SNIPER TRAINING

SNIPER TRAINING

Introduction

What is a sniper, what are his tasks?

By David Reed

A sniper is an expert rifleman trained in the techniques of the individual soldier and assigned the mission of sniping. A sniper needs many skills. He must be physically and mentally hard, a crack shot, and must be able to

-- Estimate ranges.

 Search areas.

 Locate and identify sounds.

 Use cover, concealment, and camouflage.

 Use maps, sketches, aerial photos, and the compass.

 Recognize enemy personnel quickly.

 Move without detection.

 Endure long periods of waiting.

Your Mission as a Sniper

Your mission as a sniper is to shoot key enemy personnel -- leaders, gunners of crew served or automatic weapons, communications specialists and radio operators, observers, and enemy snipers. In the absence of these priority targets, fire on any targets of opportunity. You must also collect information for your intelligence officer.

Employment of Snipers

Plans must be made to properly locate sniper teams. Other troops in the area must avoid these areas. The use of snipers must be incorporated into the tactical plans of the unit commander.

You should carry only mission essential equipment. Besides your weapon, you may need binoculars or spotting scope, watch, map, compass, and camouflage clothing.

Much has been written about sniper weapon systems. The best caliber is not necessarily the flattest shooting, longest-range cartridge. You have limits in the amount of ammunition that you can carry, because of space and weight considerations. Re-supply is an issue to consider. Field reloading equipment will allow you to make your own ammunition when you need it. But reloading has its disadvantages. It takes time, and the extra equipment is heavy. Equipment used by sport shooters is out of the question. Such equipment is designed for use on a bench. You must be able to load using a volume, not weight, of powder. You must use tools designed to be portable and accurate. You must also practice until you are sure you can make reliable,

consistent ammunition. Other sources of resupply are cartridges in standard use by other weapon systems, including the enemies own.

Every rifle has a distinctive sound. If you choose a rifle that sounds different than those used by others in your area of operations, you will call attention to yourself. If you choose a system that your enemy uses, you must be careful to let others in your unit know the area in which you will be. Failure to do so could result in friendly fire, and "friendly fire" never is when you are on the receiving end.

Your mission will dictate the equipment you carry. Most sniper teams employ rifles that are designed for the types of missions that they will be assigned. If resupply is not an issue, and you will not be in the area long, a .300 Winchester Magnum makes a very good choice. It is

expensive to shoot and load and heavy in bulk. .308 Winchester (7.62x51mm NATO) is a popular choice because the ammunition is plentiful, recoil is light, and more ammunition can be carried. Other systems are employed in special circumstances.

A good spotting scope is essential. Yes, there are laser range finders that are very good for long range shooting. But one must never take them for granted; good range estimation is something you must be able to do without mechanical or optical aids.

Finally, you will need tools for the observation and scouting aspects of sniping. You should carry the following: camera, tape recorder, pencil, and notebook for recording intelligence, a map of the area, compass, camouflage paint, and weapon cleaning supplies.

What It Takes to Be a Good Sniper

By David Reed

Basically, it takes three things to be a good sniper, and a wicked shot is the least of them.

Discipline and cunning are the important qualities. Snipers do not (usually) roam around looking for people to shoot. They do not shoot non-combatants, i.e. women and children, other unarmed persons, livestock, windshields, and houses, etc. The sniper is either alone, or with one to three other people, depending on the mission requirements. Taking shots at targets not worth shooting only increases the risks of being discovered, captured or killed. Discipline and patience are essential qualities to have when faced with a shoot or not to shoot decision.

Ask yourself this -- Do you have a hot temper? Do you anger quickly? Anger causes the pulse to quicken, which we will discuss later, and may cause careless or irrational behavior, all of which are bad. Do you like to hunt? Do you like to hunt alone? Have you ever spent an entire week

alone? No television, no phone, no friends, no family, no nothing? Have you ever gone camping alone? In a remote area where you saw no one? How did it make you feel, what did you think about? What did you do while you were there? How many times did you masturbate? How often did you eat? Was there a difference in your mental state on the first day and the last? Snipers are not necessarily "loners." In fact, someone who has problems relating to other people may not make a good choice.

Why is all of this important? A sniper may stalk a target for days to get a shot. He may never get it. Could you abandon the mission without shooting anything? The window of opportunity for a shot may last only 3 seconds. If you are daydreaming, fooling around, eating, or anything else you will not be successful. You should be studying the kill zone and waiting for your shot. This is why a spotter or second shooter is so desirable. It is very hard on the eyes to use binoculars or a spotting scope for more than 20 minutes at a time. You and your partner can take turns. You can't change positions while in your hide. You must remain still at all times to avoid detection. This sounds easy but it's not. Think of a small child who is just learning to fish. It's impossible for them to leave their line in the water for more than a minute or two without pulling it out to check it. If you have hunted deer you know how hard it is to hold still in a deer blind. It might be easier if you knew that your prey would shoot you if it saw you first. But it is very easy to relax when you think that no one can see you.

What does the word "cunning" mean to you? To a sniper it is everything, and it affects

everything he does. Cunning alone can make a sniper successful. A sniper must decide where to position himself, how to get there, how to leave, what to take with him, how to camouflage the hide, where to place alternate hides, and what to do if something bad happens. A sniper must be able think an entire shoot through from beginning to end and set it up in a manner which will produce results. Anyone who has watched enough television has seen a million wrong ways to do this. Snipers do not shoot from rooftops, open windows, or a prominent terrain feature. These are the places that will immediately draw attention and return fire. A rooftop can be a hard place to escape from too, as would a climbing stand used by deer hunters.

Marksmanship is the final element. A sniper must be able to engage targets at as long a range as is possible under any circumstance. Distance equals escape time. Surprisingly, people who have never before fired a rifle can become excellent shots with proper training. Old habits are hard to break, and this applies to shooting methods as well. In order to develop adequate shooting skills an individual should be prepared to fire between 5,000 to 10,000 rounds of ammunition during long and arduous practice sessions. A good coach is essential. If you don't know how to read shot strings you will not know what you are doing wrong.

Special Operations Target Interdiction

Course - Memorandum of Instruction

MEMORANDUM THRU: Commander, United States Army Special Operations Command,

ATTN.: AOOP. Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28307-5200

FOR: Commander, United States Army Special Operations Command, ATTN.: AOOP-TP, Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28307-5200

SUBJECT: Memorandum of Instruction, Special Operations Target Interdiction Course (SOTIC)

1. PURPOSE. To provide the United States Army Special Operations Command with the information necessary to prepare students for the SOTIC.

2. General.

a. Purpose of the SOTIC. To train selected personnel in the technical skills and

operational procedures necessary to deliver precision rifle fire from concealed positions to selected targets in support of special operations forces. Course emphasis it to provide the force with personnel who can achieve first-round hits from a cold barrel on these high-value targets. Additionally, personnel will be able to correct for wind and determine the previous round's bullet trace to achieve second-round hits if necessary.

b. Course Length. The SOTIC is a six-week course conducted at Fort Bragg, North carolina. Students will be attached to Company D, 2d Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne), U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28307-5200.

c. Class Size.

