Sniper Rifle Lessons: Sniper Training. Methods of shooting training and shooting course for training snipers Checking observation and visual memory

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS:
RG - reconnaissance group
RG SpN - reconnaissance group for special purposes
SG - sniper group
SVD - Dragunov sniper rifle
SVU - shortened sniper rifle
SVDS - folding sniper rifle
RF - Russian Federation
NSPU - universal night shooting device
IPP - individual dressing package
DON - Special Purpose Division
PVD - point of temporary deployment
explosives - explosives
STP - middle point of impact
CT - control point
TP - aiming point
PDB - paratrooper battalion

INTRODUCTION:

The experience of conducting combat operations by special forces units and subunits, accumulated over the past decades in the course of armed local conflicts, clearly shows how much the requirements for individual training of intelligence officers performing special tasks behind enemy lines have increased. This, first of all, concerns the physical and psychological training of personnel, but a special place here is occupied by the special training of reconnaissance specialists (machine gunners, grenade launchers, snipers, etc.), on whose quality training in their specialty the success of performing one or another task largely depends. other combat mission. This paper discusses only some of the issues of sniper training, which were studied on the basis of materials and instructions for the training of snipers of the Royal Marines of Great Britain and the US Special Forces.

1. The concept of sniper tactics
General provisions
The concept of sniper tactics means a complex of various actions and tricks aimed at ensuring the fulfillment of tasks in a short time, effectively, covertly, unexpectedly.
In addition to the ability to shoot accurately, a sniper must have skills in choosing and equipping a firing position, camouflage, observing, navigating the terrain, making marches, surviving in critical situations, and much more.
It is impossible to choose and give as a standard a single system of sniper actions. Actions depend on a large number of different factors under which the task is to be solved. The elements of preparation and execution of the task will be common:
1. Clarification of the assigned task (object, time, place, situation, tasks and place of own units, the nature of the enemy’s actions, the outline of the front line or area of ​​\u200b\u200boperations, the procedure for interaction, communications and control, the procedure for covering and retreating).
2. Preparation for the fulfillment of the assigned task (selection and preparation of weapons, equipment, equipment; studying the area of ​​upcoming actions on a map or layout of the terrain; organizing interaction with units of one’s troops in the area of ​​upcoming actions; choosing a route and means of advance to the area of ​​operations coordination of actions with cover units, if such are assigned).
3. Advancing to the area of ​​forthcoming actions, selecting and equipping a firing position (positions), their camouflage, installing mine-explosive obstacles on the paths of the enemy's likely approach, entering into communication.
4. Conducting surveillance, providing information about the enemy to the commander (leader).
5. The use of weapons, the task of covering the troops.
6. Withdrawal, exit from the area of ​​operations to the area where friendly troops are located.
The combat experience of past wars and local conflicts makes it possible for snipers to adopt certain methods of action and use them wisely. Thus, in preparation for the fulfillment of the assigned task, the sniper (commander of the sniper unit) with the commander of the unit that is to operate in the area (strip) study the terrain in detail, outline firing positions, outline lines and determine methods of cover, coordinate the installation sites of mine-explosive barriers on approaches to the firing position of a sniper. A classic example of a cover-up can be found in the experience of a Finnish company:
position area, approaches were mined, stretch marks were installed;
snipers were secured by firing groups (2-3 machine guns);
false firing positions were set up and mined;
false firing positions were "voiced";
being in shelters, let the attackers through, waiting for the most important target.
The "cuckoos" waited for the Finnish company and opened fire on the column of our troops. A subdivision was sent to search for and destroy them, and at that moment a cover group (groups) opened fire from the flank (flanks). This led to a large number of losses.
There are many lessons to be learned from the Finnish company:
providing sniper terror at the forefront;
the neutral zone is wide, so the snipers moved forward at night, occupied and equipped firing positions, and marked escape routes;
positions were chosen in the shade, but not on the crest of heights;
positions were chosen not from above the shelter, but so that the shelter was to the left of the shooter;
use for masking props (a fake stump - half a barrel, pasted over with tree bark; wire frames covered with gauze);
use of artificial plantings;
the use of "shaggy camouflage", masks, bandages;
in winter, a thick paper mask with narrow slits for the eyes was put on the face. This saves from frostbite, and narrow slits act as sunglasses;
observation of the area through the periscope;
making a “Finnish snowdrift” (a frame made of wire or branches was covered with gauze and covered with snow; from breathing, the internal snow iced over and the shelter became warmer and more durable):
in winter and summer, the target of the firing position was poured with water so that when firing, dust (snow dust) did not rise near the barrel.
In 1995, the experience of using snipers in the conduct of hostilities in Chechnya was summarized. It outlined the requirements for the training and use of snipers:
1. Ensure complete isolation of full-time and attached snipers from personnel and carry out their actions under the guidance of only their commanders. Create conditions for them to rest and store weapons.
2. The use of snipers should be organized by the chiefs of staff of formations and units. Develop a plan for the use of snipers in areas of responsibility (plan, composition of special groups (5-6 snipers and a grenade launcher), main and reserve firing positions, the order and time of their occupation, observation and firing sectors, neighboring troops, organization of command and control, conventional signals, signals of mutual identification, the procedure for covering the actions of snipers, other necessary issues). The plan is developed personally by the chief of staff and the commander of the sniper unit. It is coordinated with the neighbors and units operating in the area, the commandants of the districts and is approved by the heads of the VOG. A fire card is developed for each sniper pair. The actions of snipers cover maneuverable groups. Sniper control during combat duty is carried out by the commander of the sniper unit.
3. Prohibit the use of snipers for duty in daily duty and chores.
4. Snipers apply for:
conducting reconnaissance of the area within the sectors of observation and shelling;
fight against enemy snipers;
destruction of grenade throwers, flamethrowers, crews of group weapons, crews of combat vehicles;
to defeat individual militants and combat groups;
in special operations to eliminate illegal armed formations, detect and destroy criminals, cover armored groups.
Armament and equipment of sniper pairs: binoculars, SVD (SVU) and machine gun with NSPU, radio station, camouflage equipment, personal armor protection equipment, fire card and dry rations (up to 3 days), additional food and sugar, tea in a flask, individual first-aid kits, IPP.
Training of snipers: before combat duty, snipers are briefed, which indicates the task, observation and firing sectors, main and reserve firing positions (ambushes, secrets), the procedure for their occupation, the procedure for conducting surveillance and the destruction of armed criminals, information about places deployment of military outfits, time of combat duty, order of communication, shifts, control and mutual identification signals.
Firing positions are selected in inconspicuous places and carefully camouflaged. In buildings, firing positions are selected in the depths of the premises. Positions are usually occupied during the day, under cover of the actions of units. In the settlement, firing positions are taken up on high-rise buildings, dominant heights. Having taken a firing position, the sniper pair establishes communication, determines the sector, orients itself, disguises itself and conducts observation.
Combat duty of a sniper pair at a firing position - 2-4 hours, alternating rest and observation. When a target is detected, the sniper reports to the commander of the sniper unit and, in accordance with the situation, acts to destroy it.
The main firing positions, after their discovery by the enemy, are left under the cover of a maneuvering group and the reserve ones are occupied. Upon completion of the duty, the removal of sniper pairs is carried out under the cover of the actions of military units (inspection of the house, imitation of a special operation, etc.).
The main task of snipers in special operations is to cover combat formations from a surprise attack by militants. Provoking the enemy can be carried out: the submachine gunner fires at the alleged location of the militant, calling him to respond, and the sniper hits him from the firing position. Mannequins and other tricks can be used.
To prevent the defeat of their military personnel, the sniper must know the mutual identification signals “friend or foe”, and if in doubt about the belonging of the discovered, the senior reports to the commander.
Sniper action features:
1. When shooting at night:
before lighting the area, without straining your eyesight, observe in the sector; during the lighting period, do not look at the light source;
highly lit and brightly colored targets appear closer at night;
having fallen from light into darkness, take 20-30 deep breaths and exhalations, this will help increase the sensitivity of vision;
in the conditions of a short-term appearance of the target, set the sight "4" and aim under the edge along the chest figure and in the middle along the growth target;
observe strictly the discipline of fire.
2. When shooting in the mountains:
choose a firing position with the widest sector of fire;
when shooting from top to bottom, make sure that the head is not lower than the legs, as this causes a strong rush of blood to the head:
in order to avoid snow falls, do not stay near the slopes from which large masses of snow hang;
using stones, ledges as stops, put soft pads under the rifle (mittens, belt, etc.);
remember that when observing from top to bottom, the distance to objects seems smaller, and from bottom to top - more;
when firing up to 400 meters at a target elevation angle of 30-55 degrees, reduce the sight by 1/3 of the division, and at an angle of 60 degrees - by one division.
Example: In January-February 1995, 2 DON (Krasnodar) performed tasks in the Staropromyslovsky district of the city of Grozny to clean up. By decision of the division commander, consolidated sniper platoons were created in the regiments. They were subordinate to regimental commanders and chiefs of staff. The main tasks of the sniper platoons were:
in the afternoon - ensuring search operations of units and subunits;
at night - protection of temporary deployment points by arranging barriers and ambushes.
Only the commander and chief of staff of the regiment knew the tasks and places for setting up barriers and ambushes. Tasks were set personally.
Example: In June 1996, in the Achkhoi-Martan district of the Chechen Republic, one of the regiments of explosives carried out a special operation. It was preceded by systematic attacks by militants at night on security posts, barriers and ambushes, which were set up from the regiment with the onset of darkness. It was decided: defiantly put forward a barrier and place it on the ground, then, with the onset of complete darkness, take it back to the PVD, and organize an ambush along the perimeter of the former barrier site with a platoon of snipers using NSPU. The result exceeded all expectations. At night, the militants made an attempt to covertly approach the place of the barrier. As a result of the short-lived battle, more than 20 militants were destroyed. There were no casualties among the personnel of the explosives.
