How are snipers trained? Methods of physical training of combat snipers. Red Army shooting manual

Sniper tactics

Today, in most armies, there are two main concepts of sniping:
1. A sniper pair or a single shooter works in the “free hunting” mode, i.e. their main task is to destroy enemy manpower on the front line and in the immediate rear.

2. A sniper-reconnaissance patrol, consisting of four to eight riflemen and two observers, pins down enemy actions in its area of ​​responsibility and collects information about the organization of the enemy's front line. If necessary, such a group can be reinforced with a single machine gun or grenade launcher.

To perform the combat missions assigned to him, the sniper must be located in a separate, carefully camouflaged position. When a target appears, the shooter must quickly evaluate its value (i.e., determine whether it is worth shooting at this object at all), wait for a moment and hit the target with the first shot. In order to produce the greatest psychological effect, it is desirable to hit targets located as far as possible from the front line: a well-aimed shot "from nowhere" that hit a person who felt completely safe plunges other enemy soldiers into a state of shock and stupor.

Sniper operations are most effective in positional battles. Under these conditions, three main forms of combat work are applicable:
1. A sniper (sniper group) is located among his positions and does not allow the enemy to move freely, conduct surveillance and reconnaissance;
2. A sniper (sniper group) conducts a "free hunt" away from their positions; the main task is to destroy high-ranking command, create nervousness and panic in the immediate rear of the enemy (i.e. "sniper terror");
3. "Group hunting", i.e. the work of a group of snipers of four to six people; tasks - disabling key facilities when repelling enemy attacks, ensuring secrecy when moving friendly troops, simulating an increase in combat activity in a given sector of the front. In some situations, it is advisable to use snipers on a company or battalion scale centrally. This allows you to increase fire resistance to the enemy in the main area of ​​the battle.

When working in pairs, one of the snipers conducts observation, target designation and reconnaissance (spotter or observer), and the other fires (fighter). After 20-30 minutes, snipers can switch roles, because long observation dulls the sharpness of the perception of the environment. When repulsing attacks in cases where a large number of targets appear in the zone of responsibility of the sniper group, and in case of a sudden collision with the enemy, both snipers fire at the same time.

Sniper groups, including 4-6 shooters and the crew of a single machine gun (PKM type), can be used to reach the flank and rear of the enemy and inflict sudden fire damage on him.

It is extremely important not only the work of the sniper himself, but also his partner - the spotter. He solves the following tasks: transfers and prepares optical surveillance equipment for work, determines the route and methods of movement, provides fire cover for the sniper using an assault rifle (assault rifle) with an underbarrel grenade launcher, masks and eliminates traces on the route of movement, helps the sniper in setting up a shooting position, monitors the area and draws up a report on the operation, monitors the battlefield and designates targets, maintains radio communications, uses sabotage equipment (anti-personnel mines and smoke bombs).

The most effective tactic in sniping is the long daylight ambush. It is carried out at predetermined positions in the area of ​​the most probable appearance of targets. The main task of the ambush is to limit the movement of the enemy, demoralize him and collect intelligence information.

When choosing a place for an ambush, all available intelligence information should be used. In cases of enemy activity in this area, snipers must be accompanied by a cover group. Before going into an ambush, a sniper pair must specify the coordinates of their "prone", time and approximate routes of approach and withdrawal, passwords, radio frequencies and call signs, forms of fire support.

The ambush is usually carried out at night, so that by morning it will already be in place. During the transition, complete secrecy must be observed. At the ambush site, reconnaissance of the area is carried out, the position is equipped and camouflaged. All this is done in the dark, all work must be completed at least an hour before dawn, when the enemy's night vision devices begin to work. With the onset of the day, the sniper pair begins to observe and search for targets. As a rule, in the early morning and at dusk, soldiers lose their vigilance and can expose themselves to a shot. In the course of observation, areas of probable appearance of targets are determined, wind speed and direction are constantly assessed, landmarks and distances to them are outlined. At the same time, throughout the day, snipers must maintain complete immobility and strict disguise.

When targets appear, the group must quickly assess their importance and determine whether to open fire on them. Having opened fire, the sniper in many cases unmasks his "prone", so you need to shoot only at the most important and clearly visible targets. Aiming at the target is usually carried out by both snipers: in case of a miss, the observer will either open fire too, or will be able to correct the shooting of his first number.

The decision on whether to stay in position further is made by the senior sniper pair after shooting. If nothing suspicious happens at the enemy positions after the shot, then the group can remain in position until dark. Leaving the position is carried out only at night, as imperceptibly as possible. At the same time, the ambush site is given its original appearance, all traces of the "laying" are carefully eliminated in order to reuse it if necessary (although this is done only in exceptional cases). In some situations, a surprise mine may be installed at the leaving position.

Special mention should be made of the tactics of snipers serving at checkpoints. When organizing a checkpoint, it must necessarily include a group of snipers performing specific tasks to ensure the safe operation of the post. Therefore, a position for observation and fire, which would provide the maximum sector of view and fire, stealth from enemy observation, should be chosen not only on the territory of the checkpoint, but also beyond it. The specifics of the work of the checkpoint does not guarantee maximum secrecy, so the sniper must remain constantly vigilant so as not to give himself away. To do this, he must observe the following precautions: be always prepared for the fact that the position may be under observation; do not make unnecessary movements; do not use observation devices without protection from direct sunlight on the lenses; maintain a natural position; take a position or make a shift covertly.

All-round defense is organized at each checkpoint. Therefore, snipers equip the main positions in the center of the defense area, but they are not used in everyday work. Particular attention is paid to the interaction of snipers. If there are several checkpoints in one direction, then snipers will definitely organize interaction with them.

Sniper tactics in special operations

When taking hostages in buildings or residential buildings, the first action of the special anti-terrorist unit is to block the scene of the crime. Snipers in this case are sent to the most dangerous areas, i.e. places where criminals can make a breakthrough or try to stealthily escape through attics and roofs. After studying the situation: the territory adjacent to the object, the location of the premises inside the object, taking into account their restructuring, communications (garbage chute, heating main), and determining the location of the criminals, the snipers take up firing positions, allowing them to monitor the actions of the criminals without revealing themselves.

If this is a multi-storey building and the windows of the apartment or office where the criminals are located face one side, then the snipers take a position opposite, but not lower than the floor where the criminals are located. The position is chosen so that each room is under crossfire: this allows you to view the entire apartment. If the windows are tightly curtained, you need to try to find the gaps between the curtains and observe through them.

The position should be taken at the back of the room, do not turn on the light. If the curtains are light and it is possible to observe through them, then they do not need to be touched. In the attics, positions are also searched for in the depths of the room, but here it is necessary to ensure that the light through the cracks does not fall on the silhouette of the sniper, as this gives him away when moving. On the roof, the sniper takes up positions behind vent pipes, roof ridges, or makes neat holes in the roofs down the length, allowing observation and fire.

The snipers are in constant contact with the leader of the operation and among themselves: if one has discovered the criminal, the other sniper must also try to detect him and determine from which position it is more convenient to hit him.

A special operation during the seizure of an aircraft by terrorists is the most difficult. Aircraft have a high degree of danger when they are hit by fire, so the use of standard sniper rifles is limited, since when it hits the target, the bullet may not remain in the body of the criminal, damaging the aircraft, so the sniper must know the design of the aircraft, helicopter and the location of fuel in them tanks and pipelines. When firing at aircraft, armor-piercing incendiary, steel-core, tracer bullets must not be used.

The sniper opens fire only with full confidence in hitting the target. Such an evil as "air terrorism" is now widespread. Therefore, special forces should devote more time to training in this direction. All airports and air terminals must be equipped so that when a hijacked aircraft lands, the special forces could go unnoticed to it. If there are no underground communications, then you need to use all possible options for covert approaches to the aircraft. To do this, you must have a specially equipped fuel truck for the assault group and the sniper.

At the beginning of the assault, the sniper takes a position behind the wheel struts of the aircraft, covering the assault group when entering the aircraft, and then controls the actions of the group inside the cabin. It takes a position in the tail section and, using a 9-mm cartridge (such as "Cypress", "Kedr", PP-93, etc.) with a target designator and a silencer, strikes armed terrorists who prevent the assault.

Observation posts or towers are equipped on the roofs and upper floors of air terminals, where a sniper can be located. Posts and towers should be placed in such a way that, during observation, it is possible to view the aircraft from both sides along the hull and from the side of the cockpit. One sniper should be with the assault team, covering it from the rear. The task of the sniper is mainly to collect information and coordinate the actions of the entire group.

When eliminating riots organized to seize power, the primary task of snipers is to study the object of protection, identify the leaders of the group and the area adjacent to the object.

A map of the area adjacent to the object and the buildings located near it is drawn up, where the sectors of fire by snipers, their main and reserve positions are indicated. The diagram also includes the locations of the most possible location of enemy snipers, command posts, and the direction of a possible assault. In the object itself, in case of a threat of assault, firing positions are equipped at all levels of the building, taking into account camouflage; if necessary, loopholes are made in the walls of the building and camouflaged. Snipers work separately, keeping in touch with each other. At the same time, observation is carried out, the main enemy forces, their numbers, weapons are identified, and the movement of vehicles and people is controlled, leaders are identified and photographs and filming of what is happening is provided.

During the assault, the shooters primarily destroy the commanders of the assault groups, leaders, snipers, grenade launchers, and machine gun crews.

In preparation for the defense of an object by a sniper, the following activities are carried out:
- an accurate measurement of the entire firing space is made with a mark on the diagram and certain signs are placed on buildings, pavements, etc.;
- all entrances to the attics and basements of neighboring buildings are tightly clogged and filled up, if necessary, mined or signal mines are placed, if there is an assumption that they will be used as firing points;
- in the defense object itself, the sniper personally checks all the proposed positions and marks the places of the loopholes;
- when equipping a firing position, all objects that reflect light are removed, chandeliers and electric bulbs, if they are located above the sniper, are removed.

Camouflage and Surveillance

Enough has been written about the laws and methods of camouflage and surveillance. Nevertheless, once again about the most important. You need to watch very carefully, not missing any trifles. Anything that may be suspicious should be carefully examined and checked in the area of ​​responsibility. However, this should be done very carefully, without revealing your location in any way.

To camouflage means to blend in with the surroundings. In the middle of a meadow, a sniper should be grass, in the mountains - a stone, in a swamp - a tussock. Camouflage should not stand out from the surrounding background. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the duration of the forthcoming work - for example, green leaves on cut branches will wither by the end of a hot day and will unmask the “laying down”, and it will be very difficult to replace them without giving themselves away by movement.

