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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Rantburg Tactical Note: Mexican top cop killed from 60m away by sniper using Barrett 0.50 caliber rifle |
| 2013-02-21 |
| You gotta wonder why they use such a powerful rifle from such a short distance away. A competent rifleman could make that shot over open sights using a smaller caliber modern rifle. Reading dozens of seized weapons reports in Mexico over the years, the only dedicated rifle that could be used as a sniper weapon that is available to both the cartels and Mexico's military is the Barrett 0.50 caliber rifle. Mexican road patrols in the south and central regions mount Barretts on their patrol vehicles. Los Zetas are known to use Barretts and have used them in the shootouts in Reynosa against their Gulf Cartel enemies during 2010 and 2011, as well as the 2010 intergang firefight in Tubutama in Sonora, which killed 24. This is the first report I have seen of a dedicated hit using the Barrett. Cartels usually prefer drive by shootings to get Mexican police top dawgs. Police found one spent cartridge casing and a tripod mount about 60 meters away. Presumably only one shot was fired. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #10 Wonder where the Barrett came from? |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2013-02-21 18:38 |
| #9 The "Z" are not known for their .... z-ubtlety. |
| Posted by: Raider 2013-02-21 13:47 |
| #8 At 60 meters a .50 cal shot would make a very messy scene that would not be easily washed away and long remembered. Los Zetas dont just kill their enemies, they cut their head and hands off, disembowl them and other ugly events to show they dont play games. To shoot someone with a AR15 would leave a hole, some flesh and blood. Shooting a guy with a .50 at that range will leave a giant mess, message to the world sent. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2013-02-21 13:39 |
| #7 Because he could? |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2013-02-21 11:24 |
| #6 Olympic shooting is done at 50m with a .22. The 10-ring is 10.4mm across. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2013-02-21 11:04 |
| #5 sounds like an Elmer Fudd cartoon. Where you could look through the hole and see the landscape on the other side |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-02-21 10:35 |
| #4 At that range, it would literally tear the body apart. I think the ballistic effect, rather than accuracy, is what they were looking for. Al |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2013-02-21 09:38 |
#3 A competent rifleman could make that shot over open sights using a smaller caliber modern rifle. Hell, I could make the shot at 60m, which means an INCOMPETENT rifleman could do it. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2013-02-21 09:17 |
| #2 You use what you got. Over the top is good. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2013-02-21 01:48 |
| #1 Was the target in an armored car? If so, that could explain the use of a Barrett. |
| Posted by: tipover 2013-02-21 01:08 |