Example: In August 1999, in the Botlikh district of the Republic of Dagestan, the reconnaissance detachment of the Special Forces of the Ural Military District carried out an operation to withdraw the paratrooper battalion (pdb) to the rear of the bandit formation, located on the dominating height of Alilen (Donkey's Ear). The task of the detachment was to withdraw the PDB from the northwestern side of Alilen to the area of ​​​​the ruins of Ziberhali, where the main base of the militants was located. By the morning of the next day, the head patrol of the detachment went to the designated area. The commander of the detachment was assigned to two snipers of the head patrol, armed with VSS rifles, to destroy the bandits with aimed and silent fire. The result exceeded all expectations. Panic began in the location of the militants due to a lack of understanding of what was happening. The militants lost 15 people killed and left the base. There was no PDB among the personnel of the detachment.
Example: In August 2000, during a special event in the area of ​​​​the settlement of Bas-Gardali of the Chechen Republic, the reconnaissance group of the Special Forces (UrVO), advancing to the place of the task, stumbled upon an armed militant. The group commander set the task for the group sniper to destroy the militant. Without prior preparation, the sniper fired an aimed shot and the militant was shot in the head. During the examination of the personal belongings of the bandit, it turned out that he was the field commander (amir-mujaid) of Brigadier General E. Khattab. The time between the assignment of tasks to the sniper and the shot was no more than two minutes.
Recommendations on security measures against being hit by enemy sniper fire:
the sniper, as a rule, operates as part of a group;
at night, snipers use night vision devices that allow them to detect targets up to 500 meters;
the first stage of the sniper's work is to detect (spot) the target, so equip 2-3 firing positions and change them more often;
in the city, the sniper occupies the dominant heights, located in the building, chooses a firing position in the depths of the room, which makes it difficult to detect him;
a sniper fires under cover of small arms fire;
non-aimed shooting from small arms may indicate the beginning of the sniper's work;
sniper teams with a cover team provoke return fire, forcing fire weapons to reveal themselves;
harassing fire can only be conducted from camouflaged firing positions;
a favorite tactic of snipers is to act from an ambush, a secret, at night, on pre-prepared (sighted) areas of the terrain;
use active night vision devices prudently;
the sniper often uses the wounded as a "live bait", who will definitely come to the rescue. In such cases, it is necessary to use limited visibility, smoke in the area, armor protection equipment, military equipment;
when searching for a sniper among the local population, remember that the distinguishing feature of a sniper is the characteristic bruises on his shoulder;
remember that in such a war there is no rear, flank and front, you can expect the enemy from everywhere (during the day he is a civilian, at night he is the killer of our soldiers).
Tactical training exercises are of the utmost importance for teaching snipers skillful actions in combat.
During the Great Patriotic War, snipers, depending on the situation, acted in pairs or alone. The most commonly used sniper pairs. Sometimes several pairs of snipers united in a group. As a rule, one sniper of the pair observed (observer), the other fired (fighter). After 20-30 minutes, the snipers changed roles, since continuous long-term observation, especially with binoculars, is extremely tiring. When repelling an attack and in other conditions, when there were a large number of targets on the battlefield, as well as in a sudden collision with the enemy, both snipers of the pair fired - both the fighter and the observer.
Usually, having received a combat mission from the unit commander, snipers independently chose positions in the lane (directions) indicated by him, occupied and left them, and acted when firing, in accordance with the task received and the situation.
The task of snipers in battle was mainly to find and destroy the most important targets with fire: enemy officers, snipers, observers, liaison, machine gun, mortar and gun crews, thereby contributing to the success of the combat operations of their units.
In order for snipers to better understand the situation and. they acted correctly, before the battle with them, classes were held to study the tactics of their units and enemy units.
In most cases, snipers had to act in combat in difficult conditions - to crawl over long distances, overcome various obstacles, and lie motionless in the snow for a long time. Therefore, tactical exercises were carried out with snipers in such an environment that developed their endurance, agility, willpower, perseverance, endurance, cunning and composure.
2. Sniper disguise
The ability to disguise is one of the basic skills that a sniper needs on the battlefield to successfully complete his task. Concealment skills become very important from the moment a sniper moves onto the battlefield, either alone, as part of a squad, or while firing from a firing position. Accurate shooting skills allow the sniper to hit the target, and camouflage skills make it possible for him not to become a target himself. Paying due attention to the principles of camouflage is the hallmark of a well-trained sniper.
Target signs
To become an expert in camouflage, the sniper must first understand the signs of the target.
The sniper must know the signs of the target, not only in order to move undetected, but also in order to detect the movement of the enemy. Signs of targets are: sound, movement, inappropriate camouflage, violation of the "wild" nature and smell.
Sound.
we hear especially well in the dark;
issued when moving, rattling weapons or talking;
small noises may seem natural, but not conversation.
Movement.
the greatest attention should be paid to movement during daylight hours;
movement attracts attention;
fast and sharp movement will be noticed earlier than slow one.
Inappropriate camouflage.
glare from weapons and optics;
a pronounced contour of a person, weapons, etc.;
contrast of the camouflage suit with the background of the area.
Violation of the "wild" nature.
birds suddenly took off;
the noise made by the animals suddenly stopped;
fear of animals.
Smell.
issued during cooking;
smoke from a fire;
odors from soaps and cosmetics.
Basic camouflage.
The sniper must use three basic camouflage techniques. Choosing one of them, or using all three in combination, he must achieve his goal - to remain unnoticed by the enemy. These three methods are: the use of both natural and artificial barriers, merging with the terrain and misleading the enemy.
The use of barriers. It consists in the use of dense vegetation, terrain folds, etc. as a cover for conducting covert surveillance of the enemy.
Merging with the area. It consists in finding such a point on the terrain where your own camouflage would be combined with the background of the terrain.
Entering the enemy astray. It consists in deceiving the enemy regarding his location.
Camouflage types
There are two types of camouflage used by the sniper: natural and artificial.
Natural or natural camouflage. This is a type of camouflage in which the sniper uses plants and other natural material for his camouflage, appropriate to the area.
artificial camouflage. It is any material or substance that is produced to color or conceal something for the purpose of camouflage. Concealers or face paints are used to hide all exposed skin surfaces such as the face, arms and neck. Parts of the face that form shadows should be illuminated, and those that lighten should be darkened. The sniper uses three types of camouflage: striped, spotted and mixed.
Striped - used in areas with a high density of trees, but insufficient deciduous vegetation.
Spotted - used in areas with dense deciduous vegetation.
Mixed - used when moving over changing terrain. It is the best multi-purpose model.
Camouflage suit "KIKIMORA"
Camouflage suit "kikimora" - a special camouflage suit randomly covered with camouflage material or a camouflage net.
A) A camouflage suit "kikimora" can be made from a field uniform, which is additionally reinforced with a tarpaulin or other durable material in two additions and stitched with nylon thread in places most susceptible to mechanical stress when crawling: knees, elbows.
b) Camouflage material or camouflage net should cover the shoulders and go down to the elbows. The camouflage material attached to the back of the suit must be long enough to cover the sniper from the side when he is in the prone position. The headdress is also covered with a camouflage net. The camouflage material should be long enough to blur the contour of the sniper's neck, but not so long as to restrict the field of view or interfere with movement.
C) The cape of the costume can be made of a net or a piece of cloth covered with camouflage material or a camouflage net. She covers the weapon and the head of the sniper when he is in a firing position. The cape can be attached to the kikimora costume or carried separately. The "kikimora" suit does not make the sniper absolutely invisible, but only serves as the basis for his further disguise. It is necessary to complement the suit with natural vegetation for its complete merging with the environment.
Field disguise
The sniper is forced to use field concealment when other means are not available. Instead of camouflage, the sniper can use charcoal, walnut dye, mud, i.e., as facial makeup. everything that will give the desired effect. But you should not use masks or fats that have a strong odor. Plants may be attached to the body with laces or rubber bands, or placed in slits in the uniform.
A) The sniper also camouflages his equipment, making sure that camouflage is not a hindrance when using this equipment.
Rifle. The sniper's weapon is camouflaged to blur the familiar contour of the rifle. The sniper's weapon can be carried in a special bag, which is a gun case made of canvas and covered with camouflage material in the same way as the "kikimora" suit.
Optics. The optics used by the sniper must also be camouflaged in order to blur its contour and eliminate the possibility of light reflection from the lenses of optical devices. Lenses should be covered with a mesh cloth or nylon material.
B) The sniper must change his camouflage to match the changing vegetation and terrain in different geographical areas. Examples of camouflage depending on the geographical area:
1) Snow-covered areas. In areas with heavy snow cover or in forested areas where trees are covered with snow, all-white camouflage must be worn. In areas where there is snow on the ground and no snow on the trees, white trousers and a green-brown top should be worn.
2) Desert areas. In sandy deserts with very little vegetation, a combination of tawny and brown is important. In these areas, the sniper must make full use of the characteristics of the terrain and available vegetation.
3) Jungle. In the jungle, the camouflage texture should have contrasting colors, and vegetation should also be used for better camouflage.
4) In the city. When conducting combat operations in urban areas, the sniper's camouflage should be of a blurry color. Preference is given to all shades of gray. Camouflage texture is not that important in these conditions.
C) The sniper must be aware that he needs to be camouflaged at all times from the moment he leaves on a mission until he returns. He must constantly use the protective properties of the terrain and vegetation in order to remain unnoticed by the enemy. A sniper is at greater risk of being detected when returning to his territory after completing a combat mission. When fatigue and excessive haste negatively affect the vigilance and attention of the sniper. Therefore, the sniper needs to pay special attention to camouflage on the way back to advance after completing the combat mission.
shelters
A correct understanding and application of the principles of camouflage and use of cover, combined with the observance of camouflage rules, will protect the sniper from detection by the enemy.
A) Covers are natural or artificial protection from enemy fire. Natural shelters (ravines, reverse slopes of hills, hollows, etc.) and artificial shelters (firing positions, trenches, walls, etc.) are able to protect the sniper from the enemy’s flat and partially from mounted fire, as well as from the damaging factors of nuclear weapons. explosion. Even the smallest depression can serve as a cover for the sniper. A recess of about 15 cm, when used correctly, can be sufficient to cover from enemy fire. The sniper must always look for and select suitable places on the ground that can be used as cover. The right choice of cover, combined with the right movement technique, will protect the sniper from enemy fire. In order to prevent enemy fire from hitting the enemy, the sniper must choose a route of movement so that natural or artificial obstacles or barriers are between him and the enemy, which will allow the sniper not to be detected.

