IamA former Army Ranger sniper with 33 confirmed kills in Afghanistan, AMA!

Most unusual thing you saw while aiming down sights?

a guy taking a dump on the side of the road. He was no threat, just a guy who really had to go.

you should have grazed his poop to give him a little extra help

That wouldn't help me. I wouldn't even be done pooping and I would just run away.

ahahahha

Has killing a person effected you in anyway (PTSD, depression, etc.) or do you look at it as doing your job and it's not a big deal?

for sure. The first person really did. I was 18 operating the .50 M2. Had a bad dream that reoccurs every once in a while. Still have a hard time dealing with the loss of some of the guys we lost

Were any of your kills against another sniper trying to hit you?

Almost. My recon team had been pinned down for 3 hours against a really good sniper. He had a good position and was really hard to hit. We didn't get him, but a couple of years later I heard that an SAS team killed him

How do they recognise who is who and such? Is it from heavy surveillance? As in, how did they know that the sniper that was killed was the same one that was pinning you down?

That's a good question. Because of who the unit was who got him, the work up and how they gather things is top notch. But really not sure what they do to gather that intel

What got you started on the path to being a sniper? Or even just joining the army?

I always wanted to be a sniper, since elementary school. Wanted to be a SEAL, but I found out that I was color blind. An army nurse forged my documents and I became a Ranger. luckily

Maybe don't admit that on the Internet.

lol.

I asked this below but it's probably buried. What percentage of people who go out for the sniper program actually make it through to become snipers?

Thank you for your service.

I believe nearly half finish the course. Most fail the stalking and final shot.

How do you feel about the average person in those countries?

I think the average person just wants to make a living. Not everyone is bad. There were some really good people.

If you had to choose one movie that most accurately describes what it's like to serve overseas, what would it be? Did Jarhead get it right?

Jarhead was good for pre GWOT, the best movie I've seen that got it to a T is a hard one. I would say Lone survivor. The firefight scene was legit.

Longest confirmed, with what weapon, under what conditions?

just shy over half a mile with the SR. Not bad conditions, calm wind, good humidity, BP on static target

Nicholas,

First off, thank you for your service. I've seen you in the news recently and have to say you seem like a very classy person. Even when Michael Moore was attacking your profession, you kept it together. Kudos.

As a person who recently got into hunting(last 3 years), I want to get better at my long range shooting. I've recently picked up a Weatherby Mark V in 30-378, and have developed a custom load. I've been able to get a deer out to 600 yards. I have the simple bullet drop ballistics worked out to 1000 yards(even though I don't have the practice in for that yet). I may even want to get into competitive long range shooting, as it is an incredibly fun sport.

What are some tips/pointers that I can use to become a better shot and reach out further? Any 'tricks of the trade' that might be unknown to a civvy/non-sniper?

Really start studying how the bullet operates under different temps. Also read up on Density Altitude. Bullets love it when the DA is high!

Thanks! I know barrel temperature is a big factor, so there has to be a cool down period. Did you compensate for that if you had to take two quick shots in battle?

I never had to adjust for that, that takes a lot of shooting. I typically shoot one round every 30sec to 1 min. When training.

After your experiences with the death of close friends and inflicting death on others, what is the best advice can you give civilians on how to live?

Don't live it day by day, live it second by second.

Being a sniper looks like it's much more calculated and thought out than being in a close-up situation. Would you say that having time to consider the kills before doing the deed affected you differently than others in different situations?

definitely. Most of my kills took happened in a few seconds. The ones where you take time to look at them, you feel something. Not sure what it was, but it was just a strange feeling. Almost like a few seconds of shock or something. Hard to explain

If you've seen "American Sniper", any glaring inaccuracies in techniques or details?

aside from the fake baby

lol.

A few things were different. But every team/sniper works with different SOPs.

Do you like being retired better, or do you miss your time as a sniper?

I miss it. but luckily I shoot almost everyday and get a chance to train others. I miss the rush sometimes. But life outside being home is better. I'd still go back in a heartbeat if were needed.

Interesting, I hear a lot of people who say they wouldnt go back after the PTSD. Interesting that you actively enjoyed it. Do you think that as a Sniper you are away from the carnage and bloodshed, so it didnt affect you as much as say, a bomb tech?

Also why did you leave?

I was an assaulter and machine gunner for a few years on a few deployments before my time as a sniper and employed those weapons as well. Being a sniper didn't mean I was always far away. My closest shot as a sniper was less than 30 feet away. I left because my time was up and just wanted to see what else was in the world.

“When the going gets tough, Rangers get going.”

Any regrets? Have you missed out on something or this has given you all you wanted from life?

I wish I would have stayed in to be around the guys. Don't miss anything else but having the brotherhood. I had a chance to be around the best individuals and it's hard to leave that

You're a great guy!

thank you

Now that you're done how do you deal with the lack of adrenaline? I know some people cannot find a good source to "spice up" their life?

Or do you have something that really helps you?

A lot of exercise and working with my dogs. The rush took a few years to somewhat fade. But it is still there

Was 33 pretty spread out over your career or was there a cluster where you were "on fire" so to speak that came all at the same time?

