An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir September 2017 www.dfmagazine.ie 28 | sniping and Marksmanship can be summed up in the comments of Jeff Cooper the creator of the 'modern tech- nique' of handgun shooting, "A fine marksman with a second rate rifle is far more effective than the reverse." it is essential that solders are capable of firing their rifle accurately under battle conditions. this can best be achieved if the soldier understands and ap- plies the following marksmanship principles. Position and hold: Adopting a correct weap- on position and hold must afford the maxi- mum degree of support to the weapon. • Firm body contact through multiple points, i.e. left hand, right hand and shoulder. • The weight of the weapon should be supported with the least amount of muscular effort. • Firm grip on the weapon to control weapon without strain- ing (while firm enough to pull rifle back into shoulder). • The muscles should be relaxed and not put un- der extreme tension to avoid muscle tremors. natural aim: Weapon should point naturally towards the target. If excessive physical effort is required to hold weapon at the target, it will result in the bullet being directed away from the point of aim. This effect is caused by the movement of the weapon in an attempt to settle where influencing forces are equal. sight alignment: Ensure you have a full field of view with no shadows. Improper eye relief or sight alignment will cause scope shadow. This will result in improper shot placement. Also the TA31(DF) ACOG sight is designed to be used with both eyes open for ranges up to 300m for quick tar- get acquisition and engagement (Snap Shooting). shot Release and Follow through: There are three distinct areas of concentration and co-or- dination to master this principle. Breath Control: The natural process of breathing causes body movement, which must be controlled. There are three aspects of the breathing cycle that are important. • During the normal cycle the lungs are nei- ther completely filled nor emptied. • After breathing out there is a natural pause. • The whole cycle takes approx. six seconds. As a natural pause occurs after breathing out, it's logi- cal to extend that pause to six or seven seconds to en- able the shot to be released. To oxygenate the body to assist concentration, two deep breaths should be carried out before restraining the breathing. trigger operation: The trigger must be operated without disturbing the position, hold and sight alignment. Before the shot is released a certain amount of slack and trigger pressure should be taken up. To do this it is necessary to: • Ensure the right hand hold is correct to en- sure correct location of the trigger finger. • Take first pressure before beginning to aim. • Operating the trigger by squeezing and not snatching it. Follow through: It is possible for the firer to respond to the trigger action whilst the bullet is still in the barrel and this can cause a shot to be misplaced. It is essential that the shot be followed through to the target. As the shot is fired, the trigger must be held to the rear, the firer's eye must remain open and must watch any movement of the sight. The firer should remain still until such movement has settled. sniper Marksmanship The other factor to be considered when firing at distances that sniper would normally engage at is ballistics, this is defined as the science that deals with the design, fir- ing, flight, behaviour and effects of ammunition. There is three types of ballistics that effect ammunition these are: • Interior: What happens to the bullet inside the weapon. • External: The flight of the bullet from the muzzle to the target. • Terminal: What happens to the bullet after it hits the target. This understanding of ballistics begins with the knowledge of ammunition so they are aware of its capabilities and how they function. interior Ballistics: Effects on a bullet within a rifle are Re- coil, Muzzle Breaks and Jump (Shockwave in the barrel). external Ballistics: There are several forces that act on the bullet in flight and affect its trajec- tory. These are Muzzle Velocity, Gravity, Drag, Co- riolis Effect & Spin Drift and the Effect of Wind. terminal Ballistics: The bullet's design, as well as its impact velocity, plays a huge role in how the energy is transferred. It is often referred to as stopping power. 28 |

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