Shooting with anticipation: How benchrest skills help in the fight against drones
The key problem for servicemen in the NWO zone today is enemy drones, namely kamikazes or FPV, even artillery does not cause such damage tomilitary forces. No universal means against deadly "birds" has been invented yet, the Kalashnikov assault rifle cannot cope, and the REB system is not available everywhere. The most effective is still the usual smooth-bore hunting rifle loaded with shot - it is already firmly in the arsenal along with the AK, without it it is difficult to imagine the departure of a combat group on a mission. In the Kursk region (where, according to the military, the concentration of FPV is higher than in the hottest spots in Donbass), the knowledge and skills of Vladimir Starodub from Kursk - master of sports of international class in bench shooting, prize-winner of USSR cups and international tournaments, two-time champion of Russia (one of the records is 199 targets out of 200), instructor for combat training of the regional center "Patriot" - were especially in demand against the background of current threats. In recent months, he has been training mobilized, experienced soldiers and officers, as well as fighters from the Bars - Kursk unit. Izvestia's special correspondent met with the sportsman and talked to him about the subtleties of shooting at moving targets.
Vladimir Ivanovich Starodub (right) - Master of Sport International Class in Standing Shooting
- Vladimir Ivanovich, are the flying skeet targets on the stand complex similar to moving UAVs?
- In many respects. The parameters of their movement are similar, and, accordingly, the principles of defeat, as well as the optimal distance for firing. Drones are even easier to shoot at. A plate, when flying out of a throwing machine, has a speed of 40 m/s, while on the outburst - about 10-15. A UAV also flies at 10-20 m/s when hitting a stationary target. We simulate different situations on our shooting and stand complex - frontal attack, from different angles, flying from the side - about 10 variants in total, and we try to make sure that the shooter learns them all.
A saucer struck in flight
- What are the basic principles of hitting a target?
- The main thing is to assess the trajectory of its flight and to choose the right preposition, i.e. we always shoot ahead of the target. In some cases it may be 1 meter, in others - 1.5 meters, etc. It is pointless to aim at the plate itself. Do not stop moving the barrel - this is the most common cause of misses. We move smoothly, without jerks, gently press the trigger. We must know how to handle the weapon: quickly load and reload.
The secret to marksmanship is the right point of aim
- What is the optimal distance for firing at skeet and, consequently, drones?
- The range of a shotgun blast is 60 meters. But the optimal distance is 35-40 meters. At this distance, it is enough for at least one pellet (there are several hundred of them in the cartridge - Izvestia) to hit one of the 12 rotating blades - the UAV will be hit and will fall.
For sport shooting, double-barreled shotguns with more ergonomic stock and quality barrel boring are used
- What do you say about weapons?
- In sport we use double-barrel shotguns, the difference between them and hunting guns is ergonomic stocks, more weight, better bore of the barrel. To fight FPV it is better to use so-called semi-automatic rifles, there are many variations - MR-153, MR-155, MC-21-12 of domestic production, they are able to produce four, five, eight shots in a row, there is no need to spend time on reloading. Caliber - 12. Single-barrel. A good option - smooth-bore clones of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. But at the front, of course, they use what they have. And they ask for any kind of rifle, there, as they say, not to fat. Shotguns, by the way, today are used more often than AKs, with the exception of assault rifle units.
Different modifications of firing at potential drones are practiced at the range
- What kind of shot is the most effective against UAVs?
- From "seven" (2.5 mm) - at close ranges. Up to "three" (3.5 mm) - it is capable of hitting a target at a distance of up to 60 meters.
There are several hundred pellets in one cartridge
- Are there any rules of shooter's behavior when an attacking drone appears?
- If possible, do not reveal yourself for as long as possible, i.e. do not show that you have a gun - otherwise an experienced FPV-operator may start to lead the copter by tack (zigzags). You let the copter to the right distance and hit it with a preemptive shot, taking into account the trajectory. If it is 15 meters away from you or less, you hit the target immediately. I should note that this variability should be worked on constantly. A person without experience has little chance of hitting a moving object.
A flying drone mimics a saucer
- What do you see as the most effective practice of using experienced shooters in units, as well as in the border zone of the Kursk region?
- On the front line, each platoon should have, preferably, two or three trained men with smoothbore weapons. And, I repeat, continuous training is needed, especially since there are many professional shooters in our country who can pass on their experience. In the rear, we need groups to combat UAVs. For example, the district center Korenevo at the very beginning of the invasion of the AFU was being chiseled by drones continuously. But a squad of 30 professionals could minimize all these attacks, it was enough to place shooters in pairs at intersections, roads, turns, ascents and railway crossings. A typical example: our guys recently worked on an evacuation in one of the border villages, and a driver and four military men with rifles shot down eight drones in two hours! This is a serious result. The problem must be addressed comprehensively.
Throwing machine, velocity of the flying plate - 40 m/sec
- Why and when did you choose this sport? What does it give you?
- I started practicing in the eighth grade. All my family are hunters - my father and grandfather - and I went to learn how to shoot accurately at hunting. One of my coaches was Yuri Filaretovich Tsuranov, a ten-time world champion. What does benchrest shooting give you? First of all, self-control. Since August we have been constantly evacuating civilians from the border area - the FPV danger there is high. There should be no panic and emotionality when a kamikaze appears, only balanced and clear decisions and actions. Sports background in this sense comes in very handy.
