Snipers

[Bloodknight]

Just askin .Ive been out of the loop for a while.Thought someone has the knowledge to answer my question. When one of our sniper guys (or girls?) goes back to basecamp & put up their weapon.How do they know their scope, optic , whatever will be where it was when they shut down for the night before.So it's ready to go the next day? What about ammo ? do they do anything special with each round ? Im really curious as to the process.Ive learned through shooting different ammo,that really good ammo makes a difference. I often wonder if I had knowledge about ammo selection while qualifying while in the Marines.I could have brought my score up with select ammo.Not that I could have ever had access to any at the time. Just askin

 

[Kodiak Cowboy]

Zeroing the rifle gives the bore fouling shots usually needed in a clean bore. If the rifle is on target when put away? Why would it be off the next day? Unless of foul play! Once a certain type of ammo or specific load is found that the rifle performs best at. That's what you stick with. At least that's my experience, and have also been told.

 

[Bloodknight]

Zeroing the rifle gives the bore fouling shots usually needed in a clean bore. If the rifle is on target when put away? Why would it be off the next day? Unless of foul play! Once a certain type of ammo or specific load is found that the rifle performs best at. That's what you stick with. At least that's my experience, and have also been told.

Thanks ,Appreciate the info

 

[HayesGreener]

Once their guns were dialed in, my SWAT snipers zeroed their rifles one round at a time from a cold clean barrel. They qualified every couple of weeks with every round fired from a cold clean barrel. The ammo was consistently the same match grade ammo. The conventional wisdom is that if the sniper needs to shoot, it will be done from a cold clean barrel. Also the rifles were stored and carried in a locked Pelican case so no one but the shooter had access. Never touch a sniper's rifle without his or her permission!

 

[Recusant]

Once their guns were dialed in, my SWAT snipers zeroed their rifles one round at a time from a cold clean barrel. They qualified every couple of weeks with every round fired from a cold clean barrel. The ammo was consistently the same match grade ammo. The conventional wisdom is that if the sniper needs to shoot, it will be done from a cold clean barrel. Also the rifles were stored and carried in a locked Pelican case so no one but the shooter had access. Never touch a sniper's rifle without his or her permission!

This is a lesson you will learn if you regularly shoot muzzleloaders, especially patched balls. Usually, each day's hunt starts will a cold, clean barrel, so your muzzleloader should be zeroed in as such.

 

[Sld1959]

The one sniper I met seemed to know every single bolt and screw in his rifle better than he knew his parents. He was sure about how it would perform...

 

[Bloodknight]

Once their guns were dialed in, my SWAT snipers zeroed their rifles one round at a time from a cold clean barrel. They qualified every couple of weeks with every round fired from a cold clean barrel. The ammo was consistently the same match grade ammo. The conventional wisdom is that if the sniper needs to shoot, it will be done from a cold clean barrel. Also the rifles were stored and carried in a locked Pelican case so no one but the shooter had access. Never touch a sniper's rifle without his or her permission!

Thank you for the info.Ive been curious about this for years Ive never had occasion while serving to speak with anyone who was in this line of work.Military or our police.

 

[Kodiak Cowboy]

Some bores definitely shoot tighter with a couple fowling shots after cleaning.

 

[Recusant]

Some bores definitely shoot tighter with a couple fowling shots after cleaning.

That would seem to be the case with some hunting rifles I've owned. You hunt with them for a couple of weeks, clean and lube everything including the bore. Then you put it back in the safe until the next season rolls around. Could it be the dried oil in the barrel that causes flyers or is it just that the barrel is cold? It is thought that a fouled barrel is normally more consistent from group to group, but clean barrel is usually more accurate. Another variable to consider is how consistent is the commercial ammo that's being used?