Sniper-rifle ammunition is still mostly .308. In the old days the reasoning was that in a pinch, a sniper could use the issue ammo. (Nevermind the potential loss of accuracy, changed zero and missed shots.) While there has always been an expressed need or demand for bigger calibers, most rifles are still .308.

The new Mk 262 Mod 1 loading of the 5.56 is very accurate and an improvement in terminal ballistics within M4 carbine range. But past 300 to 400 meters it only pokes holes through people and doesn't deliver like the .308/7.62.

Why? Because it is good enough.

A .308 has the accuracy and energy to deal with miscreants at 1,000 yards. Something bigger has more recoil, noise, greater problems with dust kicked up by the muzzle blast and delivers not much more.

Let's compare a .308 to the .300 Win. Mag. The .308 starts a 175- grain match bullet at 2,500 fps. The .300 starts at 3,000. By the 1,000-yard marker, the .308 has dropped to 1,180 fps while the bullet launched from the .300 is going 1,432 fps. That's a lot more recoil for 250 fps on the far end.

Someone might complain that I'm not giving the bigger cartridge its due; there are cases that will push a bullet faster. The fastest one I can find is the .30-378 Weatherby, which can start our 175-grain bullet at 3,300 fps (ouch!).

The M14 is not dead, just doing another job as the SDM rifle. A soldier with Comanche Company 1st Battalion, 23 Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division in Mosul, Iraq, on May 13, 2004, holds one. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson

It ends its 1,000-yard trip with 1,608 fps. For twice the recoil, we end up with a usable but not great terminal increase.

Inside 1,000 yards, the .308 works well. Past that you need more than just a bigger case; you need something like the .338 Lapua Magnum or the .50 BMG. And in the military, where .50 BMG is a staple item (the corner-party-store equivalent of milk or bread), the Barrett line of rifles is an obvious choice.

The secret to long-range accuracy lies in two variables: distance and wind. If you know exactly how far a given target lies, you have half the variables pinned down. In the early days it was a matter of guesswork. And thus "long range" sniping was either not very far or depended on other rangefinding methods than the ones the sniper and his assistant had with them. Then and now, military snipers make range cards. From a given position, all landmarks are noted for their direction and distance. If you had to take up a position for a time, you'd look at the previous sniper's range card, but you'd make your own.

And how did we know that the far ridgeline was exactly 730 yards away? Because a Combat Engineer used a surveyor's transit to measure it. How do we know he was correct? Because Sgt. Jones of the 1/7 shot someone last week using that as his range setting.

For knocking down computer-controlled targets out to 300 meters, the M16 works fine. If you expect to do much beyond that, you'll need something bigger. These police officers have no illusions about using the 5.56 at really long ranges.

Now we use lasers. Electronics are grand and a whole lot more portable than that Combat Engineer and his transit. We can tell that the ridge is 728 yards distant and the bad guy trying to hide over there is exactly 713 yards away from our muzzle.

To lessen the wear and tear on a rifle, you use a good case. A generation ago a case was a cloth sleeve with minimal padding that had no utility once you arrived wherever you were. Today, a case is multiple storage levels, from a hard case to a drag bag. The hard case is a Pelican or Hardigg, which can withstand more of an impact than you can.

A drag bag is what you use to pull the rifle behind you as you slither into a shooting hide. It also has pockets for extra gear, and the padding in it and its design allows you to use it as a shooting mat once you've arrived at your shooting location.

The modern sniper rifle is more than just a launching system. It's a frame of mind. And lots of extra gear.