(1) Maximum - 24 students. (2) Optimum - 24 students. (3) Minimum - 8 students.

d. Prerequisites. Students must meet the following prerequisites. Students who fail to meet these prerequisites will be returned untrained to their parent unit.

(1) Must be currently assigned to or on orders to a Special Forces detachment of Ranger company, currently Ranger-qualified or Special Forces-qualified, or selected Department of Defense personnel.

(2) Must have a current periodic physical. Students must have their medical records with them when they report for inprocessing. Vision must be correctable to 20/20 in each eye.

(3) Must have in their possession a memorandum from their unit commander certifying that the student has scored expert with the M16A1/M16A2 rifle in accordance with FM 23-9, M16A1 Rifle and M16A2 Rifle Marksmanship, July 19823-9, within 12 months of the reporting date.

(4) Must have undergone a psychological evaluation (Minnesota Multi-phasic Personality Inventory) under the direction of a qualified psychologist within 12 months of the reporting date. A copy of the evaluation must be presented on the course starting date.

(5) Must have in their possession an original verification of their security clearance (copies unacceptable), dated no earlier than 30 days prior to the course starting date.

(6) Must meet the Army height and weight standards as prescribed in AR 600-9, Height and Weight Standards.

(7) Must currently be on jump status and be medically qualified to participate in airborne operations.

Requests for waivers must be addressed to --Commander

1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) ATTN.: AOJK-GP

Fort Bragg, NC 28307-5200

Waivers must be approved prior to the class starting date. Personnel who report on the class starting date without an approved waiver will be returned untrained to their parent unit.

e. Reporting. Students will report to Company D at Building O-3550 prior to 1700 on the course report date or telephone DSN xxx-xxxx/xxxx or commercial (910) xxx-xxxx/xxxx during duty hours. Students arriving after duty hours prior to the starting date should obtain lodging at Moon Hall (bachelor enlisted quarters [BEG]). Company D maintains a 24-hour guard post located in our compound (telephone DSN xxx-xxxx or commercial (910) xxx-xxxx). Students reporting after the closing of inprocessing will not be permitted to start the course and will be returned to their parent unit. Additionally, personnel reporting prior to the course starting date should secure any weapons in the company arms room, which can be accessed 24 hours a day through the aforementioned guard post phone number.

3. RATIONS AND QUARTERS. Temporary duty orders should reflect that rations and quarters are not available. As a result, it is recommended that off-post parent units provide a rental car for their students attending the course. On-post BEQ reservations may be available if coordinated for at least 45 days prior to the course starting date. If the BEQ is unavailable, statements of non availability will be issued and students may billet off post. It is the responsibility of the student to file an accurate travel voucher upon his return to his parent unit.

4. UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT. Each student should bring the following uniforms and equipment.

a. Rucksack.

b. Three sets of the seasonal duty uniform with a battle dress uniform (BDU) cap and jungle boots or black boots.

c. Light combat equipment, to include two 1-quart canteens with cup and covers and a first-aid pouch with field dressing.

d. One set of the seasonal physical training (PT) uniform. Parent unit PT uniform is acceptable.

e. Poncho and poncho liner. f. Waterproof bag.

g. Two pads of paper and two mechanical pencils. h. Entrenching tool.

i. Len static compass.

j. Flashlight/penlight with batteries and lenses. k. Two pairs of prescription eyeglasses, if required.

l. Two pairs of jungle boots or combat boots (Gortex boots may be worn only in the field). m. Sewing kit.

n. Civilian clothing and toilet articles, as desired.

o. One pair of old sterile fatigues or one set of coveralls for preparation of a ghillie suit. p. Two padlocks.

q. Black gloves with inserts.

r. Air items: H-harness, modified 18-inch attaching straps, hook pile tape lowering line, and jump helmet (Kevlar).

s. Field jacket. t. Two sweat shirts.

u. Identification card and dog tags. 5. OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT. a. Suspenders.

b. Camp/survival saw.

c. Hearing protection: Earplugs or earmuffs.

d. Personal camouflage sticks/paints: one tan, one light green, one sand, and one brown. e. Rain suit, complete.

f. Pruning shears. g. Sewing awl.

6. WEAPONS. Students are encouraged to attend this course with their unit-assigned M24 sniper system. Student loaner systems are available. Privately owned weapons are not authorized on MacRidge Triangle Compound. Any weapons bought while attending the SOTIC will not be stored in the Company D arms room.

7. PHYSICAL CONDITION. The SOTIC is a high-risk course. Students must be in top physical condition and must not be under any medication that may affect their reflexes or their judgment. Local commanders should screen all attendees to ensure they meet the prerequisites for course attendance. The use of alcohol or illegal drugs is strictly forbidden during the SOTIC. These items will not be brought to the training site. Any student found under the influence of such items will be removed from training immediately and returned to his parent unit for appropriate actions.

8. STUDENT MAILING ADDRESS. Students can be contacted at Fort Bragg by mail: Full Name

SSN, Class Name and Number Co D, 2d Bn, 1st SWTG(A) Fort Bragg, NC 28307-5200

NOTE: Mail should not be sent to the above address after the fifth training week. 9. COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS.

a. Students must ensure that all dental, medical., administrative, and personnel actions are completed prior to the course starting date. No routine medical appointments will be allowed during the course.

b. Students should bring adequate monies for incidentals.

c. There are approximately 19 days of field duty with a 36-hour final field training exercise. 10. POINT OF CONTACT. The company operations center may be reached at DSN xxx-xxxx/xxxx or commercial (910) xxx-xxx-xxxx/xxxx.

RICHARD R. SEIM COL, SF

Chief of Staff

Marksmanship

Basic Rifle Marksmanship

By David Reed

Introduction

If you can hit what you normally shoot at, with relative certainty, that may be good enough for you. I however, have strived over many years to develop my skills to the point that I am better than that. I want to know that I can make that shot at any range within the effective range of the rifle. It does not matter whether there is wind or not, nor the direction from which it comes. Whether the wind is 5kts or 20kts, uphill or downhill, raining, humid, or dry -- I want to know that I can make that shot, or, that I cannot. If I cannot make it then I will not take it.

This site is going to focus on rifle marksmanship at a level above and beyond that used for clay pit plinking. I created this material for those who want to learn to shoot well, and as a gathering place for those who do shoot well. There are many things that influence accuracy and I am going to include all that come to mind. I will allow others to contribute their own material.

This is a new site and I appreciate all germane comments. If you have a question I will try to clear up my text, reformat, or organize the thoughts better. This is not a forum for arguments about which cartridge is best, or which makes the ultimate dense brush, rainy weather, waxing moon, wild boar rifle. You can find that garbage in any number of gun magazines at your local drugstore or news stand. My philosophy is that some cartridges are better than others for certain situations or targets. However, bullet placement is far more important than caliber when your shot must achieve an effect. It will not allow you to stalk dangerous game with a .22, but it does make the question of 30-06 or 7mm Rem. Mag. academic within the effective range of a medium size high velocity rifle -- about 900 meters.

