SWAT Long Rifle marksmanship training

[shooter]

Hello-

I am thinking about becoming a SWAT team sniper, but I'm not a police officer yet though and that'll come later. My question is: is it better to practice shooting with a scope or do you have to qualify with iron sights? Also, how good do you have to be with a pistol?

-Thank you

[bd]

1) Go through the Police Academy.
2) Do your time in patrol (2-3 years)...learn to be a good officer first.
3) Go through SWAT selection and screening (you do have to make the team first both on a physical and psychological screening).
4) Do your share of team work for a while.
5) you see where I'm leading with this, right?

Seriously, before you get flamed here. Becoming a sniper isn't about just shooting. Good shooters don't necessarily make good snipers. 90% of a snipers job is observation. The sniper is the eyes of the team. In many ways, it's the most important job. Your attention to detail, observational skills, and (this is very important) personality have a lot to do with becoming a sniper. It's not about setting up your M700 and shooting.

Many teams don't even have snipers. It's all up to the individual department and what they have setup as their procedures and policies. Same with marksmanship (for both handgun and long gun proficiency). If you go to SWAT school, you'll be taught everything you need to know.

Don't worry about practicing now. The first thing you need to be is (in this order) a good officer, a good SWAT team member, a good sharpshooter.

Take care and be safe.

BD

[WS-G]

shooter:

The most difficult battle you will ever fight at any point in your entire law enforcement career is getting hired by an agency in the first place.

Keep in mind that applicants get rejected for every reason in existence — good ones, bad ones and stupid ones — and sometimes for no reason at all. The overwhelming majority of individuals who apply never get in.

The high-speed, low-drag mindset is not an asset in the hiring process, by the way. Career bureaucrats absolutely sh*t Tiffany cufflinks when faced with that, and when you go looking for a job with the PD, the SO, the State or the Feds, these are the very individuals you have to get past.

You would think an SOF background would make getting hired a sure thing? Wrong! You'll see far more ex motor pool, signal, supply and finance pogues than you will those with, say, SF or LRSU backgrounds working in law enforcement. For every one of the latter who gets hired, there are at least as many more who don't.

[Sharky]

You guys beat me to it.

Your profile says that you are a student. Do us all a favor and worry about being a student for right now. After you graduate, go be a cop. Be the best cop you can be. Like the man said, after 3 years, then, you might want to start thinking about SWAT. As far as being a Sniper goes, the job picks you. You don't pick the job. That holds true in Military and LE teams alike. Try not to be overzealous about being in LE. That is the fastest way to insure that you won't get hired.

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F.I.D.O.

[ED18D]

You guys are the greatest. Learn something new here everyday. Almost like being in the Army again.

[shooter]

Thanks everyone for the information, I really appreciate it.