If you want to get better at something, it\u2019s worth learning from the best. As a guy who likes to shoot at small pieces of steel at very long distances, I\u2019m always looking to up my game. The same goes for my shooting partner, Chris Gittings, with whom I\u2019ve shot any number of sniper-style team matches over the years.<\/p>\n
Lucky for us, we\u2019re both good friends with Sean Murphy and Greg Hamilton. For a long-range competition shooter that\u2019s like being a basketball player who\u2019s tight with Jordan and Pippen. Except in this case, both these guys are like MJ.<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=\/d7UM1Vwz9Rg<\/a><\/p>\n Simply put, Sean and Greg are the most dominant two-man shooting team in the long-range rifle game today, and they\u2019re arguably the best duo in sniper comp history. Every long-range sniper match worth winning, they\u2019ve won. It isn\u2019t an exaggeration to say that when they\u2019re in the lineup, everyone else is basically vying for second place.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a brief list of their notable first-place finishes:<\/p>\n Their track record of success has been noticed in some very elite circles, including our special operations community who regularly call on Sean and Greg, who go by SG Concepts, LLC, to train them in the finer points of long-range shooting and team marksmanship. (Sean\u2019s and Greg\u2019s day jobs are with Nightforce Optics and Proof Research, respectively.)<\/p>\n They also offer occasional classes to civilian shooters\u2014you can check out their availability at info@sgconceptsllc.com<\/a>\u2014where they teach everything from basic rifle prep and marksmanship, to gear loadouts for endurance shooting competitions, to solving advanced problems that you might encounter in a match under time pressure.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve had a chance to watch them in action up close, and it is something else to see how smoothly they work together, how efficient their communication is, and how quickly they come up with solutions to complex shooting problems and ring steel.<\/p>\n To get a feel for how Sean and Greg work their magic, I arranged to have them train me and Chris over the course of a few days. I wanted to see what they could do to help us get to the next level. While their focus is on team shooting competitions, the skills they teach are equally applicable to shooters who compete on their own and to hunters who like to go afield with a buddy. When you think about what goes into successfully hunting the backcountry with a partner\u2014the gear prep, the communication, the need to stay positive in the face of adversity\u2014it dovetails with the lessons Greg and Sean teach.<\/p>\n Sean and Greg break their training curriculum into four categories: basic precision rifle skills, basic team skills, advanced shooting skills, and advanced match skills. Over two or three days of training these build on each other and I\u2019ll touch on each.<\/p>\n But I want to cut to the chase and highlight the most critical skill of all for an effective shooting team\u2014communication.<\/p>\n Having a shooting partner is not unlike having a spouse. You\u2019re going to have good days, bad days, times when you mesh perfectly, and times when you\u2019re out of sync with each other.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The only way to navigate the inevitable hiccups and to overcome obstacles is through solid communication. More than marksmanship skills and more than rolling with the best gear, communication is what makes the difference between success and failure in a team shooting match.<\/p>\n Communication touches every aspect of the process. It influences how well you and your partner prep for the match, it concretizes your strategy for how you approach a stage, it mitigates and prevents mental errors, and it will pull you out of the ditch when your plans go haywire.<\/p>\n This was, by far, the most important takeaway during training with Sean and Greg. While there are some circumstances where less is more, for the most part you won\u2019t go wrong over communicating with your partner.<\/p>\n Here are some specific examples of things to review with your partner. Prior to the match you should have a gear checklist that the two of you share. Who\u2019s bringing the spotter? Does someone have a backup tripod in case one goes down? Is one person in charge of getting snacks and food?<\/p>\n After the stage brief is another opportunity to over communicate. Did you both come away from it with the same understanding of the course of fire? How are you going to approach the stage?<\/p>\n Before you step up to the line make sure you\u2019ve checked each other\u2019s gear to make sure everything is squared away. And so on.<\/p>\n Obviously, you need to make sure your kit is ready to go. Ammo loaded. Verified dope entered into your electronics and printed on hardcopies for backup. Fasteners checked on your gun, rings, bases and anything else that needs screws to hold it together.