Did You Know? "Match grade" means a rifle has been fine-tuned by a professional gunsmith to ensure the highest possible accuracy and reliability.

For most of us, the word "sniper" evokes some unsettling imagery -- a lone gunman, undetectable, on the hunt. And while military snipers are indeed elite shooters who hide, line up a target in their sights and pull the trigger, there is a lot more to it than that.

When a sniper takes a shot, there are countless variables to consider before squeezing the trigger --- wind speed, wind direction, range, target movement, mirage, light source, temperature, barometric pressure, and that's just the beginning. The work that goes into getting a good position to take a shot is immense. That's why snipers always work in pairs. Surprised? Most people are.­
­­ ­­

These highly skilled marksmen are often perceived as lone assassins racking up "confirmed kills." In reality, true snipers work for the military and law enforcement agencies and are far more concerned with the number of lives they save than with the ones they take.

Sniper Image Gallery

Photo courtesy Department of Defense Defense Visual Information Center
A Marine sniper emerges from the water.
See more pictures of snipers.

Because of the secretive and stealthy nature of the work, not too many people know what's really involved in being a sniper, so we went straight to the source: We interviewed a former U.S. Army Ranger sniper to get the inside information. In the next few sections, we'll go over tools, tricks, and training of these mysterious and deadly warriors.

Army Ranger SniperIn the interest of privacy, the Army Ranger sniper we interviewed for this article asked not to be named; he will be referred to as Army Ranger Sniper for the duration of this interview.