It was over the course of around 100 days. My on fire day I had 4 or 5 in a few hours.

Do you sleep okay at night even though Michael Moore thinks you're a coward?

lol! Screw that guy. I really don't sleep much at night, a few hours. I usually find myself watching some crazy alien documentary on youtube or something.

Fyi, I served in the Marines and the National Guard. Thanks for all you've done saving the lives of rest of us.

Thank you for your service.

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The longest mission staying up was around 4 days. We slept for a few minutes, but waiting for a shot was a little less than 24 hours

how can one stay up so long? amphetamines?

cans and cans of tobacco for me, or singing random songs in my head.

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usually had a few cans of dip

Skoal or Copenhagen?

Copenhagen for sure.

Another question for you:

In movies they usually just have a sniper/spotter team alone on some rooftop. Is there usually other people protecting you guys? Obviously don't go into detail for safety reasons, I'm just curious if you guys are proactive about enemies attacking your position.

most of the time is was just me and my spotter. A few occasions we had to split up. We did use a guy or two sometimes to watch our back as well. Just depended on the mission

What kind of education or training do you receive to become a sniper? How were you chosen for that position?

I started off in the sniper section selection, where the mental evals take place and they want to see your efficiency with the weapon. After that, US Army sniper school, then we were sent to a few private sniper courses, High Angle, LR Precision, etc.

How do you feel about those kills? Do you have any regrets?

No regrets. They were trying to kill us or others. The only one I guess was the guy who killed the Ranger who saved a recon team I was on. Wish I got him

What kind of rifles did you use and what are your favorites?

I used the SR25 mainly. My favorite would be the .300 in AI chassis, Rem 700, and M40 A5

Do you think you in your own opinion could you have possibly had a thirty fourth.?

that's a good question. There were a few more probables, but just not sure what happened to the target. Sometimes they are carried away or you just don't see

Who should play you in the movie when it comes out?

lol, I have know idea! (If it were to happen) who would you say?

I think Daniel Day-Lewis would be able to really get the silent scenes when you're looking through the scope better than anyone else in Hollywood. So he's my vote.

lol

Are people usually did on impact when you shoot them or do you have to wait it out sometimes?

most of them died instantly. There were a few that ran for a few feet.

What do you consider your most successful kill?

Probably a shot that I took where the math I used was wrong. The first shot missed but the second connected using a holdover

Hey thanks for your service. I'm hoping to learn some of the ins-and-outs of competition shooting before I save up and invest in a rifle. Do you have any recommendations of where to start? Or is the place you work near enough to DC I could come take classes?

For sure. For competition shooting, I would start looking at the 6.5 calibers. It's a wind cheater! It's not the best for really understanding wind and different environmentals, but that's the big deal in the comp world.

What made you get through every kill? I'm sure it was not easy.

Usually just not thinking about it at first, or not talking about it. Usually before bed I'd watch a movie on my portable DVD player. Hancock, Rambo and Taken 1 were my favorites

... then what movie would you watch to forget about Hancock?

hahahahaha, Rambo 1!

What do you shoot with - straight muzzle brake, silencer, or compensator?

Big fan of the muzzle break for larger calibers. But also love suppressors.

Do you know the stories/background of any of the 33 men you sniped, or were the orders strictly he's our enemy, get it done?

most were IED guys who decided they had a far fight and wanted to give it a shot. Some were small time leaders in a specific region

Did you ever get a really hard shot and were "happy" you succeeded?

Oh yes. I've only had 2 or 3 shots that were considered long, but after connecting was pretty cool. My spotter had the longest shot that deployment a little over a grand with his .300

Can you explain a little about how you use manage to use math and physics while in such a stressful situation. Are you actually calculating things?

A lot of training prior, but shortening equations to where you can do them in a second payed off a lot

Is there a time you regret killing or not killing someone or both? If so, why?

Never regretted killing someone who wanted to kill our guys. The ones who did successfully kill one of us, those are the ones I wish we got to first.

Do you feel you lack empathy for other people, or has your empathy to feel for others decreased since taking on this sniper mission?

Negative, I've always been a friendly guy or at least try to be. Being a sniper was a job, it didn't make me feel anything different about people.

Thank you for your service.

How many of the people who go out for the army sniper program actually become snipers?

For us it was 100%. I'm not sure how the other units use their snipers. I would guess most of them though

What kind of job do you have now?

currently train those who want to learn how to shoot. From Olympic shooters to the guy next door.

You say you train personnel in the art of long-range shooting. Being a civilian with no other reason for learning how to, other than to want to learn, would this course be available for me?

for sure.

Ever make it out to AZ? We got a lot of awesome long distance ranges here. Would love to shoot the 1000m with you!

definitely, I was in AZ a few months ago doing some shooting.

How did you feel the moment you first took the life of another human?

In shock and scared to be honest. My first deployment at 18

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RIP was a tough class. We only graduated 7 that class. Ranger school was a suck fest! One of the hardest school I've ever done!

What was worse, basic training or actual service? Also, do you look back on your service with Nostalgia or regret?

Service for sure! Basic was more of a shock of being away and getting yelled at. Maintaining the job once I was in was the hard part. Looking back I loved every minute of it and the guys who were around me