The OTOA Basic Sniper School commences with classroom instruction, covering essential topics such as equipment selection, setup, ammunition selection, and a comprehensive review of internal, external, and terminal ballistics.
The range instruction component focuses on honing fundamental marksmanship skills. This includes training on alternative shooting positions, zeroing a rifle, mastering grouping techniques, and ensuring precise scope tracking.
Live-fire exercises and function drills are strategically designed to evaluate the reliability of the rifle/optic combination in real field conditions.
Students will engage paper and steel targets up to 300 yards (range dependent) using a variety of improvised positions.
The course concludes with a session on preventative maintenance and equipment care, ensuring a holistic understanding of sniper operations.
Body Armor is MANDATORY for this class. Any of the following three options is acceptable:
Ballistic helmet (if issued)
All precision rifles are REQUIRED to be "ZEROED" before you arrive for the first day of class.
Precision rifle with adjustable turret scope, bipod, and sling
Ammunition
ANY / ALL EQUIPMENT for a “call out” or SWAT / SRT activation
If you are allergic to bees, outdoor plants, or animals, please bring your epinephrine pen or other medication.
Life-threatening allergies and pre-existing injuries or conditions must be reported to the OTOA training staff on day one of training.
Day 1
0800-1000 - Paperwork, Waivers, Intros, Basic Sniper Power Point Scope Theory
1000-1030 - Shooting Positions/Marksmanship
1030 -1100- Data Books/Cold Bore
1100- 1130- Ballistics
1130- 1200- Weapons Maintenance/Weapon breakdown/Explain torque specs
1200- 1230 Lunch
1230- 1245- Prone Demo/ Show Press Check/ Explain Ocular adjustment
1245- 1345- Check Rifles/ Confirm Zeros at 25 yards
1445- 1630ish (End of Day) - Range Time
Day 2
0800-0845 - MIL/MOA Range Estimation/Range Card PPT
0845-0930 - Mil-Dot Range Estimation Exercise
0930- 1030 - Sniper Deployment/Equipment
1030-1100 - Camouflage/ Urban hides
1100- 1200 - Greenside Concealment Exercise
1200- 1630ish (End of Day) Range Time
Day 3
0800-0830- ASA Data
0830-0900 - Legal
0900- 1000 - Sniper Shooting Debrief
1000-1100 - Observation/Intel/Kims Game
1100-1200- Kims Game / Observation Exercise
1200- 1630ish (End of Day) Range Time
Day 4
0800-1000 - Multi-Jurisdictional Ops and Moving Targets
1000- 1600 Range Time
1600- 1630 – TEST Review
Day 5
0800- 0900- TEST
0900 - 1300 Range time
1100- 1300 - Moving Targets
1300- 1400 - Instructor Critiques need to be completed before the Certificate will be available on OTOA website: Present Top Gun Certificate/ Hand out Coins