HSM LEO bullets

[LRRPF52]

LE doesn't have "snipers", but DM's. The training and employment of a military sniper is an entirely different ball game than a LE designated marksman, except for their common employment as eyes-on in a close target recce, and their ability to use optics to monitor and report on different aspects of an objective, but only squared away SRT's and LE leadership take advantage of the assets available to them in that capacity. 100yds would be an extremely long shot in most LE DM shoots, let alone 300yds. In the civilian world, distance and the law as to justifiable lethal force brings things in much closer. At 100yds, a designated shooter will have a difficult time ID'ing a human face versus another, even with the greatest of glass in 12 o'clock sunlight. Combined with the constraints of urban environments, setting up on scene, and the law, LE shooters realistically are looking at 37yd shots more often than not, or closer...which is a great argument for an accurized AR with bullets that have a high sectional density if barriers are involved.

The exceptions are the teams doing recce on a rural target, often counter-narcotics, where suspects using dogs and other early warning systems preclude the ability to get up on the objective. Professional narcotics distribution hubs use cameras and dogs, as well as electronic trip sensors for different layers of their perimeter security, so they can hide, flush, or destroy large quantities of evidence before a warranted LE unit has a chance to get on the premises for a physical search. These rare types of point target objectives call for maximum stand-off by eyes-on human assets.