<\/p>\n When it comes to shooting with a partner, however, there\u2019s another layer to this.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to know your partner\u2019s gear as well as your own,\u201d Murphy says. \u201cSo in the middle of a stage when they forgot their support bag, you can dig it out of their pack and not burn too much time.\u201d<\/p>\n This is a more esoteric, yet still vital, element to succeeding in a team match. Who on the team is better with wind calls? Is shooting from unsupported positions more difficult for one of you? Is your partner particularly skilled at finding targets? All these details will help you shape your strategy and shoot more effectively.<\/p>\n The stage doesn\u2019t begin when the RO says, \u201ctime starts now\u201d and the buzzer goes. It begins with the stage brief, which determines your plan of attack.<\/p>\n \u201cListen closely during the stage brief,\u201d Murphy says. \u201cGreg and I treat the RO like a third teammate. We ask questions and get as much information as we can. To the degree the match format allows, we\u2019ll use the RO\u2019s knowledge to the fullest.\u201d<\/p>\n Once the brief is complete, you and your partner need to settle on a plan and divide the tasks accordingly. Who\u2019s ranging the targets? Is the first shooter responsible for building their position, or will the other person help them get tripods, bags, and other supports in place?<\/p>\n This is also the time to review all the instructions and make certain you understand exactly what the stage requires and allows. Do you have to shoot the targets near to far? Or can you go left to right? \u201cGamers\u201d get a bad rap\u2014and some shooters take cutting corners too far\u2014but there is nothing wrong with thinking through the stage and figuring out if there\u2019s a better way to skin that cat. The ability to envision a stage creatively is a skill that separates the top shooters from the middle of the pack.<\/p>\n One example of the need for mental focus was when Sean and Greg ran Chris and I through a relatively complex stage with an involved stage brief. Like most shooters, we were fixated on finding the targets, getting solid behind the rifles, making sure our wind calls were on point, and ringing the steel in the time allotted.<\/p>\n We started with rifles and pistols ready next to a shed and on the command to go, Chris ran ahead to shoot the steel. I had to wait until he was done shooting and crossed back over the starting line before I could take off. We did this with both pistols and long guns.<\/p>\n Chris cleaned the stage no problem, sprinted back, and off I went. I threw my Proof Conviction<\/a> down, found the targets and hit them all in order\u2014a clean fast stage. Yet after my last shot Sean didn\u2019t stop the timer. I looked up at him and he just smiled. I wracked my brain. Did I engage in the wrong order? Was there another target I didn\u2019t find? Did I not actually hit the last target?<\/p>\n Panic started to set in. Not knowing what else to do I whacked the last target a couple more times, but Sean still didn\u2019t stop the timer.<\/p>\n After we timed out\u2014and scored a zero\u2014Sean reminded us that the stage brief indicated that time stopped when shooter number two ran back across the starting line. In all the excitement I forgot that detail, as did Chris. What should have been a great stage turned into a wreck.<\/p>\n Sean and Greg built up the challenges to create mental stress for me and Chris, and learning to operate under that stress was one of the most valuable facets of their training.<\/p>\n As important as the whole process is around being an effective shooting team, the most critical element is hitting your targets in the time allotted. Obviously, foundational marksmanship skills are essential. But beyond the basics of establishing natural point of aim, breath control, trigger control, and knowing how to drive the rifle and manage recoil, there\u2019s a lot that goes into getting hits when shooting as a team.<\/p>\n \u201cDo what you have to do to make the shot,\u201d Greg says. And by \u201cyou\u201d he means you and your partner.<\/p>\n \u201cThe non-shooting partner should always be doing something,\u201d Sean says. \u201cThat can be providing a physical support, blocking the sun from the shooter\u2019s eyes, helping spot impacts.\u201d<\/p>\n The point is to figure out what you can do to make your buddy\u2019s time behind the trigger go more smoothly and increase the odds of him or her getting hits.<\/p>\n Sooner or later in a team match you\u2019re going to end up in a cramped position where you and your partner will literally be on top of each other. Even if there\u2019s plenty of room for you to stretch out, you might have a stage designed so that the only line of sight for a shooter and spotter is through a single small window. You\u2019ll be better off draped over each other instead of burning time moving out of each other\u2019s way.