One final note, I had an acquaintance once respond with incredulity that I would have the audacity to suggest that anyone could see, let alone hit, a target at 900 meters. This was a guy who never shot his rifle except to check his scope at the beginning of deer season. If you fall in this category please do two (2) things before you send flames:

 Talk to anyone who has graduated from the XVIIIth Airborne Corps Sniper School at Fort Bragg North Carolina (or other similar service school)

 Pick up any copy of the NRA's American Rifleman that highlights the annual pilgrimage to Camp Perry -- Read it.

Body Physiology

This section delves into the human body and the factors that must be considered before one sits down behind a rifle.

Our heartbeat causes our body to move. Chest, shoulders, arms, neck, hands, and fingers all move when our heart beats. Remember that these things are touching, or connected to parts that are touching, our rifle. This can be seen through a very hi-power scope. The cross hairs bump along the target as our heart beats. This is not really evident through a 9X hunting scope. Change your body position slightly, and the pattern the cross hairs follows changes as well.

Now If you try this experiment you will find something else out real quick, not only is your pulse moving the rifle but it's probably hard to see clearly because your breathing is moving it even more! If you have a less than optimum grip and hold on the rifle, while you are studying these phenomena, you will notice that it starts getting worse. This is because your muscles are starting to fatigue, and when they fatigue they begin to tremble. Stop breathing and the lack of oxygen to those muscles will cause them to tremble even more!

You cannot make your heart stop, but you can slow it. Your pulse rises when you work out or become excited. Your respiration increases in the same way. I will not belabor this point, just think about it and use common sense. Think about the time you missed that deer and blamed it

on your rifle, load, scope or whatever. Think about it -- how did you feel when you saw that buck? What were you experiencing when you raised your rifle and took aim?

Chances are that the experience was quite different from the feeling you got when you were sighting in that rifle at the range. Was it really the rifle? Was it you? Buck fever is an extreme case, the shooter is so overwhelmed by the experience that they cannot even remember pulling the trigger while the gun was still pointing up in the air! Many people suffer from increased pulse and respiration when they sight game. This will reduce the maximum range that clean shots are possible. If it's buck fever, you are in trouble.

What to do about it?

 Relax!

 Feel the targets presence.

 Try to smell the target.

 Breathe normally, in, out, steady breaths. If the target is close just open your mouth wide, your breathing will be silent.

 Think of nothing -- Clear your mind -- Think only of what you must do.

 Control yourself, you will get this shot only once

Fatigue

Yes, you can control this too. Conditioning is important, but it no matter what your condition is, if you do not have good form you will shake. You must take advantage of bone structure when supporting the rifle. This is easier when you are prone, I have pictures in an army field manual for the prone shooting position that I will add when I get them scanned. If they are not here, use these tips as guides.

Keep forearm vertical under the forearm of the rifle. Straight up and down. When you angle your arms you are using muscles to hold them still. Gravity will do this for you if you keep your forearm vertical.

Your body must lie in a relaxed, flat position. Point your toes out so your feet lay sideways, flat against the ground. Start with your feet and think about the position of all body parts, working up to your fingers. If you are using muscles to hold your position you will shake.

Find the position you could hold for hours without tiring. Try every variation you can think of with your rifle in your shoulder. You are looking for the combination that will allow the least vibration, and the flexibility needed to work the action on your rifle. When shooting you do not want to take your eyes off your target to reload or work the action. You must be able to do this without your movement being seen.

When you have found it, take a mental snapshot of each part of your body and it's position. Remember how each part feels in that position, look at your hands , arms elbows, and where the rifle is resting in relation to your nose. What part of the rifle is close to your nose? I will explain this when I discuss sight alignment. Practice assuming this position until you have it down pat. It

may help to sequence the movements necessary to assume this position and number them. Practice assuming the position by the numbers. Eventually it will become second nature. If you shoot infrequently you may want to write this down so you will remember it if you forget. If you are a hunter and you must use this process from a blind or tree stand, use the same principles. What you do will be different from every tree you hunt and for every game animal that walks out in front, behind, or to the side of you. The position the hunter must shoot from depends on the situation. This will give you something to think about when the time comes. You will focus on a problem and the solution, not freak out because you finally have that 8 point in front of you!

For the rest of you, I will try to stay away from hunting situations. You hunters can do as I did. I took the principles I learned about shooting at long ranges and applied them where the situation warranted.

Sight Alignment and Sight Picture

When shooting a rifle without a scope, it is important to align the front and rear sights perfectly and consistently. There are four things in this equation -- your shooting eye, the rear sight, the front sight, and the target. The distance between the sights does not change. The distance from your eye to the rear sight can change and this must be avoided.

The relationship between your eye and the rear sight is important. Once you find the right

position for your eye, note the relationship between your nose and the stock or action of the rifle. Each time you aim, put your nose in the same place. This will help you get your sight picture consistent.

Peep sights are the best sights for a rifle. For those of you unfamiliar with these, they will take some getting used too. Hopefully you will be able to see that the rear sight in each example (graphic missing) is fuzzy looking. That is because you should always focus on the front sight post. You will have to align the front sight post in the center of the rear sight aperture using your "peripheral" vision. The target will be fuzzy too.

The peep sight system is better because it allows you to get a better picture of sight alignment. It is very hard to focus on the front sight post with leaf sights. The only part of the front sight that is visible through leaf sights is the very top. When the leaf sight blurs out of focus, it is very hard to tell whether the front post is centered in the rear sight groove. Leaf sights work well out to 100 yds. The are adequate for hunting purposes on a .22 rifle. But for serious target work, the peep sight is far superior.

When using a scope it is also important to note the relationship between the gun and your nose. In dim light, if your eye is not perfectly positioned, you will lose a great deal of the field of view. Yes, you'll lose it when it's bright too, but in dim light this problem is not readily apparent. Notice that when your eye is not in position that areas of the scope view are black. In dim light the correct view is also very dark. If you don't know where your eye should be without "looking" through the scope to find it, you will find yourself chasing a fleeting image through the scope.

Breathing

If you don't breath you will shake. There is a correct way to breath when shooting. Try this exercise

-- Take a breathe.

 Let it out.

 While exhaling, notice that there is a point during exhale where you do not feel it necessary to to continue exhaling, or to start breathing in again.

 Now try it again. This time when you get to that "place", stop breathing for a second or two. It's easy!

That is the place in your breath cycle you want to take your shot. Since you can only hold it a second, two at most, you must time the rise and fall of the rifle, the sight alignment & picture, and the trigger squeeze to coincide with that "place". Notice that when you inhale the muzzle of the rifle drops. It rises again when you exhale. When your chest expands your shoulder rises, your forearm that supports the rifle does not move so the muzzle drops. You must time this rise and fall so that the target is sighted at that "place".

Trigger Squeeze

Look at your finger. bend it to a hook shape like you would when pulling a trigger. Now simulate trigger pull and watch your finger. Notice that at no point on your finger, does your finger move straight back. The movement of your finger is to the side and back. No matter where you touch the trigger, pulling like this will exert a sideways pressure on the trigger. What do you think the muzzle will do?