1) Avoid unnecessary movements. Stay still. Movement draws attention. The position remains invisible until the sniper starts to move, the movement betrays him.
The movement of the sniper against a stationary background is clearly visible. When the sniper needs to change position, he should move carefully along a route that is hidden from enemy observation, and preferably in conditions of limited visibility. The sniper must move very slowly and carefully, constantly identifying and looking at the path of the upcoming movement.
2) Use all kinds of disguise. The acceptable means of disguise are as follows:
Background. The background plays a very important role in camouflage, and the sniper must strive to blend into it to avoid detection by the enemy. Trees, grass, bushes, earth, artificial structures form the background in various colors. This allows the sniper to merge with him. In order for the contour of the human figure to be blurred, the sniper needs the color of the surrounding vegetation to be combined with his uniform. The sniper must remember that he is constantly under the supervision of the enemy.
Shadows. If the sniper is in an open position, he is clearly visible, but if he is in the shadows, then it is difficult to see him. There are always shadows in any conditions, day and night. For example, a sniper should not shoot from the edge of the forest, but it is better to fire from the depths of the forest, being in the shade of trees.
Note how the sniper is disguised as he gradually blends into the background. In this case, very often one movement can attract the attention of the observer and give away your position. Cover in the shadows takes some getting used to: not having any real cover between you and the enemy will make you feel insecure, but it's the best form of camouflage.
3) Maintain surveillance from the ground. The low silhouette of a sniper is very difficult for an enemy to notice. Therefore, the sniper should observe from the ground, squatting, or simply from a prone position.
4) Avoid glare from your equipment. Reflection of light from a shiny surface will immediately attract attention and it is noticeable from a great distance. The sniper should open his optics only when he needs to identify a target or aim. He must use the optics carefully, remembering that optics produce glare in sunlight.
5) Avoid moving against the sky. A figure against the sky can be seen from a great distance even at night, because the result is a dark silhouette against a lighter sky, which, in turn, is a good target.
6) Avoid familiar contours. Military equipment and the human body are the contours that the enemy expects to see. The sniper conceals or alters familiar appearances by using a camouflage suit or cape randomly covered in camouflage material. The sniper must change his outline from head to toe.
7) Avoid the noise effect. Noise, as well as conversation, can be heard by the enemy. The sniper must remain silent throughout the combat mission.
3. Movement
The tasks that a sniper performs and how they are performed are very different from the tasks that an infantry squad faces and how they are performed. One of the most important differences is the movement technique used by the sniper. The movement of the sniper must not be noticed and the enemy must not even be aware of it. That is why the sniper must be a master at solo movement.
Rules of individual movement.
When moving, the sniper must always remember the following rules:
- Always remember that the area is under enemy surveillance;
- Move slowly. The sniper counts his movement in meters and centimeters;
- Do not touch the branches of trees and bushes in order to avoid their stirring;
- Plan each movement and segments of movement along the route for a certain period of time;
- Stop often, look around and listen;
- For movement, choose moments that distract the attention of the enemy or hide the movements of the sniper. For example: gunfire, shell explosions, the sound of an airplane flying by, etc.;
Technique of individual movement.
The individual movement technique used by the sniper allows movement to go unnoticed. These are modes of locomotion such as: low-level crawling, intermediate-level crawling, high-level crawling, crawling on all fours, and walking.
A) Crawling at a low level. This method of crawling is used when the use of camouflage is very limited, when the sniper is close to the enemy or when he takes up a firing position.
B) Crawling at the middle level. This method is used when concealment is limited and the sniper needs to move faster than when crawling at low level.
C) Crawling at a high level. Used when camouflage is limited but the vegetation is tall enough to allow the sniper to get his body off the ground.
D) Crawling on all fours. Used when concealment is sufficient and the sniper needs to move faster than when crawling.
D) walking. Used when camouflage is good, when there is no enemy nearby, and when the sniper needs movement speed.
Technique of movement of a sniper in the city.
When moving a sniper in an urban environment, avoid open terrain and easily predictable paths of movement. To do this, you can use the backyards of houses, urban alleys with vegetation, as well as the roofs of buildings. If it is necessary to move along the street, the sniper must move along its left side so that when the enemy detects the sniper, it is possible to take cover in a doorway or around the corner of a building and fire from a rifle pressed against the right shoulder with the butt.
Given time, the sniper can use sewers, underground tunnels (subways) and move through buildings instead of bypassing them to move around the city. In the latter case, mines or explosive charges can be used to make passages in the walls of adjoining houses.
4. Selection, equipment and firing position
The choice of the location of the sniper's firing position is one of the most important issues in preparing for a combat mission. After choosing a position, the sniper needs to determine the methods and ways of a covert approach to it.
Choice.
After receiving the mission, the sniper determines the area where the enemy is located and determines the best location of the firing position, using one or more sources of information for this: topographic maps, aerial photographs, results of observation of the area before receiving the mission, and information collected from units operating in the area.
A) In order to ensure the safety of the firing position, it must meet the following requirements:
have a maximum sector of shooting and observation of the enemy;
be hidden from enemy observation;
have hidden ways of approach and departure from the position;
the position must be no closer than 300 meters from the enemy;
it is necessary to have natural and artificial obstacles between the firing position and the enemy.
B) The sniper must remember that if, in his opinion, the position is ideally located, then so can the enemy. Therefore, the sniper should avoid taking a position in the following places:
on the tops of the hills;
close to separately located objects;
at bends or ends of roads, paths, streams;
in densely populated areas, if not required.
C) The sniper must use all his imagination and ingenuity in choosing the location for setting up the firing position. When choosing a place, it is necessary to pay attention not only to the convenience for conducting effective fire, but also to the secrecy of the position from enemy observation. Places for equipping a firing position can be:
the base of a pile of fallen trees;
among the accumulation of stones;
in shady places;
in the swamp.
Taking up a firing position
While reconnaissance or moving into a final position, the sniper must:
move slowly and carefully, using a crawling technique at a low level;
do not touch thin trees, bushes or grass, if this is not necessary;
keep quiet;
be in the shadow of local objects, if any;
periodically stop, look around and listen;
Upon the arrival of the sniper at the firing position, he must:
make a detailed inspection of the target area;
start equipping a firing position, if necessary;
prepare the necessary equipment;
prepare a place for observation, food, rest and a latrine.
Position Equipment
The sniper's task requires him to equip several types of positions, from hastily equipped positions in which the sniper can stay for several hours, to thoroughly prepared positions in which he can stay for up to several days. The sniper must take into account that the position will be equipped in conditions of limited visibility.
Requirements for a sniper position. Regardless of how long the sniper will be in position for several minutes or several days, the requirements for the position remain the same in any case:
1) Location.
a) When equipping a position, it is necessary to take into account the type of soil. On hard ground, digging is difficult, so the sniper needs to use the natural folds of the terrain to equip the position (potholes, pits, burrows, etc.).
b) It is also necessary to take into account the location of the enemy and his capabilities. Enemy patrols in the area can get close enough to hear any random sound made while setting up a position. The sniper must also take into account the possibility of the use of night vision by the enemy.
2) Time.
a) If the sniper's mission requires staying in position for extended periods of time, then the sniper must set up a position that will ensure full survivability. This will allow it to work more efficiently for a long time.
b) It is necessary to calculate the time required to equip the position.
3) Personnel and equipment.
a) It is necessary to think in advance what kind of tool will be needed to equip the position (saws, axes, etc.).
b) The sniper must also take into account how many additional personnel will be required to equip the position, as well as the presence of protection by the security group for the area of ​​​​equipping the position for the entire period of work on equipping the sniper's position.
Structural features of positions. Long-term or short-term positions can be made of stone, brick, wood, or turf. Regardless of what material was used to equip the position, from the front (facing the enemy) it must be bulletproof. To achieve this goal, the sniper can use the following methods:
overlay the loophole from the inside with body armor;
overlay the loophole from the inside with sandbags;
1) Tearing off a trench. Digging ends when the dug hole is able to protect the sniper from enemy fire. All excavated soil should be moved away from the position and masked. For example, soil can be scattered on plowed fields. Capes, bags, etc. can be used to carry soil.
2) Construction of shelter overhead. When equipping a long-term firing position, the sniper can use logs as a ceiling. In this case, the logs must be laid on a base located along the perimeter of the trench. As a basis, you can use turf, bags filled with soil or raincoats. After that, the overlap is covered with soil from above or twitches, and then masked.
3) Login. In order to avoid detection of the sniper by the enemy, it is necessary to pay attention to the strength of the hatch covering the entrance to the position. It must at least support the weight of a person.
4) Loopholes. The design of loopholes should ensure the safety of the sniper from observation by the enemy and have the necessary firing sector. The loopholes must be camouflaged with the same items and the same color as the environment.
5) Approaches. It is vital that the natural state of the environment remains unchanged and that the camouflage blends with the environment. The sniper must choose hidden paths to approach the position. He must approach and take up position during the hours of darkness, moving very carefully, using the above movement technique.
An unequipped position for prone shooting. The unequipped position is used when the sniper is in position for a short period of time. An unequipped position has the following characteristics:
1) Advantages:
does not require time and effort for equipment;
can be busy for a short period of time.
2) disadvantages:
there is no freedom of movement, any careless movement can betray the group;
inability to monitor large areas;
does not provide protection against flat and mounted fire;
when in such a position, you should rely mainly only on your own camouflage;
1) time spent in position: no more than 8 hours.
Advantageous position for prone shooting. It is used when the sniper needs to stay in position for a longer time than in an unequipped position. In this position, the silhouette of the sniper is as low to the ground as possible, while maintaining the ability to observe and aim fire.
This position has the following features:
1) Advantages:
it requires little effort and time to equip it, while a trench is dug for prone shooting in such a way that a sniper fits in it, and the dug soil is poured into bags, from which, in turn, a parapet with a shooting sector is laid out;
is sufficient cover for the sniper from enemy flat fire, with only the sniper's head and rifle with a telescopic sight above the ground;
2) disadvantages:
insufficient freedom of movement;
insufficient protection against mounted fire;
the sniper's head, gun and optics remain unprotected.
3) time for equipment: 1 - 3 hours (depending on the situation).
4) time spent in position: 6 - 12 hours.
Short-term prone shooting position. It looks like a vantage point, but has a top cover that not only protects from overhead fire, but also gives greater freedom of movement. This position can be set up under a tree, rock, or other object that will provide protection for the sniper from overhead fire and covert routes to and from the position.
The position has the following features:
1) Advantages:
gives some freedom in movement, darkening inside allows the sniper to move freely in position, while remembering that the entrance hatch to the position is tightly closed and the light does not get inside and thus does not give out the position;