Reflections from the lens of the optics - sight and observation devices are very insidious on a sunny day. This moment killed many snipers - remember the fate of Major Conings. In general, the best way to observe is with a periscope.

In the absence of wind, smoke from a shot can give out a position, so if possible, try to shoot from a short distance due to a rare bush or because of a building, tree, boulder. Among other things, a bullet flying past such an obstacle makes a sound, as if coming from a place away from the shooter.

The enemy, especially in positional warfare, knows the area in front of him very well. Therefore, each new hillock, crumpled grass, freshly dug earth will inevitably arouse his suspicion and will cost the sniper his life.

At dusk and at night, additional unmasking factors are the flash from the shot and the reflection on the face from the eyepiece of the night sight. Also, do not use the illumination of the reticle of the PSO optical sight: at dusk, from the side of the lens, the light bulb can be seen from a hundred meters away.

Even while in your rear, you don't need to show your affiliation with a sniper group: you don't need to show off in front of everyone with a sniper rifle and equipment, since the enemy is watching everything that happens in your camp. The sniper is his worst enemy, destroying him has always been and will be the number one task for him.

Another excerpt from Zaitsev's notes: “Each exit to a position must be provided with strict camouflage. A sniper who does not know how to observe in disguise is no longer a sniper, but simply a target for the enemy. Came to the forefront, disguise yourself, lie down like a stone and observe, study the area, draw up a card, put special signs on it. If, in the process of observation, he showed himself by some careless movement of his head, opened up to the enemy and did not manage to hide in time, remember, you made a mistake, for your miss you will receive a bullet only in your head. Such is the life of a sniper."

Weapons and Applied Ballistics

In connection with the tasks assigned to the shooter, a modern sniper rifle should ensure the defeat of a live target at ranges up to 900 meters, with a high probability (80%) of hitting the belt target at distances up to 600 meters with the first shot and chest - up to 400 meters. It is desirable that, in addition to a general-purpose sniper rifle (for example, SVD), snipers have at their disposal a combat rifle with an accuracy close to sporting weapons (for example, SV-98). Such a rifle with a special live cartridge, while ensuring high accuracy, should be intended for solving special problems. In cases where shooting is carried out at short distances (150-200 meters), especially in urban areas, it is advisable to use silent sniper rifles (such as VSS and VSK-94). Sniper "silent" is especially good because it allows the "hunter" to leave the position unnoticed after the destruction of the enemy target. However, the short range of aimed fire greatly limits their use. The range of guaranteed defeat of the head figure (the most common type of target for a sniper) from both rifles is 100-150 meters. That is, you need to approach the enemy’s position exactly at such a distance, and this is far from always possible. At the same short distances, small-caliber rifles with an optical sight are quite suitable.

SVD, with all its advantages, does not have the highest accuracy. Therefore, in counter-sniper operations, it is preferable to use high-quality weapons (MTs-116, SV-98) and ammunition - a must! - sniper or target. If you are forced to use only SVD, try to put a higher magnification sight on it - for example, PSP-1 or Hyperon - this will increase the effectiveness of the fire and the likelihood of hitting the target from the first shot.

When developing a sniper operation, you need to carefully consider the capabilities of your weapons and ammunition. In particular, the dispersion diameter (i.e., the distance between the centers of the holes furthest from the midpoint of impact) for a cartridge with an LPS bullet at a distance of 300 meters is approximately 32 cm, and for a sniper cartridge - 16-20 cm. With the dimensions of a standard head target 20x30 cm, this difference plays an important role. Look at the table and compare with the average sizes of the main targets: head - 25x30 cm, chest figure - 50x50 cm, waist figure - 100x50 cm, height figure - 170x50 cm.

The effectiveness of the OSV-96 large-caliber rifle is a moot point, since special 12.7-mm sniper cartridges are produced in small batches, and the dispersion of conventional machine-gun cartridges of this caliber is too large for sniper shooting. However, when processing stationary sniper positions (bunkers, bunkers, sculpt models reinforced with armored shields), a large-caliber rifle can be very useful. Even during the Second World War, Soviet snipers used 14.5-mm anti-tank rifles to hit protected targets and shoot at embrasures.

It must be remembered that the rifle must always be zeroed in, then you will not have to doubt the accuracy of your weapon. It is required to regularly check the zeroing of your weapon at the main effective fire distances, even if no one shoots from a rifle: it happens that the aiming goes astray in the process of storing the weapon. Zeroing is carried out only with the type of cartridges that will continue to be used: different types of bullets have different ballistics, and hence different flight paths.

You need to carefully study the table of average excesses of trajectories over the aiming line and learn it by heart. In a combat situation, always use this particular table, especially when transferring fire from one target to another and when firing without rearranging the remote control (using the "direct shot" method). Such a table for convenient use in a combat situation is glued to the butt of a weapon or sewn onto the left sleeve of outerwear.

Always wipe the barrel and chamber dry before going into surgery. If there is oil or moisture in the barrel, then the bullets will go higher, and when fired there will be smoke and a bright flash - this will unmask the position.

In heavy rain and in fog, the bullets also go higher, so you need to move the aiming point down.

When working on especially important targets, it is imperative to remember that the optimal mode of sniper fire is one shot in two minutes, because the barrel should not heat up more than 45 degrees. If during the battle you have to conduct intense fire, it is worth considering that when the barrel is heated, the bullets will go lower.

If a bolt-action rifle is used, then when unloading, the bolt must not be sent back too much: this loosens the bolt and quickly wears out the larva. After the shot, if there is no need to continue firing, leave the shutter open; this will keep the propellant gases from "sweating" in the barrel and allow the barrel to cool faster.

So that the barrel of the rifle does not glare in the sun and heats up less in hot weather, it is wrapped with shaggy camouflage tape, a piece of GLC maskset or ordinary cloth tape. Among other things, this will protect the barrel from accidental impacts.

It is necessary to regularly check the strength of the attachment of the optical sight: whether there is any lateral pitching, whether the handwheels rotate too freely. The quality of the fitting of the sighting mechanism and the fastening of the drums is checked as follows: point the central square (the tip of the hemp) at some landmark and, alternately pressing the drums, follow the reticle of the sight. If the square shifts when you press the drums, then the aiming mechanism has large gaps and the reticle will inevitably shift with each shot.

Some sights have some free play of screws. To determine it, the sight bracket is firmly fixed (for example, in a vice), the central square is pointed at some point and the handwheel is turned a few divisions to the side and back. If there is a free play of screws in the sight, then the square will not coincide with the original position, not reaching it. In order to compensate for the free play of the screws, all handwheel turns must be completed in the same direction, for example, clockwise. Then, if it is necessary to turn the handwheel counterclockwise, then they shift it two or three divisions further, and then, returning to the desired risk, they finally set the sight by turning it clockwise.

It is always necessary to make the handling of weapons as convenient as possible: a rubber butt plate from the GP-25 can be hung on the butt, if desired, folding bipods from the RPG-7 can be attached to the forearm. An ordinary rubber tourniquet from an expander, draped over the barrel with a double sliding loop, and tied to any vertical object (tree trunk, pole, etc.), will allow you not to load your hands with the weight of the weapon in an ambush.

The rifle barrel must be protected from dirt, dust and other foreign objects. If you have to work in conditions of increased dustiness (for example, in the steppe or in the mountains), then a regular condom is put on the trunk; after the first shot, it will burn out without interfering with the flight of the bullet.
The weapon requires a careful attitude, so you need to clean it regularly, and most importantly - do not let anyone shoot from it.

Sometimes the situation can change quickly, targets can appear over a wide area with a spread in range and quickly disappear. Under such conditions, it is simply unrealistic to determine distances every time, and even more so to set a sight on them. In anticipation of such a situation (as a rule, it occurs during enemy attacks), it is necessary to aim the rifle at the maximum range in its own zone of responsibility (for example, 400 meters), remember a noticeable landmark in the region of this range and orient yourself in further shooting. Now you can estimate by eye how far the target is further or closer than the reference point in terms of the amount of “swing” along the vertical of the aiming point. To do this, you need to have a very good idea of ​​​​the trajectory of the bullet at the distance at which the rifle was sighted. You can check the battle of a rifle in the field quite simply: mark a landmark and make a series of shots at it - the amount of bullet deflection is determined by ricochets. However, it should be taken into account that one should not get carried away with such non-standard sighting: it is used only in the most urgent cases, when there is a need to hit the target from the first shot. Zeroing should be masked by the noise of the battle and conducted from reserve positions.

For high-speed shooting at short distances (up to 300 meters), as a rule, a direct shot is used, i.e. a shot in which the trajectory of the bullet does not rise above the height of the target. In particular, in urban conditions, the range of fire rarely exceeds 200-250 meters, therefore, by setting sight 2, you can not make vertical adjustments: up to 200 meters, the trajectory height does not exceed 5 cm, which means that the bullet will hit the target; at distances from 200 to 250 meters, the aiming point should be taken 10-11 cm higher.

Observation

It is necessary to master the skills of observation, to do it intensively and systematically, each time taking small sectors for study. You should not wander aimlessly around the entire observation area - this is a common mistake.

You need to look at everything that happens on foreign territory with suspicion. It is advisable to mentally transfer yourself to the position of the enemy and think about what he could do in such conditions.

Examining the terrain in a given sector, you can divide it into sections equal to the field of view of an optical sight, binoculars or periscope. You need to work slowly and carefully, blocking the field of view.

If during the observation a suspicion arose regarding any object, then you need to examine everything around it, because. the sharpest part of vision lies not in the center, but at the edge of the visual field of the eye. This is especially pronounced when observing at dawn and dusk.

Slow motion is also easier to detect if you do not look at the object directly: you need to look above, below or slightly to the side of the object - then the sharpest part of the eye's vision is used.

If possible, you should try not to observe with binoculars, but use a periscope: this will protect the enemy sniper from detection and bullets.
If the observation is carried out through an optical sight in conditions of deterioration in visibility (early twilight, haze, etc.), then it is worth using a light filter - it is included in the SVD kit; yellow-orange glass significantly increases visual acuity and contributes to a clearer perception of the boundaries of the contour of the object by the retina.

Often the sniper has to shoot at targets that appear unexpectedly. Under these conditions, there is no time to determine the distances, therefore, on the most likely lines and directions, choose noticeable landmarks in advance. According to them, in the future, it is necessary to count and determine the position of the targets and the distance to them.

