Becoming a Sniper (merged)

[bubba]

hollywood gotta disagree bud,when i was in we had a royal marine cdo and an american soldier join 1rcr recce in late 80's they came right to batt no retraining required.just a little ojt,i'd say mg34 can confirm my story,cause the brit is still in 1rcr.maybe things have changed now,in the pc military.

 

[HollywoodHitman]

Bubba,

I don't doubt it at all. I can only go on what was explained to me though. I'd say this guy should try to see what he can get for his civvy exp. but all I am saying is that it's more than likely they won't accept the courses. Prev. mil experience does count for sure, but it also might have something to do with how long they were out of uniform, what their rank and exp. level were etc.

I'd try it too, but I guess what I am saying is for him not to count on it. Roll the dice and see what happens!

 

[Fusaki]

Do sniper spotters(the person who helps out the sniper) take the same course as snipers? I am interested in becoming this someday, and am willing to put 200% effort to become one. Does anyone know where I can get more info? There is info on US sniper spotters but not Canadian......is there really a difference? Also I was wondering if there is a certain rank or time limit before you can qualify for it. If you want to spend more time on the firing range is there any way you could pay for your own ammo you use or is that out of the question?

A sniper det is made up of 2 qualified snipers who rotate between the sniper and observer positions. There is no "spotter" course. There is no minimum rank, but you need to be a qualified basic recce before you can go for your basic sniper course. It usually takes at least a couple years in your unit before you have the opportunity to complete both these courses. As far as I know, you're not allowed to buy your own ammo and borrow assult rifles to shoot on CF ranges.

 

[gorf]

As far as I know (I think there was a thread on this a while ago) there are no snipers in reserve. Would my years in the reserves count as experience or would they start when I joined the regs?    

 

[bubba]

hollywood,good reply i was haven a couple of wabbaly pops and kinda forgot about the ques, :-[ but i would have to say if buddy wants to wear the ring ,he goin to have to jump threw the hoop.so ta speak

 

[pbi]

As far as I know (I think there was a thread on this a while ago) there are no snipers in reserve. Would my years in the reserves count as experience or would they start when I joined the regs?   

Gorf: as Ghostwalk pointed out, while experience is a big part, the "gateway" is usually completing the Recce Ptlmn course, then getting picked up from a rifle company to serve in Recce Platoon. Most Bn Master Snipers will probably not be willing to conider a soldier unless they have seen him "walk the walk". Considering the very small size of the sniper community, and the high degree of selectivity required to make good snipers, this IMHO is as it should be. Cheers.

 

[Fusaki]

Gorf, to give you an idea of the odds consider this:

The guys who are selected to start the course have already proven themselves to be very competant riflemen and recce patrolmen. Then, of these soldiers who already perform well above average there is usually a 70% attrition rate on the course itself. In other words, 7 out of 10 guys fail or drop out. The biggest factor isn't guys quitting, or even being bad marksmen. Most guys who don't pass fail their stalking exercises, which - reportedly - is relatively hard to teach and requires allot of natural ability. In short, stalking is a test of your ability to move through an area undetected... only not quite as easy as it sounds.

I don't want to discourage you, but there is a very good reason Canadian snipers are considered some of the best in the world.

 

[gorf]

Yes, I understand what you are saying about the chances of getting in....but there is also that small percentage of people who do get in. In my opinion, I am not a bad stalker, certainly no pro but better than most hunters (on deer anyway). If I didn't at least try to get in than the rest of my life I will be wondering....What if I had tried?, Maybe I could have gotten in. Like you said there is a large percentage that fail, but there is also that small percentage that get in. Anyway, I'm going to work hard at it so at least I will increase my chances of getting in a little.

My freinds brother had tried to be a sniper but he failed the stalking test....apparently it takes the most of a day to complete the test.

                Thanks for the info.  

 

[CrimsonSeil]

I remember watching a show called "sniper school." Yea sounds obvious anyways it was very interesting to watch because it showed how difficult it was to get into sniper school. They were talkin about how a group of 30 who applied ended up to be 12. It was very interesting. It lasts for about 70 days if i can remember =P Anytime they think your not doing something right, they can remove you from the program.

 

[jeff_1986]

I too am interested in becoming a sniper.  At my young age of 18, i doubt i'll make any sniper courses, but i think it'll be a long term goal for my self.  I have been shooting for as long as i can remember.  Mostly .22 cal semi-auto and bolt actions, as well as 7x57, 30-06 scoped rifles.  I am joining the infantry because i love shooting.  I dont know if i'll be doing much shooting this summer at my basic training, but i can hope.  I dont know what to expect...

