Thread: Otorohanga Sniper Shoot 13-05-12

My good mate Chris invited me along to Steve Goodman's Sniper shoot this past weekend. It was primarily designed as a service rifle event with an open class attached. Keen to test our new T3 sporters out to medium range we signed up. Saturday finally came and we headed down. It was a perfect day with little wind so we both managed to take some usefull range data. Anyway Sunday rolled on and the weather turned to custard as forecast. Being the legends that Kiwis are, everyone turned up and the shoot got underway. Of the six rounds I enjoyed the untimed 500y and 600y the best as i found them easier, with the rappid rounds really testing us all to the limit. I'd never experienced pressure like that even in the Army - I'll be practicing my two mag firing cycle in under 75 seconds till I master it.

No complaints at all. Loved every second of it Steve! I'll deffinately be back next year (If you'll have me)
-Tim

http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/3979...6-pm-149k?da=y

I read about one of these in a mag recently, the opening pic was some guy in a full camo get up with webbing, and an AR-15 with scope, looks like this one was a little more relaxed.

The full break down of the day is on the link above.

If Malcolm Gillice is a quiet red haired fella? He would be about the only real qualified sniper there. I see the old bugger can still shoot.
He has won the Army top shot 5-6 times. And one of the only non combatant soldiers to pass a snipers cse, he topped his.

Few familiar names there good stuff

If Malcolm Gillice is a quiet red haired fella? He would be about the only real qualified sniper there. I see the old bugger can still shoot.
He has won the Army top shot 5-6 times. And one of the only non combatant soldiers to pass a snipers cse, he topped his.

Its only a name. I'm pretty sure nobody there thought they were real snipers ha ha. A couple of my mates chose to take that course and they passed. I chose DFSW platoon 'cause i liked long distance machine gunning and anti armour. Engaging enemy possitions from 1km away on the other side of a hill, at NIGHT! Snipers get too much cred i reckon. They arent the only bad asses in the Army. During both phases of infantry training I routinely wooped my mates that took the sniper/recon course at shooting, but let me make one point - a sniper is so much more than a good shot. 99% of their course is recon work. Advanced bushcraft, navigation, observation etc. Most of those who fail do so before they get to do their shooting LF tests. Stupid long demoralising pack marches washed out most of that intake that i saw.
To tell you the truth I wish i'd joined the assault pioneers - blowing up shit, racing around in rubber boats, stuffing bangalore torpedoes under cat-wire. Snipers platoon looked like a bucket of tears and sore feet!

Originally Posted by Dead is better

Its only a name. I'm pretty sure nobody there thought they were real snipers ha ha. A couple of my mates chose to take that course and they passed. I chose DFSW platoon 'cause i liked long distance machine gunning and anti armour. Engaging enemy possitions from 1km away on the other side of a hill, at NIGHT! Snipers get too much cred i reckon. They arent the only bad asses in the Army. During both phases of infantry training I routinely wooped my mates that took the sniper/recon course at shooting, but let me make one point - a sniper is so much more than a good shot. 99% of their course is recon work. Advanced bushcraft, navigation, observation etc. Most of those who fail do so before they get to do their shooting LF tests. Stupid long demoralising pack marches washed out most of that intake that i saw.
To tell you the truth I wish i'd joined the assault pioneers - blowing up shit, racing around in rubber boats, stuffing bangalore torpedoes under cat-wire. Snipers platoon looked like a bucket of tears and sore feet!

Well said Dead is Better , so very true . I have shot with Simon Galliss Malcoms son , great guy and a good shot to boot .

Bit different here in NZ. Only 3 units employ snipers. With a 1% pass rate in Nz we never have enough men pass the cse to fill a platoon. Sometimes its years till a single soldier passes a cse.
That is worse than Selection for the elite group in our military. So yeah, there is a lot of pride in the pers that make the grade. Pet hates are calling anyone who fires a rifle at LR targets a sniper. And dumb fuck civvies who thinking they know the score on them, after reading a book. As you pointed out they are not all great shots. They dont have to be.
They have endured years of hell to earn their badge. And they are a huge asset to any commander on the ground. You have to admitt they are well above average as far as soldiering goes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. So forgive my Outbursts and my sausage fingers and thumbs!

If is anything like the SAS guys course they deserve their badges well and truely -their course looks like death warmed up they are so hard.

The word Sniper is bandies around loosely probably far to often and should be exchanged with Marksman or Marksmanship .
Even Sniper rile rifle is bandied around loosely also -better a marksmans rifle
marksmans event .Although even civilians can sharp shoot or Snipe !

The verb "to snipe" originated in the 1770s among soldiers in British India where a hunter skilled enough to kill the elusive snipe was dubbed a "sniper".[2] The term sniper was first attested in 1824 in the sense of the word "sharpshooter".[2]

Originally Posted by el borracho

If is anything like the SAS guys course they deserve their badges well and truely -their course looks like death warmed up they are so hard.

The word Sniper is bandies around loosely probably far to often and should be exchanged with Marksman or Marksmanship .
Even Sniper rile rifle is bandied around loosely also -better a marksmans rifle
marksmans event .Although even civilians can sharp shoot or Snipe !

The verb "to snipe" originated in the 1770s among soldiers in British India where a hunter skilled enough to kill the elusive snipe was dubbed a "sniper".[2] The term sniper was first attested in 1824 in the sense of the word "sharpshooter".[2]

The SAS selection is way harder than the Snipers to pass physically. The snipers has different requirments that are mental and bloody stressing. Sniping is a craft that shooting is a small part of. There is way more to it and remains in NZ Army one the hardest to pass. Badged SAS member still have to attend the same cse and still fail.

I have heard they are the bright sparks and leaders amoungst their peers

Originally Posted by el borracho

I have heard they are the bright sparks and leaders amoungst their peers

I wouldnt go that far either way. I work with an ex squadron member now and he is dumber than dirt. Na.
You dont have to be overly bright or a stand out leader to do the job. Most guys avoided showing their potential so they could remain in the job as long as possible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. So forgive my Outbursts and my sausage fingers and thumbs!

To do recon as a Sniper possibly alone outside of the area of saftey and be able to navigate and coordernate must show great ability of survival skills , tracking , fittness , ability to use electronic gear properly ,to be a leader that doesnt need direction to function ,be able to Hide, shoot nearly as good as El Borracho , -you can be the "avarage grunt" -no disrepect inteneded

Originally Posted by el borracho

To do recon as a Sniper possibly alone outside of the area of saftey and be able to navigate and coordernate must show great ability of survival skills , tracking , fittness , ability to use electronic gear properly ,to be a leader that doesnt need direction to function ,be able to Hide, shoot nearly as good as El Borracho , -you can be the "avarage grunt" -no disrepect inteneded

Sorry, I obviously just wasted my 16yrs in the Army as a soldier. All along, I could have learned what I needed to know from you EL b. I tried to pass on what I knew, I guess as usual I was wrong........ again.

When I said that snipers were well above average as far as soldiering goes I did not mean as an individual or that they are any better than joe blow before they were selected. Their skills and requirments after training however make them well above average as an asset.
I will say they may need to be above average in certain areas to be considered but not in general. Hard to explain.
I tried but cant be bothered anymore.