You can always find time to train, but you can’t always find the perfect training environment. You might find yourself low on ammo, not able to pay range fees, etc. Although we would all love to be able to train whenever, and however we want, this is not always possible. That is no excuse to let your skills diminish.
In our last blog we mentioned Mildot Holds. In this blog we
will talk about a drill you can do to get accurate data for future operations.
Why is this important? If you have your elevation set at 6 and you need to take
a split second shot at a target 300 yards away, is it faster to adjust your
turrets or use a Mildot Hold? For 99.9999% of people a Mildot Hold is faster.
Do you have current, accurate data in your rifle data book? Do you even have a data book? If you answered no to either of those questions, you are WRONG! I can’t stress the importance of a good data book enough.
fun·da·men·tal
serving as, or being an essential part of, a foundation or basis; basic; underlying: fundamental principles; the fundamental structure.
This is VERY important when it comes to marksmanship. It doesn’t matter if you are shooting a target 5m away or a target 1,000m away. You MUST remember and apply the basic fundamentals of marksmanship.
When you hear the term "Marine Corps Scout Sniper", what are some things that come to mind? I think most people would say excellent marksmanship. Although this is very true, I believe one thing that is commonly overlooked is patience. Caylen Wojcik, a fellow Marine Corps Scout Sniper says it best in the trailer for Magpul’s "The Art of the Precision Rifle".
No amount of tactical training will do you any good if you haven't got the
ability to recognize when to use them. The industry catchphrase for this is
"Situational Awareness". Simply put, pay attention to what's going on
around you. People are generally less aware than they realize. This is why
accidents happen.
There is plenty of discussion about proper aiming technique. Just Google it sometime. Whether you press, squeeze, or pull the trigger; whether you breathe or hold it; the simple fact is that where the gun is pointed when the bullet exits the barrel is where you hit. Being accurate when people are trying to kill you involves one simple thing: make sure it’s pointed at the bad guy.
When I was in the Marines, we were religiously taught The Four Weapons Safety Rules which we ceremonially recited in unison before every live-fire event. At the time, it felt foolish and excessive, but now I can’t help but be uncomfortable when I get around others who don’t adhere to these procedures as Marines do. However, as an instructor with .308 Ghillies I constantly have contact with shooters with widely varying backgrounds, and there are some specific considerations I’ve developed for my instruction.
About a week ago, I was reading an article on *Steven Pressfield’s blog http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2011/10/thats-what-i-want-to-do/ about a gymnast who was the first to win Gold for Greece. I couldn’t tell the story any better than he did, so I’ll leave you to his. What stood out to me was when Hermes recounted the time he bit his tongue in response to a reporter who asked how he felt after his “performance of a lifetime”. He politely didn’t say, “I have performed this floor exercise in practice ten thousand times. Five thousand times I have done better than this! I did not have to exceed myself or go beyond my limits. I have trained for years to reach this level. This is it. This is what I am capable of every day.”
My good friend and fellow Marine Scout Sniper was awarded the Silver Star for retrieving his comrade's body during an attack on his Humvee. Click the link below to read about this heroic act.
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