Shooter Spotter Dialoge

Gunslinger PLRS

Shooter And Spotter Dialogue: Getting On Target

www.gunslinger.net.nz
Gunslinger PLRS Limited
© 2011, Gunslinger PLRS Limited, New Zealand.
All rights reserved.
Contact: shane_cossar@hotmail.com

Spotter

HOME

Marksmanship is important in practical long range shooting, but a spotter (as above) can provide the winning edge in a team event.

All photographs this page courtesy Lake Sinclair.

Introduction

The field style courses used in Gunslinger events mean that a shooter must overcome three major challenges; accurately estimating range, correctly estimating wind, and making the minimal numbers of shot adjustments to make a hit.

In most Gunslinger events the shooter is encouraged to also use a spotter, or to get the squad to assist. The spotter can assist with range estimation, wind estimation, ballistic calculations, and also calling shot adjustment. While many peope are good shots, the Gunslinger winners tend to show one clear advantage - great communication between the shooter and their spotter.

While there are many military manuals available for sniper training, few detail the methods for communication between shooter and spotter. And many military training schoold leave the actual dialogue up to the shooter and the spotter. This article provides a method for communication for a team of a shooter and spotter in a field style practical long range shooting competition and has an emphasis on using prowords and consistency. Teams utilising such dialogue will find communication not just more concise but also significantly faster due to less repetition and fewer misunderstandings.

There is no single right way to communicate but what is detailed below provides a solid basis for a team to establish a winning routine.

Other information on this page:
Introduction
Sequence Of Events
Prowords
Phonetic Pronunciation Of Numbers
Frame of Reference
Basis Of Adjustment
Example Dialogue

Sequence Of Events

In order to be efficient the shooter and spotter communications must follow a standard routine, which starts from the time the shooter is called to the firing point.

Activity	Description
Instruction for COF	The range officer will initially advise the approximate location and type/s of the target/s.
Locate target	The spotter locates the target/s while the shooter gets into a comfortable position. The shooter should initially dial down magnification to get a larger field of view.
Identify target	The spotter should then advise the specific target/s and any sequence for engagement. The shooter should now confirm the target/s and increase magnification.
Determine range	Three parts; 1 – estimate the range/s ie metres or yards to target/s, 2 – calculation of elevation adjustments eg mils, MOA, 3 – shooter makes elevation adjustments on scope (or hold-over if using an applicable reticle).
Determine wind	Three parts; 1 – estimation of wind, 2 – calculation of windage adjustments eg mils, MOA, 3 – shooter makes windage adjustments on scope (or hold-over if using an applicable reticle).
Engagement	Spotter advises they are viewing the target, then the shooter advises they are about to fire, then the shooter fires. The range officer will call the shot a hit or miss.
Follow-up	Shooter follows through, and the spotter calls the fall of shot ie not just hit or miss, but also point of impact. If circumstances permit then additional shots may be called or adjustments may be made.

For information about hunting with a spotter read "Advantages Of Using The Long Range Spotter" by Shawn Carlock at Long Range Hunting online magazine at:

http://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/spotter.php

For information with a military sniper prespective read "The Shooter / Spotter Relationship" by Michael Haugen from Remington Military Products at:

http://usarmorment.com/pdf/DA%202005.07MH.pdf

Prowords

Using prowords will shorten communications and increase understanding between shooter and spotter. We'll all be familiar with 'Roger', but there are others applicable to shooter and spotter communications.

Proword	Description
Cease fire	Do not shoot, shooter takes finger off the trigger and makes the rifle safe
Come-up	By spotter – Adjusted data - add / increase the elevation or windage
Come-down	By spotter – Adjusted data - drop / decrease the elevation or windage
Correction	My last sentence was incorrect, this is the correct data
Doubtful	Bullet impact was not seen, provide a “best guess”
Elevation	By spotter - Elevation data to follow
Hold	By spotter - an adjustment for elevation or windage that is not dialled
Range	Range data to follow eg Range 1690m
Ready	By shooter – The shooter is on target and ready to receive range and wind data
Repeat	By spotter - Fire another round with the same data as the previous
Roger	I understand
Say again	Say what you said in your last sentence again
Send it	By Spotter - The spotter is viewing the target and the shooter should fire
Splash	By shooter – The shooter is about to begin trigger squeeze – the spotter should now concentrate attention on the target
Stand by	More information will follow
Stop	Do not shoot, shooter takes finger off the trigger and makes the rifle safe
Target	Target description and location to follow
Wait	Pause for a few seconds eg said by Spotter when waiting for a gusty wind to stabilise, and once conditions are better the Spotter would again say Send It
Wind	Wind data to follow

This shooter has just completed a Gunslinger stage. Follow-through is complete but the rifle hasn't yet been unloaded (the magazine is still in place). In this case the spotter is on the shooter's left.

Note the shooter has electronic hearing protectors - when they are on they allow him to easily hear the spotter

Shooter

Phonetic Pronunciation Of Numbers

The military was using phonetic pronounciation long before texting came into force. Using phonetics will ensure your complex information is heard clearly and the first time.

Consistency: Choose the format of how you will convey numbers eg (a) Range, wun thousand and sixty niner, or (b) Range, wun, zero, six, niner. You should not have to say metres or yards.

