Group
Utilise overwatch positions that have a good combination of the following factors:
Consider relocation when a position is compromised, i.e. when shooting from it
The ability to spot a bullet’s impact is incredibly important in long range shooting. While a hit on target may be fairly obvious, spotting a miss and correctly providing a correction can be even more important. This can sometimes be difficult for the shooter who has to recover from recoil or whose optics may not be powerful enough to see the impacts at range. This is where the spotter comes in.
Positioning
In order to best observe bullet impact and provide the most accurate corrections, the spotter’s sight picture needs to be as close as possible to the shooter’s. That means looking at the target from nearly the same bore height (level of the gun barrel) and with as little offset left or right as possible. To accomplish this, the spotter should place themselves either directly behind the shooter or immediately next to them and behind the shoulder on the same side as the weapon. Adjustments for terrain or other obstructions should be kept to a minimum if possible. Figures 1 & 2 below illustrate the proper positioning as close as possible given limitations of object placement in the game.
This way the shooter will see and measure a missed shot the same as the shooter would through his scope. For example: if a shot missed by 2 mils right from the shooter’s perspective, a spotter positioned several meters or more to the shooter’s right might only observe an error of 1 mil and would not provide an accurate correction as a result.
Spotting impacts
Bullet impacts can be readily observed at moderate distances with regular rifle optics, depending on terrain. At longer ranges the spotting scope will help the spotter see impacts that the shooter cannot. To have the best chances of observing bullet impacts at long range, the scope must be set to maximum zoom in. Also, it is helpful to set terrain detail in the game options to the highest setting your system can handle.
Bullet trace
When terrain does not allow for spotting of bullet impacts, or when shooting past a target that does not have a solid backdrop, the spotter can observe bullet trace to see where the shot went. Trace is the blurring effect in the air along the path of the bullet as it travels at supersonic speeds, pushing the air aside and causing distortion.
The spotter needs to be directly behind the shooter or as close as possible to observe this effect. Because trace appears along the arc of the bullet’s flight path, the spotting scope should be zoomed all the way out so as not to lose sight of the trail as the bullet changes elevation. Also, bullets do not leave trace at subsonic speeds so this will not be a useful technique past around 1200m depending upon the cartridge being used.
Above: Spotter positions, behind and beside the shooter.
Good communication between the spotter and sniper can really help achieve mission success. This starts prior to the mission brief and stepping off, during which time the pair should establish an understanding of what each would like and what the other is comfortable to give in terms of communicating shot adjustments. Agree on the method to be used ahead of time to avoid distraction and confusion once the mission starts.
There are numerous ways to communicate shot adjustments. This guide will cover three of the most common, but sniper teams are encouraged to modify or use what works best for them to achieve positive results in their operations. Regardless of the method used, the principle is the same in that you are giving corrections that will move the point of impact, or ‘splash’, onto center mass of the target or aiming point.
Adjusting in MRADs
This is potentially the smoothest and most accurate method of communicating shot adjustments in many of our operations. Most sniper loadouts consist of rifles with MilDot reticles which are matched by the spotting scope that also uses MilDots. This allows for a seamless translation between what the spotter observes and what adjustments the sniper needs to make.
MRAD adjustments can be given in mils themselves, or as ‘clicks’ of adjustment on the scope. Use whichever method is most comfortable between the spotter and sniper. When announcing corrections in mils, always try to give the actual decimal measurement versus saying a fractional value. For example, to correct a round landing 4/10ths of a mil to the right you would say “.4 mils left.” This makes it easier for the sniper to automatically know to make an adjustment of 5 clicks left on the scope. Otherwise, you can do the math for them and give them the correction in clicks. An example in this case for a shot observed landing 1.1 mils low would be “11 clicks up.” See Figure 1 below for an illustration of these examples.
Adjusting via Clock Sectors
Although not as accurate as using MRADs, communicating shot adjustments via clock sectors can be a quick and expedient means of moving the bullet impact on target. It is also useful when the spotter or sniper does not have access to a MRAD reticle.
To adjust a shot in this manner, think of the target as having a rifle competition target superimposed on it and divided into sections numbered like a clock. The spotter then communicates the adjustment based on where the bullet impacted in relation to the bullseye. A shot that impacted slightly low would be communicated as a “9 or 8 at 6 o’clock.” A high-left impact would be called an “8 or 7 at 10 o’clock.” See Figure 2 below for an illustration of these examples.
Adjusting Points of Aim
Another expedient method of communicating shot adjustments is altering points of aim. This involves a two-way communication between the sniper and spotter. The sniper calls out where he was aiming at the moment when he took the shot. This may or may not be center mass due to rifle sway or other factors, or may be something like “right at the head between the eyes”. The spotter then observes the impact of the round and then tells the sniper where to aim instead in order to move the impact onto the desired hit location. In the example above, if the round went high and to the right of the target’s head the spotter might say something like “Try aiming lower at the left shoulder.” Again, this is not the most accurate way of communicating shot adjustments, but can readily be used when the sniper does not have a mildot reticle and speed is of the essence for follow-on shots.
Above: MRAD adjustments and Clock adjustments.