The red rim of the sun pushes itself over the distant horizon, as a brown haze of dust kicks up from the sniper’s shot. His spotter, with intense eyes, watches the turbulent wake trails behind the bullet (known as bullet trace) through his spotting scope. The sniper calls a clean break, and the spotter watches the impact of the round on the steel target. The spotter records the elevation dialed onto the sniper’s scope turret, the wind call and the range to the target. Prior to taking the shot, the spotter recorded the atmospheric data for the day (station pressure, temperature, humidity and light conditions).

These snipers have mastered the science of external ballistics, which is the science of bullet flight. Their knowledge of external ballistics, along with mastery of the functional elements of the shot process and an understanding of complex engagements, allows the sniper team to hit targets at extended ranges. The sniper team’s success in tactical shooting comes from practice and knowing what tools to use in building an accurate firing solution. The tools that the sniper team will use when applying ballistics in the field can be broken down into three important categories.

1. The riflescope. The riflescope is the gateway to the battlefield. In terms of ballistics, the riflescope is an enabler to the sniper. The riflescope applies the calculation via dials or reticles that the sniper needs to engage the target. The riflescope is a precision instrument and in order to use it to its fullest capability, the scope turrets have to be verified, and it has to be mounted correctly. Uncalibrated sight adjustments are one of the most common problems in shooting. In most cases, there is some error in scope turrets. For more information on zeroing and scope calibration, check out my previous article “Sure Kill: A Baseline for Sniper Lethality,” Small Arms Defense Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2.

2. Measurement tools. Measurement tools are used to gather the information required to support a scientific calculation. The sniper wants to have the most refined and accurate measurements possible to obtain the most accurate ballistic firing solution. The following measurement tools are important to the sniper: rangefinders (maps, ranging reticles, laser range finders), Kestrel weather meter, angle cosine indicator and a chronograph.

3. Ballistic solver. The ballistic solver is the tool that bridges the gap between raw data and useful firing solutions. The basic principle of trajectory modeling is that if the sniper inputs all of the variables correctly into a ballistic program, that program will return an accurate ballistic solution. The sniper has to be aware of the true value of all the inputs. Possible variables that can account for an error in point of impact are shown in the Point of Impact Error Checklist chart. The sniper must ensure none of the listed variables is contributing to an observed vertical point of impact between live fire data and ballistic program predictions.

ATSLAN Ballistic Solver

Atslan from Zikitec® Ltd. is a field-proven ballistic calculator that combines a ballistic solver with a user friendly and very intuitive logbook. The Atslan ballistic solver is specifically designed for snipers and has seen use in Israel by IDF snipers and IDF special forces. Atslan lets you record all your shooting and track multiple profiles, rifles, scopes and ammunition.

Some key features of Atslan are:

• State of the art ballistic calculator with support for: Spin-drift, Aerodynamic-Jump and Coriolis Effect.
• Support for G1 and G7 ballistic coefficients and multi-BCs (stepped BCs).
• Muzzle velocity temperature table.
• Supports imperial and metric units, MRAD (Mil), MOA and IPHY.
• Intuitive functions for: wind direction, azimuth and shooting angle.
• Uses your phone sensors to get barometric pressure, humidity, azimuth, etc.
• Cold bore shot tracking.
• Training performance summary.
• Variety of targets and shooting positions to use for data collection.
• Backup / Restore options.

Muzzle Velocity Temperature Table

Snipers can use the chronograph to create a muzzle velocity temperature table. A minimum of four data points will be needed from the current lot and need to be at least 30 degrees apart. It is always best to have data points for the coldest and warmest points that the sniper will shoot in. A muzzle velocity temperature table is important because a change in the ambient temperature will change the trajectory of a bullet. A temperature change affects the air density which directly affects the ability of the bullet to move through the air. As the temperature rises, the air become less dense and the bullet will experience less drop over range because it is bleeding off its speed at a slower rate. The reverse is also true when there is a drop in temperature, as it will cause the atmosphere to grow more dense, slowing the bullet faster, requiring more time to traverse the same range.

