DOPERS
Throughout this work I have mentioned DOPE, or Data on Previous Engagements, several times. DOPE is typically associated with long-distance encounters. This begs the critical question of what constitutes long-distance.
I look at DOPE a little differently than most. The first consideration is, “What do I need?” This is followed closely by, “What can I access when I have the need?”
Obviously, these needs vary depending on the situation. If I am zeroing my F-Class rifle, I have different requirements than if I am snapping a shot at our fictional mortar crew from above. The typical individual who hasn’t attended sniper school tends to gravitate to one extreme or the other in regards to DOPE. Either they record little to nothing, or they carry around the equivalent of the Encyclopedia Britannia.
Accessing DOPE in the field is very dependent on the situation. A sniper may move into a hide or other fixed position where he can access all kinds of DOPE via various tools and media. He may have time to “laze” several landmarks, draw windage charts, and thoroughly document the surrounding landscape.
A person fulfilling more of an infantry role may only have a few seconds to send a round. For my purposes and those of this writing, I recommend the shooter work backwards and approach this decision from that perspective. The first question is:
How much kit do you want to carry?
A range finder, weather station, ballistic computer, notepad, and pencil might be kit-worthy for some roles, while others would find that load excessive. As I continue to stress in all of my books:
Ounces = pounds and pounds = pain
I’m not the only one to recognize this dilemma. There has been a plethora of devices, gadgets and other technology developed to address this problem. The sheer number of watches on the market that provide ballistic solutions is an example. The number of ballistic applications for
smart phones would be another. These days, you can purchase laser range finders that have ballistic compensation built in (to some extent). There are even dedicated ballistic calculators and handheld computers. Some scope manufacturers will build a scope complete with reticle to match your rifle’s ballistics.
In recent months (as of this writing), developments in cell phone technology makes it difficult to argue against all shooters having all electronic DOPE stored in their smart phones. My personal model has a Kevlar frame, is water-resistant, and has more computer power than a laptop of just a few years ago. It has GPS, numerous mapping options, ballistics software and spreadsheet capabilities. There is even free software available that uses the camera as a range finder with built in angle/cosine compensation. It can give me weather conditions at a reasonable proximity to my location, and that data is probably as accurate as what I could estimate by hand.
If you are like me, you don’t fully trust electronic devices in the field. Having experienced numerous failures personally, I feel such an attitude is warranted. I have to keep reminding myself of the fact that those gizmos have functioned well more often than not – significantly more often. So, just like many operators equip their weapon with BUIS (Backup Iron Sights), I believe in BUDA, or Backup DOPE Access.
This can be accomplished with very little additional weight – less than a few ounces. It involves tried and true old-fashioned paper and not very many trees will perish in the process. This also gives me some level of confidence as anyone with extensive field experience knows:
1 = 0 and 2 = 1
In most situations, I will go with some electronic helpers as well as my paper backup. So the next logical question becomes, “What DOPE do I need?”
Again, the anticipated role should answer this question. For the purposes of this book, with 600 meter or less threats, the inventory of formulas and charts is actually quite small. If you were going into the field for long-range sniping, say at 1200 meters or more, then you would kit-up with additional tools and data.
It’s not difficult to build multiple redundancies. Here is my typical load out:
Cell Phone (stored in plastic bag - weak side, internal zipper compartment of load vest) GPS
Ballistic software
Ballistic history (spreadsheet format) Weather Station Calculator Compass Wristwatch Barometer Altimeter Compass Temperature
Flash Cards (sometimes called pull-up cards) o Formulas
o Windage Chart o Trajectory Chart
Probably most people have seen pictures of snipers with DOPE sheets taped to their rifle stocks or glued to the inside of their scope caps. With many modern rifle stocks and pistol grips, there are all kinds of little storage compartments in the weapon itself. Mostly you should probably be keeping spare batteries, springs or firing pins in these cubby holes, but some guys roll up small DOPE sheets or flash cards inside.
I like a good old notebook. You can purchase models which sport water-resistant paper in most camping stores and some sporting goods outlets. Often, they market their product with claims like “write anywhere” or similar branding.
These handy little spiral bound units come in several sizes and can be stored in pockets or a load vest alongside maps, call signals and other items.
I purchased self-adhesive laminate coverings and adhered my basic, “all the electronics have gone to hell,” flash cards to the front and back cover of my notebook. I have one such book for each rifle.
When I have my cell phone, range finder, and wristwatch, I have redundancy in several areas without much weight. Some shooters don’t want to bother with a notepad, so it is no big deal to print out your DOPE, laminate it, and store it elsewhere.
Tip: I have found some brands of paper show up better when viewed through night vision than others. If you want to be able to view your DOPE without using a flashlight or other illumination, test your DOPE sheets beforehand.
DOPE Hoarding
Some guys are hoarders of every little detail about their reloads, rifles, shooting sessions and weather conditions. I cannot fault this whatsoever. I categorize DOPE into three categories: Reference – Formulas, charts, tables and graphs used to back up my electronic helpers Ammunition – Detailed records regarding date, loads, chargers, primers, and process.
Shots – Both at the range and money shots. This includes competitions, range sessions and any other occasions where I am sending a round more than 300 meters.
Reference DOPE was addressed above.
Ammunition DOPE (technically logs) is typically kept either in a logbook or documented on the ammunition storage container. I do a little of both since not all of my ammo is stored in the same place. The basic information I keep on a spreadsheet is:
Date
Bullet Weight Bullet Manufacturer
Bullet Metro-standard BC data Bullet Sectional Density Primer Make/Model Powder Make and Model Powder Charge (Weight) Case (manufacturer) Case (trim length) Overall length
For logging information about actually shooting, you can’t beat the Army’s form used in sniper schools and other courses. You can download a free copy from several places on the web, looking much like the copy below.
Form 5788-R is one of three commonly used by military sharpshooters and covers all of the critical information most people need to record for DOPE.