in this in this gilli 429 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: suit and he goes out into the wilderness and begins 430 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:28,280 Speaker 1: to stalk, like we're talking other, stalk this deer. And 431 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 1: he doesn't apparently really have a weapon or anything. He 432 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: just kind of like creeps up as close as possible 433 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,679 Speaker 1: to the deer, the ultimate stalker. Yeah, and then nabs 434 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 1: it just gan with his bare hands, and I don't know, 435 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 1: maybe he puts it in a sack or you know, 436 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:42,640 Speaker 1: I don't know, how do you get a deer back 437 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,679 Speaker 1: to the lord's castle or maybe you just hoisted over 438 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:49,640 Speaker 1: your shoulder. Probably doesn't ride it, but yeah, it gets 439 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: it back somehow. And then he like takes it into 440 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:54,119 Speaker 1: like say an enclosed wooded area, or I don't know, 441 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: ties it to a tree. It kind of depends on 442 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:59,639 Speaker 1: how um proficient the lord is at shooting things. And 443 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 1: then so once the game's delivered, then the Lord can 444 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:05,360 Speaker 1: come out with his fancy crossbow or musket or whatever. Uh, 445 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: fire is shot, and yeah, he's great. He just killed 446 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 1: a deer that the the games keeper actually went and 447 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,639 Speaker 1: apprehended with his with his own hands and his skilly suit. 448 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: So that's pretty awesome. I did not know that before today. 449 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:23,879 Speaker 1: So pretty interesting stuff. Um, So here's something that I 450 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 1: was wondering. We're talking long range distances for snipers. We're 451 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:31,120 Speaker 1: talking how far exactly. I mean, I was wondering what's 452 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: the record set here? Well, at first, I think it's 453 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:37,200 Speaker 1: like when people think snipers and shots fired off at 454 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 1: a distance, A lot of people think of like JFK 455 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: and stuff. But the distance that Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired, 456 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,399 Speaker 1: the distance, Yeah, the farthest distance it was fired was 457 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 1: what I think. So let's so keep that to peanuts. Yeah, 458 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 1: that's peanuts compared to the record. What is the record 459 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: right now? Well, as of this recording, it was held 460 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,400 Speaker 1: by a British soldier, a corporal of Horse. I guess 461 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:05,040 Speaker 1: that's the British title. I was sort of uncertain about 462 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 1: this how horse fit into his title, but I guess 463 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: it does. And a corporal of Horse Harrison, and he 464 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:15,119 Speaker 1: was from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and he holds a record of 465 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:20,720 Speaker 1: about one point five miles one point five miles. Yeah, 466 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:23,280 Speaker 1: so the distance to his two um is, his two 467 00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: human targets, was eight thousand, one d and twenty ft 468 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 1: or one point five for miles. And they measured that 469 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: with a GPS system and notably it was about three 470 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: thousand feet beyond the weapons effective range. So yeah, that 471 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 1: just completely puts you know, any talk of Lee Harvey 472 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:42,399 Speaker 1: Oswald being a sniper to rest, I mean that that 473 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 1: dude was nothing. Yeah, Harrison Horse Harrison, No, that's not. 474 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: His first name was Fried of its hid at all. 475 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:52,760 Speaker 1: We should have we should have looked up more about 476 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 1: British soldier titles, but we didn't because we're focusing on 477 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 1: snipers today. People. But one point five miles, that's that's amazing. 478 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 1: I was really impressed. And to imagine that you could be, 479 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:07,000 Speaker 1: you know, out in this was actually an Afghanistan, that 480 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 1: you could you could be say, out in the wilds 481 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 1: of Afghanistan and your enemy is a mile and a 482 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 1: half away and able to pick you off. That's pretty crazy. 