If you are right-handed, the muzzle will move to the right because you are pushing the portion of the rifle behind your forearm to the left. The place on your finger that moves the the LEAST to the side is the very tip. You want to put the very end of your finger on the trigger. Do not use the tip by the nail, but the soft part between the tip and the first joint. When squeezing the trigger be conscious of this, and try your best to eliminate all lateral pressure.

When you pull the trigger you must apply steadily increasing pressure until the gun fires. The shot should come as a surprise every time. If you anticipate, and flinch, you will never be able to shoot well.

The biggest mistake a shooter can make is to start off with a loud, powerful, hard kicking rifle and not wear hearing protection. Not only can you damage your hearing, but the noise will be most unpleasant. You will begin to associate the noise with the recoil, and in your mind they will be one and the same -- a big unpleasant event.

Isolating recoil and noise is very important when trying to overcome a flinch. Once you realize that the kick is not that bad, and it certainly will not hurt you, you will be able to focus on sight picture, breathing, and squeezing.

A .300 Win. Mag. kicks hard. It is something you will have to get used to. Many gun writers recommend that people of slight build stick to lighter weapons for this reason. Bullshit, size has little to do with it. Carlos Hathcock, all 140 lbs. of him, killed most of his 93 confirmed people with a 30-06, and won the 1965 Wimbledon Cup with a .300 Winchester Magnum. But if you think you are too tough to wear hearing protectors, or wear cheapies, you may have problems with a big rifle.

Shooting Fundamentals Summary

 Solid, comfortable body position

 Breathe

 Sight Picture

 Squeeze Bullet Flight

Ballistics will be covered in detail in a section devoted to the subject. For now I'll only discuss a few fundamentals. The moment a bullet leaves the barrel it begins to fall. I have been to the range and heard people talking about how their [insert bullet here] climbs for the first 50 yds. or so. The laws of physics do not work differently for these people or their guns. They just don't understand the relationship between the line of sight (LOS) and the bullet path (BP).

The LOS is perfectly straight. The sights on a rifle are on top of the rifle. If they are straight, and the bullet is always dropping, then the only way the two paths will ever intersect is if the LOS is adjusted to cross the BP at some point. That is exactly what we do. If the rear sight post is raised then the LOS will cross the bullet path. In fact, it crosses the bullet path twice. The bullet will steadily drop until it crosses the LOS again. I'll include a picture when I can get it scanned. If any of you have one scanned feel free to donate it!

 Between sights and the first intersection, bullet is BELOW LOS.

 LOS crosses BP, after first intersection bullet is ABOVE LOS.

 Bullet drops more and crosses the LOS. After this the bullet is below LOS again.

The point at which the two paths cross the first time is referred to as "battle sight zero" in the US Army. If an M16's sight's are adjusted until they are "zeroed" at 25 meters, they will also be zeroed at 250 meters (where the two cross again). This means that out to 25 meters the rifle will shoot low, between 25 and 250 meters the rifle will shoot high, and after 250m the rifle will shoot low again. This is what people are referring to when the say that their "bullet climbs after so many feet". Their sights are pointed down at an angle like everyone else's.

Bullets do not drop at a constant rate. As soon as a bullet leaves the barrel it is a prisoner of gravity and drag. The longer a bullet flies, the longer it is exposed to gravity, and the farther it will drop. When a bullet leaves the barrel it is moving very fast. It covers the first 30% of it's maximum range very quickly. Accordingly, the effect of gravity is very small during this period. In proportion, the drag effect is quite high. As the bullet slows the proportional effects of drag and gravity swap places. Once a bullet has flown 60% of it's maximum range, drag is very small, and gravity is causing the bullet to drop very fast. These topics will be discussed in greater detail in the section titled "Exterior Ballistics".

Advanced Marksmanship By David Reed

Most of the data and discussions which follows is taken directly or paraphrased from the Sierra Rifle Reloading Manual 3rd Edition. I have many books and manuals but Sierra's is by far the best. If you do not have this manual then I urge you to get it. All reloading manuals contain extensive disclaimers and Sierra's is no exception.

I am providing this information because I have not found it elsewhere on the Web. It would take days to convert all of their data to HTML and it would be full of errors, piss them off, and keep you from buying their book! These pages should not be considered a worthwhile substitute for their manual. They do good work and I encourage you to support them by buying their manual. I think I paid around $34.95 US for it and as I mentioned, it is my favorite. Speer, Nosler, and Hornady also have good references. When I need data, I usually compare all of them.

I've tried many bullets and can't honestly say that any brand is better than any other for my purposes. My .300 Win. drops everything I shoot with it. I have favorite bullets for each rifle that I own. It might surprise you to know that one of my guns shoots 180gr round nose bullets better than any other bullet I've tried! Don't be to quick to assume that a match grade bullet will fly better than others in any particular rifle. Bullet weight has a lot to do with it. (See section on rifle tuning where I discuss harmonics.) Try them all and decide for yourself. When the manufacturer recommends a bullet for a particular purpose don't try to read to much between the lines. A hollow point bullet is designed to expand rapidly, but if you are shooting whitetail with a .300 that is not a disadvantage! And now, on to exterior ballistics . . .

 Ballistic Coefficient

 Altitude and Humidity

 Uphill/Downhill Shooting

 Wind Effects Ballistic Coefficient

Rather than try to calculate ballistics for every bullet made, it is easier to compare the ballistics potential of the bullet in question to one standard bullet. The potential of the standard bullet can be calculated very precisely. The drag deceleration of another bullet can be compared to this standard to produce a factor for calculating deceleration. This factor is known as the Ballistic Coefficient. It simple terms the BC of a bullet is a measure of it's efficiency. If we compare several bullets all fired at the same muzzle velocity, then the higher the BC of any bullet, the flatter it shoots, the better it bucks the wind, and the better it retains its velocity as it travels downrange.

For a given bullet fired at a known muzzle velocity, the BC of the bullet determines its

trajectory. This is because drag is the strongest force acting on the bullet, and the BC governs the amount of drag. The effect of the BC enters mainly through the time of flight. The drop at any range is nearly proportional to the square of the time of flight. It is clear that a bullet with a

shorter time of flight will drop less than one with a longer time of flight. Time of flight is affected by drag, because drag slows a bullet down. Since the drag gets less as BC gets larger, larger BC means less drop.

Time of flight also depends on muzzle velocity (MV). A large heavy bullet typically has a high BC (Inertial), but you cannot get the MV very high on a heavy bullet. So a high BC bullet may drop more than a lighter bullet fired much faster. For a comparison to be fair, you should also compare the final velocity and energy at the range in question.

It should be evident that between 600 and 1000 yards, the heavier bullet is actually moving faster and of course, carrying more energy. We should also note that after 1000 yds, the heavier bullet will be flatter than the lighter bullet, but this is pretty much out of the effective range of the rifle. Look for the higher BC, but don't wear blinders. Consider MV, energy, and final velocity when choosing a bullet.

