Snipers can make their presence felt far beyond a typical soldier’s assault rifle. Here's What You Need to Remember: Sniper rifles are useful not just against human targets, but are used to destroy communications equipment, vulnerable supply targets and even disable armored vehicles. The Barrett M82’s big .50 caliber round is particularly useful in this regard, as it only drops below supersonic speeds at 1,700 yards while still hitting with the force of 1,800 foot pounds. The sniper, a soldier trained in precision, long-range fire, is one of the most feared opponents on the battlefield. Snipers can make their presence felt far beyond a typical soldier’s assault rifle, cutting down enemy leaders, radio and heavy weapons operators, and damaging enemy equipment at considerable distances. This requires a weapon and optic capable of extreme accuracy, typically no more than half-an-inch of deviation per 100 yards. Here are five of the most common—and effective—sniper rifles.