Review by Peggy Tartaro
Managing Editor
SNIPERCRAFT, by John Simpson, 112 Pages, paperback with B&W diagrams and photos. Paladin Press (paladin-press.com), $16.
Snipers have existed since man first started using firearms for warfare. Someone was always the best with a rifle, and that someone was the sniper—charged with making the impossible shots.
During World War I there was some opprobrium attached to the term, since by then the sniper had learned to hide himself, and in some cases, lay in wait for his target. “Not quite cricket,” during the War to End All Wars, where modern warfare, including all of its new tools, was just beginning.
Today we use the term both in the military sense, where the sniper’s role hasn’t changed much in several hundreds of years, even as his equipment and technique has evolved, and to refer to someone achieving excellence in marksmanship.
While Snipercraft is designed for the reader who is interested in taking sniper training, it has a lot to offer anyone who is interested in advancing his own rifle skills.
Simpson has been teaching both military and law enforcement sniper skills for over three decades, and his breadth of knowledge shows in this careful book.
The chapter on firing positions, includes the information that the sitting position (still used today), was deployed during the Civil War.
Anyone interested in literally honing their rifle skills, particularly with the current interest in 3Gun competitions, will find something useful in this book.