Altitude & Humidity

Drag depends on the density of air and on the speed of sound. These depend on temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. Sierra uses standard factors in their ballistics tables. The values are:

Altitude: sea level

Pressure: 29.53 inches of mercury (Hg) Temperature: 59 degrees F.

Humidity: 78%

You may think that if you develop a load at lower elevations and then go to the mountains on a hunt, that your round will shoot flatter. The air is less dense, however it will probably be colder, thus offsetting the difference. What may surprise you is that a bullet will shoot flatter in humid air than it will in dry air. That is because the molecular weight of water is less than the molecular weight of dry air. Therefore the BC increases when we go from dry to more humid air. However the difference is pretty small and probably not worth figuring out. The most dramatic effect on bullet performance is a change in altitude provided that the temperature increase is not that great. If you sight your rifle in on a cold day, and go to the mountains and it's not that much colder, you will see a difference in trajectory. The best way to calculate the difference is to use a ballistics program. You'll find a freeware/shareware version to download on my home page. If you would like one for Windows, I highly recommend JBM's On Target! Ballistics software. The author is very knowledgeable and his program is based on solid physics. It is the best ballistics program that I know of.

You should try to prepare a table which shows how your rifle will shoot over a reasonable range of altitudes. Once you commit to memory the altitude effect, you will be close enough to make accurate shots. The very best way is actually test your rifle under conditions that are close.

Shooting Uphill/Downhill

Bullet drop does not change very much when shooting uphill/downhill. But the rifle will appear to shoot high. In fact it shoots high by almost the same amount whether you are shooting up or down. Therefore you must adjust your hold or change your scope when taking shots at high angle, especially as range increases. If you know what the drop (d) is for your bullet at any given range, you can use the following table to calculate the amount your bullet will shoot high, in inches. Think about a 600 yd shot downhill at 40 degrees -- Instead of a 50" correction we are talking about a 40" correction. Check your tables or ballistics program for your rifle. If you would like to know what it is right now, then try JBM's online ballistics calculator! Just use your "back" button on your web browser to return.

Wind Effects

This is a big one. You must understand wind effects to shoot well. Formulas abound for this, but as we'll see, exact calculations are of little use. There is no substitute for practice. For our

purposes we will refer to wind direction using the clock method. 12:00 is straight in the face, 6:00 is on the back of the head. Vertical deflection of bullets is very slight, at most a few inches at long ranges with 20+ winds. We will ignore head & tail winds (HTW) in this discussion. You will have to find the right place to hold, or adjust your sights slightly, for this component. If we discount HTW, then the wind effect of a 2:00 wind is the same as a 4:00, 8:00, and 10:00. Thus we only need to remember wind adjustments for 1,2, and 3:00. To be exact, you could calculate wind using 2:15, 1:48, etc. Those of you who are sailors know that wind is constantly shifting. Anywhere you are shooting, the wind4:00the target will always be different than the wind where you are shooting from. It changes all the way to the target. It may be 2mph where you are, 7mph halfway down range (from a slightly different direction), and 5mph at the target (from a slightly different direction). Usually the wind clocks or veers. Over a period of 10 minutes lets say, the wind will be 7mph for 3 min., then clock 5 degrees to the right for 5 minutes, then veer back to the left 5 degrees. Frequently there will be a brief lull in the wind, then it will reappear from the new direction. Aviators know this too. The wind swirls across the earth in large systems, each made up by an almost infinite number of microsystems. When on the water, you can see "wind lines". They look like areas of the water that have ripples. On big grassy fields you can see this too.

In the morning, when the sun comes up, the air and ground begins to warm. As the ground warms, convection currents form cause air to move uphill. The western slope of a hill will have stronger currents than the eastern slope. In the evening, the opposite occurs. If you are near the water, the land - sea heat differential effect also occurs. Warm air rises over the ground and is replaced by cooler air over the water. This is known as an offshore breeze and occurs mid-morning. As the ground cools in late afternoon, the reverse occurs, although not as strong. After the sun has gone down is when the onshore breeze gets stronger. During the day, late morning -through afternoon, you are in the doldrums where nothing much is happening (minus the

presence of a system). A shooter must study these winds as they swirl along the ground. Shooters cannot see ripples in the water, they must look for other signs.

Mirage's move with the wind just like grass does. When shooting across flat ground you can see the shimmer of the heat rising off the ground. If the shimmer is straight up, there is less than 2mph wind. The mirage will lean away from the wind up until about 20mph when it disappears almost completely. Watch trees and grass. With a 2-4mph breeze the grass will move and you will see the eddies of air moving the ground. Fields are excellent places to read the wind because

you can see the air currents. The leaves will also shimmer and and small limbs will move. 5-9mph and the grass starts to lean pretty well. Smaller limbs on the trees are moving constantly and thicker limbs barely move. 10-14mph and the thicker limbs are moving and the grass is being pushed strongly during the stronger gusts. 15-20mph and the trees are swaying and the grass is in constant motion.

Be aware that trees block the wind on fields. The windward side of the field will not have as much air as the leeward because the trees are blocking it. As you look across the field you will be able to see the stronger air moving at the center and leeward sides. (Pronounced "looward"). Now that you understand a bit about reading wind, you can see why complex calculations are fruitless. You must average these effects, always giving more credence to wind that is closer to the target (where the bullet is moving slower). Only with practice will you become good at this. For target shooters, those who can read wind well will always outshoot those who can't, all other things being equal. Wind has a dramatic effect on long range shots. Recall that I said we would only consider winds from 1, 2, and 3. Look at a ballistics table for your bullet and use these factors to determine crosswind. (Or use JBM's) If your bullet moves 36" inches at some range with a 3 or 9 wind, then it will move about 18" with winds at 1,5,7, or 11. You only need to remember wind effects for your bullet at each range where wind is an issue. Then remember two other numbers -- 50% and 90%, 1/2 and "almost all of it". Now look downrange and average it all out, come up with your number, and shoot. If you have time, figure windage for lulls and strong winds both. If you can't get your shot off in a lull, you'll have to adjust, but you'll know how much.

Use this target below to establish zero's on your tactical rifles out to 200 yards. The grids are 1/2 inch.

Date: ______________ Caliber: ______________ Rifle: ______________ Bullet: ______________ Powder: __________Grs: _____ Case: ______________ Primer: ______________ Conditions:

The Prone Position

16 February 2001 By JD Hicks *

The object of a bench rest is to provide a stable and repeatable platform for executing a string of shots. True enough. Is that not also exactly what the prone position can do? Bill Pullum and Frank T. Hanenkrat say the prone position should provide a sight picture that is motionless and that an experienced shooter should easily be able to hold a scoped rifle on the inside of a single .22 caliber bullet hole at 50 meters. A .22 caliber bullet hole at 50 meters is less than a half-minute of angle. In comparison, the ring on a UIT target is one full minute and the 10-ring on the 600yard NRA Highpower Rifle target is about two minutes. To achieve this half-minute hold, it is necessary to learn and employ what the U.S. Army Sniper Training Manual calls the three elements of a good position: bone support, muscular relaxation, and natural point of aim.

