[Scatch Maroo]

Due to Sniper Central's growth in population, and an obvious growing interest in tactical shooting amongst a younger population (myself included), the idea has come up that a much more thorough and detailed FAQ be compiled.

I've submitted the idea to Mel while he is away, but have yet to hear back. I thought we might start with compiling a list of the most frequently asked questions that arise, and either simultaneously, or at a later date, others can reply with responses, and eventually, the answers will be compiled and edited (for clarity and conciseness) and submitted into *one* large FAQ, as opposed to the numerous FAQs which exist as stickies around the forums.

Let me know what you guys think: if things are thorough enough, say so... but if you think that there are a lot of FAQs not addressed in the posts below, perhaps we could begin a compilation?

Scatch Maroo

The following are the already-existing FAQ, as well as a number of stickies which are FAQs that have been asked and answered.

(The original FAQ) http://www.snipercentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=244

(A separate, yet still original(?) FAQ) http://www.snipercentral.com/faq.htm

(Mil-Dots Thoroughly Discussed) http://www.snipercentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=529

ADDED FAQs (please reply/copy-paste responses!):

Why Bolt-Action vs. Semi?
What does the Geneva Convention say about Boat-Tail Hollow Points?
What are good low-budget sniper rifles, including light custom rifles?
What is ballistic coefficiency and what role does it have within long-range shooting? (Thorough discussion)
What does a cartridge's name represent (is there any significance to the acronyms applied to a cartdige's name, i.e. .300 RUM vs. .300 WM?) and which is best for what purpose?
What are some basic shooting techniques from the standard competition positions (prone supported, sitting supported, etc.)?
What should my routine cleaning/maintenance include?
What should I look for in a scope, and how should I take care of it?
How can I use my scope's features to adjust for windage, as well as distance, utilizing ballistic tables?
Who produces a left-handed action, and should I bother to get a left-handed action, or might there be an advantage to shooting with a right-handed action if I'm left-handed (as Subthermal alluded to, hehe)?

 

[muzzleblast]

There seem to be a lot of questions that get asked numerous times....such as "bolt vs semi" or "Geneva convention vs BTHP ammo"...maybe that would help...and threads taken from the forum would save Mel some work if we answered correctly lol

 

[spade]

This has been discussed and some of us have come to the conclusion that while the FAQ's are informative, they are lacking in their completeness. Mostly we just wish to expand the current FAQ, and mabye add something on proper forum etiquette and other pertinent information.

Some of the ideas we have discussed are as follows :
1) A section on low budget sniper rifles, both factory and light custom.
2) A clear and thorough explanation of Balistic Coefficency and its role in long range shooting
3) Cartridge selection.
4) Basic shooting techniques for each recognized position (i.e Prone supported, Sitting Supported, etc.. etc)
5) A section on rifle maintenance and care.
6)Optics selection/care/proper usage. Windage and long range shooting using known ballistics tables.

Due to the recent influx of new and young shooters, as Scatch mentioned, we mostly just wish to give them something to help them really understand the concepts we have learned. LOL, we might even teach ourselves something.

 

[mele]

I'm for this idea. If everyone can continue to provide questions to be on the FAQ, I'd be happy to write the answers and post them on both the SC site and the SC Forums

MEL

 

[Xatmog146]

Due to Sniper Central's growth in population, and an obvious growing interest in tactical shooting amongst a younger population (myself included), the idea has come up that a much more thorough and detailed FAQ be compiled.

I've submitted the idea to Mel while he is away, but have yet to hear back. I thought we might start with compiling a list of the most frequently asked questions that arise, and either simultaneously, or at a later date, others can reply with responses, and eventually, the answers will be compiled and edited (for clarity and conciseness) and submitted into *one* large FAQ, as opposed to the numerous FAQs which exist as stickies around the forums.

Let me know what you guys think: if things are thorough enough, say so... but if you think that there are a lot of FAQs not addressed in the posts below, perhaps we could begin a compilation?

Scatch Maroo

The following are the already-existing FAQ, as well as a number of stickies which are FAQs that have been asked and answered.

(The original FAQ) http://www.snipercentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=244

(A separate, yet still original(?) FAQ) http://www.snipercentral.com/faq.htm

(Mil-Dots Thoroughly Discussed) http://www.snipercentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=529

ADDED FAQs (please reply/copy-paste responses!):

Why Bolt-Action vs. Semi?
What does the Geneva Convention say about Boat-Tail Hollow Points?

I agree. reorganisation is needed to avoid confusion, I cant think of any FAQ's that spring to mind urgently, but i shall think of some if I have a moment to myself

 

[morpheus]

I was just thinking that their are a lot of repeat questions. Maybe we could Make a forum that is named "Read this before you post" or something to that effect. This I think would severly limit the repeat questions, because everyone would be persuaded to go to that forum. And while it my have only one Post that Mel updates with all of the FAQs. This if just a thought.