Muzzle Velocity POI Check

After obtaining the muzzle velocity of the cartridge by using a chronograph, it is essential to check the data by confirming the trajectory at a range between 300 and 600 meters using the shorter range for small calibers and the longer ranges for large calibers. Using the POI method to determine muzzle velocity is a good way to check the chronograph as these checks may show that the snipers’ chronograph is habitually giving results above or below the actual muzzle velocity.

Stepped Bullet Coefficient (BC) Method

This is the best way to use a ballistic computer, and Atslan gives you this option. Think of banded or stepped BCs as having a correlating value at the muzzle, at mid-range and at the target. Bullet coefficients are based on not only the bullet design but the velocity. We also know that since the bullet is constantly falling as well as slowing down, that the value of the BC is going to change. A Stepped BC tells the software to adjust the drag curve based on the range and muzzle velocity. Where most ballistic solvers use a single BC number and apply it to the entire flight path of the bullet, Stepped BC corrects the path. Stepped BCs work for both G7 and G1 as well.

Prior to mission and to wrap up their training session, the sniper team conducts the following steps to confirm their trajectory calculations by using predicted firing solutions and observing actual bullet impacts on targets. It is imperative that the ranges to these confirmation targets must be within +/- 1 meter, and all impacts must be able to be spotted to 1/10 of a Mil. The use of a water mark line painted on the steel target can assist in accurate recording of the shots.

The sniper team will:

(1) Dial on predicted dope for 500 meters. Conduct muzzle velocity POI check.

(2) Record vertical POA-POI deviation. Must measure impacts to 1/10 Mil.

(3) Adjust MV if needed. Should not need to adjust by more than 50 fps.

(4) BC POI check. Establish a target near the velocity range between 1350 fps and 1650 fps.

(5) Record vertical POA-POI deviation. Must measure impacts to 1/10 Mil.

(6) Adjust BC until predicted elevation matches observed elevation. Should not need to adjust by more than 5 or 10 points on BC. Annotate environment and wind conditions.

The sniper team has to understand that the shooter influences the bullet as much as every variable that has been discussed. Trust your raw data and always record your actual data in a data book or an intuitive logbook found in a ballistic software application like Atslan. If you cannot get the entire flight of the bullet to line up, make two tracks—a short-range track (supersonic) and long-range track (subsonic). If they work, you solved the problem for the entire path of the trajectory. At the end of the day, the bullet doesn’t lie, and a great sniper will always record and manage a data book. Knowledge and data on previous engagements (DOPE) are vital.

For more information on Atslan, go to zikitec.com

APPROPRIATELY FIT RIFLE TO INDIVIDUAL FIRER

There are several adjustments that must be made both to the rifle itself and to the associated equipment to achieve a natural firing position. The sniper must experiment to find the adjustments necessary to best facilitate the fundamentals of marksmanship, and body structure.

BUTTSTOCK ADJUSTMENT

Length of pull is the distance between the butt and the trigger. The sniper must determine the proper length of pull in all firing positions. What the sniper is desiring to achieve is the ability to pull the trigger straight back with a 90-degree trigger finger able to have a clean “break.” This must be checked in all firing positions to assure the firing shoulder does not need to be scrunched or the neck stretched to put the sights on target. If this occurs, it will create muscle tension and excessive movement.

EYE RELIEF

Eye relief is the distance from the sniper’s firing eye to the rear sight or the Ocular lens.

To achieve proper eye relief, the sniper must keep his head as upright as possible, with his firing eye located directly behind the rear portion of the sighting system. This head placement allows the muscles surrounding his eye to relax. The best aid to consistent eye relief is maintaining the same stock weld from shot to shot. The scope must be adjusted forward or back to assure proper eye relief is established, and must be checked in various positions before zeroing so it does not encourage improper position.

It is important for the sniper to know the scope eye relief range changes with magnification. Knowing this can assist in awkward firing positions making obtaining appropriate eye relief challenging. Reducing scope magnification can increase the amount of eye relief required to obtain a full field of view, where increasing the magnification can have the opposite effect.

