Marksmanship Fundamentals. Pseudonym Sniper

Bender’s PMII.

      Schmidt & Bender scopes are top of the line and are Europe’s answer to NightForce Optics.

      I do this because they are quality items and you get what you pay for.

      If I WERE on a budget, a Bushnell HDMR or ERS would likely be my optic of choice.

      The Bushnell HDMR with the Horus H59 reticle is a great optic at a reasonable price.

      What you are looking for in a scope is quality glass/lenses with great clarity and light transmission, a parallax adjustment knob, accurate adjustments from the turrets with plenty of elevation, and a useful reticle that ideally matches your turrets (i.e. a Mil reticle with .1 Mil adjustments or an MOA reticle with MOA adjustments as this keeps things simple).

      To achieve this, I always buy from reputable manufacturers, hence my willingness to spend money on NF and S&B products.

      With regards to reticle choice, I prefer the Horus H59 reticle because it is great for ranging targets (unknown distance shooting), measuring objects, shooting using elevation and wind “holds”.

      It is also great for making follow up shots because if you do miss (and see the “splash”), you can quickly make a correction to make a successful follow up shot.

      This makes it an ideal choice for Military, Law Enforcement, and Hunting applications, however it is still just as capable in F Class.

      Now…a lot of people are “haters” of reticles like the H59, TReMoR2, and TReMoR3 claiming that they are too “busy” or obstructive.

      I have to admit that when you first look through them it can be pretty intimidating with a whole lot “going on” in there but, if you use the reticle as it was designed for several days in a row (for example while attending a “practical” Long Range Shooting course), you will soon see the benefits.

      While on the subject of Optics, it is also crucial that you mount the scope to your rifle with a quality mount or ring set up.

      I like to use QD (Quick Detach) mounts on a picatinny rail, as this gives me the option of quickly removing my scope and mounting it to another rifle should I need to or, if I’m at work, I can protect my optic by putting it inside my ruck when parachuting with my rifle : )

      As long as the QD mount “holds zero” (often manufacturer guaranteed) when it is removed and then replaced (as long as it is placed on the same position on the rail), and you know the “zero correction” requirement for the new rifle (you’ve shot it before and measured the required “zero correction and noted the rail placement), you can immediately go out and shoot effectively with either rifle.

      If the scope is going to be on a rifle for some time, I will zero it properly but, if I’m just taking it off my 6.5mm and putting it on my .308 for a quick hunt, I’ll just put it on the previously noted rail position on my .308, make my “zero correction” adjustments and I’m good to go.

      There are several manufacturers that offer quality QD mounts. Personally I use LaRue Tactical mounts but they aren’t the only ones out there.

      Something else to think about, if you use “inline” Night Vision or Thermal Imaging equipment, you need to ensure that the scope mount you choose allows you to achieve “co-witness” (i.e. the “inline” equipment and your scope are perfectly aligned).

      If mounting NV/TI equipment is not something you intend to do, you are pretty much free to mount it as low as you want to in order to reduce the bore height (distance between center of the barrel and the center of the scope).

      Well…I think I’ve covered off the basics and given you a basic understanding of some of the factors that influence accuracy and precision.

      Shooter Ability/Marksmanship

      You as the shooter are the final piece of the puzzle.

      You could have a rifle capable of .25MOA and a top quality scope but if you as the shooter can’t consistently apply the fundamentals of marksmanship, you will never achieve the elusive combination of accuracy and precision.

      We will look at the each of the fundamentals of marksmanship in more depth in the next chapter but for now I just want to cover off a few points.

      Consistency is key…you need to be able to replicate the fundamentals each and every time you shoot, or at least try to.

      What I mean by “try to” is that you are not always going to have a “perfect” shooting position, unless of course you are punching paper in F Class or one of the other forms of competition where you shoot from a prepared firing point i.e. a range.

      If you are a hunter, or are in a Law Enforcement/Military environment, the best position you may be able to achieve is often likely to be less than ideal and so it is crucial that you ensure you can achieve as many of the fundamentals as possible.

      For example, your firing position may require you to be standing with your rifle supported on shooting sticks, a position that is far from the ideal (which would be the “prone supported” position - the most stable position) so you have to ensure that you do everything else right.

      Don’t ever think that you don’t need to practice…even once you attain a level of competency that you are happy with. Even the pros continue to practice, conducting dry fire drills and other techniques such as visualization aka mental rehearsals.

      So…as you can see, there is quite a lot involved in making accurate and precise shots at long range.

      Despite this, it really isn’t that hard to achieve if you use the right ammunition/rifle/optic combination, understand how the environment affects your projectile in flight, and can apply the fundamentals of marksmanship consistently.

      So…let’s get down to business and teach you about the fundamentals and how to master them.