<\/p>\n You might get some funny looks at the gun range, but it makes sense to practice these positions so you\u2019re not trying to figure it out on the clock.<\/p>\n This can be a real sticking point that makes or breaks a shooting team. You\u2019re behind the rifle and just saw a plume of dust kick up next to the steel after your shot. You thought you were a foot to the right, but your partner behind the spotter gives you a different wind call. What do you do?<\/p>\n If your partner was tasked with spotting, then you go with what he or she says and make a correction based on that and send another bullet downrange.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t second-guess your partner,\u201d Sean says.<\/p>\n Once you and your teammate divide up the tasks on a stage and establish your respective areas of responsibility, ride with it and stick with the plan. There\u2019s no quicker way for a pair of shooters to tank than freelancing on the clock and ignoring each other.<\/p>\n Even if it turns out your partner\u2019s call was wrong, you\u2019ll have time after the stage to review and refine your tactics for the next stage to avoid repeating the error. But the middle of a stage is the worst time to disagree or squabble.<\/p>\n When someone takes up the game of chess, their first goals are to understand the rules, figure out how the pieces move, and learn some basic principles around developing the pieces in the opening. With these in place, there\u2019s only one way to get better\u2014minimizing mental errors.<\/p>\n Blunders are going to happen\u2014they are a fact of life for even highly skilled players\u2014but there\u2019s a direct correlation between winning and avoiding these mental snafus.<\/p>\n The same is true in most forms of competitive shooting and is especially the case in team shooting matches that involve problem solving on the clock.<\/p>\n Prior to every stage at a match, Chris and I do the Macarena. You might be surprised to learn that this dance\u2014arguably the pinnacle of Western culture\u2014isn\u2019t just for Tik Tok and weddings. The hand moves\u2014going from head, to chest, to hips, and down the body\u2014are a useful way to make sure we have ears, eyes, binos, loaded mags, support bags, dope card, and anything else the stage needs on hand before we begin.<\/p>\n When we say \u201cmacarena\u201d to each other, not only do we check our person, but we also check our rifles from top to bottom. We make sure the scope is zeroed\u2014or if the distance to the first target is known that it is dialed to the correct value. That the magnification is set to the right amount (usually at 12- to 15-power, though sometimes less if a wider field of view is needed). We check to see if our suppressors are tight. We dial in a parallax setting during this process too.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Making sure you\u2019ve got your poop in a group before the timer starts is one of the easiest errors to avoid.<\/p>\n Unless there\u2019s some reason for you and your partner not to talk during a stage, you should keep up a steady banter to help each other out. One common mistake shooters make\u2014whether when solo or with a buddy\u2014is forgetting to dial the scope between targets. Complex stages, developed by devilish match directors, can trip up even the best of us.<\/p>\n As your partner transitions to a new target, a quick \u201cdid you dial?\u201d will keep that from happening. It\u2019s a good habit to develop and will save you points over the course of a match.<\/p>\n Likewise, coaching each other through a stage can be a huge benefit. Reminding your partner to brace their elbows on the rock or barricade or move to a new shooting position as the stage calls for, will help you finish better.<\/p>\n Target identification is another way partners can help each other. Talking each other onto targets and making sure they are engaged in the correct order is an easy way to accumulate points and avoid a costly, and common, mental error.<\/p>\n Making sure you and your partner complete all the tasks that a given course of fire requires is also key. I fell victim to this, as I mentioned above, when Chris and I were shooting the drill that required us to run back to the starting point. Since I was the second shooter and in the midst of the action, I blame Chris for costing us that stage. Joking aside, making notes on your arm board or dope card delineating the stage requirements is a way to avoid this.<\/p>\n At some point you\u2019re going to have a terrible stage. Either you or your partner will have a yard sale with your gear, you will have forgotten to load a mag prior to the stage, you\u2019ll run the wrong dope, or your tripod will collapse and send your support bag flying. Like Thanos\u2014it is inevitable.