483 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 1: So you mentioned Lee Harvey as well. Let's go back 484 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:20,760 Speaker 1: to him for a second. Let's let's do a little 485 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:24,119 Speaker 1: sniper history as long as we're wrapping things up. So 486 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:28,440 Speaker 1: according to the Army Sniper Association, the same folks who 487 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 1: sponsored the annual sniper competition, which I guess you go 488 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:35,880 Speaker 1: if you're a a super sniper, the U. S Army 489 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:40,439 Speaker 1: International Sniper Competition. In fact, it's held annually. Uh. Anyway, 490 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 1: the Army Sniper Association says that the term sniper originated 491 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:48,040 Speaker 1: from the British occupation of India in the eighteen hundreds. Interesting, 492 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: But when you think about it, we're talking about this 493 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:52,199 Speaker 1: before we had to have had snipers for as long 494 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:54,399 Speaker 1: as we've had long range weapons. Yeah, I think that 495 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:56,679 Speaker 1: as long as we've had a long light range weapon, 496 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,719 Speaker 1: we've had guys um who were stealthy, who were stealthy, 497 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:01,880 Speaker 1: who were better at it than than the other other 498 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:05,640 Speaker 1: guys in their team, in their team, in their armed unit, 499 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,600 Speaker 1: or in the army. I get where going. Yeah, so, so, yeah, 500 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 1: we've always had guys that excel at it, and by 501 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:13,040 Speaker 1: excelling at it, would be put in a situation where 502 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:18,360 Speaker 1: to capitalize on that that skill, right, right, So Lee 503 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:20,640 Speaker 1: Harvey obviously goes down as one of the most infamous 504 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 1: snipers in history. But yeah, we're not so sure that 505 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: he was a good one. Per se, Oswald was actually 506 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 1: using a rifle he ordered from the mail. And I 507 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:29,840 Speaker 1: want to go back for sec I said two, and 508 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: what I meant was actually two six five ft. So 509 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 1: I was giving him too much credit. Yeah, it's even 510 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 1: even worse for that guy. Yeah, and he may not 511 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: have been acting alone, but we don't even have to 512 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 1: get into that. There I'm sure that's like Josh and 513 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:46,480 Speaker 1: Chuck and Chucker, you know, stuff they don't want you 514 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:49,639 Speaker 1: to know. We'll let them cover all the JFK conspiracy angles. 515 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:52,160 Speaker 1: There was something interesting that I had not heard about 516 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:54,360 Speaker 1: that you had, in that there was a video game 517 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 1: released um JFK Reloaded, and it was released on the 518 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 1: forty one anniversary of Jiff Case Assassination Dallas. So this 519 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 1: this game essentially allowed gamers to get behind Lee Harvey 520 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 1: assult sniper rifle and recreate the assassination event. Yeah. Remember 521 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:17,919 Speaker 1: you could take both sides of it. I suppose, but 522 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 1: I mean first hearing about it, first reading about it, 523 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: I came stumping over to your death, Okay, have you 524 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 1: heard of this game? And you're like, well, you know, 525 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,880 Speaker 1: maybe they're trying to teach a point about you know, history, 526 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 1: and which essentially was with the game creators said, yeah, 527 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:36,560 Speaker 1: I don't know. I guess you kind of get if 528 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:38,520 Speaker 1: you're around a lot of video game violence, you kind 529 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: of become numb to it eventually. And it's kind of like, oh, 530 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 1: there's a and stupid video games. There's so many like 531 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 1: stupid and possibly offensive video games out there. It's you know, 532 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 1: this comes along and you're like, oh, well that's not surprising. Yeah. 533 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:52,159 Speaker 1: So I guess if you if you got the if 534 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:55,359 Speaker 1: you came closest to recreating the actual shot, you're supposed 535 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:56,919 Speaker 1: to win a hundred thousand dollars. But I don't know 536 00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 1: if anybody ever did and who that individual was. So yeah, 537 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,640 Speaker 1: that's snipers for you. If you know, we kept talking 538 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:06,520 Speaker 1: about video games, so by all means you gamers out there, 539 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:09,399 Speaker 1: if there's if there's actually like a really authentic UH 540 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 1: Sniper video game on the market, let us know, well 541 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:14,359 