provides full cover for the sniper, his equipment, except for the rifle barrel (depending on the design of the position, the rifle barrel can also be located inside);
provides protection against direct and indirect fire.
2) disadvantages:
requires additional effort and time for its equipment;
requires additional material resources for equipping the position (saws, axes, waterproof material, etc.);
has limited space, so the sniper is forced to stay in one position for a long time;
3) time for equipment: 4 - 6 hours.
4) time spent in position: 12 - 48 hours.
Long term position. It is usually used in defensive combat. This position requires additional personnel and materiel for its equipment.
However, it allows the sniper to stay in place for a longer period of time, as well as to change the sniper. It is similar to the previous (short-term) position and can be done as a tunnel under a hill or under an already existing natural feature.
It has the following features:
1) Advantages:
gives complete freedom of movement within the position;
provides full protection against direct and indirect fire;
provides complete camouflage of the sniper and equipment, while at the same time it is necessary to have more than two loopholes in the position if a view of a large area is necessary. The loopholes must be tapered and measure 20 to 30 cm inside the position and 10 to 15 cm outside. The entrance to the position must be closed to prevent light from entering and, accordingly, unmasking loopholes. Loopholes that are not in use should be closed from the inside with turf or a piece of dense matter.
position can be used for a long time.
2) disadvantages:
requires additional personnel and funds for its equipment, while it should not be built close to enemy positions and its construction should be carried out at night and completed by dawn;
there is a risk of detection by the enemy. With prolonged use of the position, the risk of detection increases.
3) equipment time: 4 - 6 hours
4) time spent in position: from 48 hours.
Sniper positions in urban environments.
The positions of a sniper in the city are completely different from those in the field. The sniper has several options for choosing a position in the city, in particular in a building: from the attic of the building up to its basement. Positions in the city are almost ideal for a sniper and he is even able to stop the advance of the enemy in his area of ​​​​responsibility.
When a sniper chooses a location to set up a position in a city, it should represent what the building looks like from the outside. If shooting will be carried out through loopholes in barricaded windows, then it is necessary to make sure that other windows are also barricaded, while all loopholes must be of irregular shape. False firing positions also mislead the enemy. Positions equipped in the attic of the building are also effective. The sniper makes slits by cutting out the roofing, but to make sure the sniper's position isn't so obvious, you need to make sure there are other holes in the roof besides the slit.
1) The sniper must not position himself against a contrasting background or in a prominent building that would automatically draw the enemy's attention. When moving and observing the target, the sniper must always be in the shadows.
2) A sniper should never fire close to loopholes. When firing a shot, it is necessary to move away from the loophole as far as possible in order to hide the flash and disperse the sound from the shot. The sniper can set up loopholes in different rooms by making passages in the walls and firing from one room. He should not stay long in one position. Time and situation permitting, the sniper should set up several alternate positions. When equipping reserve positions, he must make sure that the area of ​​​​the alleged location of the enemy is visible. The sniper position should never be used by other personnel.
3) The sniper must take into account that when moving through the sewers there is a danger of falling into an ambush and that the enemy can use poisonous substances.
Firing position in the room. When firing a sniper through the loopholes in the windows, you can use the furniture in the room (tables, chairs, etc.) as a stop. When choosing a position, the sniper should, if possible, avoid occupying rooms with many windows, as this will allow the enemy to view your position from different angles and, in addition, a large number of fragments can be formed from artillery fire, which can injure the sniper. But if the sniper is forced to take a position in such a room, then in this case it is necessary to take into account the location of both the front and rear windows. To prevent the silhouette of the sniper from being visible against the background of the rear windows, they must be hung with a blanket, carpet or tarp. Curtains available on the windows, tulle or made of thin transparent material, are an excellent protective screen for the sniper from enemy observation, while maintaining a large field of observation for the sniper. To equip loopholes for shooting, the sniper can put glass out of the windows, but then it will be necessary to put glass in other rooms so that the sniper's position is not obvious to the enemy. When setting up a position in a room, you can make a shooting platform by removing the door from its hinges and placing it on bricks or sandbags. This will give stability to the sniper when shooting. The outer wall of the room should be lined with sandbags. The sniper can bring bags in a backpack, and they can be filled with sand in the basement of the building.
When taking up a firing position in a room, the sniper must consider the following points:
The third floor of a building is usually the best location for a firing position. This stance position provides the sniper with a minimum gap and gives the sniper the necessary protection. If the sniper position is located on the upper floors of the building, then this increases the dead space that the sniper cannot see. Therefore, in this case, on the lower floors of the building, it is necessary to place either machine gunners or machine gunners who will block this space that cannot be shot through by a sniper.
A window is usually the best opening for observation and a loophole for firing. If the glass in the window is dirty, then they should not be cleaned for better visibility.
If there are curtains on the windows, then use them as a protective screen. Through single-color curtains or tulle, you can fire from inside the room, without being noticed by an enemy observer. Shooting through curtains does not greatly affect accuracy, but the barrel of the rifle must be far enough from the curtain so that the flash from the shot does not unmask the position.
Shoot through the glass should be no more than once, and then if necessary.
It is necessary to always have hidden escape routes from the position. In an extreme situation, when a sniper cannot leave a position in a planned way, he can leave a position through window openings that are not visible to the enemy, using ropes or explosive charges to break through walls or floors into adjacent rooms.
Firing position in the attic. Shooting from an attic, chimney, or other roof structure allows the sniper to fire without being detected by the enemy. As loopholes, the sniper must use holes formed by missing tiles or other roofing material.
The position of the rifle barrel must be far enough from the roof so that the flash or sound of a shot does not unmask the position. When doing this, the sniper must make sure that the tiles do not interfere with the bullet's flight. To protect against enemy fire and make the rifle more stable when firing, the sniper needs to use sandbags or some other material for this. In addition to the main firing position, it is also necessary to have reserve positions. The sniper must have concealed routes to and from the position.
Firing position on the flight of stairs. This position is used in buildings that have received significant damage. The requirements for this position remain the same as for the firing positions located in the building.
5. Small arms used by snipers in special forces units in the Russian army.
Over the past years, in the context of constant local conflicts, in different regions of the country, the following types of weapons have been used in special forces:
Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD, SVD-S)
This is a long-range rifle that is in service with all Russian snipers and has several modifications, these are SVU, SVD-S. The rifle has proven itself very well in combat conditions and has the following characteristics (see Appendix 1).
In reality, the sniper works with this rifle on the head figure up to 300 m and on the waist figure up to 600 m. Hits are not guaranteed at long distances, it all depends on the shooter.
Ammunition used for shooting:
- sniper;
- tracers;
- armor-piercing incendiary;
- target sniper.
In a combat situation, the shooter decides for himself how much and what kind of cartridges he should take with him. This mainly depends on the task assigned to the sniper.
In terms of design and in many details, it is similar to other main types of small arms in service - with Kalashnikov assault rifles and light machine guns (removal of powder gases, locking by turning the bolt around the longitudinal axis, trigger-type percussion mechanism). Detachable box magazine for 10 rounds. The rifle is equipped with a PSO-1 optical sight, which makes it possible to conduct effective aimed fire at distant small targets. It has a quadruple magnification and a range graduation up to 1300 m. There is a reticle illumination, which ensures high-quality aiming at dusk. In addition to the optical sight on the SVD, a whole range of night sights NSPU, NSPU-3, etc. is used. There is also an open sector-type mechanical sight on the rifle. To successfully hit targets, the rifle must be brought into normal combat. Each sniper performs this task individually.
Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD-S)
In the 90s, the SVD was finalized, as a result of which a new version of the SVD-S appeared. Its difference from the base sample is a folding stock. The gas outlet assembly, flame arrester and barrel were also improved. The length of the SVD-S with a folded butt is 809 mm, which makes it convenient for use in the Airborne Forces.
Short sniper rifle (SVU)
Further modernization of the SVD was undertaken at the Tula TsKIB SOO. The new version, converted according to the "Bullpap" type, was called the SVU (shortened sniper rifle). It has a shorter barrel - 600 mm, a slightly lower muzzle velocity - 800 m / s. Muzzle energy - 3445 J. The IED uses an original barrel device that combines a kind of silencer, flame arrester and muzzle brake. This was done in order to reduce the level of sound produced during the shot, and in the conditions of the city to provide the sniper with the opportunity to disguise. Due to its layout and shorter length, the rifle is convenient for close combat. The latest modification of SVU-A is very interesting. The automatic fire mode was introduced, folding, adjustable bipods were installed. The SVU-A can operate as a light machine gun for sniper self-defense in close combat. This option causes controversy among specialists - is automatic fire needed for weapons of the highest manufacturing accuracy? What after such shooting will be its accuracy of fire?
BRINGING SVD TO NORMAL BATTLE
Main way. Range - 100 m. Lying from the stop, sight - 3. Along a black rectangle 20 by 30 cm on a shield 1 by 0.5 m. Control point: for a mechanical sight 16 cm, for an optical sight 14 cm.
Mechanical sight. 4 shots. Accuracy is normal if the bullets are in a circle with a diameter of 8 cm. If the STP deviated by more than 3 cm, then it is necessary to change the position of the front sight. (Remember! The bullet drives the fly)
One full turn = 16 cm. The divisions at the front end of the base of the front sight are 0.6 mm, which corresponds to a shift of the STP by 10 cm.
Optical sight. CT - 14 cm. Reconciliation. Aim the SVD at the mechanical sight. Fix in the machine. Aim under the target on a mechanical sight. Glue a strip of paper 2 cm wide to the bottom of the target. Align the square with the aiming point. Fire 4 shots. The STP from the CT is no more than 3 cm. All holes are in a circle with a diameter of 8 cm. If the deviation of the STP from the CT is more than 3 cm, then rotate the flywheels to combine the STP with the CT. Knowing that the rifle is shot, set the dials to the results obtained: with a screwdriver, unscrew the locking screws by 1-2 turns on both dials; On the top, set the scale with the number “3” against the control risk (while holding the handwheel and not allowing it to rotate), and on the side flywheel - against the control risk to “0”. The locking screws are then carefully tightened with a screwdriver.
REMEMBER! Sighting and setting limbs is a very delicate, painstaking and accurate matter. The process of installing limbs is better to train and work out on a removed sight before shooting.
They aim at the lower edge of the black square “under the bleed” with a barely visible gap “by a hair”
For combat in populated areas and in closed areas. With this method of shooting at a distance of 80 - 200 m, you can aim with the main square in the center without introducing corrections for the distance. (80 m - 2 cm below the TP; 100 m - 0; 150 m - 1 cm above the TP; 200 m - 0; 250 - below 11 cm).
Sight the weapon at the open sight at 200 m with the “2” sight. Fix the weapon in the machine and aim at a clearly visible aiming point. (usually, a white spot 5 by 5 cm on a black background). Bring the main angle of the sight to this point. Bring the sighting in by firing a few shots, making the necessary adjustments with the flywheels.
When shooting at a distance of more than 400 m. It is better to shoot the SVD so that the STP was 5-7 cm higher than the TP. Because at a great distance it is difficult to take the aiming point exactly in the center, because the target merges with the “blackness” of the main square, and therefore the arrows they try to shoot “under the edge of the target” so that the square does not cover the target.