Disguise

There is no universal camouflage suitable for camouflage in various conditions, so you need to constantly diversify and invent new camouflage tools, depending on the task and the conditions for its implementation. The main rules of disguise:

- any activities should be preceded by a thorough reconnaissance of the area and its assessment in terms of camouflage;
- having chosen camouflage equipment, you need to carefully fit it, not missing the smallest details; you can ask a friend to check if there are any unmasking spots;
- taking a position at any local object, you need to use it as a shelter only from the side, but in no case from above;
- you should not choose places for a firing position near noticeable landmarks: they will be inspected by the enemy in the first place;
- in any case, the position must be taken in such a way that there is a masking background behind;
- you can use the shadow from local objects, but you need to remember that during the day the shadow changes its position;
- well masks the vegetation (grass, branches, etc.), but it must be taken into account that it retains its natural color only for 2-3 days; then the leaves will wither and will give out the position;
- for painting the face and hands, you can use the juice of herbs mixed with the "milk" of plants such as milkweed - all this is kneaded in the recess of the butt of the SVD and then applied to the skin; however, you need to be careful in choosing herbs so that poisonous plants do not come across that can cause itching and even burns;
- when entering a position, all traces must be carefully destroyed;
- if possible, it is necessary to take measures to eliminate the unmasking effect of shots: when equipping a position in the field, you can arrange a “prone” behind a rare bush or stick several branches three or four meters away from you. When fired, the smoke will remain behind them and the flash will not be so visible; when shooting from a building, the position should be in the depths of the room - in this case, the flash and the sound of the shot almost do not come out;
- here is the easiest way to make a prone shooting position in the field: for the installation of a camouflaged parapet, you need to cut about eight pieces of turf about 20 by 30 cm in size, while the lower, “earthen”, part of the turf is cut with a pyramid, at an angle of 45 degrees; then, from these bricks, a parapet is laid out with grass in the direction of the enemy; at the end of the work, if there is a need to hide the place of shooting, the turf is laid in place and lightly watered;
- Being in position in winter, it should be remembered that the steam from breathing easily unmasks the location, so you need to breathe only through a scarf or mask. To prevent the snow from flying up when fired, you can sprinkle the snow in front of the “lying” water from the flask;
- moving around the area, it is necessary to make the most of the vegetation and all kinds of shelters.
- when entering a firing position, you cannot occupy it immediately: first you need to crawl, stopping not far away and carefully looking around, - the position can be mined or an ambush can wait there;
- you should always stay in the lowlands, never go out to open places and to the horizon line; if possible, bypass all places where the sniper can be seen by enemy observers;
- movement should be minimized, rapid movement of the arm or leg is very dangerous; but in some cases, while maintaining complete immobility, you can be invisible, being almost in sight;
- it is necessary to master the art of walking so that the effort comes from the hip, and not from the knee; first, the ends of the fingers and the front of the foot must be placed on the ground; usually the heel produces noise, especially where there are stones, branches, etc.
- in wet weather and in light fog, a shot gives out the sniper's position especially strongly (however, improved visibility is possible in wet weather);
- if possible, it is better to work in tandem with a machine gunner: he will drown out your shots with bursts and cover in case of a sudden withdrawal.

Vision

We must constantly remember that the eyes are the main tool of the sniper. Ideally, vision should be excellent, but in principle a slight decrease in its sharpness is acceptable, however, with the obligatory use of glasses or contact lenses.
In order to maintain good vision under heavy loads, the eyes need support. Here are simple exercises for the prevention of vision (from the experience of sports shooters).

1. Close your eyes tightly for 3-5 seconds, and then keep your eyes open for 3-5 seconds; repeat 8-10 times (this strengthens the muscles of the eyelids and improves blood circulation in the eyes).

2. Massage your closed eyes with your finger in a circular motion for a minute (this relaxes the muscles of the eyes and improves their blood circulation).

3. Stretch your hand forward and look at the tip of your finger, then slowly bring your finger closer, not taking your eyes off it until it starts to double; repeat 6-8 times (this strengthens the oblique muscles of the eyes and facilitates visual work).

After a strong load on the eyes, you can apply lotions from weak tea leaves or sage broth: moistened warm swabs are applied to the eyes and held until they cool.

Secrets of an accurate shot

Making an accurate shot requires the sniper to perform certain actions - making, aiming, holding his breath and pulling the trigger. All these actions are essential elements of a well-aimed shot and are in a certain, strictly coordinated relationship with each other.

In order for the shot to be accurate, first of all, the shooter must ensure the greatest immobility of the weapon during its production. The preparation should solve the problem of giving the greatest stability and immobility to the entire system, consisting of the body of the shooter and the weapon. Since the very essence of sniper shooting is to hit a small target at a long distance, it is quite clear that the shooter must give the weapon a strictly defined direction, i.e. aim it at the target; this is achieved by aiming. It is well known that breathing is accompanied by a rhythmic movement of the chest, abdomen, etc. Therefore, in order to ensure the greatest immobility of the weapon and maintain its direction achieved as a result of aiming, the shooter must hold his breath for the duration of the shot.

If you are the sniper, then you need to press the trigger with your index finger to fire a shot; in order not to displace the weapon aimed at the target, you need to press the trigger smoothly. However, due to the fact that you cannot achieve complete immobility during the manufacture, the trigger must be released with more or less swaying of the weapon. Therefore, in order to achieve a well-aimed shot, it is necessary to pull the trigger not only smoothly, but also strictly in accordance with aiming.

Let's try to analyze separately the main elements of an accurate shot.
Currently, in combat shooting, there are a wide variety of types of preparation. When shooting from a sniper rifle, four main types are used: prone, sitting, kneeling and standing.

Given the direct dependence of shooting accuracy on the degree of immobility of the weapon during the firing of a shot, the sniper must pay the most serious attention to choosing such a position for himself that ensures the best stability and immobility of the “shooter-weapon” system. In addition, the “super accurate shooter” should always be faced with the task of choosing for himself such a rational posture (for each type of preparation) in which keeping the body with the weapon in the same position will require the most economical expenditure of physical strength and nervous energy. Therefore, despite the abundance of possible options, in general, the manufacture should provide:

Necessary degree of balance of the "shooter - weapon" system;
- achieving the balance of this system with the least tension of the muscular apparatus of the shooter;
- the most favorable conditions for the functioning of the sense organs, primarily the eyes and the vestibular apparatus;
- conditions for the normal functioning of internal organs and proper blood circulation.

Of course, you need to make allowances for the specific conditions of sniper work (in some situations it is simply impossible to accept the correct preparation), nevertheless, in general, the laws of preparation are the same for everyone.

Since each person has individual physical characteristics, it is natural that there is no template or universal recipe for manufacturing that would suit all shooters. This means that the sniper must himself, in accordance with his physical characteristics, choose for himself the best manufacturing options for different conditions.

The most convenient manufacturing options sometimes have to be searched for a long time and unsuccessfully, every shooter-sportsman knows about this. In order not to go down the wrong path and not waste time, a novice shooter must definitely look closely and carefully study the shooting technique of experienced snipers, adopting everything valuable and useful. At the same time, there is no need to blindly copy any one manufacturing option; should be approached with common sense.

In a combat situation, a sniper often has to fire in very difficult and uncomfortable conditions. However, despite this, he should try to be made for shooting so that his position as much as possible ensures the possibility of conducting accurate fire from the chosen position. Not only shooting results depend on the correct and comfortable position, but also comfort during a long stay on a disguised prone position.
Of course, the most advantageous position for shooting is lying down, using the stop. The use of a stop greatly facilitates the shooting conditions; in addition, it contributes to better camouflage and shelter from enemy fire.

As an emphasis, it is best to use as soft material as possible - turf, a bag of sand or sawdust, a backpack. The height of the rest depends on the physique, so the sniper must adjust the rest for himself.

There are two commonly recommended methods for applying the stop when shooting. The main one is when the rifle does not touch the stop, but lies on the palm of the left hand; while the forearm and hand are on the stop, and the elbow (left) rests on the ground. This method is especially beneficial if the emphasis is hard. However, it is difficult to stay in this position for a long time, so when I stay in position for a long time, I recommend another method: the rifle is placed directly on the stop with its part under the gunsight, and the butt is supported by the left hand from below at the left shoulder. In this case, the hands form a kind of "lock" that ensures a secure hold of the weapon.

The rifle is applied at four points: the left hand on the forearm, the right hand on the pistol grip (butt neck), the butt plate in the shoulder recess, the cheek on the butt stop. This method of holding was not chosen by chance: this is the only way to ensure reliable fixation of the position of the rifle when aiming and firing, the absence of trembling and the weapon falling to the side. Almost all muscles, with the exception of those directly involved in shooting, remain relaxed. When shooting, a rifle belt can be used to fix the “shooter-rifle” system. It is advisable to use the belt in all positions - lying down, sitting, kneeling, standing, with the exception of those cases when you can use the emphasis. When firing from the SVD and AK-74 with a telescopic sight, the belt is passed through the forearm and thrown behind the magazine. The tension of the belt should be such that the weight of the weapon falls on the tensioned belt, but at the same time, the left hand should not become numb. The shooter in the course of training must find for himself the most convenient and comfortable position of the belt on the hand and the degree of its tension. To make it easier and faster to find the desired position of the belt in the future, you can sew a large hook on the left sleeve of the outerwear (for example, from an overcoat) - among other things, the hook will prevent the belt from slipping. On the belt itself, it is best to make marks corresponding to the position of its buckle at the most convenient length.

When firing a shot, it is very important not to “pull” the weapon. To do this, you need to grab the pistol grip (butt neck) tightly, but without any extra effort, pull the trigger with the first joint of the index finger, while moving the finger smoothly straight back parallel to the axis of the bore. Finish processing the descent immediately after aiming the weapon at the aiming point.

The prone position, compared to other types of position, is the most stable, as the shooter's body lies almost completely on the ground and both elbows rest on the ground. The large area of ​​the support surface of the body of the shooter with a low height of its center of gravity allows you to create the most stable balance of the "shooter - weapon" system.

Most importantly, the prone position should provide not only good stability of the rifle with the least strain on the sniper’s muscles, but also a long stay of the body in the same position during shooting, and such a position of the head that will provide the most favorable conditions for the eye to work during aiming.

The difficulty of choosing for yourself a convenient and correct manufacture lies in the fact that the requirements mentioned above are not only interconnected, but also in some contradiction. For example, if you increase the turn of the body to the left, then it will be easier for you to breathe, but the conditions for attaching and working the leading eye during aiming will worsen. If you begin to take out the left hand supporting the weapon as far forward as possible, the production will become lower and, of course, more stable; but at the same time the conditions for breathing will worsen and the load on the left hand will increase, which entails a rapid fatigue of its muscles.

