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  1. #1
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    Scout Sniper

    Ok a few questions about becoming a scout sniper.

    My father tells me that I'm too tall to be a sniper? So is it true that shorter snipers are prefered. I'm only 6' by the way.

    I want to know if scout sniper is for Enlisted Marines only, or can an Officer be a scout sniper aswell?

    I have fired only a few guns in my life, so I'm not entirely sure how good I am with guns. What's it take to become an Expert Marksman? Any tips/exercises I can do to work on field craft aswell as marksmanship?

    Would this work: Go get a broom stick/metal bar, make an amatuer Ghilli suit, and lay in my yard obeserving what ever there is to observe?

    I dont own any real weapons, but would shooting a beebee gun/pelet gun repeatedly at targets improve my marksmenship (im not in any way trying to compare the Marine Corps arsonal to that of a beebee gun or broom stick). I just want to improve anything I can while I wait for the day I join the Marine Corps.

    Thank you once again for taking the time to read my post,
    Colby


  2. #2
    Look, become a marine first. There's no height cutoff, I have a friend who is a scout sniper and 6'1". Your best bet, don't practice shooting. Those who haven't learned anything about shooting tend to do better than those that have. The reason being, you have a clean slate. It's easier to start fresh than overcome any bad traits you may have picked up while shooting before basic. Just let the Marine Corps train you, work out as much as you can now so you won't be hurting as much later.


  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Colby View Post
    Ok a few questions about becoming a scout sniper.

    My father tells me that I'm too tall to be a sniper? So is it true that shorter snipers are prefered. I'm only 6' by the way.

    I want to know if scout sniper is for Enlisted Marines only, or can an Officer be a scout sniper aswell?

    I have fired only a few guns in my life, so I'm not entirely sure how good I am with guns. What's it take to become an Expert Marksman? Any tips/exercises I can do to work on field craft aswell as marksmanship?

    Would this work: Go get a broom stick/metal bar, make an amatuer Ghilli suit, and lay in my yard obeserving what ever there is to observe?

    I dont own any real weapons, but would shooting a beebee gun/pelet gun repeatedly at targets improve my marksmenship (im not in any way trying to compare the Marine Corps arsonal to that of a beebee gun or broom stick). I just want to improve anything I can while I wait for the day I join the Marine Corps.

    Thank you once again for taking the time to read my post,
    Colby
    This is it -
    Would this work: Go get a broom stick/metal bar, make an amatuer Ghilli suit, and lay in my yard obeserving what ever there is to observe?
    Go for it. Make sure no one can see you. Be so still your Dad comes close with the lawnmower. Don't move for hours. Hold your bladder. You are absolutely on the right track.



    Are you REALLY 20 years old?


  4. #4
    Can't wait to see Kim's response to this.

    I prepared myself for my Arty MOS by lobbing water balloons in my backyard.
    I was good.


  5. #5
    Run, Pull-ups, and sits ups everyday until you leave. That's the best thing you can do to prepare for the Marine Corps. Leave the Marksmanship training to them, You will learn a TON before you need to worry about laying in the weeds, Pickin' General's off...But your motivation's at the right level! Just shift it to the physical training! Good luck Killer!


  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by rvillac2 View Post
    Can't wait to see Kim's response to this.

    I prepared myself for my Arty MOS by lobbing water balloons in my backyard.
    I was good.

    LOL!

    As far as the questions.

    No there is no height cut off. I've seen Marines that were 6'4 that are snipers.

    Technically no, officers are not snipers. The platoon commander is an Intel officer not an Infantry officer. They can however go to the course. So the answer is Yes and No at the same time. Understand?

    Just PT and don't worry about a broom stick or pellet gun.

    If you want to learn some of what they go through. Drink about 2 gallons of water over an hour. And don't pee for the rest of the day. If you do make sure you pee your pants. As Billy Madison said, "Your not cool unless you pee your pants."


  7. #7
    I think we need to write a sticky thread for all the scout sniper/ recon wannabes. What it is now ....atleast 3 a week come on here asking about it?


  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Colby View Post

    1. - Would this work: Go get a broom stick/metal bar, make an amatuer Ghilli suit, and lay in my yard obeserving what ever there is to observe?

    2. - I dont own any real weapons, but would shooting a beebee gun/pelet gun repeatedly at targets improve my marksmenship (im not in any way trying to compare the Marine Corps arsonal to that of a beebee gun or broom stick). I just want to improve anything I can while I wait for the day I join the Marine Corps.
    Those two statements/questions above might be two of the dumbest things I have ever heard in my entire life.

    Really freakin dumb.