To bring a weapon with a night sight to normal combat day or night, you must:
- check the conformity of the marking of the aiming angle scale;
- attach a night sight to the weapon;
- install weapons on the sighting machine;
- set on the aiming bar of the weapon a range of 3 for the AKMN-1, AKMSN-1 and RPKN-1 machine guns, and a range of 4 for the AK-74N, AKS-74N machine guns, PKMN-1, PKMSN-1, RPK-74N, PKS machine guns -74N and SVDN-1 sniper rifle;
- point the weapon at an open sight to the aiming point at a distance of 100 m (at the same target as for bringing the weapon to a normal battle with an open sight);
- make sure that the aperture of the sight is completely closed;
- turn on the sight and select the optimal brightness of the grid and the best visibility of the target;
- check the coincidence of the top of the aiming square of the grid with the same aiming point as in the open sight;
- if the aiming points do not match, then unscrew the screws by one or two turns with a wrench and turn the handwheel to the guide, shift the top of the aiming square of the reticle with the aiming point;
- Screw in the screws to failure with a wrench;
- remove the weapon with a night sight from the sighting machine;
- make four single shots, carefully and uniformly aiming at the aiming point;
- determine the accuracy of the battle and the position of the midpoint of the hit;
- if the mid-point of impact deviates down or up, unscrew the screws by one or two turns, turn the flywheel in the direction of the arrow “up SPT”, if the mid-point of impact is below the control point, - “down SPT”, if the impact point is higher than the control one. Turning the handwheel by one division corresponds to moving the middle point of impact by 5 cm when shooting at 100 m. Make sure that when turning the handwheel, the aiming angle scale does not turn. Screw in the screws.
TRAJECTORY RANGE DEPENDS ON AIR DENSITY.
FOR NORMAL STARTING TABLE DATA ACCEPTED:
- atmospheric pressure 750 mm, corresponding to 110 m above sea level;
- temperature + 15 degrees;
- humidity 50%.
Correction data for side wind, derivation, longitudinal wind, temperature, atmospheric pressure.
D Horizontal (lateral) corrections Vertical (cm) corrections
in (m) 4 - 6 m/s, angle 90 degrees. Derivation (right) Temperature deviation Pressure deviation
cm thousandths cm thousandths 10 m/s per 10 gr. by 10 mm
100 3 0,15 - - - - -
200 10 0,35 1 - - 1 -
300 26 0,6 2 0,1 - 2 -
400 48 0,95 4 0,1 1 4 -
500 72 1,3 7 0,1 2 7 1
600 110 1,7 12 0,2 4 12 3
700 160 2,1 19 0,2 8 21 5
800 220 2,6 29 0,3 15 35 9
900 290 3,1 43 0,5 26 54 14
1000 370 3,7 62 0,6 42 80 20
1100 460 4
1200 550 4,5
1300 660 5
Determining the strength of the wind.
Light wind Moderate wind Strong wind
- a scarf or flag sways and flutters slightly;
- the grass is swaying;
- branches and leaves fluctuate on the bushes;
- the leaves rustle on the trees;
- the smoke from the chimney is slightly deflected. - the handkerchief or flag is kept unfolded and fluttering;
- the grass leans towards the ground;
- bushes sway;
- thin branches deviate on the trees and leaves sway strongly;
- the smoke from the chimney is deflected and stretched without bursting. - the flag flutters noisily and is held horizontally;
- the handkerchief is torn from the hands;
- the smoke from the chimney is sharply deflected and broken;
- grass spreads on the ground;
- the bushes are kept tilted.
Flywheel horizontal. Red numbers: STP - to the left.
Black numbers: STP - to the right.
Range. D \u003d H x 1000
At
One thousandth at 100 meters is 10 cm, at 200 meters it is 20 cm, at 300 meters it is 30 cm, and so on.
Bullet flight time to target:
L (m) 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300
t (sec) 0.13 0.27 0.42 0.59 0.78 0.99 1.23 1.5 1.8 2.12 2.46 2.82 3.2
The lead point is measured from the middle of the target.
Approximate speed of various targets. Pedestrian - 1.3 m / s, advancing infantry 3 m / s; running soldier 4 m/s, cyclist 5 m/s, sidecar on rough terrain 7 m/s (25 km/h)
Correction for target movement.
Running target (3 m/s, 10 km/h)
Motocel
(6 m/s, 20 km/h)
Range Lead (rounded)
m meters figure in scale divisions of the sight reticle or handwheel meters in scale divisions of the sight reticle or handwheel
100 0,4 1 4 0,7 7
200 0,8 1,5 4 1,4 7
300 1,3 2,5 4,5 2,3 8
400 1,8 3,5 4,5 3,2 8
500 2,3 4,5 4,5 4,3 8,5
600 3 6 5 5,5 9
700 3.7 7,5 5,5 6,8 10
800 4.5 9 5,5 8,3 10
900 5.4 11 6 10 11
1000 6.3 12,5 6,5 11,5 12
1100 7.3 14,5 6,5 13,5 12
1200 8.4 17 7 15,5 13
1300 9,5 19 7,5 17,5 13
Data correction for target elevation angle.
L (m) 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Injection
in deg Range correction in meters
-35 - 26 -34 -39 -41 -44 -47 -52 -58 -66 -75
-30 -16 -24 -30 -33 -35 -37 -41 -45 -51 -57
-25 -9 -17 -23 -26 -27 -29 -31 -34 -38 -43
-20 -5 -11 -16 -19 -21 -22 -24 -26 -28 -32
-15 -3 -7 -10 -13 -15 -16 -17 -18 -20 -23
-10 0 -3 -5 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -15
-5 0 -1 -3 -4 -4 -5 -6 -6 -7 -8
0
+5 0 0 1 3 11 22 38 51 58 64
+10 0 0 5 11 20 37 54 68 77 83
+15 -2 -6 -1 7 16 32 46 58 66 74
+20 -5 -10 -2 5 13 21 29 38 47 54
+25 -8 -17 -12 -6 0 7 14 22 29 34
+30 -12 -25 -24 -19 -14 -8 -2 4 8 11
+35 -18 -34 -36 -34 -30 -26 -22 -19 -17 -16
+40 -25 -44 -47 -50 -49 -48 -47 -46 -45 -45
+45 -31 -53 -61 -68 -72 -74 -75 -76 -77 -77
PREPARATION OF DATA FOR SHOOTING.
1. Before entering a position:
- carefully prepare weapons and equipment, based on the combat mission;
- specify the temperature, pressure, wind direction and speed (artillerymen, pilots can help);
- specify on the map: height above sea level, angles of elevation of targets;
- in addition to sniper cartridges, take tracer cartridges (you can also use armor-piercing incendiary ones);
- prepare a radio station, check with the company commander the call signs and frequencies (main and spare), if necessary, develop and bring to whom you need a negotiation table;
- Discuss all issues with your partner, squad and company commander, organize interaction with other fire weapons;
- think over the plan of withdrawal and evacuation;
- Going on a task - have a clear algorithm for your actions.
2 in position.
- draw up a map of landmarks and a fire card;
- apply landmarks, determine the distance to them, the angles of the target;
- determine the initial data for firing at each landmark and write them down on the fire card;
- watch.
3. Initial data for shooting include:
Vertical corrections for Horizontal corrections for
1. Longitudinal wind, above - below in cm.
2. Air temperature, above - below in cm
3. Pressure, above - below in cm
4. Target elevation angle, further - closer in m.
P total.
1. Derivation
2. Cross wind
3. Target movement
P total.
1. .Determine the scope and aiming point.
2. According to the table of bullet dispersion characteristics, determine how many shots are needed to hit the target
If it is not possible to determine all the weather data for shooting, instruct your partner to zero in with a tracer bullet at the same range, but at a different target.
NOTES.
1. In a strong wind at a distance of more than 400 - 600 m, in different parts of the bullet's flight path, air flows, depending on the terrain, have an unequal speed, and it is not possible to make an accurate calculation.
2. When shooting through water obstacles at distances over 300 - 400 m, the temperature lowered above the water surface (by 5-6 degrees in summer) and high humidity affect the bullet's flight path. Corrections in this case should be taken, approximately, such as for derivation, but vertically, the bullet will tend to go down.
Special sniper rifle (VSS)
The VSS rifle is a "silent, invisible death" - the result of the work of Russian gunsmiths. The rifle is a new direction in the development of sniper weapons by Klimovsky TsNIItochmash. It is a complex - which refers to the combination of "weapon-cartridge". This is the silent rifle itself (VSS) and a special cartridge SP-5. The reduction in the sound of the shot occurs due to the cooling and dispersion of the powder gases, as well as due to the elimination of the supersonic wave from the bullet. The rifle is equipped with an integrated silencer covering the entire barrel. Holes are made on the muzzle of the barrel for the removal of powder gases. This is followed by an expansion chamber with transverse baffles placed with an inclination to the axis. These slopes serve to swirl the propellant gases. The big advantage of the rifle is that it is very light and compact, easy to carry. VSS is disassembled into three parts: a silencer, a stock and a box with a barrel. All this is easy to carry in a special container disguised as an ordinary "diplomat". The SP-5 cartridge, made on the basis of the 1943 cartridge cases, has a caliber of 9 mm, a bullet weight of 16.2 g and a low initial velocity of 290 m/s. The SP-6 armor-piercing cartridge can also be used to fire from the Vintorez. It differs from the SP-5 in the presence of a carbide bullet core. How much and what kind of cartridges a sniper should take to complete the task assigned to him is up to him to decide.
VSS has a translator for automatic fire, which allows you to use the rifle in close combat. The high damaging and stopping effect of a bullet is not able to eliminate any body armor that a person can actually wear on himself. So bulletproof vests of I, II and III levels of protection, as well as unarmored cars of any brand, are too tough for a shooter armed with this rifle at a distance of up to 400 m. It is equipped with a PSO-1-1 optical sight and a 1PN51 night sight, but options are possible.
In reality, in a combat situation, a sniper shoots from this rifle at the head figure - up to 100 m, at the waist - up to 200 m.
The rifle is brought into normal combat in the same way as the SVD rifle, with the exception that there are differences in the test target. It's a black circle on a white background. The alignment of the PSO-1-1 sight is carried out similarly to the alignment of the PSO-1 sight of the SVD rifle. The PSO-1-1 sight differs from the PSO-1 sight only in the sight reticle, which is designed to hit targets at ranges up to 400 m.
The data for bringing the rifle to normal combat is contained in the table (Appendix 2).
However, in combat conditions, snipers often do most of the work and sniper rifles are often not enough. In order to solve this problem, the troops often put optical sights on machine guns, receiving so-called sniper machine guns. Usually they are made on the basis of the AKS-74N assault rifle.
sniper machine
The machine gun is selected in advance with improved accuracy of combat, a rag cover is put on the muzzle brake-compensator in order to avoid dust, dirt, water getting into the barrel, which is removed when firing, or it is simply torn apart by a shot.
In combat conditions, the machine is brought to battle immediately with an optical sight. A sniper works with such a machine gun mainly at targets at ranges up to 500 m.
Large-caliber sniper rifle B-94
To combat enemy snipers, the snipers received a large-caliber rifle B-94 "Cracker".
An interesting direction in sniper weapons are large-caliber sniper rifles. As a rule, these weapons are chambered for a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. It is very important for sniper shooting that the 12.7 mm cartridge bullet experiences a side wind deviation 2.5-3 times less than the 7.62 mm cartridge bullet. Such qualities of the 12.7 mm cartridge ensure that large targets are hit from the first shot at a distance of up to 1200 m.
Rifles have a long range. However, the absence of a special target sniper cartridge and a special high magnification sight (currently the sight from the SVD PSO-1 is used with a rifle) leads to a decrease in firing accuracy at long ranges.
The high lethality of these munitions provides a number of tactical advantages, for example, in counter-sniper combat. With their help, you can suppress enemy firing points, armored vehicles and radar stations. In practice, this is a kind of "renaissance" of anti-tank rifles, but at a new technical level and with new tactical tasks. In the Tula Design Bureau "Priborostroenie" a similar sample of 12.7 mm caliber was created. This is a self-loading weapon with high operational qualities. It has an original innovation: this rifle folds in half, which makes it very maneuverable. Recoil when firing is significantly reduced due to the installation of an effective muzzle brake and shock-absorbing butt pad. At the same time, the sniper can remain out of the range of aimed fire of the enemy's small arms.
The rifle can be equipped with a high magnification pancratic optical sight. For ease of carrying, it has a folding stock, which reduces its length to 1100 m.
Ease of aiming is provided by a stable bipod and a well-balanced arrangement of mechanisms.
The magazine for 5 rounds and automatic reloading allow you to fire at a high rate if necessary, reduce the fatigue of the shooter.
When firing a rifle, it is imperative to use hearing protection.
CONCLUSION
Knowing the tactics of the sniper, his psychology, methods of disguise, the unit commander will be able to effectively manage the activities of scouts in any situation.
The practical participation of special forces in the performance of combat missions in the Republic of Afghanistan, in Chechnya, and others made it possible to develop effective measures to combat enemy snipers, to identify and destroy the leaders (field commanders) of militants. In recent years, domestic and foreign experience in the use of snipers and sniper groups has been widely covered in the military and special literature, which proves the importance of the topic under consideration.
Mastering this experience, improving practical skills in training snipers, generalizing the experience of using snipers, readiness to perform tasks in any situation, will allow commanders of reconnaissance units to carry out special events more efficiently, to perform special and specific tasks with the least losses and high quality.