FOCUSING THE RETICLE ON A SCOPE

All reticle focus adjustments are made with the eyepiece. When pointed at the sky or a plain back drop such as a white wall, take a few quick glances through the scope at the reticle. If the reticle is slightly blurry at first glance the scope focus needs adjusting. This will cause undue stress on the sniper’s eye(s) over time.

It is best to look away from the scope while making focus adjustments as your eye will auto correct an image slightly out of focus. If your scope is equipped with a locking ring turn the lock ring so it allows the eyepiece to rotate freely. Make small 1/4 turn adjustments while looking away, and checking reticle clarity every 1/4 turn. Continue this process until the reticle appears clear and sharp.

If your eyesight changes, readjust the eyepiece. As we age, eyesight normally changes. You may want to check the sharpness of the reticle on your scope every time your eye prescription changes, to ensure it is still adjusted correctly for your eye.

ERRORS IN AIMING

Everyone makes occasional errors in aiming. Some common causes for aiming errors include—

• Shadow effects.
• Cant.
• Parallax.

SHADOW EFFECTS

During aiming, the sniper must ensure that the telescope’s field of view is clear and shadow-free. Incorrect eye relief creates a circular shadow that reduces the size of the field, hindering observation. Crescent-shaped shadows cause the bullets to strike on the side opposite from the shadow.

If the sniper notices a shadow on the edges of the field of view (FOV), then he must find a head position where he can clearly see the entire FOV.

WEAPON CANT

Affects the projectile’s ballistic trajectory; longer TOF (Time of Flight) equals an increased measurement of error.

Eliminating weapon cant may not be critical for large or close proximity targets but is crucial for accurate engagement of small targets, long distance targets, and moving targets.

As a general rule (for common cartridges), a 1-degree cant will produce 5 inches of lateral displacement at 1000 yards in the direction of cant and will also produce a small vertical point of impact displacement.

Weapon cant should be identified and corrected through the use of an anti-cant device for all engagements. Scope should be set with plumb bob to ensure the reticle is perpendicular to the ground.

NATURAL POINT OF AIM

Maintaining NPA may be difficult when engaging moving targets depending on engagement technique and range. When engaging in a fixed target sector, shooters should always set body position so that they can smoothly track the mover through the entire sector without binding up and disrupting
NPA more than necessary.

Shooters may have to adjust body position with an elbow lift during the engagement in order to maintain proper aim point on the target as it moves through the engagement sector.

PARALLAX

Occurs when your eye is at the very edge of the exit pupil. To eliminate parallax in side focus adjustment scopes, follow these steps-

• The reticle must be clear (focused) before turning parallax knob. If it is not, follow the instructions under
  “Focusing the Reticle.”
• With the firearm in a stable position, look through the scope, concentrating on the center aiming point of the reticle.
• Move your head slightly up and down and left and right. It is important to not move the weapon while making these head movements as it can cause the appearance of parallax when there is none.
• The aiming point must remain in exactly the same position against the target; if it moves, turn the side focus adjustment dial until it becomes stable.
• Reticle’s focal plane, causing the target image and the reticle to seem to be in two separate places within the scope. This makes the reticle seem to move across the target.

ANGULAR ADJUSTMENTS

• A True Minute of Angle (TMOA) is equal to 1/60 of 1 degree of arc. Its size increases uniformly over range, but its angular value stays the same.
• At 100 meters the value of one TMOA equals 1.145 inches. At 200 meters, 2.290 inches; at 300 meters, 3.435 inches; etc.
• At 100 yards the value of one TMOA equals 1.047 inches.
• At 200 yards, 2.094; at 300 yards, 3.141 inches.
• A True Minute of Angle (TMOA) is also equal to 2.91 cm at 100 meters, 5.82 cm at 200 meters, etc.
• For ease of calculation and scope adjustments we round these numbers into Shooter Minutes of Angle (SMOA). A SMOA at 100 meters is equal to 1 inch; at 200 meters, 2 inches; at 300 meters, 3 inches.
• To demonstrate the error imposed by rounding a TMOA to a SMOA consider the process at 1000 meters. A TMOA at 1000 meters is 11.45 inches. By using the rounding process for ease of calculation a SMOA is 10.00 inches. The variation created through the rounding process is 1.45 inches at 1000 meters.
• A Mil (milradian) is another angular measurement.
• There are 21600 minutes in a circle. 6283.2 Mils to a circle.
• Finding how many MOA is in a mil (21600 min / 6283.2 mils = 3.438 MOA in one Mil).
• There are 3.438 TMOA per mil but for field rounding use 3.5 SMOA per mil.

