The Perfect Shot

Snipers around the world, as well as in Israel, long for the opportunity to set a world record in sniping range. Only a few actually succeed. Tomer Snir presents the complete guide to correct sniping.

he understanding that long sniping ranges can be achieved through the use of ammunition in calibers of up to 0.5” emerged during the Vietnam War in 1967. It was during this war that decorated USMC sniper, the legendary Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock, established a sniping record firing a 0.5” caliber Browning M2 machine gun and killing a VC guerrilla at a range of 2,286 meters. Such scoring capabilities (admittedly, using weapons other than the one used by Hathcock, which had never been designed for sniping purposes) have since then been developed at sniper training schools around the world. Everyone involved
is fully aware that actually hitting the intended target with a bullet fired from a sniper’s rifle is not a trivial matter. It depends on many variables that must be known and taken into consideration.

Internal Ballistics
Customarily, the trajectory of a bullet, or its ballistic path, is divided into three sections. The first section describes the internal ballistics – everything the projectile (bullet and cartridge) undergoes from the moment it enters the firearm and locked in the breech, to the moment it exits the rifle muzzle. In most cases, the description of this section addresses the rifling twist of the firearm; the mechanism that locks the projectile in the breech; the structure of the barrel (in most sniper rifles, the barrel is a “floating” one, attached to the firearm at a single point, so that the ‘whipping’ action occurring when the bullet leaves the cartridge may occur as naturally as possible, without interruptions that could affect the bullet’s trajectory); and the burning process of the propellant (gun powder) from the moment the firing pin hits the primer until the gases are released from the muzzle. The duration and characteristics of the sniper’s training will also have a significant effect on the quality of the operational shooting.

In addition to the trajectory of the bullet, from the moment it exits the muzzle to the moment it hits the target, tremendous importance is assigned to the preparatory activities of the sniper prior to the actual firing, his movements and his awareness of the various conditions that affect the trajectory of the bullet. Selecting the weapon system and the proper ammunition, along with basic long-range shooting skills (measuring the wind and the range, squeezing the trigger, body-weapon posture and so forth) are critical to the success of the mission, and are determined long before the sniper even enters the area of the operation.

A barrel that produces ‘scattered’ scores (owing to the rifling having been worn by the passage of the bullets and the frequent temperature changes during the actual firing), for example, will increase the chances of a missed shot. Poor maintenance or cleaning of the firearm (especially the bore) will alter the trajectory of the first bullet fired in an operation. What may sound negligible will, in fact, determine whether the element of surprise will act for the sniper’s benefit, in which case he would not have to deal – on top of all the other variables – with a moving target, or not. In all probability, a sniper who is not familiar with the mean ballistic deviation of his barrel when firing a “cold” bullet (the first bullet of the day, with the barrel not yet heated up by firing and with the bore containing dirt, burrs and grease) will miss his target by a few centimeters at the very least.

Another element that would affect the effectiveness of the shot includes the bullet type, make, caliber, shape, weight, the amount of propellant (gun powder) used and other variables. The stability of the bullet in the air, its velocity and attitude (its point should remain pointed at the direction of flight) relative to the target will be affected by the aforementioned factors. The specifications and performance characteristics of the rifle scope are also of critical importance for the success of the fire mission.

The Flight Stage
Once the bullet was shot out of the cartridge and exited the muzzle, the external ballistics, relating to the flight of the bullet through the air until it strikes the target, step in. This may be regarded as the most critical stage in the firing sequence, as in most cases, it will determine whether the bullet would hit the target or not. It may be stated, however, that eventually, all of the variables, from all of the different stages, must join together in perfect synergy, and a section-by-section point system cannot be applied here.

The barometric conditions in the area of the operation may change over the course of a given day, but may be regarded as constant at the time of the actual firing: barometric pressure, altitude above sea level, temperature and even the rotation of the earth all affect the trajectory of the bullet. The bullet not only travels in the direction of the target, but also spins around itself. This aerodynamic design was intended to obtain a higher degree of stability in the air and keep the point of the bullet aimed at the target.

The mechanical design of the bore, which consists of a concentric rifling twist, forces the bullet to spin from the very beginning of its travel toward the muzzle, and continue to spin all the way to the target. This spinning motion creates a pressure differential in the air enveloping the flying bullet, so that the pressure on its right side (if it spins clockwise) is smaller, thereby producing a sideways yaw or skid to the right. This 
phenomenon is known as the Magnus Effect (or force). The same effect causes the curved motion of the spinning ball in a football or baseball match.

The Coriolis Effect also affects the trajectory of the bullet, as the rotational movement of the earth changes the position of the fired bullet relative to its initial position, the distance to the target and the actual time of flight. This effect is not constant, and deflection adjustments will vary in different places around the globe, but in the context of a preplanned scenario, the sniper can factor it into his pre-shooting calculations. The density of the air in the area of the operation will also affect the velocity, duration, and the angle of the ballistic arc of the bullet. Although this may seem illogical, the higher the humidity (the higher the water content of the air), the less dense the air is. In this state, less drag is applied to the bullet, and it is likely to travel farther.

Terminal Ballistics
The third section of the bullet’s trajectory is the terminal ballistics section, which relates to the bullet from the instance it strikes the target until it comes to a complete stop. This section addresses, among other things, the ‘permanent cavity’ (or ‘wound channel’) and eventually the question of whether the target has been neutralized. This stage is very important for debriefing purposes, as the effectiveness of all of the processes that preceded the actual strike of the bullet will be determined during this stage, although it has no effect on the chances of the bullet actually hitting the target. This stage may be regarded as the outcome-based test of all of the stages preceding it.

Eventually, long-range sniping is based on a balance of benefits that covers numerous variables. Each and every factor – the weapon system, the shooter, the environmental conditions – has some effect on the actual hitting of the target. Each element of this complex system ‘pulls’ in a different direction as far as the
bullet deviating from its intended target is concerned, but eventually, the situation balances, and most of the variables may be established during the training stage.

Every sniper is familiar with his firearm and its ‘quirks’, and knows how to take them into consideration when required. The perfect shot will only be achieved after extended training and complete familiarity with the weapon system and operational environment, but after all of the mathematical, physical and mechanical aspects have been considered, a bit of luck and a gut feeling will not hurt.