 

[APK]

great idea! especially since I am a younger shooter myself that is very much interested in tactical shooting.

 

[FLEA]

!

I personally do not think the FAQ section needs to be any bigger.

The people on this forum are very helpful with the ocassional smart ass.

While some people may get annoyed by the same questions over and over.....remember there is always someone willing to answer and put in their 2 cents. If you dont want to respond to it you don't have too.

This can be a great way for the newer people in ther forums to get used to posting more often.

Plus its always good to get new insight into peoples thoughts on older topics.

See........My 2 cents

 

[SpEcTeR]

Heya whats up FLEA, its been a while bro. 8)


I'm with both sides on this one. a Revamped one would be good but it is true that to be reminded of such things helps even those most experienced.

I got an idea. Perhaps a more informative FAQ should be a "Member Only" thing. More like a Basics Manual of sorts than an FAQ section. That could be worth the membership alone for some....

 

[GulfCoast SniperT51]

faq

howdy all!!

i am new here so it would be kind of presumptive to reccomend any kind of changes in format or anything like that.

instead, i would like to offer my assistance to any one and every one. if you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me via the appropriate forum or e-mail or personal message or whatever. if i know that answer and can explain it fully so that you can understand it, i will. if not, i will find out who or where you can go to and point you in the right direction. the latter case will probably be the more frequent.

but i love to help if i am able, that is one of the joys of instructing. seeing people learn and grow in their knowledge.

it is so gratifying to me to see so many people with an interest in firearms, shooting, and wanting to learn how to do things the safe, correct, way.

i'd like to help if i am able.

thanks, skip

 

[GulfCoast SniperT51]

howdy again!

hey guys,

after thinking about it, there is something i would like to add to my last post.

when i posted my first thread on here about my tango 51, it was recieved well and i think muzzleblast told me hi and that he thought i could bring alot of information and experience to the table.

i appreciated that a great deal and i believe that to be the truth. and i would be very happy to share with any of you what i know.

but there is something that i cannot teach you. and that is how to have a hard heart. or more precisely, how to harden a portion of your heart. so that you can have a place into which you can lock things away that are hurtful for you to think about or remember or reflect on. things that can eat you up.

this is what i mean. early in 2002, after i had been certified as a sniper instructor, i was contacted by the tactical team commander from a neighboring agency who asked me if i would take three of his operators and train them to be police snipers.

i jumped at the chance! how great could this be? my skills were recognized and sought after by my peers. of ccourse i said yes.

so i took these three guys; all great young troops, and trained them. everything i knew. everything i thought i could teach them or show them. not just the physical mechanics of shooting well, marksmanship, range and wind estimation, hold offs and hold overs, stalking, camo, ghillie suits, urban hides, scenarios, moa, mildots, movers, physical fitness, kims games, low light shooting, stress fire, timed snap shots with no dope adjustments, qual courses, standards to be met and maintained, different rifles and calibers, departmental policies, etc., anything and everything.

and we also discussed philosophical aspects of police sniping as well. the difference between punching holes through paper targets on the range and pushing a 168g round through some man or woman's face.

i taught them every single thing i could about how to kill at a distance with a sniper rifle.

anyway, these guys were all sharp and motivated and learned well. when i had taught them all i could, i notified their team commander. pleased, he placed them on operational status.

his team members were like ours, part timers with other full time positions in their agency, mostly patrol officers. and, not two weeks or so after being operational, that agency and one of those three snipers responded to a hot call that went bad.

a domestic dispute where the male half emerged from his home with a gun and fired on the first two responding officers as they pulled up, wounding one of them. they went to cover and returned fire. it was at this time that the sniper arrived. he pulled out his stick and drilled the bad guy from around 50 yards, making that good one shot kill.

two days later, this young police sniper went to his chief, turned in his badge and his gear and his weapons and resigned. he said that he was having trouble dealing with the fact that he had killed a man, and that he never wanted to be placed in a situation where he might have to kill another.

the moral of this story is this. what we do for a living is deadly serious. cops all over the world go to work every day or night not knowing if they are going to come home alive at the end of their shift, or conversely, if a situation is going to require them to take a life. to kill someone in order to defend their own life, or a partner's, or some other innocent person.

we don't dwell on it but we know it may happen. we hope and pray that it doesn't.

so be prepared. have the physical skills to do what's necessary. but have the mindset to live with it afterwards. i can help you with the skills but living with it afterwards is up to the individual.

i have not seen or spoken to the sniper who resigned in some years. i have a great deal of respect for him and his decision. he said that his reluctance to use deadly force if called upon to do so would endager other people's lives and he wasn't going to allow that. he is a fine young man and i hope wherever he is, he's well.

thank you guys again for your time and i want you to know that i am proud to be associated with sniper central. you guys are all great.

skip

 

[Bead Drawer]

Thank you for the story and the generous offer Skip.

I'd also like to remind everyone that there are two large FAQs stickied at the top of the Rifles and Optics sections that will answer many common questions.