 

[ImanIdiot]

Why do you guys want to be snipers so bad?

I've never understood the fascination with it...You realise that 99% of the time, you'd just be lying in the cold(or heat), right? Now, I am no sniper myself, but I know that they make up part of the recce platoon, and are there as much to observe as they are to engage. I'm sure there are many on this board who know more about it than I, so I won't pretend to know more than I really do.

I suppose the question above could be asked regarding infantry instead of snipers...however I'm just curious, why do you want to do it? I know it looks cool in movies, and it sure is fun in video games, but I personally wouldn't want to do it.

There are some aspects which are interesting, of course. The concept of perfecting your shooting ability, and your weapon to the point where you could hit a dime from 800m is kind of alluring, if only from a professional/perfectionist point of view.

So...someone please explain it to me. Why do you want to be snipers?

 

[matt22]

Why do you guys want to be snipers so bad?

I've never understood the fascination with it...You realise that 99% of the time, you'd just be lying in the cold(or heat), right? Now, I am no sniper myself, but I know that they make up part of the recce platoon, and are there as much to observe as they are to engage. I'm sure there are many on this board who know more about it than I, so I won't pretend to know more than I really do.

I suppose the question above could be asked regarding infantry instead of snipers...however I'm just curious, why do you want to do it? I know it looks cool in movies, and it sure is fun in video games, but I personally wouldn't want to do it.

There are some aspects which are interesting, of course. The concept of perfecting your shooting ability, and your weapon to the point where you could hit a dime from 800m is kind of alluring, if only from a professional/perfectionist point of view.




The reason we all want to become snipers is because we are, in a way perfectionists. To be a sniper you have to be able to blend in perfectly, be silent, fast, and when the time comes, reveal your position and yet nobody is able to find you. A sniper is the ultimate challenge because it truly pushes you mentally and physically. Im not saying that other trades don't so don't get me wrong, but personally, to be a sniper, and elite, would make my week.




So...someone please explain it to me. Why do you want to be snipers?

 

[George Wallace]

Oakley

I don't think being fast and revealing your position are good sniper traits...

The reason we all want to become snipers is because we are, in a way perfectionists. To be a sniper you have to be able to blend in perfectly, be silent, fast, and when the time comes, reveal your position and yet nobody is able to find you. A sniper is the ultimate challenge because it truly pushes you mentally and physically. Im not saying that other trades don't so don't get me wrong, but personally, to be a sniper, and elite, would make my week.

Stealth takes a lot of time and patience.   Revealing your position will usually result in your death.   The mistakes made by the German sniper in SPR should be a lesson learned, even if it was only in a movie.   Don't think that the American sniper in SPR was the job description either.

 

[GO!!!]

To be a sniper you need
1)to be a 031
2) in the reg force.
3) pass your recce ptlmn crse
4) be selected by the recce pl and your CoC
5) pass the pre - sniper
6) pass the course
and then about 1/3 of the qualified guys do it full time.

A worthy goal though, don't stop trying - good luck!

 

[matt22]

hey george wallace, so how do you expect to fire off a round and not reveal your position at least somewhat? Do you know what snipers actually do? They shoot.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I can't wait till GW sees this one!

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Naaawwww, George is just some newbie to the military thing, what could he know....... ;D

MODERATOR NOTE- Oakly stay in your lane, you might wish to check Mr Wallace's profile before firing of some blanks..... :-X

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

hey george wallace, so how do you expect to fire off a round and not reveal your position at least somewhat? Do you know what snipers actually do? They shoot.

Instructions in plain English and types slowly for comprehension:
1) Open Mouth
2) Open it wider
3) Insert foot
4) If feet are of dimished size or mouth is bigger insert other foot.
5) Get to know other posters before stupid comments are made.

 

[GO!!!]

Well well,

Oakley is obviously speaking from his own extensive experience, aptly demonstrated in his profile.

As per his less than well thought out comment - anyone who has done a stalk knows that you must fire more than one round on certain targets.

SOOOO if you were revealed after the first one, like GW said you would be dead, or simply fail the stalk/course.

Thanks for comin out Oakley.

 

[from darkness lite]

Ref Oakley:

Don't you just love it when a Subject Matter Experts gives us all a lesson??? :

Cheers