Did they show who was shooting? The world of Final Fantasy takes a lot into account of who is weilding a weapon. Give Masamune to a farmer and how much damage do you think its going to do? Whatever the farmer can muster, of course. In Final Fantasy, ranged weapons tend to use the same mechanic. Low level grunts with machine guns do how much damage? Now consider if Sephiroth ever took aim with a gun. Like the weapon is embued with the user's uh... "strength"? So maybe it was another 1st class SOLDIER who sniped him. Sephiroth with a .50cal :]