Just back from a thoroughly enjoyable 5 days in the Czech Republic attending their "Police Sniper Championship with International Attendance"….a competition for "active Czech and International Police and Military Members".
Whilst the bulk of the 106 participants represented former Soviet states such as Bulgaria, Hungary and Russia several 'Western' teams were also present from locations as diverse as Portugal, Denmark and Belgium:
US attendance was limited to one individual (who rather made up for his lack of team mates with the size of his personality!). The Brit team was a rather ad hoc grouping assembled by Cz resident David S (who posts here as 'ds').
David's generosity and hard work in ensuring we were to have a great time was evident from the moment we stepped off the plane in Prague to be whisked through passport and customs by a Czech police escort until the moment of our departure. Czech hospitality was superb (and, I must say, the range food (provided by the Cz Army) was absolutely excellent!).
All shooting was known distance; the only pressure imposed was that of time. In the photograph below a detail is being briefed. In this instance the target on the right was to be engaged with 5rds prone at 300m; the centre hostage target with 2rds prone at 250m and the left target with 5rds sitting unsupported at 200m:
All shooting took place within 450m; with half the final day being taken up with quite a challenging variety of single-shot targets from a variety of shooting positions between 172 and 69 metres.
A few other photos:
The Czech police are far more military in nature than Western police forces (for example, they regularly deploy snipers to Afghanistan):
Details always presented a fascinating array of kit and styles (only the nearest 2 shooters in Brit cam are British; the other fellows in Brit cam are Russian (russian styles ranged from classic soviet cam through to mafia-look leather jackets!))
The fellow standing with his back to the camera (a Czech police sniper)won the individual competition with some outstanding marksmanship (the team event was won by a Russian team)
And a wide variety of Gucci kit:
Whilst the bulk of the 106 participants represented former Soviet states such as Bulgaria, Hungary and Russia several 'Western' teams were also present from locations as diverse as Portugal, Denmark and Belgium:
US attendance was limited to one individual (who rather made up for his lack of team mates with the size of his personality!). The Brit team was a rather ad hoc grouping assembled by Cz resident David S (who posts here as 'ds').
David's generosity and hard work in ensuring we were to have a great time was evident from the moment we stepped off the plane in Prague to be whisked through passport and customs by a Czech police escort until the moment of our departure. Czech hospitality was superb (and, I must say, the range food (provided by the Cz Army) was absolutely excellent!).
All shooting was known distance; the only pressure imposed was that of time. In the photograph below a detail is being briefed. In this instance the target on the right was to be engaged with 5rds prone at 300m; the centre hostage target with 2rds prone at 250m and the left target with 5rds sitting unsupported at 200m:
All shooting took place within 450m; with half the final day being taken up with quite a challenging variety of single-shot targets from a variety of shooting positions between 172 and 69 metres.
A few other photos:
The Czech police are far more military in nature than Western police forces (for example, they regularly deploy snipers to Afghanistan):
Details always presented a fascinating array of kit and styles (only the nearest 2 shooters in Brit cam are British; the other fellows in Brit cam are Russian (russian styles ranged from classic soviet cam through to mafia-look leather jackets!))
The fellow standing with his back to the camera (a Czech police sniper)won the individual competition with some outstanding marksmanship (the team event was won by a Russian team)
And a wide variety of Gucci kit:
