This past month, the four lucky winners of the Ashbury Precision Ordnance’s (APO) Epic Shooting Sports Equipment fundraiser raffle, took part in an all inclusive Marine Scout Sniper Marksmanship Experience adventure. Organized and operated by the experiential RifleSports activities group at APO, this authentic Marine Scout Sniper camp took place in the forests of Central Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains on remote private grounds accessible by 4×4 off-road vehicles and helicopters.
The Marine Scout Sniper Marksmanship Experience is a realistic, two-day/two-night weekend-long sniper camp designed to provide adventurers with an exclusive hands-on, up-close and personal experience into the world of the Marine Corps MOS 0317/8541 Scout Sniper. The Marine Scout Sniper Experience is led by former senior Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO’s) with many years of leadership, global war on terror combat experience, and in training Infantry Marine allied forces, MARSOC snipers and sniper instructors.
Photo courtesy of APO
Participants in the Marine Scout Sniper Marksmanship Experience are provided with all equipment for their field craft activities and live firing training to include: APO precision tactical rifles, match grade ammunition, premium rifle & observation optics, night vision & thermal sights, safety gear, backpacks, and ghillie suit camouflage. Each participant receives personal Scout Sniper coaching and instruction in Fieldcraft while engaging reactive steel targets during day and night range training from a variety of firing positions out to beyond 1,000 yards using .308 Winchester precision rifles, just like active duty Marine Scout Snipers.
Live-fire range activities culminate with participants engaging targets out to 1760 yards (one-mile), firing APO .338 Lapua Magnum, .375 Cheytac® and .50 BMG caliber rifles to include the powerful Barrett 50 calSASR (Special Application Scoped Rifle) anti-materiel rifle. While the emphasis of the sniper camp is focused on the sniper’s fieldcraft and expertise with the long gun, participants are also familiarized with APO Custom Shop 9mm, .45cal pistols and .223 M4 type sound-suppressed carbines for close-in engagements.
Photo courtesy of APO
APO’s Epic Shooting Sports Equipment fundraiser raffle benefitted Hope For The Warriors, a national nonprofit dedicated to restoring a sense of self, family and hope for veterans, service members and military families.
“Programs like Ashbury’s Scout Sniper Experience help Hope For The Warriors raise vital funds to support our veterans’ services programs, while providing motivated and patriotic citizens with a seldom seen glimpse into the world of specialized American military combat infantrymen,” said Christopher Sharon, Chief Operating Officer at Hope For The Warriors and, himself, a former Chief Instructor at Quantico’s elite Marine Scout Sniper Schoolhouse. “The glitz and glamour of what is portrayed about Scout Snipers on television shows and the movies does little to explain the intense hard work, patriotism, and dedication to the sniping craft each sniper embraces. Many hundreds of hours of training in a variety of disciplines are required for a Scout Sniper to earn their coveted H.O.G.’s tooth and become effective combat assets protecting Marine ground forces, gathering intelligence, and eliminating hostile threats on the battlefield as required.”
For information on APO RifleSports Lifestyle Experiences, precision shooting, hunting, tactical firearms and military sniper adventure travel, visit APOExperience.com
