Checklist For Firing Each Shot - Sniper Training

25/10/2017

The following actions should occur during each shot fired in practice, and almost all are used in real-life combat or police incidents, too.

Through repetition, these should become habits so you apply them while under stress and thereby achieve superb shooting despite pressures.
• BODY POSITION CORRECT?
• RIFLE GRASPED PROPERLY FOR COMFORT?
• RIFLE GRASPED PROPERLY TO ABSORB RECOIL?
• BREATHING CORRECTLY?
• BEANBAG SNUG UNDER RIFLE BUTT?
• CORRECT EYE RELIEF
• CORRECT SCOPE SIGHT PICTURE?
• TRIGGER CONTROL "FEELS" RIGHT?
• DID SHOT IMPACT AS CALLED?
• FOLLOW-THROUGH WAS SMOOTH, NATURAL?

• RECORDED SHOT IMMEDIATELY IN RECORD BOOK?

your barrel from warming and also help you develop patience and pacc between shots. You'll start to see each shot properly as a distinct, one-time event.

Always use a mechanical pencil: not only does this mark you as a competitive shooter, but it makes for easy erasure and writing even when the paper's damp.

Two versions here are very similar, w ith one designed for recording shots at stationary targets and the other for moving targets. The bull's-eye target page is new for this edition of the book. We'll consider how to log data in the stationary record book first.

NITIAL CORRECTED

AMMO WITH LOT #

TODAY'S TNG EMPHASIS
ZERO CHANCE:
UP/DOWN:
RT/IEFT:
DRILL:
MY POS
CALL
TIME
EST/
WIND ¡TOTAL RDSf FIRED/TODAY
/ J [TOTAL RDS FI RED/BARREL
SPOTTERS
SPOTTERS
REMARKS:

The Stationary Target

DATE: The date you're shooting.

LOCATION: Record not only the town or post but the specific range you're firing on.

RIFLE SERIAL NUMBER AND SCOPE: This ties the data directly to one rifle and scope.

AMMO AND LOT NUMBER: Note the exact type of ammo, to include bullet style and weight. Get the lot number off the box.

TODAY'S TRAINING EMPHASIS: I urge you to single out one marksmanship aspect for each shooting session-things like follow-through or breathing. Ask your spotter to coach you.

TEMP: You'll probably see differences in trajectory between hot and cold days.

PRECIP: Note whether it's raining, snowing, misting, or foggy.

DRILL: If you're shooting a drill instead of ordinary practice, note which kind of drill it is, such as surgical shooting, a follow-up shot, etc.

ZERO CHANGE: Once you've fired some spotter rounds, you may choose to changc your current 2ero. If so, record the changes here according to 1/4 MOA clicks.

WIND: Draw an arrow indicating wind direction and log in the velocity. Recheck it and adjust at least each half hour.

TOTAL ROUNDS FIRED/TODAY: Enter this at the end of firing.

TOTAL ROUNDS FIRED/BARREL: This is your running total. Add today's total rounds fired to the total from the last page.

SPOTTING ROUNDS: You may choose to fire a few rounds to confirm zero before practice fire or drills. Plot spotters here and save the other spaces for subsequent firing.

MY POS: For each shot, note whether you were sitting, standing, kneeling, lying, etc. This helps you assess positional shooting.

CALL: Immediately after follow-through, place a small "x" where you think your round impacted, with one box representing one shot, and only 10 shots recorded per page. You'll com pare the call momentarily to where your spotter tells you it actually impacted.

TIME: If a time limit or target exposure time was involved, note it here. Especially note if you blew the time limit!

EST/ACT: When firing on an unknown-distance range, record your range estimate in the upper half. Compare this later to the actual range, obtained after firing, in the lower half.

REMARKS: This is where you record any other pertinent data, to include: group size; night observation device serial number; reminder to change your sniper rifle data card to reflect new data; type of support used, such as a bipod or sandbag; amount and type of artificial illumination; uphill or downhill targets; special point of aim for anti-body-armor drills so you'll later realize the throat or femoral artery shot was purposely targeted; weak shoulder shots; smoke or special situations; and so on. Here, too, is where you diagnose any problems or declare the system combat-readv.

BDC ELEVATION-INITIAL and CORRECTED: If you must deviate from the indicated initial setting, note the change here.

WINDAGE-INITIAL and CORRECTED: Again, start with it set where it should be true and record the correction if you change it.

INCHES LEFT/INCHES RIGHT: Earlier you plotted the "call" shots where you thought the rounds should impact. Here, plot the real impact points, designating them with the numerals 1 through 10. If you missed the silhouette, plot each miss according to inches it is from dead-center, with each crosshatch indicator representing 9 inches apart, allowing you to plot misses up to 36 inches in any direction.

The Moving Target

We'll only note the few differences on the moving target page.

MOVEMENT: Draw an arrow to indicate the moving target's direction and log in its estimated velocity.

DIR: When engaging multiple moving targets, indicate whether each one is moving right-to-left or left-to-right by drawing an arrow

for each target. This will help you identify and diagnose arm-swinging problems.

CALL: Again plot where you think your round impacted, but note that it's now a thin silhouette, the same shape as the "mover." Don't plot the intended lead-plot where you expect the bullet to hit and compare this momentarily to where it really hit.

LEAD/MILS LEFT-LEAD/MILS RIGHT: Enter the lead or mils you've computed, but correct them if necessary.

FEET LEFT-FEET RIGHT: Mot only is our "mover" silhouette unisex, he's unidirectional so it can be used for targets moving either right or left. And since long-range leads may be several feet, these crosshatches represent 3 feet. Be sure to plot your bullet's impact point, not the lead, in this space.

The Bull's-Eye Target

This record book page is essentially identical to the stationary target, except it allows you to enter bullet impact points on a miniature, circular target.

At times the danger of being detected may be so great that you dare not move, especially-following a shot and with intense enemy observation directed your way. For such times, practice bolting your weapon using one of two techniques that minimize visible motion.

The first one simply requires that you keep both elbows planted where they were when you fired and your eye at the correct eye relief. You move only your right hand to operate the bolt. This technique, with practice, also allows very fast follow-up shots.

We have illustrated the second technique on page 224 since it is more complicated. Here you're concerned that the enemy could possibly see your expended brass if it is flipped in the air.

First (1), rotate the rifle to the right so the ejected round falls directly to the ground. Next (2), lift the bolt handle very slowly, and (3) pull the bolt to the rear until you meet resistance. Then