Bone support and muscular relaxation provide a system in which the weight of the rifle is transferred from bone to bone, and ultimately to the ground, without being interrupted by any special muscular effort. It is very important to understand this concept. If one were standing on a street corner and decided to unconditionally relax every muscle, the body would collapse into a heap. It is easy to agree, however, that standing can be done while remaining fully relaxed. Standing, after all, is something routinely performed without any special effort. This is exactly the sort of relaxation that is required in the prone position.

The third component is a natural point of aim. Using the bench rest example again, no shooter would lower the point of impact by pressing down on the rifle while trying to slowly pull the trigger. Rather, the front rest or rear bag would be adjusted in preparation for making the shot. One could also visualize a mannequin with a rifle glued in place. The mannequin's natural point of aim is what it is. The only possible way to get the rifle on target would be to move the mannequin and, therefore, the rifle, right or left, up or down - just like the bench rest. The prone shooter, then, must learn to similarly adjust their point of aim.

In order to achieve a solid prone position that allows the shooter to maintain the proper bone support and muscular relaxation, it is necessary to learn the basic principles of the position. It is interesting to note that there are widely differing ideas about this perfect prone position amongst top scoring shooters. However, according to Pullum and Hanenkrat, this is not the least bit strange. They explain that, within reasonable bounds, specialized variations based on physical size and other factors are to be expected. Nevertheless, the basics are not to be overlooked, and variations that violate the three elements of a good position must be avoided.

The basic principles can be thought of in several logical groups. These groups are the left arm and hand; the right arm and hand; the legs and spine; and the head and neck. The discussion begins with the left arm, hand, sling and handstop.

World-class prone shooter Ernest Vande Zande says the most common error prone shooters make is developing a position where the left elbow is not extended far enough forward. The left elbow should be fully extended and set just to the left of the rifle. The placement of the left elbow should not be the enabling factor for building a "high" or "low" prone position. "High" and "low" prone positions are just what they sound like. A "high" position is one in which the left hand and indeed the entire position is high off the ground relative to what would be the lowest possible legal position. Moving the left elbow farther out to lower the position or closer to the body to lift the position is a mistake.

The left elbow is the single foundation point of the entire position. Everything else is adjusted and oriented around this point.

Position and Configuration of the Sling

The sling running from the upper left arm to a point on the rifle near the left hand forms a triangle with the upper left arm and left forearm. The sling must transmit the rifle's weight to the bone in the upper left arm, thus removing the need for the muscles in the left arm to hold this weight. The sling should be made of a material that does not stretch and is as wide as the rules allow. A sling that stretches will allow the position to creep and become increasingly difficult to maintain without extra muscular effort. The sling can also slip down the upper arm if it is not adjusted snugly and held in place with some type of keeper. This can likewise degrade the position or cut off the flow of blood. Most shooting jackets have some type of hook, ring or strap on the top of the left arm expressly for this purpose. A heavy button sewn to the sleeve just below the sling will work just as well. A wider sling is less likely to cut off the blood flow as it spreads the weight of the system over a larger area of the upper arm.

The sling should be placed either high or low on the arm, but not in the middle. The brachial artery can become compressed between the sling and the bone when the sling is placed in the middle of the upper arm. A "high" prone position usually works best with the sling higher on the arm, and, conversely, a "low" prone position usually works best with the sling lower on the arm.

The sling should extend from the upper arm in a straight line on the inside of the left wrist. It should then pass flatly under the wrist and back of the hand to the connection point on the rifle. Pullum and Hanenkrat remind shooters to remove their wristwatch. It may also be necessary to adjust the cuff of the shooting jacket and/or the shooting glove under the sling at this point. It is certain that any extra bulk from a watchband or heavy jacket seam will become a distraction under continued pressure from the sling.

The use, utility and merit of cuff-type slings are left to the reader to discover. The Hand Stop / Sling Swivel

On the "service rifle," the sling swivel is fixed and the shooter's prone position must be built around that fact. The length of the sling and, therefore, the height of the position are governed to a great extent by this fixed point. This is not necessarily the case when using a "match rifle." A match rifle may provide an adjustable hand stop that allows the position to be adjusted to any number of possible configurations. A good starting point for an adjustable hand

stop is to arrange it so that the distance from the rifle butt to the trigger is the same as the distance between the hand stop and the trigger.

The position of the hand stop and length of the sling will govern the shape of the supporting triangle discussed earlier and raise or lower the position. These adjustments should not be initially tinkered with in order to achieve some desired higher or lower position. Rather, a stable position should be sought and then simply labeled as high or low. The point needs to be made that the position of any single element of the prone position affects all others. The arm bone is connected to the shoulder bone, to use a juvenile example. If after some experience with a particular position one is convinced that higher or lower might be better, then proceed to experiment with caution.

There are as many different types of hand stops as there are hands. Try several. Finally choose the one that is the most comfortable for the longest period of time. Using a hand stop that hurts like the devil just because Lonnes Wigger uses that type will only help Lonnes - not that he actually needs any help. When using multiple rifles, use the same type of hand stop on all of them, if possible.

The Left Hand

The left hand and wrist must be kept straight, as any bending will cause extra muscles to be used and set up a springing motion that affects recoil. It is also important not to grasp the rifle with the fingers of the left hand. Any force exerted by the left hand will change recoil from shot to shot and thus the bullet's impact on the target. One may also unconsciously "finger" the rifle the last little bit onto the target when aligning the sights. This will result in shots that look and feel clean but are off call. Just as the trigger releases the supporting fingers relax and the rifle springs back to the true natural point of aim.

Once a stable position is established, record the length of the sling, the position of the sling on the upper arm, and the position of the hand stop. Index numbers are found stamped in many commercially available slings. If this is not the case, a simple black line marked with a "P" for prone can be employed. Many rifles equipped with an adjustable hand stop are similarly indexed. This notwithstanding, a piece of tape or any other suitable mark may be substituted.

As an extra note: If a journal is not currently being maintained - start one now. The Legs and Spine

The position should be oriented so that the spine is straight and relaxed. The left leg should be parallel to the spine with the toe of the left foot pointed in towards the position. The right leg should be brought up to about a 450 angle with the lower part parallel with the left leg and the toe of the right foot pointing out and away from the position. The angle of the right leg controls the relationship of the right shoulder to the center of the position and by moving the chest up and down, can control the effect of breathing. The individual shooter is invited to experiment with the right leg through the entire range of motion. It is an interesting experiment to set oneself in position and then observe the position of the right shoulder and chest as the right leg is swung through the entire possible range. A home video camera can be most illuminating in this particular exercise, as well as allowing general analysis of the position. Ultimately, one will

determine the position of the right leg that is most stable and results in the least disturbance of the front sight from pulse beat.

The Right Elbow

In Full Metal Jacket, a stern faced drill instructor growls, "Move the rifle around your head, not your head around the rifle!" Exactly the same thing applies to the right elbow. The placement of the right elbow must be governed by the position of the rifle. To imitate the drill instructor, "Move the elbow to the rifle, not the rifle to the elbow." To achieve this, the shooter must grip the rifle with the right hand first and then plant the right elbow. It is also important to allow the right arm to relax normally when planting the elbow. No extra muscular effort should be used to pull or push the position into place.