Based on all this, the sniper must find for himself the most acceptable manufacturing option, taking into account the characteristics of his physique.
The stability of the preparation and the duration of the shooter's body in the same position depend primarily on the position of the body, and in particular on the orientation of the body in relation to the shooting plane. Practice has shown that it is best to turn the body in relation to the shooting plane at an angle of 15-25 degrees. With such a turn, his position will be comfortable, the chest is not very cramped, which means that breathing is relatively free. At the same time, there will be favorable conditions for aiming and aiming.

By the way, in contrast to the standard position recommended by all instructions, the so-called “Estonian” position turns out to be quite convenient for high-speed shooting. With her, the right leg is bent at the knee, while the shooter himself does not lie flat on his stomach, but slightly on his left side. In this position, the chest is not constrained, breathing is deeper, it becomes easier to reload the weapon and work with the handwheels of the optical sight.
Shooting from the knee by snipers is most often used in urban combat, when the shooter provides fire cover for assault groups. In such conditions, the fire is conducted from short stops, when there is no time to lie comfortably. Just as in the prone preparation, it is advisable to use a gun belt here.

The left leg should be strictly under the left elbow, the elbow rests on the knee. At the same time, the elbow of the right hand does not need to be set aside, on the contrary, it is better to try to press it to the body.

You can shoot from the knee, for example, in thick tall grass that closes the view in the prone position, but you need to remember that this position is not suitable for particularly accurate shooting, as well as for a long stay in this position.

Sitting shooting is not very common in our country, although it is highly respected and practiced a lot in Western armies. There are two options for this preparation: sitting Turkish and Bedouin. When shooting while sitting in Turkish, the sniper draws his legs under him (probably everyone knows how to sit in Turkish), the foot of one leg is passed between the thigh and lower leg of the other, and the elbows rest on the knees or, if more convenient, fall behind the knees.
With the Bedouin method, the shooter sits with his legs wide apart, bent at the knees, the heels rest on the ground (so that the legs do not slip when fired), and the elbows, as in the previous case, rest on the knees.

Both methods are quite stable and convenient, after some training you can conduct sniper fire even with some comfort. However, it is difficult to sit in both positions for more than half an hour (especially in Turkish) and it is difficult to move quickly and quietly from them in case of an emergency change of position.

Standing rifle shooting is a last resort for the sniper, because it is very difficult to execute and, most importantly, unstable. But if you still have to fire from a sniper rifle while standing in some difficult circumstances, then, firstly, use a belt (in the previous version); secondly, hold the rifle by the lining so that the magazine rests on the left hand just below the wrist; and thirdly, do not complicate the situation and try to find some vertical object (tree trunk, corner of the building) to rest against it with your left forearm.
How to aim correctly using an optical sight? The device of an optical sight provides for aiming without the participation of the front sight and the slot of the sight mounted on the rifle barrel, because the aiming line in this case is the optical axis of the sight passing through the center of the lens and the point of the central square of the sight reticle. The reticle and the image of the observed object (target) are in the focal plane of the lens, and therefore the sniper's eye perceives both the image of the target and the reticle with equal sharpness.

When aiming with an optical sight, the position of the shooter's head must be such that the line of sight passes along the main optical axis of the sight. This means that you need to align the eye with the exit pupil of the eyepiece and then bring the tip of the square to the aiming point.
The eye should be at a distance from the outer lens of the eyepiece at the distance of the exit pupil (eye distance). Depending on the design of the sight, this distance is 70-80 mm, it is necessary for safety when the weapon recoils.

During aiming, the shooter must carefully ensure that there are no blackouts in the field of view, it must be completely clear.
If the eye is closer or farther than the eye distance, then a circular blackout is obtained in the field of view, which reduces it, interferes with observation and complicates aiming. However, if the blackout is the same on all sides, then there will be no deviations of the bullets.

If the eye is located incorrectly relative to the main optical axis of the sight - it is shifted to the side, then moon-shaped shadows will appear on the edges of the eyepiece, they can be on any side, depending on the position of the eye axis. In the presence of moon-shaped shadows, bullets will deviate in the direction opposite to them. If you notice shadows while aiming, find a position for your head where the eye can clearly see the entire field of view of the scope.

In other words, to ensure accurate aiming with a telescopic sight, the sniper must direct all attention to keeping the eye on the optical axis of the sight and aligning the central square with the aiming point.

The technique of pulling the trigger is of great, and sometimes decisive, importance in the production of a shot. Firstly, the trigger release must not displace the weapon aimed at the target, i.e. should not shoot down the tip; to do this, the shooter must be able to pull the trigger very smoothly. Secondly, the trigger must be released in full accordance with visual perception, i.e. timed to a certain moment when the “smooth front sight” is at the aiming point.

This means that in order to achieve an accurate shot, the sniper must perform two actions - aiming and smoothly pulling the trigger - strictly coordinated with each other.

However, a difficulty arises: when aiming, the weapon is never stationary, it always fluctuates continuously (depending on the stability of the shooter's position). As a result, the "smooth front sight" constantly deviates away from the aiming point. The shooter must complete the smooth pull of the trigger exactly at the moment when the central square of the reticle is in the aiming point. Since the vibrations of the rifle for many, especially untrained shooters, are of an arbitrary nature, it is very difficult to predict exactly when the square will pass through the desired point. Skill in the production of the descent consists in the development of skills aimed at improving the coordination of movements and control over their implementation.

Regardless of what type of trigger the shooter will use, it is very important that he comply with the basic requirement: the trigger must be released in such a way as not to bring down the aiming, i.e. very smoothly.

The production of a smooth descent makes special demands on the work of the index finger when pressing the trigger. The quality of the shot largely depends on this, because the most thorough and subtle aiming will be violated at the slightest wrong movement of the finger.

In order not to disrupt the aiming, the right hand must correctly cover the neck of the butt (pistol grip) and provide the necessary support so that the index finger can overcome the tension of the trigger. It is necessary to cover the handle tightly enough, but without undue effort, because muscle tension in the hand will entail an increased oscillation of the weapon. In addition, it is necessary to find a position for the brush so that there is a gap between the index finger and the handle. Only then the movement of the finger when the trigger is pressed will not cause lateral shocks that displace the weapon and knock down the aiming.

The trigger should be pressed with the first phalanx of the index finger or the first knuckle - only such pressing requires the least movement of the finger. It is necessary to press so that the index finger moves along the axis of the bore, straight back. If you start to press a little sideways, at an angle to the axis of the bore, this will increase the tension of the trigger and the jerky movement of the trigger caused by skew. This can also knock down the tip.

To produce an accurate shot, the sniper must learn to increase the pressure on the trigger smoothly, gradually and evenly. This does not mean slowly, namely smoothly, without jerks. The descent should take between 1.5 and 2.5 seconds.

In addition, it is necessary to pull the trigger not only smoothly, but also in time, choosing the most favorable moments when the vibrations of the rifle will be the least.

The “shooter-weapon” system experiences complex oscillations during aiming and firing. The reason for this is the action and reaction of the muscles during the work to keep the body of the shooter in a certain position, as well as the pulsation of the blood. At first, when the shooter makes a rough aim and has not yet had time to properly balance the weapon, the fluctuations will be large. As the aiming becomes more precise, the vibrations of the weapon fade somewhat, and after a while, when the muscles begin to tire, the vibrations increase again.

This shows that under such circumstances, it is necessary to start a smooth pull on the trigger during the period of rough aiming of the weapon; then, refining the aiming, gradually increase the pressure on the trigger, trying to complete it at the moment when the rifle experiences small vibrating vibrations or even seems to have stopped.

Unfavorable lighting conditions make aiming very difficult. The sniper's eyes are blinded by the sun, snow cover on a sunny day, excessively bright target illumination, sun glare on the surfaces of weapons and sights. Under such conditions, the unprotected eye is irritated, tears appear, pain appears, involuntary squinting - all this not only makes it difficult to aim, but can lead to irritation of the mucous membrane and eye disease. Therefore, the sniper must take care to create favorable conditions for the work of the eye during aiming and to preserve his vision.

When shooting with the PSO-1 optical sight, it is necessary to protect the objective part of the sight from the sun with a retractable lens hood, and the ocular part with a rubber eyecup. The hood and eyecup prevent direct and lateral sunlight from entering the lens or eyepiece, causing reflection and light scattering in the lenses of the sight, which makes it very difficult to work with it.

To prevent the surface of the barrel from shining, you can pull a cloth tape over it, but it's best to just wrap it with shaggy camouflage tape - this will remove the shine and disguise the weapon.

To protect the eyes from bright sunlight, you can successfully use the visor of a field cap.

In cases where the targets are very brightly lit, it is imperative to use a light filter by putting it on the eyepiece of the sight. The yellow-orange light filter included in the PSO-1 set well eliminates the violet part of the spectrum, which contributes to the formation of blurry images on the retina. In addition, periodically rest your eyes by looking into the distance - it's simple and effective.

In conclusion, we can formulate the basic rules for accurate shooting from a rifle with an optical sight.

Always firmly “insert” the butt into the shoulder and use the stop in the same way: if you do this every time in a new way, then due to the variety of departure angles, the dispersion of bullets in the vertical plane will increase. Remember that when the butt rests on the shoulder, the lower angle of the bullet will go higher, and the upper angle - lower.

When the left elbow is displaced during the production of a series of shots, individual holes are separated up and down, and there will be as many separations as the number of times you have displaced the elbow.

When preparing to shoot, do not place your elbows very wide; such an arrangement of the elbows violates the stability of the rifle, tires the shooter and entails a scatter of bullets. However, a too narrow position of the elbows compresses the chest and restricts breathing, which also worsens the accuracy of shooting. If you lift the butt with your right shoulder at the moment the trigger is pulled, or press your cheek too hard against the butt, then the bullets deviate to the left.

Sometimes the shooter, having taken the wrong turn of the body in relation to the target, seeks to direct the rifle at the target with the muscular effort of the hands to the right or left. As a result, when fired, the muscles are weakened and the rifle, which means that the bullets deviate in the direction opposite to the applied force. The same happens if the sniper uses his hands to raise or lower the rifle to the aiming point. Checking the correct direction of the weapon at the target can be quite simple: point the rifle at the target, close your eyes, then open them and see where the line of sight deviated. If the line of sight deviated to the right or left, move the entire body to the right or left, respectively; when deflecting the weapon up or down, without moving your elbows, move forward or backward accordingly. The stability of the rifle is ensured by the correct position of the arms, legs and body - with an emphasis on the backbone, but not due to great muscle tension.

Accuracy of fire is affected when you take your cheek off the butt when you pull the trigger. In this case, you still lose the line of sight. This habit leads to the fact that over time you will begin to raise your head before the firing pin breaks the cartridge primer. Train yourself to keep your head loose and your cheek firmly against the left side of the butt, but without tension. In addition, get used to the fact that for a certain period of time
(2-3 seconds) maintain the position of the aiming line.