Number	Pronounced	Number	Pronounced
0	Zero	1	Wun
2	Too	3	Tree
4	Fo-er	5	Fife
6	Six	7	Seven
8	Ait	9	Niner

Frame Of Reference

In order to provide correct data the shooter and spotter must communicate in the same frame of reference - the shooter doesn't have time to recompute a MOA adjustment when they have a scope with elevations in mils.

Consistency: Choose the format of how you will convey:
(a) Range data eg metres or yards
(b) Elevation data eg mils or MOA
(c) Wind data eg miles per hour or metres per second
(d) Windage data eg mils or MOA

There are two ideals; the gear of both people is in the same frame of reference eg they both have scopes with mil adjustments, and that the riflescopes have the same adjustments for both elevation and windage eg mils.

Basis Of Adjustment

In order to provide correct follow-up the shooter must develop a standard basis of making adjustments, and the spotter must understand what that is. Basically, does the shooter use hold-overs or make manual adjustments, or a combination?

Consistency: The shooter should always use the same basis of adjustment:
(a) Totally using hold-overs for both elevation and windage eg a scope with a Horus Vision H37 reticle
(b) Totally using elevation and windage knob adjustments
(c) Hybrid eg (c1) initial elevation hold using elevation knob adjustments, but having a mil-dot style reticle making come-ups using hold-over, or (c2) elevation hold and come-ups using elevation knob adjustments, but having a mil-dot style reticle for all windage by hold-over

Shooter and Spotter Dialogue for Elevation and Windage

This example of dialogue includes the Range Officer who provides instructions and monitors safety, the shooter is the one who is responsible for taking the shot and who is scored, and the spotter is providing advice to the shooter.

The example includes both indexing / clicking for elevation and wind plus also holding over. At shorter distances one or other is suitable by themselves, but at extreme ranges where one click may put you off target it may be necessary to do both. The dialogue is a little long winded, and a shooter spotter pair would cut it down to a more basic level.

Range Officer	Shooter	Spotter	Explanations
Competitor [name], move to the firing point.
This stage is Unforgiven. It has a single firing point. There is one full sized IPSC metal plate target – there [RO to point]. The target is forty five centimetres wide and seventy centimetres high. It is one thousand six hundred and ninety metres away. You may fire a total of up to five rounds and you have ten minutes in total to shoot. You will be scored on the time it takes to hit the target once.	As soon as the intructions are being read the shooter will be listening to the RO, looking for the target/s, and getting into position.	As soon as the intructions are being read the spotter will be listening to the RO, looking for the target/s, and getting into position.	This is a typical set of instructions for a Gunslinger match stage. For most long range stages the clock has started as soon as the competitor is called.
Load five rounds. Are you ready? Start.
		Target! Twelve O’clock, above gate on fenceline, single IPSC target, white.	Spotter has acquired the target through the spotting scope and indicates: Direction Geographic marker/s Type of target Other identifying characteristics
	Roger. Twelve O’clock, above gate on fenceline, single IPSC target, white. Target identified.		Shooter has acquired the target looking through the riflescope – at the magnification used for firing. Spotter must hear that it is the correct target - Gunslinger matches have various targets, sometimes several stages in a field of view.
	Target zero point four five mils high.		If ranging using a reticle.
	Angle zero.		For example, using Horus Vision ASLI.
		Roger. Zero point four five mils high. Angle zero.	Spotter is making the range calculation.
		Range sixteen hundred and ninety three metres.	Alternatively use laser range finder. Calculate elevation.
		Dial twenty two mils plus one click.	Which is 221 clicks if the elevation per click is 0.1 mils.
	Roger. Twenty two point one mils – indexed!		Elevation turret is now set.
		Wind, from three o’clock, six mph.	Always direction wind is coming from, speed for example, using a Kestrel.
		Dial wind right, two point three mils.	Wind is dialled for 2.3 mils right.
	Roger, wind from three o’clock, six mph. Two point three mils – Indexed!		Windage turret is now set.
		Wait! Winding gusting high.	Shooter should not fire until instructed.
		Send it.	Shooter should now fire, using existing indexes and hold-overs.
	Splash.
	BANG!		Follow through. Reload (if part of COF).
Miss!			Wind has dropped to 5mph.
		Miss! Stand by.
		Elevation good. Shot right, zero point four mils.	Evaluate and, if necessary, recalculate impact.
		Wind, hold left four clicks.	Come left 0.4 mils.
	Roger. Wind, hold left four clicks.		Wind is now dialled 1.9 mils right.
		Send it.
	Splash.
	BANG!
Hit!			The RO makes the scored call.
		Hit! Centre-hit.
	Roger. Centre-hit.
Ceasefire! Unload.
	UNLOADS.		Unloads and shows clear.
Clear.			RO checks the rifle is unloaded.

The best placement for a spotter (Archie) is on the firing side of the shooter, slightly behind, and with the same line of sight - that way the spotter is likely to see bullet trace. But it all depends on the ground. In this case if Archie were to be back a little further he'd be dropping down onto a track and would be too low.

Spotter placement

It can be very hard to see bullet impact for a target that doesn't have a backstop. If no impact is seen call "Doubtful" and quickly provide a best guess.

Target

Disclaimer: Shooting is potentially dangerous and damaged equipment can be expensive to fix. You should confirm all changes to be made to your rifle system and shooting practices with your local gunsmith or gunshop owner. The example and data above are provided for information purposes only. No warranty is made for its suitability or use within your rifle.