ZEROING

The most fundamental requirement for good accuracy is having a reliable zero.

Shoot groups from different positions to see how much your grip, cheek weld, trigger control and sight alignment affect the rifles POI.

Common terms when zeroing are:

ZEROING PROCESS

1. Torque scope base and rifle
2. Clean rifle bore with dry patch or bore snake
3. Bore sight rifle barrel and optic (If equipment is on hand)
4. Fire one round to confirm impact on target
5. Adjust sights to move POI to POA
6. Fire a five round group
7. Adjust sights to move MPI to POA
8. Slip scales
9. Confirm zero with five round group

Things to remember when zeroing:

• Incorrect parallax will change your zero.
• Incorrect optical focus will change your zero.
• Changing your body position will change your zero.

TALL TARGET TEST

Un-calibrated sight adjustments are one of the most common problems in shooting. In most cases there is some amount of error in a scope’s turret or reticle. Like every measurement instrument, your scope needs to be verified and determine if the adjustments are accurate.

The Tall Target Test is a calibration exercise. It must be conducted at exactly 100 meters or that you measure and account for the exact range.

You must also ensure that you’re not canting your rifle. Leveling sights is highly important. By shooting the Tall Target Test with your scope level installed, you can verify true vertical scope tracking.

Shooting with a verified level rifle/scope promotes better wind reading because you have eliminated any unknown components of cant. Tall Target Test is follows:

1. Set up a target board (at least 36” tall) with a vertical line drawn (confirmed with plumb bob or level) at 100 meters. Measure range with LRF to confirm actual range.
2. Place an aim point near the bottom of the vertical line and shoot a group to confirm zero.
3. Dial up (or hold) 30 MOA/10 MIL (based on your turret measurements) of elevation and shoot another group.
4. Measure the distance between shot groups with a tape measure.
5. Use the formula below (figure xx) to calculate your scope correction factor.
6. Apply correction factor to any raw ballistic solution to account for scope tracking error.

“The point is not to have the highest on-base percentage, but to win games as cheaply as possible. And the way to win games cheaply is to buy the qualities in a baseball player that the market undervalues, and sell the ones that the market overvalues.” – Michael Lewis

In Moneyball, The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis the story is about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. Its focus is the team’s analytical, evidence based, sabermetric approach to assembling a competitive baseball team, despite Oakland’s disadvantaged revenue situation when compared to a team like the New York Yankees.

For 12 years the military has had New York Yankee levels of money. “The nation has paid for everything we have asked for since 9/11. It has made us intellectually lazy.” (Retired Lieutenant General Paul Van Riper.) “When the money gets short, it’s time to think.”
Snipers are a remarkable breed. Given the multitude of factors that can cause a bullet to miss its intended target, it is a wonder that snipers are consistently able to hit anything, especially at extended ranges. Humans are of course, the ultimate fire control system. Science will never supplant a trained sniper. Technology can only augment the skills that snipers already possess. However, with bravado set aside, snipers tend to only remember that one remarkable shot in combat at 800 meters. The sniper tends to overlook the number of rounds expended in training and combat and they attribute any “flyer” in a group to fate. Military strategists need to strive to provide snipers with the best tools available so that they can do their job but as cheaply as possible.

Wilcox RAPTAR M with built in Applied Ballistics software.

