.300 Magnum: Remington to Upgrade U.S. Army Precision Rifles

The Army's Program Executive Office Soldier recently awarded Remington Arms Company a contract for the M24 Reconfigured Sniper Weapon System. The award will result in the near-term fielding of 250 XM2010 weapon systems, which will be chambered for .300 Winchester Magnum cartridges. The new chambering significantly extends the weapon's maximum effective range. It's expected the Army will field the upgraded weapons to deployed Army snipers by the end of December...the XM2010 sports a Leupold Mark 4 6.5-20x50mm extended range/tactical riflescope with advanced scalable ranging and targeting reticle. The system is also fielded with the AN/PVS-29 clip-on sniper night sight. And the system's included quick-attach suppressor reduces audible and visible signature with an available thermal sleeve that reduces the mirage effect on heated suppressors...The M24 upgrade initiative is the result of an Army-directed requirement to provide snipers operating in Afghanistan with a greater capability to engage the enemy...
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Full story @ US Army Homepage
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The .300 Win-Mag (Basically a "Magnum 30-06") is capable of taking down the largest north-American game animals, but the reasoning here is to be able to hit hard at longer ranges than the 7.62x51 NATO (no slouch in the long-range department itself) on man sized targets. However, in this lightweight to carry envelope, it will have an absolutely brutal recoil impulse, unless they have some kind of  muzzle brake rigged up. Between Drone rocket strikes and this XM2010, murderous "throw acid in little girls faces" terrorist rabble in the Afgan are in for some well deserved real bad mojo, just in time for Christmas...(S9)