The rifle should not lie on the fingers of the left hand, but on the palm - so that the palm is turned with four fingers to the right. In this case, the thumb should be on the left, and the other four on the right. If the rifle lies on the fingers, then its stability is violated and the bullets go to the right and down, i.e. weapons are dropped. The fingers of the left hand should not strongly compress the forearm, you need to hold the weapon like a bird - gently so as not to strangle, but also firmly so as not to fly away.

The position of the body when preparing for prone shooting should be free, without the slightest tension and without bending in the lower back. The bend of the body causes muscle tension, as a result of which the correct attachment, position of the hands, etc. is violated, and as a result, the dispersion of bullets increases. The incorrect position of the body is corrected by moving the legs to the left or right.

The removal of the shooter's eye from the eyepiece of the optical sight should be constant, depending on the physique. Approximately it should be 6-7 centimeters (in accordance with the design of the sight).

Remember a simple thing: when you pull the trigger, you need to hold your breath. Some beginner shooters do this by taking a breath and then releasing the trigger, although this creates a general tension for the shooter. Get used to observing this mode of breathing: having taken in air and exhaled almost all of it, hold your breath and only then start pulling the trigger, i.e. the shot must occur on the exhale. The first seconds after holding your breath are the most favorable for firing a shot.

Some shooters react incorrectly to the inevitable slight fluctuations in the central square of the reticle near the aiming point: they try to fire at the exact moment when the point of the square aligns with the aiming point. As a rule, in this case there is never a smooth descent and sharp bullet breaks are obtained. Wean yourself from this habit: such fluctuations have very little effect on the accuracy of the shot.

Kill zone

It is generally accepted that the hallmark of a sniper is a headshot. This is quite justified, since a bullet hitting any part of the skull leads to damage to the brain as a whole due to hydrostatic shock. Damage to the skull leads to very serious consequences, the result of which is loss of consciousness and the cessation of all vital functions. If a bullet hits the face, then, as a rule, the brain or spinal cord is affected; when shot in the back of the head, the central part of the brain is affected and the person immediately falls.

However, in some situations, the sniper has to shoot from a distance, when it is difficult to carefully aim at the head. In addition, the head is the most mobile part of the human body, and getting into it is not so easy. In this case, aiming should be carried out in the central part of the enemy's body. There are three most important affected areas - the spine, solar plexus and kidneys. Closer to the central axis of the body (i.e., to the spine) are large blood vessels - the aorta and vena cava - as well as the lungs, liver, kidneys and spleen. When hit in the spine, the spinal cord is affected, which most often causes paralysis of the legs. The solar plexus is located directly under the chest, getting into it causes severe damage to the internal organs, while the person bends sharply at the waist. A shot in the kidneys leads to shock, and then to death, because. in the kidneys, nerve endings are concentrated and there are a large number of blood vessels. A rifle bullet hitting a human body causes hydrostatic shock, because a pressure wave is formed due to the displacement of water-saturated tissues. As a result, a temporary cavity is formed, which is many times larger than the size of the inlet. The pressure wave can cause damage to internal organs not directly affected by the bullet.

In addition, another result of a bullet hit is the formation of secondary fragments - particles of crushed bones. These fragments hit the internal organs, moving along various trajectories. This point is especially important to remember for snipers of special units during hostage rescue operations, since a hostage who is at a very close distance from a terrorist can be injured precisely by secondary bone fragments. Under such conditions, it is advantageous to fire a shot at the moment when the terrorist is behind the hostage, and not in front of him or to the side.

On the other hand, an army sniper can only wound his victim, because then several enemy soldiers will be forced to deal with the wounded, and perhaps one of them will be substituted for the shot; in addition, the appearance of a wounded man in a position undermines the morale of the enemy.
In addition to other characteristics of the weapon, a professional sniper must know what the stopping and lethal effect of a rifle bullet is. Stopping action is the ability of a bullet to immediately incapacitate a living target; lethal action - the ability to inflict mortal damage on the enemy. It is usually believed that the minimum kinetic energy of a normal-caliber bullet, necessary to disable an enemy, must be at least 80 J. For an SVD rifle, the range at which the bullet retains such lethal force is about 3800 meters, i.e. far exceeds the distance of an aimed shot.

The area of ​​the human body, in the defeat of which the probability of instant death will be the highest, is approximately 10% of the entire body surface (when using conventional ammunition).

At one time, American military doctors, following the results of the Vietnam War, found that when using conventional small arms ammunition, death occurs when the head is hit - in 90% of cases; with damage to the chest - in 16% of cases; if the bullet hits the heart area, death occurs in 90% of cases; in case of contact with the abdomen - in 14% of cases (subject to the provision of timely medical care). The head is the most vulnerable part of the human body in terms of wound ballistics. A bullet hitting such parts of the brain as the medulla oblongata and cerebellum leads to the death of the victim in almost 100% of cases - if they are hit, breathing, blood circulation immediately stops and the human neuromuscular system is paralyzed. In order to hit the enemy with a bullet in the region of the cerebellum, you need to aim at the upper part of the bridge of the nose. If the target is turned sideways - under the base of the ear. In those cases when the enemy is standing with his back, - to the base of the skull. However, some snipers consider the zone between the nose and upper lip to be the most advantageous point - the bullet destroys the upper part of the spinal column, inflicting a severe wound, in most cases incompatible with life. And yet, the head is only one-seventh of a person's height in size, so it is very difficult to hit it from a long distance.

In general, the most effectively affected part of the human body is limited from above by a line passing two fingers below the level of the collarbones, and from below - two fingers above the navel. A bullet wound to the abdominal area below the indicated zone leads to a painful shock, and if timely medical care is not provided, to death, but in most cases it does not deprive the enemy of the ability to resist immediately after the defeat - this is a particularly important moment for snipers of anti-terrorist units.

Combat psychophysiology is the science of attracting unclaimed potential reserves of the human body for a sharp increase in the effectiveness of combat activity. The sniper must have sharpened vision and hearing, an increased level of observation and a kind of "animal instinct" that allows him to predict the enemy's movements, his behavior, movements and tactical plans.

To complete a combat mission and stay alive, the sniper needs to locate a target before that target detects him. To detect a lurking distant and camouflaged target, you need to see it, or determine its presence by the smallest signs of the surrounding landscape, indicating the presence of a cloaked target.

This can be done only with trained visual observation. The sniper must notice what others cannot see Observation is the ability to note the natural or unnatural state of objects, phenomena, human and animal behavior. Observation is also the ability to build a logical causal relationship between the observed phenomena, the changing or unchanging position of objects on the landscape, the behavior of living beings, comparing facts and unraveling the possible actions of the enemy. The value of trained observation, combined with work on the map, is difficult to overestimate. This is the only real way to develop tactical non-standard thinking, which is so necessary for both the sniper and the reconnaissance.

Observation is the same natural psycho-physiological ability to perceive information as vision, hearing, smell. It can and should be developed, and there are no limits to the improvement of this development.

Observation training is carried out by very simple methods.

The instructor puts several items on the table: cartridges from various weapons, buttons, insignia, camouflage patches, stones, cigarettes of various varieties and, of course, a compass. The cadet is allowed to look at all this for several seconds, then the composition is covered with a tarpaulin and the cadet is offered to list everything presented on it.

An unwarned cadet lists, at best, half of what he saw. The instructor needs to be corrected. “You didn’t say what kind of weapon the cartridges were from and how many of them, how many stones, what sizes and what origin they were, how many cigarettes and what sorts they were, how many spots were on the camouflage, and you didn’t list what kind of insignia they were.” For slow-wittedness and negligence, the cadet receives an outfit out of turn. Further training progresses a little more progressively. Show times are reduced. The number of items and their range are subject to change. When the cadet begins to accurately describe everything that is shown to him, the classes are transferred to nature.

At a distance of 100 meters, the cadet is allowed to look at the landscape with the naked eye, then he turns his back and the assistant (the same cadet) makes minor changes near the target field. The cadet is turned to face the targets, and he is instructed to tell about the changes that have taken place there.

Gradually, training distances increase to 300 meters. At this distance, the sniper should detect with the naked eye changes in the position of objects - broken branches, trampled grass, swaying bushes, cigarette smoke, the appearance and disappearance of small objects (the size of a tin can). It is with the naked eye, because in the process of such training, vision is noticeably sharpened. Then the cadets alternately equip camouflaged positions and, again, with the naked eye, at the same distances up to 300 meters, they train in detecting signs of these positions (compressed grass, cleared shelling sectors, shaded places on the edge of the forest, etc.). Then the same thing is done in motion by car - the cadets determine at a distance places suitable for setting up sniper ambushes by the enemy according to the landscape of the area. It is difficult to overestimate snipers trained in this way in mobile actions - in the head marching outpost, when escorting columns, in a reconnaissance sabotage or search and jaeger group. The one who equipped such positions in training will be able to predict the places of their setting in combat conditions. This is quite real - a person who is waiting for an attack on the move has a very aggravated susceptibility.

During the trainings described above, the psychophysiological method of mobilizing the reserve of a living organism, known to practical physicians, is used. In daily activities, a person needs to constantly receive some amount of vital everyday information. It is known that in deaf people who do not receive part of everyday operational information, this loss is compensated by an increased development of visual observation. Therefore, a knowledgeable instructor will force the cadet to tightly plug his ears when he is strictly required to complete the training task of identifying a target at distances of 300 meters or more. At the same time, the results are noticeably progressing, and vision is noticeably sharpened.

Observation training is transferred to the training ground. At distances of more than 300 meters, snipers-observers in any case are already forced to use optical devices. At distances of 300, 350, 400 meters, the cadet is tasked to survey the landscape to every square decimeter for several hours, clearly determine the distances to landmarks, predict where the enemy will equip sniper positions and draw up a fire card. At night covertly advance and equip camouflaged positions. At the same time, the instructors encourage the creative initiative of the cadets in every possible way. Another group of cadets receives the same task, but "from that front line." With dawn, both of them train in detecting equipped positions by changes in terrain and other signs.

The first one to discover them is rewarded, the last one is punished. Exactly the same training is then carried out at longer distances - up to 600 and 800 meters.