<\/p>\n Should your partner completely mess up, the best thing to do is tell them it is okay, not to worry about it, and give them a cookie. Seriously. Give your partner a snack and make sure they have something to drink as well. As any parent who\u2019s ever dealt with a frustrated toddler knows, a little sustenance can work wonders on a person\u2019s attitude.<\/p>\n There will be plenty of time to review what went wrong later. In the heat of the moment, the best thing to do is to lower the temperature and help your partner get grounded so they can recover and do better on the next stage. Offering criticism, no matter how well phrased or intended, isn\u2019t a smart move.<\/p>\n Whether they are called \u201csniper competitions,\u201d \u201ctactical field matches,\u201d \u201cpractical long-range matches,\u201d or some other name, the goal of any stage can be reduced to a simple phrase: Find the targets, hit the targets.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve got two options when it comes to finding targets. Either one person on the team is tasked with that chore, or both shooters can look for the targets. The right approach depends on the specifics of the stage.<\/p>\n If the stage requires deploying a tripod to shoot or establishing a complex shooting position it can be better for one team member to find the targets, then talk the other shooter on to them.<\/p>\n If the stage has a large number of targets, or the match director has made a point of obscuring targets or has scattered them over a large area it can work better to divide the job.<\/p>\n In that case, each shooter should focus on a specific area so that you aren\u2019t finding the same targets. Communication is key to making this an efficient process. Pick an easily identifiable landmark and have one person search to the left of it and the other person look to the right, for instance.<\/p>\n I love it when I can just point my rangefinder at a target and get a good range. Often, however, that isn\u2019t possible.<\/p>\n Sometimes the target is too small to ping directly. Or the target is positioned so that the range you get isn\u2019t correct. Crafty match directors will place targets down narrow, vegetation-choked shooting lanes or on the backside of a rise in the ground to trigger a false reading.<\/p>\n Often the best thing to do is to range the ground at the base of the target if you can see it. (I shot one match in the rolling plains of Eastern Colorado where I did this and never attempted ranging the actual targets.)<\/p>\n If a target looks like it is tucked between two folds in the ground, range the near and far fold and split the difference. In the case of targets on the backside of hills or down narrow shooting lanes, get the best range you can and then guess as to how much yardage to add.<\/p>\n Sometimes to get a good range you need to ping a terrain feature that\u2019s far to the left or right of the steel but that appears to be the same distance from your shooting position. Be prepared to get creative. <\/p>\n It also pays to learn the ins and outs of your specific rangefinder. Take time to figure out where the laser actually hits in relation to the rangefinder\u2019s aiming point. They rarely line up perfectly. (You can ascertain this by lasing on and around the sharp defined edge of an object like a chimney, roofline, target backer, or billboard. By noting when the rangefinder gives readings on whatever is behind the object you can figure out the relationship between the aiming point and the laser.)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Also, using your rangefinder\u2019s scan mode or toggling to best\/last target mode can yield better results.<\/p>\n You and your partner should develop a common vocabulary for ID-ing targets and practice talking each other onto them. The key is to convey just the right amount of information. Too little communication will leave your partner in the dark, but too much input can muddy the waters and lead to confusion.<\/p>\n One of the biggest benefits to shooting with a partner is having an extra set of eyes on the target to give feedback on hits and misses. This can be critical for fine-tuning wind calls and diagnosing when something\u2019s gone wrong.<\/p>\n That said, sometimes it is better for the non-shooting partner to do something other than spot. If the shooter feels confident about the position and the course of fire, the non-shooting partner can make better use of the time by getting set up for his turn, or by pre-positioning bags and tripods for the shooter in case the stage calls for movement.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve alluded to it elsewhere in the story, but one of the team marksmanship skills that Sean and Greg emphasize is how to use tripods, bags, and even the non-shooting partner\u2019s body to create a stable support.<\/p>\n Run drills where the non-shooting partner is the one placing and moving these supports for the shooter. How you manipulate a bag or tripod for yourself, versus for another shooter, are two different things.