  9. #9
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    Lol, yes I am indeed 20, I'm sorry if my two idea's sounded childish. I dont have alot to work with at the moment, so I'm making use with what I do have. Saturday morning I am going to drink 2 gallons of water, get a bunch of grass and lay in my yard all day making observations.


  10. #10
    That won't work you have to keep drinking water after the 2 gallons. I must have forgot to add that in. It is VERY important to stay hydrated.

    If someone sees you then your position is comprimised. You MUST evade immediately.

    wooohoooo this is fun


  11. #11
    Happiness is a well covered E&E route.
    Be sure your Mom is on standby and in an overwatch position.


  12. #12

  13. #13
    Dumb freakin' questions but I am loving the responses. Good training!


  14. #14
    haha this thread just reminded me of a scout in my bn, he thought that since he was a designated marksman for a while that he could go around telling civilians that he was a scout sniper! ****in turd!


  15. #15
    I’m thinking someone else is going to find this thread someday and I want to put some good information behind it, or my version of it. I’ve been thinking about some stuff that you could do to prepare for a job as a Marine Scout Sniper, or a job that's related. Now, I have to disclose that I did not go to SS school, but I went to a few related to, and I was the Chief Instructor for DM school the last two classes I was there for. Back in the day.....

    So with that little disclosure, I’m going to give you a few exercises that you can work on. The only skill that you can really work on alone would be observation skills. Assuming that you are mentally sound, and a PT stud already. You will do more harm then good trying to learn how to shoot a rifle, never mind a scoped rifle. Land Navigation isn't something you can really work on now. However, you can train your eyes and develop basic observation skills with these two drills:

    KIM Games – stands for Keep in Mind or Memory – you can do a good observation exercise right in your house. The way we did KIM games in a schoolhouse environment in the Marine Corps is not how you will do it. But you can still get something out of it. You want to fill up an old sneaker box or something like that (we used ammo cans) with a bunch of SMALL odd items, anywhere from 10 –20 of them. For instance, you could use: a paper clip, fridge magnet, ballpoint pen, coins, a receipt from a store, you're looking for SMALL items to put in the box. Once you have them in the box close it, make sure you cannot see inside and then shake it up and down. It would be "ideal" if you could have someone else pick the items and put these items in the box, but you can do it yourself. Then open it up and look at the items for a minute. The object here is to quickly memorize exactly what is in the box. After the minute is over go sit down away from the box and with a pen and peice of paper, in 1 minute, write down what was in the box. From the basics of just what the actual item was, all the way to writing a little description of each item.

    The military version of a KIM game is much different in terms of who is setting it up and the items that you place in the box. In addition, in the military version you would be more descriptive with items, and less judgmental about what they were. Intel guys will figure it out; just get a great description of each.

    Another thing you can do is practice some actual observation exercises. Not peeping in at your neighbor. Get out in your backyard with those same ten items that you had for the KIM game, maybe add a few more and take a few out. Small stuff though, no lounge chairs or dirty sneakers, the goal here is to make the items that your going to be hiding tough to find. You want to put these items in the grass, on tree limbs, near a bush, behind a bike, near a fence,,, anywhere in one general area but remember to make them somewhat hidden (hidden is relative, up close they might not appear hidden but further away they could disappear.) So, to make sure you understand this, put the items on one end of your back yard, and go lay on the other end of your back yard to look for them. It’s "ideal" if someone else hides them, AND… if they know what the items is and not you. But you can get some value out of doing this alone. Much more then laying around with a broom stick in your....

    Once you have put those items out, go away for a day or two. When you come back, lay on the ground in the prone position opposite the area where you put those items the day before, you don’t want to be too close but you also don’t want to be more then 25 yards with the naked eye. Now you can lie there; make sure your bladder is nice and full, while the bugs crawl in your eyes, ears, nose and mouth - First, try to pick out the items, and then describe them by writing it down on a peice of paper. In the begining you should allow for about 30 minutes or looking, once you get better and go out a little one or two hours is the maximum time you want to allow for. After you get good; and you can not consider yourself good until you can find all the items in 30 minutes or less, that SOMEONE ELSE put out. But once you get good at that, then get some bino’s and spread out the distance. Try putting 100 yards between you and the objects. Go to a football field,, and run some drills there....

    Ultimately, both of those observation exercises are designed to train your eye to be better able to hunt for targets. You want to build your observation skills to improve your overall situational awareness. That is key. I did more observation drills then I care to tell you about. But to this day I can be, driving, walking, running,,, anywhere doing just about anything and I can still pick out stuff that nobody else can see. Or I see it first. I’m not superman, but my eyes have been trained in ways that most people can't realize. KIM games and observation drills heighten your ability to see the little details, and that’s 99.99% of a Marine Sniper’s job. Observe and remember, and if necessary deliver a well placed shot. But you can’t work on that yet…..


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