Weapon Employment Zone
(WEZ) Analysis

Bryan Litz, renowned competitive shooter and ballistician, has created an analysis method called The Weapon Employment Zone, or WEZ for short. The WEZ analysis is model based, statistic in nature, and quantifies the hit percentage of a given shooting system on specified targets as a function of range. This analysis is carried out using defined uncertainties related to practical field shooting. With this capability, you can calculate your probability of hit for specific weapon systems in different levels of environmental uncertainty. The value of quantifying the hit percentage of a given sniper/rifle/ammunition combination is that the information can be used to quantify sniper effectiveness in war gaming scenarios. In short, the WEZ aims to increase the first round hit probability of the sniper team, thus reducing target engagement time by reducing the number of rounds spent to score the first hit. If a sniper hits the target 99 percent of the time, then you can feel pretty safe predicting that he’s going to hit it the next time he shoots. So knowing the sniper’s rate of success tells you that he’ll almost certainly accomplish the mission. In summary, the WEZ can be used to assist the decision makers on how to decide on where to focus training resources, budgets, etc. (Accuracy and Precision For Long Range Shooting – Bryan Litz). The Applied Ballistics Analytics package retails for $200 USD. The cost of the standard sniper round M118LR (AA11) is $1.25 USD. Fiscal Year 13 ammunition cost expense at the United States Army Sniper School $489,739. Could the WEZ cut those costs in half? Can it lead to better planning on how to effectively train a new sniper?

Not surprisingly, the WEZ analysis shows range and crosswind to be the two variables that lead to the greatest error in a miss. Range uncertainty is almost a given when in an unknown environment. The sniper has to rely on various methods of range estimation to assign the correct range to the target. The most common range estimation method used by snipers is to use the reticle inside their scope to measure a target using a reticle graduated in Mil dots. A simple formula is applied that uses the actual target size in inches, and the size of the target in the scope’s reticle to formulate a range to the target. This method is effective, but is subject to uncertainties. With recent advancement in technology, the sniper now has access to more sophisticated tools to measure range. The newest device to hit the market is the Wilcox RAPTAR-M with built in Applied Ballistics software. The RAPTAR is a very unique device that incorporates both visible and IR aiming lasers, an IR illuminator and a laser range finder that displays the range to the target via screen. The RAPTAR-M model with the built in Applied Ballistics software includes its own ballistic computer with back-lit LCD screen and weather chip to monitor atmospheric conditions. The RAPTAR-M’s rear display also provides the sniper with a virtual cant device, elevation information specific to your rifle load and the ability to manually input windage. The RAPTAR-M also has the ability to communicate with other Bluetooth devices via other Applied Ballistics devices such as the AB Kestrel. This type of synchronization can provide live wind data for a complete firing solution.

DRS Ventus RT kit.

Wind, Our Greatest Enemy

Wind will always be the snipers worst enemy. Instrumentation can help the sniper hone one’s ability to “read” the wind. A Kestrel wind meter is a staple piece of equipment in a snipers toolbox. The sniper can use the Kestrel at anytime and practice guessing the wind speed that you feel or see in the indicators then apply that to what they might see downrange in similar indicators such as vegetation. Another excellent training tool for wind is the Ventus System from DownRange Systems. This system allows the sniper to know what the winds are doing down range, where it has the most effect on the path of the bullet. There can be several different wind conditions present at any given time on a typical shooting range. Shifting winds, lay of the land, trees, and other obstacles make accurate wind calls difficult. By using the Ventus with a Kestrel 4500 wind meter, the sniper can obtain accurate wind velocity and direction from up to 1 mile away from his location. It is an invaluable tool for learning/teaching the fine art of calling wind. DownRange System’s Ventus Kit allows the user to place a Kestrel weather station down range at long distances and receive accurate and fast transmission of data.

United States Army Sniper School ammunition expense FY13.