BATTLE PROPERTIES OF SMALL ARMS

Attachment 1

Annex 2

REFERENCE DATA

to check the battle and bring small arms to normal combat

Annex 3

Penetrating action of RA ammunition

7.62 mm to AKM arr. 43

5.45mmto AK-74

This word comes from the English army of the 18th century. The name from the snipe bird is snipe, extremely small and brisk, with a chaotic flight path, the direction of which is simply impossible to guess. Shooting at it is done "offhand". Only the master could hit the bird during air traffic. Let's talk about how to become a sniper.

Is there a craft

The versatile marksman is a legendary profession in the war. The effectiveness of ruthless work is terrifying, it appears and disappears without a trace after a single merciless shot. It is deadly to underestimate him. Nothing will save: numerous guards, bulletproof vest and range to the target. If a professional took up the matter, the enemy is doomed. The sniper is able to influence the outcome of the battle, destroy the terrorist in the crowd with a jewelry hit. All these skills are developed through practice. Many people know how to pull the trigger, but only a few can become a professional sniper. You can't miss. This is the lot of amateurs and the result of poor preparation. It is deadly dangerous for an arrow to make mistakes. Therefore, any of his actions implies impeccability and professionalism. He has a large amount of special knowledge and developments, and much is perceived on a subconscious and reflex level. This allows you to respond immediately after a long wait. There are techniques that allow you to renounce feelings and focus on the main thing. The main task is to detect and destroy the enemy before the enemy opens the shooter. Moreover, "detection" is not to see the enemy himself, but to recognize the signs of his presence. In this case, one must proceed from the fact that the enemy is also a professional.

Profile requirements

Excellent health is needed here, this is not shooting at a shooting range. Cold, precipitation - try to lie on the ground for hours without moving. In a sniper duel, whoever moves is not a tenant. But there are still natural needs. The appearance of diapers has significantly changed the situation, but more often they do without them. You have to be brave, knowing that if you get captured, you will definitely be killed.

The ability to keep the target up to three days. These qualities determine whether it is possible to become a sniper. He doesn't think about who he shoots. It's just a goal, no remorse. Not taking into account the experience, state of health and sustainable results shown in the shooting, endurance and nerves of steel are needed. The life of a sniper depends on self-control and calmness. Professionals say that shooters at maximum distances are specialists with an analytical mindset who can endure indefinitely.

Ordinary people who also have emotions, but they have learned to hide them and control themselves.

