Re: Xtreme Sniper Match...Xtreme Disappointment
Sorry i had to quote this trash just to save for future laughing!!!
Hey Bruce come to the SH Bash and lets test your 10,000 worth of training!!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Roamingdoc</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was there.
First, let’s look at (and I am not an expert rifleman) at the idea of rifle shooting.
Here in Kalifornia there is a paucity of long distance ranges, more so when you consider out to a 1000 yards. Desert Marksman has a nice one, BUTTs and all but it is ‘flat’. And shooting at a ‘controlled’ range requires you submit to the delays that are inherent in ‘controlled range’ shooting. So the selection of this particular area was not, in and of itself, a bad choice.
Other land users? Yeah, that was a bummer but actually it is also inherent that BLM acreage is going to be shared, the comment about ‘cease fires’ was, to a degree, valid but it was an overused call as most vehicles were a good 1200+ yards out and not in a direct line of fire. There were a ‘good call’ dozen or more cease fires. So I don’t think that is any different than a ‘regular’ range allowing for changing targets.
I read somewhere about ‘making a sniper’ and this was one of the comments, “go outside on the hottest day possible wearing a winter coat. Lie in the grass and support your head with your hands while resting your elbows on the ground. “DON’T MOVE” no matter what happens do not move. Don’t scratch an itch, swat a bug or adjust your position. Do this for at least one hour. If you succeed at this you are on your way.” Being an ardent watcher of the Military Channel, I’ve watched some military sniper contests and some of their training. Dressed in a ghillie suit, dragging their weapon, the candidates had to maneuver on their bellies (for most of it) to within a certain distance, undetected, and fire a kill shot and then REMAIN undetected even after. It was hot, sweaty and, sometimes, unrewarding work and it was also FLAT. Another comment mentioned, “Snipers must have the ability to work alone and or with one other Marine. The must have great self control and patience. They have to have the ability to remain calm while all around them there might be chaos. They must be able to navigate any and all terrain using only a map and compass.” Having communicated with a Marine who now shoots in far off places, he said his training was for various angles of fire and that he was often out for several days in training just moving before he’d get a shot. Interesting. Lots of time just sitting, crawling or moving, much less to very little time shooting.
The skills of hitting any target within your rifles ability, at any angle, require some degree of the same type of patience and skill level. There were no automated or hi-tech devices allowed at this shoot. Paper, pencil, PDA (as a calculator) were allowed. Mildotting for distance figuring was allowed but there were time restraints once the ‘size’ of the target was provided (there were only three targets and having lots more would’ve just confused the mildotting efforts and made the shoot much slower [I mean, one of the poster’s comments was ‘not pulling the trigger’ for a lengthy time]. So knowing how to use your scope for calculations of distance, calculating on an extreme downhill angle and patience were all part of this shoot. I compare a few hours (which was NOT the case in most portions of this shoot) with the kind of time spent crawling, hiding and finally shooting in the military shoots and wonder. Do you want to be at a flat range, shooting at known distance targets under the usual range restraints… or did you want to see if you could hit a ‘few’ hard shots when everything is unknown? Snipers usually only get ‘one shot’. And it should be said that many of the shooters heard the instructions, found spots from which they could see, scope and hit each and every target for each and every segment of the competition and did not DQ by ‘moving’ their site. Recall, “real” snipers cannot just get up and say, “Hey fellas, hold on, gotta move here.” I think, that in future such events, “if” a group has decided that they picked a bad ‘hide’ and need to relocate they SHOULD be allowed to, but they have to crawl and drag to that new location just like they would in the ‘real world’. No getting up, grabbing a bite, bitching and moaning and then walking about ‘checking’ each possible new location until the find the one that is just right… but of course they want to move back to their original site because the next relocation of targets invalidates their ‘new position’.
I’ve been to this exact location several times. It is remote, generally completely void of vehicular or foot traffic and a great place to ‘learn’ how to use your scope for steep and distance shots. There have been a half dozen to a dozen shooters at those times and not one of them complained about the fact that targets had to be moved (which by the very nature of the terrain, takes time) or that “crap, now I can’t see it” type circumstances existed. Everyone understood the real world shooting or sniping is not consistent and targets don’t just ‘move’ to an opportune location for the shooter! It is all about surveillance and target acquisition. The majority of shooters at this event did fine with those priorities.
I’m sure some folks just don’t care for Krell or his particular personality. We are a diverse group, heck some shooters are voting for Obama! That pretty much invalidates cohesiveness and agreement. I’ve been around some of the ‘instructors’ Bruce has imported. He’s never said he went thru ‘Marine sniper school’ as a Marine or even like the Marines have to do it. He’s said that he helped develop a protocol for some of their ballistics training and asked to be allowed to participate in the training to better facilitate the ‘program’ and its creation. That is what he did and several of his guest instructors vetted that information. He’s not chest thumping. Sure, his rules can be irksome on occasion; he can be short or harsh from time to time. We’re not all here to sing CUMBAYA together. His classes are safe, run on time, provide all levels of shooters a good chance to learn and improve for very reasonable prices (have you not seen classes that charge three or four times as much ‘locally’ (Los Angeles, CA) and the instructor spends more time fawning and preening than teaching). Krell accepts criticisms, acts on them and also allows himself to be the butt of many ‘guest’ instructor’s jokes. He was polite to the few folks who most loudly bitched and complained at this shoot. There was one person who was absolutely ‘annoying’ and several other shooters came to Krell and said, “Do not ever invite him again!” So, for those who said, “What did you expect” and so forth – come to any of his classes before you judge. You have one poster who was obviously disappointed but I ask anyone to set up the logistics (just price AR500 steel prices!), program and insurance on such a shoot and include the ‘extremes’ of distance and angles and “keep everyone happy”? Proof? Make one exclusive comment on any shooters forum and watch the flames. Most of us are rather ‘extreme’ people (excepting when it comes to unity of vote) and have our own opinions and so forth. This shoot was a good test of all that ‘sniping’ entails. Patience, ballistics and skill. It was a good shoot and most of those involved came away knowing what they had to work on and improve.
That’s how I saw it… flame on.
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