Speaker 1: we we'll mention it, you know, specifically if there's anything 542 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: that involved, because I know there are a lot of 543 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 1: co op games now, um and I don't really do 544 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,200 Speaker 1: a lot of that, but but it would stand a 545 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:23,200 Speaker 1: reason you could have a game or one dude is 546 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:27,160 Speaker 1: the sniper and one dude is you know, holding the scope. Yeah, 547 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 1: and you can always play the game on our article 548 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:33,520 Speaker 1: military UH Sniper's Work. I think it's on page nine 549 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 1: or something, but maybe you'll have to click through the 550 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:37,200 Speaker 1: entire article and read it in all of its fine 551 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 1: Robert Belts glory. Yeah, and we actually we have a 552 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 1: lot of really cool military technology, military like science articles 553 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:45,400 Speaker 1: on the site. So yeah, so we don't touch upon 554 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 1: it very often, but maybe we'll do that. Yeah, we 555 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:51,920 Speaker 1: have a lot of cool content to discuss. Hey, so 556 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:54,960 Speaker 1: I wanted to share a little listener mail if I could, Yeah, 557 00:27:55,040 --> 00:28:01,240 Speaker 1: do it. Well. Back on one of our episodes, we 558 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:04,960 Speaker 1: requested some of your favorite science quotes and we got 559 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:09,560 Speaker 1: some from from you guys, and you here are some favorites. So, 560 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:12,959 Speaker 1: for example, one of our literary named fans, gentleman by 561 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 1: the name of James Uh, he sent a couple of 562 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:19,240 Speaker 1: his and so there are some funny ones which he 563 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 1: gave us a couple of. This was my favorite, he said, 564 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 1: with the bomb squad, you can usually stop running after 565 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:27,080 Speaker 1: the first couple of blocks. If it involves the physics department, 566 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:31,879 Speaker 1: keep going. That's kind of good. But did you have 567 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: a funny one? Oh? I did? Yeah, I love this 568 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:36,760 Speaker 1: one because this one comes from um, well, this one 569 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 1: comes from a listener by the name of Andrew and 570 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:43,360 Speaker 1: it is a quote from a character on Futurama, who 571 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 1: which is the show I love and I think a 572 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:46,800 Speaker 1: lot of our listeners are really into it. Yeah, we 573 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 1: mentioned a bunch. So this is from Professor Hubert J. 574 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,959 Speaker 1: Farnsworth of Mars University. He's one of the main characters, 575 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:57,000 Speaker 1: like the old decrepit mad scientists and uh he said 576 00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 1: quote technology isn't intrinsically good or evil, it's how it's used, 577 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 1: like the death ray. So that's you know, because the 578 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:08,880 Speaker 1: death ray is not intrinsically evil, it's just if you 579 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:12,719 Speaker 1: use it for evil purposes. And lastly, maybe we'll end 580 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:16,160 Speaker 1: with a serious one on the gravity and seriousness and 581 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: awesomeness of science. And this one was sent by Bryan 582 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: who says, go science exclamations for equipped with this five 583 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 1: senses man explores the universe around him and calls the 584 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:32,480 Speaker 1: adventure science. And that was adminnable, very nice, very nice. 585 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 1: So as always we love to hear from you guys. 586 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:38,320 Speaker 1: If you have anything you want to share about snipers, 587 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:42,120 Speaker 1: science or anything else, um send us an email. It's 588 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:45,000 Speaker 1: science stuff at how stefforks dot com and check us 589 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:49,200 Speaker 1: out social networking. You'll find us on Twitter as Lab stuff, 590 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 1: and you also find us on Facebook. Is just stuff 591 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 1: in the Science Lab. We'll keep you updated on what 592 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: we're writing about, podcasting about, and thinking about in the 593 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: field of science. That's a little science stuff. Thanks for 594 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 1: listening guys for more on this and thousands of other topics. 595 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 1: Does it how stuff works dot Com. Want more how 596 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:18,200 Speaker 1: stuff works, check out our blogs on the house stuff 597 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:19,400 Speaker 1: works dot Com home page