Back in 2002 during the infamous Washington area shootings, USA Today wrote an article about the skills of the shooter(s) involved. USA Today looked to EXPERTS in the field to draw conclusions about the skill level of the sniper(s).

When needing professional advice, USA Today turned to the same company that many turn to for accurate sniper information… GPS Defense. In the article, you can find information from GPS Defense’s owner, Bill Graves as he answers questions form USA Today about information pertaining to snipers.

See the article on USA Today’s Website

Experts: Sniper may not be highly trained

By Toni Locy and John Ritter, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Firearms experts say the sniper who is stalking the Washington area may not be a highly trained marksman because of the choice of ammunition and shooting distance.

Experts say the shooter has proved to be proficient, having killed nine people and wounded two others.

But the choice of the .223-caliber cartridge may be a clue that the sniper is not the military- or law enforcement- trained shooter who was initially portrayed.

The .223-caliber ammunition is popular because it has little recoil. It is light, fast and accurate at relatively short distances. It is a favorite among small-game hunters and target shooters.

As a result, “there are hundreds of thousands of people in the country” who could’ve pulled off the attacks that have terrorized the area since Oct. 2, says Ernie Clarke, president of the Anne Arundel Fish and Game Association in Annapolis, Md.

And that “literally opens up the pool” of potential suspects, says Paul Erhardt, director of public relations for the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Even so, experts say the sniper probably went to a range, a farm or open field to align the weapon’s sights accurately. They say the shooter could be using the gun’s open sights or a scope.

The sniper is said to have fired from about as far away as 150 yards.

At those distances, wind and temperature — which along with distance are the biggest variables in long-range shooting — have little impact on a bullet’s trajectory.

But at longer distances, 500 or more yards, wind and temperature can alter a bullet’s course substantially and adjusting to those changes requires sophisticated equipment and training.

Investigators have not revealed what kind of rifle is being used.

Experts say it could be a semiautomatic rifle, such as the Colt AR-15, the civilian version of the M-16, or a bolt-action rifle that must be reloaded manually after each shot.

Many guns use .223-caliber ammunition, which, when stripped of its casing, leaves a projectile no bigger than a .22-caliber bullet, one of the smallest made. The .223-caliber cartridge starts out fast but loses its speed after about 300 yards. It also loses its accuracy as gravity and the air affect its trajectory. Wind also can throw it off.

According to experts, the .223-caliber round travels at about 3,300 feet per second as it explodes out of a rifle’s muzzle. After 300 yards, the speed drops to 1,900 feet per second.

William Graves, a sniper instructor at GPS Llc, a private marksmanship school in Phoenix, says professionally trained snipers prefer the heavier, more accurate .308-caliber cartridge because it is not as affected by distance, wind and temperature as .223-caliber ammunition.

Graves says trained snipers also aim for the head.

The Washington sniper has hit some victims in the head, but others have been shot in the upper body.

“I can take someone in the morning and by lunch have them shooting as well as this guy,” Graves says.

“Shooting at 100 yards is not that big a deal with practice and proper training,” he said.