Does the NSA really have agents like in Splinter Cell the game and why dont snipers just aim and shoot?

Question

The first question is kinda self explanitory. Why dont snipers just aim and shoot like in the movies and in video games. I expect a .50 cal to shoot strait for a very long distance that you wont have to calculate all the variables. What are the varible you have to calculate and what is the basis of the equation? If the target is so far away that you have to use math to solve it, wont the target be off the scope or because you need to aim at a certain trajectory?

EDIT: People I think you are mis understanding. The varibles are like wind direction, wind speed, humidity, temperature of the air, wieght of the bullet, distance of target, arch per second of bullet, ect.. I want to know all the varibles. I dont want to know about obstructions in the way of the bullet. And please state which answer is for which question.

thats what im talking about old dragon!! but if the target is soo far away that you need to arch the shot, wont the target be off the scope? And lets get some answers for that NSA question.

Answer 1

The purpose of snipers employed in modern days is not really to kill anymore, but to gather information. They are considered as intelligence assets, although they are trained for long range precision fire.

Bullets don't travel in a straight line. Earth has gravity. As the bullet travels forward and furthur, it loses its energy (not a lot at once, mind you, but enough to cause it to decend towards the ground). Hence, its flight profile is that of an arcing trajectory, akin to an artillery shell in flight. That characteristic is also known as bullet drop.

Mathematical calculations are always a part of ballastics. Factors like wind, temperature, length of barrel, the number of grooves in the barrel etc all have an influence on the trajectory of the bullet.

Longer barrel imparts better stability once the bullet leaves it, since it allows it more time to spin properly. That spining characteristic come from the grooves inside the barrel. The more gooves present, the more the bullet will spin, giving it the ability to maintain a stablized flight and not veer off in any unwanted direction caused by environmental wind speed and direction upon the projectile leaving the barrel. The same goes for artillery projectiles and tank turrets.

The purpose of of employing snipers has 2 main functions, first, its to gather information on the enemy as stated earlier, and then passing this information up the chain of command for higher evaluation. Sometimes, taking out an enemy does not really accomplish anything, generally in the case of law enforcement snipers.

Snipers are by nature stealthy, they perfom better by staying undetected, shooting someone just announces their presence around.

Secondly, the knowledge that a sniper team (they work in pairs, not alone) is out there puts a psychological pressure on the enemy. It forces them to think twice about taking drastic actions. This is especially true for the law enforcement departments like SWAT, the local PD, etc. In such a situation, snipers shoot only if there is an immediate and emminent danger to the hostage(s) or to the sniper himself. The mandate of law enforcement snipers is not to kill but to diffuse a chaotic and hostile situation.

In short, here's the variables affecting ballistics of a bullet, starting with:

1) Internal ballistics - the study of the processes originally accelerating the projectile (e.g passage of a bullet through the barrel);

2) Transition ballistics - the study of the projectile's behavior when it leaves the barrel and the pressure behind the projectile is equalized;

3) External ballistics - the study of the passage of the projectile through space or the air; and

4) Terminal ballistics - the study of the interaction of a projectile with its target upon impact.

In the study of ballistic (be it for a handgun round, rifle round, a sabot round, an artillery shell, or even an ICBM missile), everything matters. The size of the round, the weight, the type of propellent used, its subsequent generated pressure opon [controlled] detonation counts.

Wind speed, atmospheric pressure, air humidity per square inch, elevation/depression of the ground plays a part too.

Answer 2

Point and shoot? Not that easy.
Lots of variables, starting with gravity causing the bullet to drop. So you have bullet weight, and speed from the muzzle ("muzzle velocity"). THe longer the bullet travels, the more gravity will cause it to drop. The bullet will slow down during it's journey and further complicate things. If the shot is anything other than perfectly level (ie upward or downward) it does, indeed take some basic trig to calculate drop.
How fast the bullet spins (barrel twist rate) effects accuracy, as does bullet shape (frontal area called the "ballistic co-efficient), and even wind. Warm air can distort the image in the scope. And on, and on.
Not as easy as it looks. Long-range shooting is both science and art.

Answer 3

Man, maybe that's why I spent my time in the army firing artillery pieces (105mm, 155mm, Mk 19 Mod 3 40mm grenade launcher, 7" gun,Lance & Pershing missiles, automatic weapons including the M2 .50 calibre machine gun and the associated .50 cal rifle and other weapons )requiring specific mathematics to successfully put steel on the target.

The Splinter Cell game sounds far too complicated for me to play..... Besides, I'm pretty sure NSA like the military keeps all of its really cool weapons classified.

By the way, the twin .50 cal machine gun (if I recall after all these years) has an effective maximum range of 11,000 meters. So yes....it can shoot a long way.

Answer 4

Yes, you can't just aim and shoot, you have to think of objects that can be in the way, the wind can also change the direction of the bullet. many things.

Answer 5

Yes they do.

Sometimes buildings, trees or cars get in the way of a clear shot.
Sometimes the target moves.
Sometimes innocent people get in the way. (dont ya hate that?)

Answer 6

Yes

The reason they don't shoot is political and has nothing to do with targeting variables