What you need to know about this profession

Training allows the sniper to lie still for a long time in ambush in any weather, waiting for an opportunity to fire. These are the profile specific requirements. It is rare for any candidate to pass the aptitude test. No less biased is the intelligence test in the scope of the school curriculum. And one more thing, the future of such a specialist is very vague. This is not the cinematic assassin in glasses on his nose and in black lycra gloves, after the shot flies off in a Ferrari. If at the end of the service such a specialist goes into crime, he will not live long. And if he devotes many years to serving the Motherland in this position, he will remain an invalid. Such specificity will definitely affect health, many shooters are written off from this work with various cold-related diseases. You can become a sniper, but you have to think carefully.

If there is a dream

How to become a sniper in the army? It is necessary to have combat experience, constant good performance in firing practice, strong nerves and self-control. Unshakable calm.

There are restrictions:

Called up to the troops and expressing a desire to be a sniper, he cannot become one until he has served one year.

Those who perform the duty of conscription in the special forces of the Airborne Forces, the Marine Corps, in the brigades of the deployed composition of the ground forces, the chances of being enrolled in the position of a unique shooter increase, since there is good initial training.

How to become a sniper in the army for a contract soldier? A re-enlisted person who has expressed such a desire must have combat experience or experience in participating in local conflicts.

A girl is allowed to apply for this specialty if she is a member of the military and has experience in a combat position. The applicant must clearly understand that no indulgence should be expected. All hardships will have to endure on an equal footing with men.

Selection of candidates

To learn how to become a sniper in the Russian army, you need to familiarize yourself with the requirements:

35 years old - extreme age;

Excellent vision (without glasses, lenses);

The presence of a category, not lower than the second (a sport related to sniper activity);

Not married (not married);

Must be Orthodox or even an atheist (Muslims are denied);

Absence of bad habits;

Not the only breadwinner in the family;

Military experience is required.

Everyone goes through a special selection. Due to its complexity and specificity, few people overcome it. Carefully checked:

Personal moral qualities, punctuality and desire to perform difficult tasks;

Diligence, sense of responsibility, general education;

The correctness of decision-making, reasonable self-confidence, the ability to hold accountability for committed actions;

Self-control in stressful situations.

Exam exercises

Testing professional qualities is the most problematic stage of selection. How to become a sniper in Russia? After all, not everyone is suitable for such a service. For this, there is a profile selection. Representatives of certain psychotypes are suitable as applicants: phlegmatic or melancholic. Diligent, restrained in emotions, a little "inhibited", can be out of society for a long time.

By nature, loners, especially hunters for specialists like themselves (elite). They also try to keep apart in the team. Slowness and not verbosity are their hallmarks.

Good sportsmanship is essential. Regular fitness checks accustom candidates to daily training. How to become a sniper in the Russian army and what standards do you need to pass for this? Three main exercises are an indicator of the level of compliance with the requirements for physical fitness:

100 m sprint distance (you need not to leave in 13 seconds);

Pull-ups on the crossbar with an average grip (from 17 times);

Running 3000 m, field uniform (must be completed in twelve and a half minutes).

What tests need to be passed

Checking shooting qualities is a difficult and necessary exam. This is the answer to the question of what it takes to become a sniper. Six hours without rest and three tasks:

1. Shooting from a prone position with a hand without a fulcrum, a chaotic transfer of fire to other targets. Shooting from a waiting state at different intervals.

2. Walking movement in order to develop endurance for twenty kilometers in full-time armor protection. Along the way, various introductions to the development of professional developments.

There are only three five-minute stops along the entire route to map the section. The same amount will have to show the skill of disguise.

3. Repetition of task No. 1.

Preference for those who have shown persistence. After that, everyone will understand how to become a good sniper. Obviously it's not easy.

In addition to this exam, there are additional exercises to develop special qualities in applicants. Allocate those who do not respond to the sound of a shot and the recoil of a weapon. Another test is attention to the specified object for 12 hours without stopping.

Only one in a thousand is capable of becoming an ace of shooting. Exercises are used that can shock the faint of heart: at night, the candidate is lifted out of bed, taken to an open area and suddenly pointed to the target (human), the shooter does not know that it is a dummy. Five seconds are given. This is the minimum time for aiming and pulling the trigger.

Training of snipers in Russia

Each brigade of the Russian Armed Forces is equipped with a company of universal shooters. These units are needed in the conduct of active military operations. The need for well-aimed fighters is urgent, so the question of how to become a sniper in the Russian army is acute.

There are two types of marksman.

1. Saboteur. An all-rounder, the preparation of which takes years of hard training. The shooter works alone or in pairs in isolation from the main forces. The main task is the incessant impact on the psyche of the enemy, the destruction of the will, the suppression of the desire to stick out, the creation of an atmosphere of panic horror. Such fire impact is called "sniper terror". The pair destroy commanders, observers and other targets. These specialists are extremely careful, they observe complete disguise even when a shot is fired against the background of a different sound: thunderstorms, explosions, the rumble of equipment.

Targets are destroyed at a distance of 500 meters and beyond. The saboteur sniper is equipped with high-precision small arms with optics and a silencer. If teammates are armed with a 12.7mm rifle, the target destruction range is increased to two kilometers. The assistant provides cover and is responsible for reconnaissance and the search for a new victim.

2. Infantry shooter. Here is the answer to the question of how to become a sniper for a girl. Universal for work at small and medium distances. In the old days, there were quite talented soldiers who were perfectly able to handle the Dragunov rifle. The difference from the classic station wagon is that it acts in the interests of and as part of a platoon or company. The master of fire covers the unit with well-aimed shots, destroying firing points, grenade launchers and enemy fighters. Armed with a reliable SVD. Time to choose the object of destruction is limited. Therefore, it hits any target. Range no more than 400 meters. For the enemy, the universal shooter is a priority target.

Armament

The professional is provided with advanced shooting innovations and equipment. The universal pair of shooters has a compact quantum rangefinder, binoculars and means for preparing initial data. They are marked 6S8 and a product from Kalashnikov 12.7x108 mm, which allows hitting targets at a distance of 2 km. But with a classic rifle for a professional master, the troops have not yet decided. The debate that the copies in service are hopelessly old has been going on for a long time. Their classic representative SVD (Dragunov rifle) has been in operation for more than 50 years, but it has not yet been possible to replace it with something improved, here's how. Becoming a sniper is prestigious, but I want new weapons.

Despite its venerable age, the SVD, according to experts, is still a first-class rifle in terms of its defining parameters.

Russian gunsmiths have made several promising samples of unique products. The latest concept of the Kalashnikov concern - the SV-98 - and the secret development of the ORSIS T-5000 amaze with their capabilities. The novelties will be put into service with special universal units of the Russian army.

Girls are no exception

I remember enough rumors about recent local conflicts: Transnistria, Karabakh, Ossetia, Chechnya, etc. The war gave a woman a reason to become a sniper. And let the legends go for a walk!

From school, everyone knows about the heroic shooter girls of the WWII period. At that time, the younger generation was well prepared: "Voroshilovsky shooter", passing the TRP standards. The great practice our youth received before the war gave the expected result. Then the school of snipers in the army and, finally, combat work.

Women make good shooters. They are good at hiding. The instinct of self-preservation and attention to detail often saved their lives. The ability to hold urination for a long time makes them universal. They shoot better than men, because in extreme situations they are much more stable, they approach the matter in detail, and not somehow. It was not difficult for a girl to become a sniper in those years. A high threshold of patience, sensitive perception, endurance - here they have an advantage over men. In a combat situation, they are careful, when wounded, they are tenacious. Incredibly observant and intuitive.

However, there are serious drawbacks.

Nature: the monthly physiological cycle interferes constantly, prolonged work in unsanitary conditions and as part of a sniper group is not possible.

Psychology: long-term long-term stressful loads are difficult to endure, there is a danger of a breakdown.

Action tactics

If you are interested in how to become a sniper, you should get acquainted with the methods of combat work. Arrows work one by one and two. Under certain circumstances, it is advisable to simultaneously involve a company of well-aimed fighters, this convincingly increases fire pressure in a problem area. In the deuce, the first works as a shooter, the second as a scout. Responsibilities change periodically. This technique helps to maintain a cheerful state for a long time and eliminates the decrease in the quality of vision during exploration. If there is an exceptional situation, then both fire at the same time. You need to be prepared for the unexpected.

The flank defeat was sudden, ruthless. For such an impact, sniper groups with cover are created.

In the offensive, the arrows take up places in the center of the combat position or on the flanks and destroy the enemy. Gradually move, hiding.

When fighting in the depths of the enemy's defense, fire is fired to destroy the means of support that counteract the offensive of our troops. At the same time cover the flanks.

During the Second World War, it was often practiced to sortie a pair of snipers into the neutral zone for free hunting. The danger did not stop. The thought of how to become a sniper faster was spurred on, so they were not afraid to take risks.

Disguise Features

Before the offensive:

Destroy targets that are inaccessible to weapons without optics;

They watch the enemy so as not to miss the signs of the beginning of the attack (sappers remove mines);

They pinpoint the firing points of the enemy.

With the transition of the enemy to the offensive, part of the snipers transfers fire on the manpower that has rushed forward. Others hit firepower that supports the attack of the enemy.

In defensive combat, snipers are used to control the seams on the flanks.

If necessary, they remain to work behind enemy lines. In addition to manpower, they destroy helicopters on jump sites, creating the illusion that a ruthless killer is firing from everywhere. A terrible premonition of death is traumatic, which leads to psychological disorders.

The sniper disguises himself as the area where he works: in the forest - trees, in the swamp - reeds and sedge, in the stubble - unharvested bread. There are other features in the city limits: houses, buildings, nooks and crannies. Even the bare steppe helps to hide: tumbleweed bushes, protruding rocks and stones sprinkled with sand.