To develop visual observation in the old days, snipers were forced to watch ... construction workers for hours. In this case, the observer had to be at such a distance that the wind carried fragments of colloquial speech. The content of the conversation had to be guessed from the articulation of the lips of the speakers and from their gestures. This enormously developed the so-called audiovisual observation and allowed the sniper to study the patterns of human behavior and the system of his movements in a confined space. It was a kind of study of human habits. The observer himself, in a training manner, had to determine how and where this or that builder disappeared in the labyrinth of a building under construction, where, in what place, from what angle and after what period of time he should appear. As floor after floor grew, the architecture of the building appeared before the observer "in a section" and it became easier and easier for the observer to predict the movements of possible targets. Then the classes were transferred to the field, to large-scale military exercises. A camouflaged sniper, close to the positions of a mock enemy, observed the life of his trenches, dugouts, and communications. At the same time, snipers learned to intuitively "turn on" the target and sense its appearance in advance in some open and unprotected place. When approaching such a place, the enemy still did not assume anything, and the sniper already kept this place on sight with the trigger previously “squeezed out”.

Trained observation allowed the sniper to determine at the slightest sign that the target was entering a dangerous place, and to squeeze the descent even before it appeared there. As a result, the fascist, who moved a little from the shelter, immediately received a bullet in the head. Such things were taught in the special courses of the NKVD before the war. During the war, snipers learned such combat foresight right on the positions. There was no need to teach such things to snipers recruited from Siberian shooters and eastern peoples - Nanais, Nivkhs, Yakuts, who felt nature and from a distance felt changes in it, there was no need to teach such things - they knew how to do it from childhood. At the front, they kept a note of all artificial depressions in the parapets of the enemy defenses, knowing that it was there that sooner or later someone would have to lean out to see what was being done on the front line. And who leaned out, received a bullet in the forehead.

A more or less trained sniper always strives to catch the moment when the enemy, crawling like a bell in the shallow folds of the terrain, raises his head. Sooner or later he must pick it up to look around. After a sniper shot, the one who raised his head lowered it once and for all. Knowledgeable and trained snipers who have learned to feel nature, the slightest change in it and the slightest, even the most insignificant falseness in the landscape, will always calculate the open or closed position of the sniper. Moreover, they will figure out in their minds exactly where it is more convenient, profitable and discreet for the enemy to place an open sniper position, which does not take much time to equip or occupy. A knowledgeable sniper will always determine from what position, at what time of day, in what light and position of the sun, the enemy will shoot. And a knowledgeable sniper will expect at this time that it is at this position that the enemy will raise his head for a shot. And with the beginning of this ascent, the sniper will squeeze the descent so that the "raised forehead", a colleague from the other side, "caught" a sniper bullet. And in no case will a knowledgeable sniper be curious about the results of his shot - he bit and disappeared. So it will be more reliable. If the enemy is killed, intelligence will report about it. If not killed, then it will manifest itself.

After the proper level of observation has been developed, the sniper must "open his ears" and train his hearing. On the battlefield, especially in ambushes at night and in operational search, a sniper must not only see well, but also hear well.

Hearing develops very well during night work, and in extreme conditions at night it develops even faster.

From time immemorial, there has been a very simple and affordable way to train your hearing using a wrist or pocket watch. Lie on your back and put the watch at arm's length from you. Try to hear the mechanism work. Gradually move the clock away from you. Having clearly caught the sounds of a running clock, count their strokes up to a hundred - this trains operational attention. If you do not hear them when you move the clock back again, do not strain your hearing - sharpen your "auditory attention", and you will soon hear them. There is a direct physiological connection between heightened attention and hearing acuity. Remember! Hearing works with full dedication when a person is in a calm state. An angry and enraged person hears very badly.

Start training your hearing at night, when it is sharper in itself, in a physiological way, and gradually move on to daytime training.

A person hears better when the area is illuminated, even if it is weak and dim. Green color also makes hearing sharper. This is the nature of the nervous system. Lying on the back worsen the sound orientation, and lying on the stomach, on the contrary, improve. To improve hearing, a pressing massage of the auricles is performed. It is performed as follows: clench your hands into fists and slowly press the backs of your fists on the ears and quickly release. It is important that air passes through the knuckles and there is no "smack" in the ears. Do 10-15 such pressures, and you will feel that your ears have noticeably "cleared up".

Despite trained vision and hearing, scouts and snipers always use additional techniques to improve visual acuity and hearing. It is known that sugar and glucose are energy substances necessary for the functioning of the heart, brain and nervous system as a whole, and, consequently, the sense organs. A piece of sugar placed under the tongue significantly improves the efficiency of night vision and hearing. Their sharpness is increased by chewing sweet and sour tablets.

Of the simple and affordable means, chewing a pinch of tea with a pinch of sugar is used in practice (but do not swallow it right away!). Theine contained in tea has a tonic effect, and sugar is an energy material for the brain. This method causes a significant increase in the sensitivity of vision at night and reduces the time of adaptation in the dark from 30-40 to 5-7 minutes. When chewing sweet tea, the energy potential of a person sharply increases compared to his usual state. The same effect is achieved by the simplest procedural technique - wiping the forehead, temples, neck with cold water.

Night vision is enhanced when sitting. No one knows why this happens, but this method is effective and proven.

Purposeful attention increases night vision and hearing by 1.5-2 times.

The eye is the main working body of the sniper. In shooting sports, it is allowed to shoot with glasses from all types of sporting weapons. Brutal combat practice places increased demands on the shooter, and therefore the sniper's vision must be impeccable. When selecting snipers directly in units and subunits, they are guided by the following provisions.

“A person with normal vision can clearly see objects 1 mm in size at a distance of 4 meters. The shading on a white circle with black lines 1 mm thick will also be clearly visible at this distance (diagram 102, given in the original).

Diagram 102. Shaded circle for checking visual acuity

As the shaded circle moves away from the subject, the latter will become worse and worse to distinguish between black and white lines, and at about 8 - 10 meters he will not see them at all. Only the gray circle will be visible.

When testing visual acuity, a circle with hatching should be placed 8 meters from the subject and shown to him 4-5 times with hatching in different directions. The candidate, having closed one eye, must determine the direction of the hatching each time.

For sniper training, it is advisable to enroll only those who, without errors, determine the position of the hatching on the circle from a distance of 8 meters "(F.I. Zhomkov. Manual for instructors).

To sharpen his vision, a sniper needs a diet, namely, vitamin A, the source of which is carrots, but it must be eaten with something fatty - with any butter or sour cream, because carotene (provitamin A) contained in carrots, from which the vitamin itself is synthesized, fat-soluble and in a fatty environment is absorbed much better.

This moment is well known to practical snipers who nibble on carrots at every opportunity and in any quantity. Blueberries in any form are even more useful.

The author still remembers the times when special forces snipers were strictly forbidden to read while lying down and watch TV - from an hour of reading on the back and one and a half to two hours of watching TV, vision noticeably deteriorates for three days.

As already mentioned, a conventional optical sight makes it possible to see the target in poor lighting conditions, that is, at dawn, in rain, fog, dusk and even a little in the dark.

In a combat situation, a sniper often has to work in such conditions, and for the shooter's eyesight this has its own characteristics.

When visibility deteriorates (twilight, rain, etc.), one should not focus on the target in the desire to see it better, while excessive tension of the aiming eye occurs and the nervous system is depleted due to general tension. Tension of the nervous system leads to reflex uncontrolled tension of almost all the muscles of the shooter , even those that are not usually involved in the shot process. The pulse rises reflexively, and all this leads to a decrease in the stability of the weapon. If you need to shoot at dusk and the target looks like a gray, half-blurred, shapeless silhouette, there is no need to shoot it strictly at the bridge of the nose - aim somewhere in the middle of the target’s silhouette, focusing your eyesight on the aiming element - the tip of a stump or aiming square. At the same time, your eyesight is not strained and, accordingly, body is not stressed.

Remember! Usually, when working with an optical sight, the shooter does not notice the deterioration in visibility until it has decreased to a significant level. Looking into the sight, the shooter is sure that he sees normally, and involuntarily strains his eyesight with the above consequences, trying to see the target better After the shot, even with normal visual load, visual acuity is restored 4-5 times longer than the time spent on the shot.

In case of visual fatigue that occurs after a shot in the dark or at dusk, you need to "rest with your eyes" until visual acuity is fully restored and discomfort in the eyes disappears. Otherwise, the vision can simply be "torn off" At night, you should not peer into the darkness for a long time and intently, so as not to tire your eyesight. It is recommended to periodically close your eyes for 5-10 seconds. Such a short rest will help get rid of fatigue.

When working at night, it may be necessary to look at a map, at some document, or simply shine a light near you. To do this, use only red light with a narrow beam, covering the aiming eye with your hand so as not to disturb its accommodation.

At night, do not look at the flashes of signal and lighting rockets. Look not at the rocket, but at what is under it, in the field of its illumination. One beautiful rocket that you admire while it burns will be enough to reduce your ability to see clearly for half an hour. If you need to look at something luminous, take a button and look through its holes, closing the aiming eye. Never look at the fire at night - you still will not see those who are behind it. Cover your eye from the flame with your hand and look around the periphery of the illuminated place, then you will see what will be there.

Try to "place" the target immediately, which has arisen during the flash of a rocket or under other illumination, because a competent target, after its illumination, will immediately try to disappear from the field of view.

With an optical sight, you can "see a little" in the dark, and if you develop the sharpness of the so-called "night vision", then you can see even more with the sight. Night vision is not a supernatural phenomenon, but a normal function of the body, inherited from our distant ancestors and in an unclaimed state of dormant atavism. For snipers and scouts of the last war, night vision was an everyday tool for current combat work.

To awaken and develop night vision, look at the stars at night more often. After looking at them for ten minutes without stopping, you state that there seem to be more of them. This aggravated and "tuned" night vision.

Excessive "gazing" into observation devices significantly reduces visual acuity. Therefore, when working in a sniper pair, the sniper "rests with his eyes", and his partner constantly monitors through the periscope or stereotube, determines the distance to the targets and performs ballistic calculations.

In the dark, try to enrich the brain with oxygen and take 10-12 deep breaths per minute with your nose for 4-5 minutes. This sharpens the sharpness of night vision and hearing. For the same purpose, you can do chewing movements that increase cerebral circulation. The same effect is achieved by using 0.1 % atropine solution Put a piece of sugar under the tongue, and let it gradually dissolve there. Keep it in your mouth longer and do not swallow immediately. Night vision and hearing are aggravated at the same time by one and a half times.

A sniper who is in a sniper ambush must listen not only to the atmosphere, but also to the ground. Sounds from steps, movement of equipment, dropping loads, trenching, and in some cases even human speech are well transmitted in the ground. A sniper, forced to be tied to a rifle and visually control the situation, can listen to the ground in two practical ways: stick a small shovel into the ground and listen with his ear pressed to the handle, or bury a bottle or flask half-filled with water into the ground, into the neck of which through insert the rubber tube into the hole in the plug. Insert the other end of the tube into your ear and listen.