Ventus –RT Kit Components

• Down Range Data Transmitter-1A (DT-1A)


• Down Range Receiver-1A (DR-1A)


• Mini tripod and weather vane


• Charging system


• Carrying case


• Kestrel 4000 or 4500 (User Supplied)


• Tripod for Transmitter (User Supplied)

The tools mentioned above would cost the military no more than what a used car would cost. Despite what the Pentagon wants to believe, the next conflict isn’t going to be won by robots or drones, but by smart, adaptive men who look for ways to innovate ones set of skills to build the perfect sniping team.

Wilcox RAPTAR M.

Author using a Kestrel with Horus ballistic software.

A defining moment for a sniper is when he can positively identify a threat within his area of operation and exercise certain actions, from an intelligence report to target neutralization.  The ability to identify a target is vital in a stability operation or counterinsurgency (COIN) environment, where precisely aimed fire is at a premium and collateral damage isn’t an option.

The Basics: Calibrating Your Rifle Zero
Military sniping is an application that involves both precision and accuracy.  Precision is from the characteristics of the rifle and ammunition.  Precision is how well it prints group sizes, whereas accuracy is an indication of how a group of shots hit relative to the intended aim point, regardless of group size.  The requirement for great accuracy is having a reliable zero.  When you zero your weapon from different support positions, you can incur a different POI (point of impact).  For the traditional sniper role, this will be from the prone bipod position.  Realistically, the sniper will not always be able to shoot from the prone bipod position.  Positional shooting (kneeling, standing) and even off a tripod is highly likely.  A recommendation is to analyze POI shifts from those alternate support positions on a dot drill target at your zero range.  If you see that when you shoot off a tripod you generally shoot .2 MILS low, you can accommodate for that error and add .2 MILS to your firing solution.  Other POI shifts in your weapon’s zero can come from temperature effects and harmonics.  Annotate these changes and account for them.  Lastly, when zeroing, a three shot group isn’t recommended.  A five round shot group, shot five times will give a good representation of the rifle’s inherent precision.

RAPTAR LRF/IR/Vis aiming device. A must have to device to measure range to targets.

Un-calibrated sight adjustments are a common problem in long range shooting.  Many snipers take for granted that when they dial up or hold a certain correction in a reticle, that they’re getting exactly the intended correction.  In reality, it’s generally more often that there is some amount of error in a scope’s turret or reticle.  As with every other measurement instrument, the turrets and reticle need to be verified before they can be trusted.  The test to use to conduct the calibration is called “The Tall Target Test.”  The tall target test is conducted in the following manner; remember, the Tall Target Test is a calibration exercise, so it’s very important to know the exact zero range.  Verify with a LRF (laser range finder) or tape measure.

1. Put up a tall target (36 inches tall) at your 100 (meter/yard) zero range.  Have an aim point at the bottom of the target and a plumb line (leveled line) drawn up from the center of the aim point.  You can use a carpenter’s level or a plumb bob to draw the vertical line.
2. Shoot the lower aim point to verify your zero.  Now dial your elevation turret up 30 MOA or 10 MILS.  Still shoot at the aim point when doing this.
3. After you have fired your groups, you can calculate the correction factor for that given scope.  Measure from the zero group to the actual group for your 30 MOA increment.

Correction Factor: 1 MOA (minute of angle) equals 1.047 inches at 100 yards.  30 X 1.047 = 31.41 inches.  Let’s say your scope only moved 29.5 inches: it’s only moving 94% as far as it should when it’s adjusted – 6 % less than it should move.  Therefore, when you have to dial for elevation, you have to dial 106% of the intended adjustment.  For example: You have a target that requires 30 MOA of elevation, but by doing the tall target test, you know that you actually need to dial 30 X 1.06 = 31.8 MOA in order to get a true 30 MOA on the scope.

A sniper conducts Mountain operations at AMWS in Vermont. Sniper is using a Larue Tactical OBR outfitted with a Nightforce NXS riflescope.