These features are used by arrows, lives are at stake. If the hunter sees that the game is alert, it turns into a petrified object until the trophy ceases to feel the danger. The sniper does the same. Close attention to movement. Swarming instantly unmasks, attracts the enemy's eye like a magnet.

Grass and dense thickets will not help a sniper who moves carelessly.

To survive, you need to work hard on yourself and train.

The art of being invincible

An experienced sniper is not interested in the result of the shot. His task is to accurately send a bullet. The inquisitive lives little. And if the shooter hesitated and fired another shot, thereby violating the disguise, he is definitely not a tenant. Improving visual observation, you need to simultaneously hone your auditory skill. In the dead of night, you can rely solely on hearing. Experts confirm that in reality a person hears better than he sometimes thinks.

Psychological filters interfere with this. This can be eliminated by training and the ability to focus on what is heard.

The shooter knows how to calmly cope with the feeling of hunger, everyday inconveniences through long training sessions, through I don’t want to. To become a sniper means to become an invisible, invulnerable, secretive and patient hunter. This demoralizes the enemy and allows you to destroy the enemy everywhere, even in his deep rear. The enemy should not be underestimated - it is a strong, hardy and insidious predator. He must be lured out and then be merciless.

From an admonition to snipers during the war: “Become a good sniper. You can do what others can't. Behind the back of the Motherland, justify the trust. Be ruthless. Destroy manpower, teach the enemy to crawl. Create panic. The enemy must constantly experience a feeling of wild horror. Unfortunately, and now restless, this instruction has not lost its topicality.

The direct commanders are preparing a universal shooter in our army. He is trained in his department. The fighter is handed a standard rifle, an entry is made in a military ID, the position is a sniper. The fighter receives the necessary training. In other countries, shooters study at training centers for up to six months. There is a competitive selection among graduates. Of the 25-30 applicants, one passes a severe examination. Only then is he a sniper.

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 changeable 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 terrain. 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 with a strict requirement 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 bellows in shallow 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 he will manifest.

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 checking 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 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 uncontrollable 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 unpleasant sensations in the eyes disappear. 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.

In the 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 in the sight. Night vision is not a supernatural phenomenon, but a normal function of the body, which we inherited from distant ancestors and which is 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.

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.

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 terrain. 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 with a strict requirement 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.

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 bellows in shallow 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 he will manifest.

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.
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 uncontrollable 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 arose 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, vision can be simply "tear".

At night, you should not peer into the darkness for a long time, 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 your aiming eye. Never look at a fire at night - you still won't 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 lighting, 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, which we inherited from distant ancestors and which is 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 "looking" 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 stereo tube, 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 make chewing movements that increase cerebral circulation. The same effect is achieved by using a 0.1% solution of atropine. Put a piece of sugar under your 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 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. Military women are very clear about the implementation 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.

A. A. Potapov The Art of the Sniper
(Aleksey Andreevich Potapov - lieutenant colonel, master of sports in shooting from military weapons, instructor of the anti-terrorist unit. His military profession is a reconnaissance and sniper. Alexey Potapov's books are practical manuals on military small arms and shooting techniques. In them, he summarizes the experience of real work and describes in detail the material part, theory and tactics of warfare.)

Rifle shooters fire a shot while exhaling, using a respiratory pause (an interval of 1-2 seconds) between inhalation and exhalation. Why do riflemen do it this way and not otherwise? To better understand this, take the prone position with an emphasis. Aim the rifle at the target. Breathe in. You will feel that when you inhale, the chest has increased in volume and risen. Together with her, the butt of the weapon also rose, and the front sight lowered accordingly. When exhaling, the chest contracts in volume and the front sight rises. This happens both when shooting from a stop, and when shooting from a sling. A person who shoots a pistol can shoot both on an inhalation and on a half-exhalation, but a prone shooter from a rifle can shoot fully only on an exhalation. At the moment of a respiratory pause, on exhalation, carbon dioxide begins to accumulate in the body, which acts on the muscles in a relaxing way. The pulsation at the time of the respiratory pause is the smallest. With exhaled air and a contracted chest, the body of the shooter is relaxed in the most natural way.

Therefore, the shooter assumes a position on the target in such a way that when exhaling, the front sight or other sighting devices naturally move under the target.

Nature has given people different organisms. In some individuals, on a full exhalation, a tense state of the body is created.

This is especially pronounced in hand-to-hand fighters. Therefore, in such cases, it is recommended, having exhaled air from the lungs, inhale slightly (one quarter or half) and hold your breath. You can not hold your breath sharply. Breath holding is performed by soft cessation of breathing at full exhalation, half exhalation or half inhalation.

The shooter can and should train himself to hold his breath for the 10-15 seconds it takes to shoot. Before the shot, it is recommended to take a few deep, calm breaths and exhalations to enrich the body with oxygen.

At the time of the shot, the position of the front sight and other sighting devices relative to the target must be stable, that is, uniform. Such a stable position during sniper shooting can only be during a respiratory pause. Therefore, the sometimes used method of clarifying and vertically correcting aiming by holding the breath at various moments will be erroneous. For example, when shooting prone, the front sight is higher or lower relative to the target and the shooter is trying to adjust the aiming point higher or lower by inhaling or exhaling. This method is not recommended for beginners. This is sometimes done only by experienced craftsmen who are fluent in shooting techniques.

For novice shooters, a whole system of errors and misses is associated with improper breathing when shooting.

If the shooter does not hold his breath at all when firing, contrary to the instructions of the instructor, from the side you can see how the barrel of his rifle "breathes" up and down. Separations in this case go vertically with a large value.

The breath should be held immediately before the shot, 5-6 seconds before it, after the preparation is verified, the shooter "lay down", first pointed the weapon at the target and peered into it. A mistake often made by beginner shooters is that they hold their breath without "gazing" at the target, and sometimes without even "laying down". At the same time, at the very end of the shot, they run out of air, the beginner begins to choke and quickly presses on the trigger. This leads to inevitable failures. For an instructor, a sign of an early breath holding by a cadet is that the barrel of a rifle, which during normal work of breathing also "breathes" up and down, and then stops for 5-6 seconds to fire, does not "breathe" from the very beginning, and before the shot small convulsive vibrations of the trunk.

Beginners also go to the other extreme: they hold their breath too late, just before the shot, when the weapon has not yet "levelled" and "settled" for the shot properly. Separations are observed along the vertical, most often upwards. The instructor notices such a student's mistake, paying attention to the absence of a stop of the up and down oscillations of the barrel before the shot, or to a very slight stop.

A widespread vice of novice shooters is holding their breath for a long time when firing. When the shooter holds his breath for a very long time, delaying the shot, then in the end he does not have enough air, oxygen starvation sets in, and the shooter tries to quickly pull the trigger and finish the shot. The result is most often a miss. With all this, the shooter imperceptibly strains, which causes increased fatigue.

For a normal shot, you need no more than 5-6, a maximum of 8 seconds. If the shooter cannot meet this time, then something is stopping him. First of all, the instructor must check the correctness of the preparation: with the correct “resting” and trained, accumulated preparation, when everything that could have been ill, has been ill and does not hurt on any side, does not pull or press, nothing should interfere with the arrow. In this case, the instructor, using a stroboscope or clamping a rifle into a sighting machine with control aiming, checks the correct aiming of a particular shooter.

Such checks sometimes reveal very interesting "surprises". In the memory of the author, one of the shooters stubbornly aimed his front sight flush with the shoulders of the chest target. It turned out that his mane of the rear sight was too blurry, and therefore he always took a large fly. In another case, the shooter worked on a large target with a gap and took a very large gap. With a large gap, it is much more difficult to maintain its uniform size, and therefore this shooter all the time, as they say, "played with the gap", scattering bullets vertically.

The shooter is assigned additional exercises to develop stability and balance (see earlier). With increased nervous excitability, swimming is very useful: it calms a person like no other procedure, and increases lung capacity.

Attention is drawn to the work of the finger on the descent. Prolonged breath holding may be due to the fact that the finger simply does not "pull" the trigger (see the "Trigger Release Technique" section below).

In beginners, the most common cause of prolonged breath holding is low shooting stability due to insufficient training. Therefore, a novice shooter is forced to take a ready position for a prone position with a rifle and, observing all the rules of aiming, maintain the front sight at the designated aiming point, without breaking away from the weapon and without tearing the butt from the shoulder for an hour. All this happens without idle clicks. The shooter trains only breath-holding, performing it at the moment of combining the front sight with the desired aiming point. At the same time, the fabrication is refined and corrected at the same time. The shooter gets used to the increased loads and determines what he did right in the ready, and what was wrong and what clearly interfered with him. It is very important for the instructor that the cadet understands the need for all this and does all this consciously. The conscious enthusiasm of the shooter "from the inside" in such cases is more important than the commander's corrections "outside".

Some shooters, especially when shooting while standing, involuntarily tense the muscles of the shoulder girdle, abdomen, abdominals, neck and even face when holding their breath. As already mentioned, when shooting while standing, you need to apply calm force, but you can’t strain. The tension of one muscle group reflexively entails excessive and senseless tension of other muscles. This negates the coordination of movements when aiming and pulling the trigger. Excessive tension causes increased fatigue of the shooter.

When a shooter is tense, he will usually take a quick deep breath before firing and a quick exhale after firing. And even the expression on the face of such a shooter is tense and preoccupied.

To relieve tension, there is a very good practical technique: "sitting, while inhaling, raise your arms through the sides with your palms up, at the same time stretch your legs forward. Holding your breath for 2-3 seconds, stretch strongly. Then, turning your palms forward and relaxing your muscles, as you exhale lower your arms down and pull your legs up to the starting position "(F.I. Zhamkov. Initial training of the shooter-athlete).