Remember! Snipers can't smoke! Nicotine "clamps" blood vessels, reduces visual acuity and increases pulsation. After one cigarette smoked for 2-3 hours, the quality of sniper shooting deteriorates by 15-20%. In addition, constant smoking reduces overall sensitivity and susceptibility.

The sniper has no right to be angry. Anger is good in a direct attack, but in accurate shooting it only brings harm. Anger increases the pulsation and thus noticeably worsens the quality of shooting. The sniper has no right to negative emotions at all. Fear "de-energizes" the shooter and deprives him of nervous and physical energy, and excitement causes an increased "jitters". Therefore, professional snipers gradually wean themselves to worry, get angry and worry in general, introducing themselves into a state of "combat indifference". It ends with complete immunity to stressful situations. And so the sniper shoots at a live target in the same way as at a paper target, without experiencing any emotions. The composure of snipers borders on indifference. Cases have been repeatedly noted when snipers of reconnaissance and sabotage groups fell asleep in aircraft before parachute landing, and woke them up immediately before being thrown out.

The best sport to encourage shooting is swimming, preferably at a slow pace over long distances. Swimming very well develops the muscle groups necessary for shooting, effectively and quickly "sets shooting breathing". As already known, the quality of breathing when shooting is difficult to overestimate. Very useful are dumbbell gymnastics and training of the vestibular apparatus in any way possible.

Running, cross-country, stayer jerks, karate classes negatively affect accurate rifle shooting. And therefore, if a sniper works in a reconnaissance and sabotage group, where everything is based on the speed of movement, it is preferable for him to move with a quick athletic step, and in hand-to-hand combat, work not with his fists, but with a silent pistol, since they have done enough for the Russian army.

Women shoot better than men. It's not even that they don't drink or smoke. Psychophysiologically, women are much more adapted to work in extreme conditions than men. The threshold of patience for women is higher than for men. The physiological endurance and adaptability of the female body is not comparable in efficiency to the male one. Women have more acute perception systems, in particular, increased potential for night vision, hearing and smell. Their combat intuition, originally laid down by nature, instantly works. Women are incredibly observant.

A woman, psychologically prepared in advance for the conduct of hostilities, does not experience a feeling of confusion on the battlefield. When fulfilling the assigned combat mission, women work (namely work) in a collected, purposeful and ruthless manner. Combat work is carried out clearly, diligently and accurately. Women-military personnel are very clear about the fulfillment of official instructions, not deviating from them even a step. Women treat the process of sniper shooting very carefully and carefully, just like following a constant instruction, so they are more trained in shooting than men. The process of disguise women are creative, with incredible ingenuity, this process is very organic for them. The performance of a female sniper will always be higher than that of a male sniper. In combat practice, women are more careful, when injured, they are more tenacious.

Taking into account these features, in the middle of 1943, the Central Women's School of Snipers was formed in Moscow. In two years, more than 1,800 female snipers were trained, who by the end of the war destroyed, according to the most rough estimates, more than 18,000 Germans, that is, one German division of the full front line.

The sniper is the military elite. Sniper shooting is one of the most difficult military disciplines. There are a lot of related factors to take into account. Starting from the characteristics of the rifle and bullet, and ending with the wind, humidity and terrain. The farther from the arrow the target is located, the more difficult it is to accurately calculate all the nuances. Therefore, outstanding snipers are real computers, capable of performing many calculations with a very enviable speed. But the second shot may not be.

Sniper training is a kind of art. In general, there are 3 reasons why people come to study with a sniper rifle.

Let's consider the reasons in more detail:

1. Sniping. So far little known, but very, very interesting shooting sport. Its main "feature" is the use of sniper rifles during tournaments. There is also a sniping federation in Russia. Although in our country access to long-range precision weapons is very limited. In addition to exclusively sporting use, sniping has shown itself well in hunting. On the basis of this sport, it is quite possible to educate professional hunters who will be able not only to reduce, if necessary, the populations of certain species of animals, but also to carefully select targets for hunting, thereby minimizing damage to nature.
2. To work as a sniper in the army or police. Those who have chosen the hard path of a sniper must understand that sniper shooting training is only one stage in the training of a sniper. To become a real professional in this area, you need to have tactical skills, have excellent physical fitness, be a master of covert movement and disguise. And this is not a complete list of skills.
3. For my own pleasure. Let's be honest, the sniper rifle always holds a special place in the heart of most men. Therefore, many find a few hours in their schedule and spend them mastering the skill of sniper shooting.

Where can I get training in sniper shooting?

For fans, combat shooting galleries are also suitable in the arsenal of which there are sniper rifles. Professionals are expected in quite numerous schools of snipers, and amateurs -. Well, athletes and hunters should contact the Russian Sniping Federation.

Basic Special Forces Training [Extreme Survival] Ardashev Aleksey Nikolaevich

Combat psychophysiology of a sniper

Combat sniping is a responsible occupation that requires special accuracy and concentration. This process requires not only a certain physical endurance and hellish patience, but also a great expenditure of nervous energy. Accurate shooting is always associated with the tension of the nervous system. To increase the effectiveness of sniper shooting, knowledge of the physiological and psychophysiological processes occurring in the shooter's body to a large extent helps. First of all, the sniper has no right to emotions. With mental tension, motor skills and the so-called static coordination are violated. Decreased coordination stability and static endurance. Appears jitters, which begins to "drive the pulse." For novice shooters, all of the above is called the so-called "pre-launch state" before shooting. The pre-launch mobilization state physiologically justifies itself in dynamic types of combat activity, and with a static shooting readiness, it takes on the course of ordinary stress. How to deal with it?

Firstly, when adrenaline and other stress hormones are released, a lot of vitamins “burn out” in the body. Therefore, in everyday life, the sniper must constantly replenish their deficit. A healthy liver is essential for better absorption of vitamins. Therefore, "tie up" with alcohol.

Secondly: during any stress, a lot of glucose burns in the body. I instinctively crave sweets. Experiment - when during the shooting you begin to "drive the pulse", put a small sweet and sour candy under the tongue. After a while, the jitters will decrease, then completely disappear. Why did this happen? The body received an influx of sweets, and besides, attention switched to taste sensations. In addition, this simple technique increases visual acuity, because acid reflex mobilizes the visual apparatus. This mobilization is also reflexively promoted by swallowing and chewing movements.

To relieve anxiety and prevent it, inhale slowly and deeply through your nose all the time, and exhale only through your mouth. Alternatively, inhale through the left nostril and exhale only through the right. Rub your hands at the same time. Knead each finger until it feels warm. With the knuckles of the clenched fist, knead the inner surface of the palm of the other hand with force. This simple technique effectively relieves not only jitters, but also nervous tension. There is such a process at the reflex level. You should know that the mechanism of excitation lies in the subcortex, it works on a subconscious level. It will not be possible to “turn it off” by an effort of will, but by reflex-physiological methods it is quite possible. Old-timers do not care about jitters - they are hardened in stress. And for beginners, it is very desirable to work out the above described method of relieving stress. Practice and you will succeed.

The next stumbling block, known to all practical shooters without exception, is static stability. This very static stability, for which shooters-athletes endlessly struggle, drops sharply in mobile sniper work, characteristic of special forces soldiers. Not so much because the specifics of the activities of such units are mainly running. The fact is that in this case you have to turn your head all the time, fall on your stomach and kneel. Few people know that frequent turns of the head and its tilting back while often taking a prone shooting position physiologically reduce shooting stability. Therefore, a sniper working in a mobile group needs to turn his head less, and look only in the direction determined by the group leader. You can't "squint" with your eyes either. What to do? Train in the development of peripheral vision. Tunnel vision, which is very necessary for a sniper, does not suffer from this at all. For shooting, constantly mark shelters and folds of the terrain, from where you can shoot either sitting, or kneeling, or in the “Estonian” position, which does not require a large tilting of the head back. You should be aware that after shooting prone, stability deteriorates in some cases up to 50% - all for the same reason of lying with your head thrown back. Dense food also noticeably worsens static stability.

It is also necessary to constantly remember that shooting stability requires maintaining active attention over this state of the body and over this process and does not tolerate tension - both muscular and mental. Shooting stability in prone, kneeling, standing positions, as well as in special non-standard positions, depends primarily on the sense of balance, which is provided by the vestibular apparatus. This stability is ensured by the continuous automatic activation of certain muscle groups. This automation directly depends on the so-called rectifying reaction. This straightening reflex response is triggered not only by the vestibular apparatus and skin and tendon sensors, but also by pressure sensors located in the soft tissues of the human foot. The reflex reaction of straightening is largely directed by the mechanism of muscle coordination memory, the so-called “balance memory” of muscles, which is the second vestibular apparatus of a living organism. This is the so-called "proprioceptor muscle feeling", the essence of which is still little understood.

American sniper in Iraq

At one time, when selecting candidates for sniper schools, there was a test: if, when the subject’s eyes are closed, his static stability and the rectifying reaction associated with it do not change with slight but sharp rolls and trims, this meant that this individual had very sensitive not only vestibular apparatus, but also receptors of the skin, muscles, tendons. And also the function of the aforementioned proprioceptor muscular sense was great. All this, without the help of the eyes, was able to respond to vertical and horizontal displacements of body parts in space, and moreover, automatically return the necessary body parts to a predetermined position, in our case, return the weapon back to the aiming line. The phenomenon of proprioceptive sensitivity in itself is an interesting topic for research and a powerful physiological reserve for improving the quality of shooting. For the sake of curiosity, try to practice shooting with ... closed eyes. After you have adopted the usual classic prone position (whether with an emphasis or with a belt), settled down and peered into the scope, aim, close your eyes. Hold the “targeting picture” in front of your eyes according to visual memory and match all the “visible” changes on it with the sensations that arise in the muscles of the arms, shoulder girdle and back. Match all the “visible” movements of the aiming element relative to the given aiming point with the efforts in the muscles. Learn to use muscle tone to direct the aiming element to the desired aiming point and hold it there. Open your eyes and check. Repeat again. Be patient and practice this way for 3-4 weeks. Soon you will no longer be surprised by the fact that with your eyes open after working “blindly”, the aiming pictures will match exactly. Moreover, you yourself will not wonder how it turns out. In scientific slang, this is called the phenomenon of associative reflexivity. It just works out, that's all. Proprioceptor muscle sensitivity and the reflex leveling reaction directly related to it in the complex are developed very quickly. The degree of training or the innate quality of this reaction determines shooting stability. By the way, it is worth noting that the muscular-vestibular ability trained in the above way increases stability and allows accurate sniper shooting in the dark when the target is “notched” after any lighting flash.

