This is 100% not how zeroing works. You can get as accurate as your rifle is (this is what an MOA rating defines…) if you eliminate all human and environmental variables. Guy had no business lining up an ear hole shot with a 1.5 - 2.5 MOA rifle at 130 yards.
This is why people will pay $6k and even north of $15k for custom rifles with extremely tight MOA ratings.
He failed, fortunately, because he attempted a head shot even a highly trained sniper would be at the mercy of MOA gods lining up to hit, because of the chosen rifle platform and accuracy system.
I just spoke to a friend who is former secret service and a current ICE federal agent. Organizational incompetence or inside help are the only possibilities he sees right now.
Edit: This is a guy who has been on opposition candidate security details. He called it a “huge, huge blunder”.
I get what you’re saying but I don’t think a head shot from that distance is that difficult for a trained sniper. If I qualified with iron sites, and managed to hit the furthest target from the kneeling position, then a sniper should be able to make a head shot using optics from less than half that distance and from a supported position. Marine qualifying is harder than Army qualifying so a well trained Marine should be able to do it as well. This particular guy, luckily, doesn’t seem to be well trained or experienced. Which makes this somewhat scarier because if someone like him could get that close, imagine what a real assassin could have done.
I could be wrong about everything and I’m sure someone like Marine, who was also SWAT, would know better than I.
There is a reason why trained snipers use very specific rifle systems. (And wouldn’t be utilized at 130 yards in most cases).
I’m sorry but you’re objectively wrong. I’m not going to argue physics ad nauseam.
He would’ve landed a center mass shot. Not the headshot he was likely attempting.
And if he hit an ear aiming center mass then I’m a monkeys uncle.
Edit for accuracy:
he would have hit center mass.
His headshot was a toss up. Most of his shots if the scenario were to repeat probably would’ve been fatal, but the inherent accuracy variable in his rifle system created a tolerance that Trump was lucky to receive.
I still don’t think a trained sniper would have a difficult time getting a head shot from that distance. Keep in mind, Oswald got a head shot on a moving target.
From what distance and would I have the chance to practice so I could use some old fashioned Kentucky Windage? If you wanted to keep it under 50 yards, we could use pistols.
I was a sniper on SWAT. Our rigs we’re $15,000 a piece. They did all the work for you. Key holed 4 shots at 100 on the FBI target after my first shot was off by a cunt hair.
Being completely honest… I struggled with MOA as we used clicks in the Marines when I taught marksmanship. Of course we used iron sights out to 500 meters. The different nomenclature really threw me off for some reason.
Unequivocally, yes. With good optics it’s a breeze.
Things that could make it difficult… weather conditions, target stationary or moving, angle of the head being targeted, avg head is about 9 inches and at 130 yards that’s pretty fucking small… the training level of the individual, etc…
Should be reassigned if so. A trained sniper also wouldn’t choose a rifle with the aforementioned MOA rating for the job. And should be reassigned if so.
To be clear, I am talking about ideal conditions. Even a trained shooter would have difficulty if rushed. But then again, a trained shooter wouldn’t have attempted the more difficult shot under less than ideal conditions. But Oswald did do it.
It’s not going to happen, at least not anytime soon (I would be up for it since it’s all in fun and I don’t think you’re a douchebag) but if I were to choose a distance it would be 300 yards.