The Tall Target Test is also a way to check if your scope is vertically tracking correctly.  You want to eliminate any cant.  Leveling your scope is very important and a necessity for long range shooting.  Shooting with a verified leveled rifle and scope will promote in better wind reading since it will allow you to observe wind effects directly without an unknown component of cant.  By shooting the Tall Target Test with your level installed, you will assure your wind zero is calibrated.  Every sniper should have a scope level installed in order to prevent the accuracy damaging effects of cant.

MOA Consistency Errors
When it comes to a MOA standard across the industry, many manufactures fall short.  Many manufactures will advertise MOA adjustments but fail to specify if the turrets and/or reticle are SMOA (shooter minute of angle 1 MOA = 1 inch at 100 yards), IPHY (inches per hundred yards) or TMOA (true minute of angle = 1.047 inches at 100 yards).  This type of error equals a miss at 1,000 yards and can create a huge dilemma for a sniper team if one shooter is using X brand of scope and the other is using Y brand of scope.  You’re speaking two different languages.  One manufacture that gets this right is NightForce optics.  They offer clear and concise descriptions of their scope turrets and reticles in the user manual.

NightForce NXS compact 2.5-10x42mm riflescope. This scope performs flawlessly in low light scenarios and is night vision compatible and has 3 illumination settings. This is one of the only 10x scopes on the market to offer adjustable parallax.

Echelons of Capability
The latest craze taking over the military sniper community is the use of MIL based grid system reticles.  Calibrated in USMC mils (6283 mils/circle) (1 mil = 3.60 inches at 100 yards) (10cm at 100 meters).  These reticles let you visually place the target on the appropriate horizontal and vertical grid lines to correct for elevation and windage visually without turning knobs or counting clicks.  These reticles are great for when you are in desert mountainous regions where you can generally see dust fly from misses, but once you move into an area of operation such as the Philippines, were foliage is dense, this type of reticle gets lost.  A finer reticle, such as NightForce’s MIL-R reticle or the Mil Dot reticle offered in their scopes is excellent in dense foliage areas.  It allows the sniper to stay focused on the center intersecting lines of the scope and offers an uncluttered FOV (field of view) of the target area.

Designated Marksman Solution
Reticles such as the TReMoR2 and CMR-W reticles are an excellent DM (Designated Marksman) solution.  These types of reticles are a full minute of man tools, not long-range precision on partial obscured targets tools.  For a line dedicated marksman outfitted with a 16-inch .308, these reticles can give the DM speed and accuracy to 600m effectively and beyond potentially.  Generally, DMs are rightly being placed on support by fire lines in Afghanistan.  Effective support by fire is critical for the assault team’s success and safety.  DMs have the ability to engage point targets on the objective in close proximity to the assaulters.  Today’s battle rifles such as the FN SCAR17s and LaRue OBR 7.62, outfitted with a variable power, lightweight scope such as the NightForce NXS Compact 2.5-10×42 in MIL/MIL configuration gives the DM an ideal platform to deliver 175 grains of diplomacy onto targets of opportunity.

Sniper team from CCG 4/3 IN TOG using a Nightforce NXS riflescope w/ Horus H59 reticle.

Magnification
Magnification is a function of mission requirement, weight, cost and bulk.  Magnification is an enabler when it comes to acquiring positive identification on a HVT (High Value Target) or the presence of small arms.  A magnified scope will allow the sniper or DM to ID further and faster than shooters with minimal magnification like an ACOG or Short Dot.  9x or 10x magnification will get you to 1,000 yards, but magnification greater than 10x will give you precision aiming for smaller targets or partially exposed targets.  One thing you have to be cautious of in First Focal Plane (FFP) scopes, the stadia line thickness increases with magnification, which could hinder the sniper in refining his aim point.  Scopes with larger magnifications (3-20x and greater) tend to be heavier and bulkier then their lighter counterparts.  Weight is an important consideration when it comes to mission planning.  In the end, the Mission will drive the tools necessary to complete the mission.  Snipers need to continue to evolve and progress.  Don’t let the lessons we learned from over a decade of fighting go by the wayside with the drawdown.  Continue to reinvent the wheel and fine-tune the greatest all weather, day and night offensive and defensive firing platform, the SNIPER.