Grendel as a Universal Infantry Cartridge

[Tony Williams]

Ain't no way they're going to get even 50% of infantry soldiers to successfully engage man-sized targets at 800m with an individual service rifle or carbine with even a high probability of a 2nd-round hit. Do these PEO gurus know what they're asking for? Clearly they don't. The M4 and M16 can already lob rounds at an 800m area target no problem, but if we're talking about making 1st or 2nd-round hits with a service rifle, most of your B4 qualified guys would have a tough time doing that with an M24 in 7.62 with match ammunition and a 10x scope.

I think you've missed the point of the advanced scopes they're working on. These include a laser rangefinder, a ballistic computer, and various sensors to tell whether the rifle is pointing up or downhill, or whether it's being held absolutely upright. They will even measure air pressure and any crosswinds (the trickiest part). So the soldier will not have to be a marksman to hit a target at 800m - he will just have to learn to hold the rifle steady (on a bipod, obviously, at that range), put the aiming mark on the target, press the lase button, then re-aim as the aiming mark moves to show him exactly where to aim. The only traditional shooting skill required will be to stop breathing for a couple of seconds and squeeze the trigger very carefully rather than pull it.