Belarusian sniper on exercises

Having trained to work "blindly" for about 4-5 weeks, the shooters are surprised to note that the accuracy of fire has noticeably improved, and the "separations" in an incomprehensible way ... disappeared! Let's explain why this happens. From the well-known principle of cinema, it is known that for the human eye to perceive a single frame, its exposure (display) time should be 1/20–1/24 seconds. A faster frame change is not perceived by the eye and blurs the picture. But there is a phenomenon of the 25th frame, which is not perceived logically, but is fixed by the subconscious. Practical shooters know that it is impossible to "tightly tie" the aiming element to the aiming point. The barrel of the weapon fluctuates continuously: for beginners - more, for masters - microscopically, but it fluctuates. The visual speed of perception is the above-mentioned 1/20–1/24 second. That is, in the visual memory of the shooter, a picture is displayed that was 1/20–1/24 seconds ago, and not the one that exists in reality. During this 1/24 second, the barrel of the rifle can "go" to the side, and the shooter will not fix it. A trained muscular proprioceptor coordination sensitivity will fix such a deviation immediately. The desired aiming point will be deposited in the subconscious - this will be the same 25th frame, which gives an internal setting binding for the leveling reaction, that is, the direction of reflex opposition to unwanted displacement.

For poorly trained shooters (and most of them), vision is still the main controller of the degree of stability. When "turning off" the vision of beginners, static coordination "liberates" in the direction of mobility, and the accuracy of shooting decreases. Closing both eyes reduces standing stability by more than half. Moreover, if you rotate your eyes closed to the right and left, which is done by the arrows to restore blood circulation in the visual apparatus, stability deteriorates by another two to three times. But closing one eye has little effect on resilience. Therefore, when resting the eyes, so necessary for snipers, you need to close your eyes in turn - first one, then the other, always leaving one eye open. Or don't close your eyes completely. It should be remembered that stability lost with closed eyes will be restored only after 10-15 minutes. Static coordination stability is largely determined by impulses arising from sensors - reserves of the skin, tendons, muscles and other soft tissues. In this case, it should be borne in mind that cold increases the sensitivity of these receptor sensors, and heat lowers them. But all this is within reason. The best temperature for this is +5 o - +8 o C. All this was once known very widely and was used in combat sniper practice. The name for this was kinesthesia(motor sensations). And the above-mentioned sensors-receptors caught kinesthetic stimuli and caused sensations of motor stimuli. The role of kinesthetic analyzers is unusually great. It largely provides a given aiming direction and completely unloads vision from control over the physical motor processes that the shooter performs. Vision performs an aiming function and “turns on” to action the accumulated mechanism of motor kinesthetic connections that provide muscle activity against the will of the shooter. And the more fully the sniper's actions are provided by proprioceptive sensitivity, the easier and more fully the aiming eye performs its task.

Ready to open fire!

What do you need to do to feel kinesthetic sensations? Answer: just focus on them and you will begin to perceive them fully and distinctly. Proprioceptive sensitivity, together with the rectifying reaction, forms the so-called “posture reflex”, on which shooting stability is based. Therefore, any exercises for the development of balance are extremely useful for shooters. Moreover, it will be especially good if the shooter learns to feel rolls and trims with his eyes closed and immediately correct them. Static activity, which includes sniping, is unnatural and requires increased concentration and sharpened focused attention. What does this mean? This means the need to control stability by sharpening visual attention on aiming.

When shooting from a sniper rifle in the final phase of the descent squeeze, it is necessary to turn aiming into the main task! Why exactly? Because for inexperienced shooters (in our time, most of them), when the trigger is released, active attention switches to this trigger process. As they say, "attention goes to the trigger." Unbeknownst to himself, the shooter stops aiming at all - what he sees in the scope is enough for him. With such a subconscious orientation towards inaction, the “eye reaction” sharply slows down - the shooter does not even see the sighting image that was 1/20–1/24 seconds ago, but already 1/10–1/12, that is, he is practically unable to control the position of the aiming element in relation to the aiming point. Aiming in itself dramatically reduces the degree of trigger control. Therefore, in Stalin's times, in sniper schools of various departments, snipers were trained to work with the trigger finger on the descent in the same way, namely, by muscle kinesthetic memory. How exactly? The cadet was put on a long paper cap on the trigger finger and forced, without firing, looking at this cap, to release the trigger with a uniform increase in effort on the trigger finger. The uniformity of the development of the trigger force became clear from the movement of a long cap-pointer for both the instructor and the cadet himself. Moreover, the trigger had to be released in 3 seconds (according to the account “twenty-two, twenty-two, twenty-two”) - no more and no less. This worked out the rate of fire. The cadet memorized the force on the descent and the degree of its increase with the sensations of living flesh, and the visual conjugation of the increase in this force by the movement of the cap-pointer in the 3 seconds allotted for the descent put it all into the subconscious. Therefore, at the right moment, the trigger was released according to the muscle memory of the shooting finger automatically and did not require distraction. The shot formula (sequence of actions) was as follows: after the shooter lay down, peered into the sight (accommodation of the visual apparatus to the optical system occurred), “tied” the aiming element to the aiming point with muscle tone and held his breath, the shooting finger began to move downhill muscle kinesthetic memory and performed the descent in exactly three seconds on their own in the mode of muscle automatism. Visual attention should not be distracted from the aiming picture. The start of holding the breath served as a signal for triggering the trigger finger.

Sniper in starting position

Too many snipers experience an unpleasant moment when the finger "does not pull" on the trigger. The reason for this is not only in the wrong grip of the neck of the bed or the pistol grip, but also in deep neurophysiological processes. In this case, the following happens: the struggle for stability - and, consequently, for the immobility of the shooter-weapon system, in the central nervous system is in charge of the center of inhibition, and the work of the skeletal muscles (respectively, the muscles of the fingers) is the center of excitation. In many individuals, the center of inhibition suppresses the center of excitation so much that, roughly speaking, it turns it off. Therefore, the finger does not pull on the descent. In such cases, both sports shooters and practical snipers use the so-called pulsed descent method with great practical effect. It consists in the fact that the shooting finger, even before holding the breath, begins to make pulsating movements along its course on the descent: slightly press - release, press - release at a speed of about two clicks per second. Such pressures are especially well performed on the SVD rifle, which has a long free travel of the trigger. These pulsating pressures keep you in good shape, do not allow the sentinel points in the center of excitation to turn off and do not allow it to turn off completely. In addition, they adjust both the nerve pathways and the muscles necessary for descent. This preserves the performance of the trigger finger with limited physical activity. The pulsing trigger method works especially well when sniping at moving targets, when attention is focused too much on aiming, and the trigger finger is not just “turned off”, but, sometimes, becomes enslaved tightly.

There is a very correct and apt expression: "A sniper thinks with his eyes." The eye is the main working organ of the sniper and must be protected. Working with any optical devices imperceptibly, but inevitably tires the eyesight. Why? In any optical device (binoculars, periscope, stereotube and optical sight) there will always be parallax, that is, a mismatch between the optical axes of the lenses. Depending on the quality of manufacturing, the parallax will be more or less, but it will definitely be. If you are working with an optical sight and you suddenly have pain in the eyeball, it means that the parallax is increased in this sight. Even when working with a well-made optical sight, the eye will get tired, and eye pain will still manifest itself. But when pain appeared in the eyes, it means that even 15–20 minutes before that, the “aiming” eye was already tired. Tired vision hardly notices mistakes in aiming! Therefore, the sniper needs to “rest with his eyes” more often. To relax your eyes, lower your eyelids (but do not close your eyes completely), rotate your eyeballs. This will increase blood flow to the eye apparatus. Then do the same with your eyes open, looking at green or light gray. Periodically train the accommodation of vision: look at the raised thumb of the outstretched hand, then focus on some object at a distance of 200-300 meters and then focus on the finger again.

The job of a police sniper

When shooting from a sniper rifle in any position, you need to put your head so that the aiming eye does not mow - neither horizontally nor vertically! The "squinting" eye quickly gets tired, which causes involuntary trembling, while the nervous stabilization of static stability reflexively decreases, and, as a result, shooting accuracy decreases. Static load reduces the mobility of the visual analyzer, which is restored only after 25-30 minutes. Therefore, do not be surprised if, after static work on stationary targets, you fail to hit a moving target at practice shooting. This is a standard situation in training camps. Visual acuity in professional shooters after static loads does not decrease and does not change. And for inexperienced at distances of 300–400 meters, visual acuity changes towards farsightedness, and at short distances of 25–50 m, towards myopia. This natural physiological phenomenon is not considered a medical defect. With systematic shooting training, the field of view naturally expands. But with prolonged shooting, vision gets tired and recovers more slowly, and the field of view narrows, especially in the "aiming" eye. The psychophysiological phenomenon is very interesting: with active muscular work with pleasure, sensitivity and visual acuity increase markedly!

Snipers can't smoke! After just one cigarette, the field of vision narrows, visual perception is inhibited, visual acuity and sensitivity decrease, and parts of the field of vision fall out! This is the main reason for inexplicable and distant "breaks" in smoking shooters. The job of a sniper is immobility. But, as already mentioned, with an orientation towards inactivity, the reaction decreases. And therefore, a sniper is a cat dozing at a mouse hole with an active watchdog on duty. Before any shooting, a warm-up for 15–20 minutes is highly desirable - click idle. But a sniper on the battle line cannot afford this. There is only one way out - in a kind of kinesthetic warm-up. A sniper in a stationary state reproduces the sensations of individual muscle groups when working on a shot. And this constantly keeps the sniper in working shape. By the way, with the appearance of pain or numbness in motionless muscles, it is useful to take one or two aspirin tablets. But this is as an "ambulance" - you can not abuse aspirin. With high-speed shooting at several suddenly appeared targets, you can’t delay with the first shot! After the shot, regardless of whether the target is hit or not, be sure to shift your gaze to the next target before the aiming element overtakes it. Learn to do it reflexively, according to muscle kinesthetic memory. In a combat situation with a lot of irritants, do not be distracted by the sides and do not react to nearby targets that appear. Leave them to the machine gunners. Work according to a predetermined ideomotor program for distant targets - a grenade launcher, a machine gunner, a sniper, an observer and enemy commanders. They are the most dangerous for you and your comrades.

A police sniper works from a helicopter. Honolulu

As you can see, the training of professional snipers is static, monotonous and boring. The above material is incomplete and limited to the scope of the printed edition. Only a part of the special psychophysiological potential is presented here, which is practically not used in our time either in our country or in other countries. Once upon a time, due to the cruel necessity, the instructors of the USSR, Finland and Nazi Germany severely rebuilt the organisms of sniper cadets using this method. Therefore, at the front, both those and others, and still others, fired quickly, far and without a miss.