Special care should be taken to guarantee that the right elbow does not slide around. A sheet of course grit sand Ppaper or emory paper should be in your shooter's equipment box. As needed, the surface of the elbow pad or shooting mat can be roughed up to improve friction. The Right Hand

The grip of the right hand should be just strong enough to hold it in place on the rifle. The fingers should be firm but not tight. The United States Army Sniper Training Manual explains that one will close the whole hand while pulling the trigger if the grip is not firm enough. This action of closing the hand along with pulling the trigger will move the rifle off target as the shot is being fired. A simple exercise will clearly show this action. While in the prone position with an empty chamber and un-cocked rifle, sight on an appropriate and safe target. With the right hand intentionally loose, pull the trigger and close the grip on the rifle snugly as one action. Notice the wild movement of the front sight. Next, try the same exercise while concentrating on not allowing the front sight to move. Difficult? Probably impossible. One might also extend this exercise using the correct technique to discover the best possible grip and hand position. This will be one that allows the trigger to be pulled straight back without disturbing the sights.

Master Sergeant James R. Owens instructs shooters that the position of the right hand must be such that the trigger finger is able to move without touching the rifle stock. The finger touching or brushing on the stock during trigger pull is called, "dragging wood." This makes it impossible to pull the trigger straight back or in a fashion that does not disturb the sights. According to Master Sergeant Owens, a symptom of this is a group of shots strung out horizontally.

The United States Army Sniper Training Manual agrees with Master Sergeant Owens, and further states that touching any part of the rifle - including the trigger guard - even at a slight angle will disturb the sights.

The Right Shoulder

The butt plate should be placed close to the neck and have as much contact with the shoulder as possible. The larger the contact area is between the shoulder and the butt plate, the less likely it will be for the rifle to slide around and require constant adjustment. It will also be

easier to keep a consistent cant angle if the butt plate has a large contact area. A rifle supported by the very top or bottom of the butt plate is free to swing on the pivot point created by the small contact area. The pressure on the butt plate should be equal to the pressure on the hand stop. This pressure should be adjusted by adjusting the length of the stock rather than the position of the hand stop or length of the sling. Recall that the position of the hand stop and length of the sling should be used to adjust the height of the position and front sight. According to the Small Arms Marksmanship Manual of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, insufficient pressure on the butt plate is the main cause of most weaknesses in the prone position. The upper body and right shoulder should be as close to the ground as possible. If a match rifle is being used, the height of the butt plate can be adjusted to help improve the amount of shoulder contact and pressure.

The Head Position

Generally, in the prone position, the cheek piece will be set such that the top of it is in line with the axis of the bore. With this in mind, the cheek piece should be adjusted to allow the head to rest in a natural position without straining the neck or shoulder muscles. A proper head position, in addition to being natural and relaxed, should allow the shooter to look through the sights without obstruction from the bridge of the nose or eyebrows. The position of the shooter's head can be quickly referenced using the sight picture. The position and relative size of the front sight as seen through the rear sight should appear exactly the same every time the head is positioned on the cheek piece.

In an article published in InSights, Joseph Roberts, Jr. says that seeing your sights the same way every time will keep you from making sight alignment errors. There is an explanation of sight alignment verses sight picture in the appendix. Ernest Vande Zande says that it is also important to move the cheek piece up and down with the rear sight. Keeping journal entries for how much the sight physically moves when adjusted from one yard-line to the next is key. If the rear sight moves one-quarter inch to move from 300 to 500 yards for example, the cheek piece should also be moved one-quarter inch. It should be understood that the physics of recoil include the weight of the head on the rifle. If during the first shot the head is being held up off of the rifle in order to align the sights and then during the next shot the head is pressed down firmly, the recoil will be different. This changing cheek pressure, and resulting different recoil, will cause the shots to be strung out across the target.

Stay within the rules

Recall any position must pass the test of remaining legal under the rules. It is the duty of every shooter to know and understand the rules. A visit from a match official in the middle of a string of shots can be pretty distracting. Pushing the envelope of legal is begging for a challenge.

Appendix:

A. Sight Alignment vs. Sight Picture: Sight alignment error has a far greater effect on where a shot hits the target than does sight picture. The reason for this is that sight alignment is angular while sight picture is parallel. If you aim three inches off center (a parallel error), your shot will

be three inches off at all ranges. If you misalign by three minutes (an angular measurement) a 600-yard shot will be three minutes (approximately 18 inches) off.

B. Canting the Rifle: Each one-degree of cant results in a 1/4 minute change in impact. The use of a spirit level on a Match Rifle can prevent canting or maintain a constant intentional cant. C. The Spotting Scope: According to N. Kalinichenko, the spotting scope can be just as

fatiguing on the eyes as the sight picture. He suggests in his September 1970 American Rifleman article, How the Soviets View Aiming Problems, that the same color filter be used on the spotting scope as is currently being used for the rear sight.

D. Pulse Beat: Pulse beat is the motion of the position generated by the beating of the heart. As the heart pumps blood through the vascular system, the pressure in that system changes and causes blood vessels to expand and contract with this change in pressure.

The use of the Model of 1907 sling.

by Walt Kuleck

From FM 23-5, October 1951:

(a.) Place the rifle butt on your right hip and cradle the rifle on the inside of your right forearm, sights to the right (Figure 1).

Both of your hands are now free to adjust the sling. Loosen the sling, then unhook the lower hook and rehook it down near the butt swivel (Figure 1, note 1).

(b.) The loop to be placed on your arm is formed by that part of the long strap between the D-ring and the lower keeper. For the average sling adjustment, unhook the upper hook and engage it four to six holes from the end of the long strap (Figure 1, note 2). To shorten or lengthen the sling to conform with your body and arms, make the adjustment by moving the upper hook. Push the lower keeper up (Figure 2, note 3); the loop now formed is the loop for your left arm (Figure 2, note 4).

Figure 2

Straighten out the sling so that it lies flat, then give it a half turn to the left (Figure 2, note 5). Insert your left arm through the loop until the loop is high on the upper arm, above the biceps (Figure 2, note 6). Now, using both hands, left hand on the outside strap, right hand on the inside, rotate the sling through the upper swivel, moving the lower keeper and upper hook downward to your arm (Figure 3, note 7).

Figure 3

This tightens the loop on your arm. Now, to keep the loop from slipping, pull the upper keeper down tight against the upper hook, locking it in place (Figure 3, note 8). The feed end of the sling is left hanging downward. Do not roll it up between the keepers as this will stretch them.

(c.) For the average soldier, the adjustment of the loop sling in the kneeling, squatting, and sitting positions is about two holes shorter than that for the prone position.

(d.) After the sling has been adusted on the upper arm, grasp the rifle so that the hand is against the stock ferrule swivel (Figure 4, note 9) and the sling lies flat against the back of the left hand (Figure 4, note 10).

Figure 4

(e.) Before taking your position, place your left hand so that the rifle lies in the center of the V formed by your thumb and first finger.

