Not only did 2016’s winning two-man team from Fort Bragg’s 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) use the RAPTAR-S range finder from Wilcox Industries, but so did the second and third place teams.
The annual competition draws sniper teams from domestic and international military units as well as federal and state law enforcement agencies. This year, there were 24 teams, including four foreign teams, descended upon Fort Bragg’s SOF Sniper Course facility, the famous Range 37, in order to determine who’s the best. There were a total of 19 stages which used a combination of time, distance and the unknown, in both day and night, in disctances varying from 25 to 1,000 meters to challenge the competitors.
And it’s in that environment where the RAPTAR-S shines. Not only does it incorporate an Infra-red (IR) laser, visible laser, IR flood and laser range finder (LRF) the RAPTAR-S also features an applied ballistics computer created by their partner nVisti Tactical Innovation which specializes in the field of small arms fire control systems with expertise in laser range finders, ballistics, wind measurement and digital imaging. Through nVisti’s partnership with Applied Ballistics and Accuracy 1st, the company has been responsible for the development and integration of the ballistics, firmware and software for the RAPTAR-S weapon-mounted laser range finder.
The solver’s computations achieve nearly the accuracy of a full 6 degree of freedom model using a three degree of freedom (3DOF) modified point mass numerical solver considering all environmental conditions including average cross-wind or a cross-wind profile. It accounts for all major and minor trajectory variables including the use of measured G7 BC’s and even the option to use custom drag curves for over 400 bullets. The output is shown in MILs, MOAs, or even an ACOG BDC reticle. Included within the system is a ballistic calibration feature allows user to ‘train’ the software to match a specific rifle based on observed impacts at long range. Combined with the over 400 custom measured bullet drag curves (available for syncing via Android or PC), shooters have everything the need to make a much more precise trajectory calculation than any other software available.
Included within the RAPTAR-S, the Applied Ballistics solver measures temperature, pressure, humidity, inclination, cant, heading to the target, and GPS coordinates. By using these sensor readings and the custom drag curves, the solver is capable of producing ballistic solutions that are accurate to within 0.1 mils through the subsonic range of the bullet’s flight.
The ballistic data can be exported to most mobile devices or paired with BAE thermal sights as well as the UTC SWIR HWH-SMS camera. In the case of the latter two systems, the RAPTAR-S provides a ballistic solution to the disturbed reticle.
