American Sniper - Boekje Pienter

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That would turn out to be one of my longest confirmed kills in
Iraq.
MISPERCEPTIONS
People think that snipers take such incredibly long shots all the time.
While we do take longer shots than most guys on the battlefield,
they’re probably a lot closer than most people think.
I never got all caught up in measuring how far I was shooting. The
distance really depended on the situation. In the cities, where most of
my kills came, you’re only going to be shooting anywhere from two
hundred to four hundred yards anyway. That’s where your targets are,
so that’s where your shots are.
Out in the countryside, it’s a different story. Typically, the shots
out there would run from eight hundred to twelve hundred yards.
That’s where the longer-range guns like the .338 would come in
handy.
Someone once asked me if I had a favorite distance. My answer
was easy: the closer the better.
As I mentioned earlier, another misperception people have about
snipers is that we always aim for the head. Personally, I almost never
target the head, unless I’m absolutely sure I’m going to make the shot.
And that’s rare on the battlefield.
I’d much rather aim center mass—shoot for the middle of the
body. I’ve got plenty of room to play with. No matter where I hit him,
he’s going down.