<\/p>\n When it comes to next-level skills\u2014and this is an area where Greg and Sean excel when they shoot together\u2014there are two categories to think about. One is pure marksmanship skills and the other concerns match strategy.<\/p>\n There\u2019s an almost endless list of targets that can fall under the \u201cadvanced\u201d category, but for the sake of simplicity we\u2019ll focus on spinners, which are one of the most common advanced targets encountered in matches.<\/p>\n Sometimes the goal is to just flip the spinner over while taking as little time to do so as possible. But some stages use spinners to reveal other targets placed behind them that must be engaged as well.<\/p>\n It isn\u2019t unusual for a pair of shooters to have the option to take on the spinner at the same time. In this case you want the two initial shots to impact the target simultaneously to get it moving.<\/p>\n The best technique for a team to break their shots at the same time is for one of the shooters to count down from five. But you don\u2019t want to pull the trigger on \u201cone.\u201d Instead, break the shot on the hard \u201ctee\u201d of \u201ctwo.\u201d That\u2019s a much clearer, cleaner sound for the ear to register than the mushy \u201cwah\u201d in \u201cone.\u201d<\/p>\n Once the spinner starts to move, the trick for the shooters is to time their subsequent shots so that the bullet arrives at the same time the plates on the spinner are perpendicular to the ground.<\/p>\n Mastering this takes practice, but for spinners placed more than 300 yards downrange it can mean breaking the shot when the spinner is 90 degrees or so from being in position.<\/p>\n Avoiding mental mistakes and keeping your partner on task is how you avoid losing points in a match. The flip side is to figure out how to win extra points. That\u2019s what separates really good team shooters from the rest of the pack.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no single answer for how to do this, as every match is going to have its own quirks and point-winning opportunities.<\/p>\n Read Next:<\/strong> Bes<\/a>t<\/a> Rifles of 2023<\/a><\/p>\n But it hinges some of the most important points that Sean and Greg emphasize. Listen carefully to stage descriptions and the general match rules, processing and analyzing that information, and clearly communicating with your partner to form a plan and look for opportunities to exploit.<\/p>\n To accomplish this, you need to maintain your focus when not shooting. This means giving the RO laser-like focus during the stage brief and gathering data between stages. For example, if you\u2019re able to get to the next stage and watch shooters from the squad in front of you, hustle up there and get on glass instead of hanging back and stuffing mags. This will give you clues as to target locations and wind.<\/p>\n The trick is to make the most efficient use of your time. That\u2019s how you\u2019ll earn extra points\u2014and a higher place in the final rankings.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
Team Shooting Skills<\/h2>\n
![\"Learning](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/13\/Sequence-01.00_02_27_07.Still004-edited.jpeg\")
Communication is Key<\/h2>\n
![\"Sean](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/13\/Sequence-01.00_05_20_00.Still010.jpeg\")
Prepping For a Team Match<\/h2>\n
Know Your Shooting Partner\u2019s Gear<\/h3>\n
Know Your Partner\u2019s Strengths and Weaknesses<\/h3>\n
![\"Shooter](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/13\/Sequence-01.00_05_06_04.Still008.jpeg\")
Making a Plan<\/h2>\n
From Hero to Zero<\/h3>\n
![\"Learning](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/13\/Sequence-01.00_10_33_14.Still013.jpeg\")
Making the Shot<\/h2>\n
Up Close and Personal<\/h3>\n
Trust Your Buddy<\/h3>\n
![\"Learning](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/13\/Sequence-01.00_00_20_03.Still001-edited-1.jpeg\")
Avoiding Mental Errors<\/h2>\n
Gear Check<\/h3>\n
Keeping Each Other On Task<\/h3>\n
Meeting the Stage Requirements<\/h3>\n
![\"Learning](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/13\/Sequence-01.00_04_54_07.Still007.jpeg\")
When Things Go To Hell<\/h2>\n
![\"Learning](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/13\/DSC08325.jpeg\")
Team Marksmanship Skills<\/h2>\n
Target Identification<\/h3>\n
![\"KYL](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/13\/Sequence-01.00_15_01_06.Still016.jpeg\")
Rangefinding Skills<\/h3>\n
Know Your Rangefinder<\/h3>\n
Sniper Talk<\/h3>\n
Spotting Shots (and When Not to)<\/h3>\n
![\"Learning](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/13\/DSC08144.jpeg\")
Shooting Supports<\/h3>\n
Advanced Team Shooting Skills<\/h2>\n
Spinners and Simultaneous Targets<\/h3>\n
![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/13\/Sequence-01.00_11_00_12.Still015.jpeg\")
Winning Points<\/h3>\n