This Is the Rifle Used in the Longest Recorded Sniper Kill

On November 18, 2003, just before dawn, former businessman and sport shooter, Viacheslav Kovalskyi, made the longest confirmed kill of all time at a distance of 3,800 meters (4,156 yards) during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is all the information we have about what weapon he used and more.

#1 Kovalskyi’s identity

Typically, countries prefer to keep the identity of active service members secret when it comes to events like these, but given much of the conflict in Ukraine can be influenced by public opinion, it makes sense why the Ukrainian government chose to reveal Kovalskyi’s identity.

#2 Horizon’s Lord

Kovalskyi used a Volodar Obriyu (Володар Обрію), which means Horizon’s Lord. It is a single-shot bolt-action anti-materiel rifle.

#3 Weapon History

The Horizon’s Lord is a relatively new rifle designed by Ukrainian MAYAK arms manufacturer. It was created to bridge the gap between anti-materiel weapons and sniper rifles but maintain a longer range than rifles that use a .50 BMG round.

#4 Ammunition

Instead, the Horizon’s Lord uses a new kind of ammunition, a .50 caliber, 12.7x114HL cartridge designed specifically for this weapon. It is a .50 BMG bullet that has been adapted and compressed to fit the weapon.

#5 Round Capabilities

The new 12.7x114HL cartridge has a flatter trajectory, extended supersonic range, retains energy more effectively, and isn’t affected by wind as much. It also generates 30% less recoil than the standard 14.5x114mm.

#6 Weapon Design

The Horizon’s Lord was designed to be lighter and shorter than other large sniper rifles, staying around 33 pounds in weight and 63 inches in length. The model that Kovalskyi used was around 36 pounds and 71 inches long.  

#7 Adaptability

The Horizon’s Lord can be changed to use different caliber and size bullets simply by easily detaching the barrel and bolt head. It can fit .416 Barrett, .460 Steyr, .50 BMG, and 12.7x108mm caliber rounds and 14.5x114mm and 23x115mm size rounds.

#8 Ukrainian Service

Kovalskyi is a new sniper, and one of the first in-field operators of the Horizon’s Lord, with Ukraine’s counterintelligence unit of its Ukrainian Security Service (SBU).

#9 The Record Kill

On November 18, Kovalskyi and his partner identified a Russian officer instructing soldiers and decided to make a kill. He made one test shot to determine the true wind speed and immediately took the second kill shot.

#10 Kill Specifics

It took the bullet around nine seconds to hit the Russian officer, and since the round is supersonic, the man was dead long before the other soldiers heard the shot. The Horizon’s Lord works similarly to an artillery cannon, in that the bullet fired traveled vertically to about 100 meters above the target before falling and hitting the officer.

#11 Impact of the Hit

Kovalskyi said that the bullet hit the officer’s chest and that the bullet was so large and traveling so fast that it is impossible to survive a hit like that.

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