(f.) Some leeway in the position of the loop on the arm is permitted. In general, the loop should be above the biceps; however, experience has shown that many men get good results with the sling somewhat lower. It is important that daylight be visible between the sling and the crook of the arm formed at the elbow.

(g.) Be sure the sling is doing its share of the work in giving your rifle full support. The tendency of most men is to use a sling adjustment which is too long (loose). A properly adujsted sling means a steady rifle (Figure 5).

Figure 5: A Properly Adjusted Sling! Simple, isn't it?

How to attach the Model of 1907 Sling to the Rifle

by Walt Kuleck

The US sling is singularly adapted to steadying one's aim in position shooting.

I have in front of me as I type this the "Imperial Army Series (Based on Official Manuals): Musketry (.303 and .22 Cartridges); Elementary Training, Visual Training, Judging Distance, Fire Discipline, Range Practices and Field Practices, Based on Musketry Regulations" (1915). In no case is the sling used for support whilst shooting from any of the positions. It's a carrying strap that just hangs there. So the Brits were in the dark about the use of the sling as an aid to marksmanship, at least in 1915.

I suspect the Germans were too.

British (non) use of the sling for position shooting, circa 1915 In contrast, here is the U.S. Army way, from FM 23-5, October 1951:

Figure 1: Nomenclature and Arrangement of M1907 Sling Components

Figure 2: The M1907 Sling on the Rifle

1. Thread the feed end of the long strap through the upper keeper as shown in figure 3; then place the upper hook in the third of fourth pair of holes near the feed end of the long strap. Engage the lower hook in the pair of holes below the upper hook. The sling is now attached to the rifle.

Figure 3: Attaching the M1907 Sling to the Rifle

2. To tighten the sling (fig. 4), grasp the inside strap of the sling near the trigger housing with the left hand. With the right hand, grasp the sling between the hooks.

Now pull toward the butt with the left hand and push toward the muzzle with the right hand until the sling is tight. Slide the lower keeper toward the muzzle until the feed end of the long strap has been passed.

Figure 4: Tightening the M1907 Sling

3. To loosen the sling for carrying purposes, slide the lower keeper down from the feed end of the long strap and grasp the inside strap with the left hand. Now force the inside strap toward the muzzle and at the same time pull the outside strap toward the butt of the rifle.

4. To hold the sling in a tight position, force the upper keeper against the stock ferrule swivel and slide the lower keeper up until it has passed the feed end of the long strap.

Simple, isn't it?

Applying Basic TrackingFor The Sniper

By

Since the Army FM on Sniping covers tracking skills pretty well, I will simply discuss

integrating those skills into a mission. I am not a master tracker, but have found that using what little bit I know about it can help the unit a lot in terms of intelligence and help out my fellow Snipers by helping us hunt down our targets.

First, start by getting an S-2 update on known/suspected enemy activity in your Area of Operations (AO). This will help you analyze tracks you find although it shouldn't dominate your thinking.

When you find a set of tracks, establish a SLLS halt. (that's stop, look, listen, smell and watch your perimeter!). After being satisfied that the track makers are not in the immediate area

carefully move forward for a look. Make sure you have someone covering you and don't step out in the open.

Again, I won't cover the stuff already written in the FM's that you can get online, but gather the following information;

Track Report:

Type of prints : Boots? Tread pattern, depth, toes in/out etc Direction of

travel : Magnetic azimuth Number of

persons :

Box method; count the number of prints in a meter long box and divide by 2 for a reasonable estimate

Speed : Guestimate, are their strides long or close together, are the heels dug in deeper than the toes etc.

Load : How deep are the tracks etc, are there marks high up indicating crew-served weapons being carried and so on

Age : How fresh are the tracks

Note: there is probably a better format out there in the FM or elsewhere.

Call in the report then move away a safe distance from the site and after setting up security, pull out your map. Plot the location and direction of the tracks, to include their back azimuth. Think about the intelligence you have and the situation and see if you can make a reasonable guess about where they are coming from and where they are going. Are they headed towards a danger area where you can be waiting for them?

Even if you don't pursue them, you have gathered/reported a valuable piece of information which can be fitted into the bigger picture by the S-2. You have learned something useful yourself.

When Scouting an area for the enemy, you can identify terrain in which someone is going to leave tracks in because the ground is soft. Some people call these traps. The enemy has to have water, just like you do and they have to cross rivers/streams somewhere. Where would you do it if you were leading an Infantry Patrol? Does the S-2 have any info on enemy routes or tactics that can help you?

If you decide to follow the tracks, be careful! We are not the only people in the world who set up rear security or double back on their trails. Use your knowledge of the enemy's direction of travel, situation, tactics and terrain to try and help you estimate where they are headed.

More useful information can be gathered even if significantly behind the enemy patrol by studying the sites in which they halt, set up patrol bases etc. Each should be thoroughly and carefully studied and reported when discovered.

Also, if at all possible, don't attempt to track them down and hit them. I say this because I know that I am an amateur tracker and understand the risks involved. Better, get another element to get in front of them and others to their flanks to set up ambushes in favorable terrain. Who knows, they may come running back past you breaking contact en route to a rally point. Good opportunity to maximize confusion and break a unit's moral. Hitting a leader who is trying to reorganize and consolidate a unit that has already fallen back can deal a strong psychological blow to the entire unit. Especially from an unseen foe (you) who seemed to operate with impunity. On the other hand, it could really piss them off, so don't stick around very long.

Be patient, snipers don't rush in, track someone down and engage from 100 meters out. Wait for the best opportunity and feel good that if they don't know you are behind them, you have a tremendous advantage.

A tracking stick can be useful to stay with an enemy element which, due to its small size, or the terrain is not leaving a clearly seen set of tracks.

Cut a stick at least the length of a stride. Put the end of the stick at the base of the heel on a print and slide a rubber band up the stick where the print's toe is. This should allow you to put the bottom of the stick over the end of a print and have the rubber band end at the toe, showing the exact size of the print.

Now point the stick towards the next set of prints and slide a rubber band over the base of the heel of next print. In this manner when you put your stick over a base print, the rubber band on the front of the stick should be located over where the next set of prints will be.

It should look something like this:

| PRINT#1 | (length of stride) | PRINT#2 | 111111111111111111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111111111111 H R R T E B B O E A A E L N N D D

Before moving up from the base print to examine the subsequent set of tracks, look for the print, displaced vegetation or soil, scrapes or marks on trees higher up and so on. There is plenty of sign to look for rather than just the prints, and the prints point you in the direction of travel.

You can tell a lot about the enemy from his sign. When he halts does the sign indicate that they establish security behind good cover and concealment? Do they leave trash? (a good item for intelligence). Do they dogleg their route? Do they cross or skirt danger areas? All this is great intelligence even if you do nothing more than pass it on.

Again, I am far from a master tracker, but just this little bit of knowledge and making the teams practice it and report it on the radio and debriefs will develop them into much better snipers and provide a real benefit to the unit.

Teams should always be debriefed on a terrain analysis of the AO and any signs of enemy activity. By always tasking this info as a Priority or Other Information Requirement and asking