Culture.Mil - The Round With Your Name On It

Written by Jenifer Chrisman on February 25, 2019.

I Am A Sniper…

A loner…

I am not part of the world…

But merely observe it through my crosshair…

I live by the shadows and die by the shadows…

I am always distant from everything else…

I am fearful by strength…

Invincible by distance…

Being a sniper is the worst thing to be…

Only hell can cleanse what we do…

– Sniper Saying

“The round with your name on it” is a long-held Marine sniper superstition. According to the superstition, every sniper has one round destined to end his or her life. But until that round is fired, the intended person is considered untouchable.

Until a new sniper makes the first kill and removes the round from the enemy sniper’s magazine, he or she is known as a “Professionally Instructed Gunman” (P.I.G.). Once the round is removed from the enemy the sniper becomes a “Hunter of Gunmen” (H.O.G.). The round is often made into a HOG’s tooth necklace worn by the sniper, thus making him or her invincible.

Like “the round with your name on it,” snipers have a terminology that is a unique part of who they are. Although many of these terms are used by others, their designations here are specific to them:

Caliber: This is the diameter of the bullet, i.e.: a 308 would be 7.62 millimeters.
Case: This term refers to the brass casing used for ammunition.
Cartridge: This refers to the specific and unique bullet and casing, i.e.: 308 Winchester.
Chamber: This is where the complete cartridge is chambered or held when the rifle is loaded and fired.
Click: A click is the tactical and audible sound when a scope is adjusted, i.e.: “come up three clicks” is dialing up 3 clicks of up elevation.
Coriolis Effect: This describes the effect of the earth’s movement while the bullet is in flight when firing north or south. If aiming north, the bullet will impact slightly to the left. The bullet will impact slightly to the right if aiming south.
Crown: This refers to the muzzle end of the barrel, specifically where the bore and rifling meet the abrupt end of the barrel, where the bullet exits.
Data Of Previous Engagements (D.O.P.E.): This is all of the data logged in a snipers log book so it can be referenced for future engagements.
Designated Marksman (DM): Typically assigned to infantry squads, these service members are specially trained in long range precision rifle fire. Unlike snipers, their training is generally only long range shooting.
Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR): A rifle, able to deliver rapid fire and precise long range fire used by Designated Marksmen.
Detachable Box Magazine (DBM): This is the magazine that holds ammunition and can be easily removed.
Drag Bag: A sniper uses this bag to carries the rifle while stalking. It gained its name because it can be attached to a rope and dragged behind the sniper under deep covert stalking/crawling.
Extractor: The device “extracts” the case or cartridge from the chamber of the rifle.
Free Floating Barrel: This refers to nothing touching the barrel (specifically the stock) all the way back to the action or recoil lug, so it is “floating” free of any other objects.
Ghillie Suit: This suit has burlap or jute strips and strings attached to create an extremely effective means of camouflage.
Hold off/Hold over: This is the method of aiming high, low, right or left of intended impact of the sniper’s round to compensate for wind, range, movement of target or other variables that would cause the round to miss the desired location.
Hollow Point Boat-Tail (HPBT): This is a specific bullet design for match grade and long range bullets. The Hollow Point is a byproduct of manufacturing and the Boat-Tail refers to the design at the tail of the bullet as it tapers down, which greatly enhances aerodynamics, giving the bullet greater long range capability.
Hunter of Gunmen (H.O.G.): A sniper who has killed his first sniper in combat and removed the “round” with his name on it from the enemy sniper’s magazine.
Klick: This term is used for one kilometer, or one mile when using English units.
Lapping the Lugs: This refers to the process of lapping to smooth out and mate bolt to action lugs.
Milliradian (MIL or MRad for short): A Milliradian is 1/1000 of a Radian, which is used to measure the central angle subtending an arc equal in length to the radius. For snipers, a Milliradian is 1 unit of measure at 1000 units of measure.
Minute of Angle (MOA): 1/60th of one degree, as in a 360 degrees in a circle, this measure of angle is used to make scope adjustments for accuracy and distance, as well as test rifle accuracy.
Overtravel: This is any additional movement of the trigger to the rear after the trigger “breaks.”
Professionally Instructed Gunman (P.I.G.): A sniper who has yet to kill his first sniper in combat and remove the “round” with his name on it from the enemy sniper’s magazine.
Rate of Twist (ROT): This is the rate the rifling twists the bullet to provide its stabilizing spin.
Recessed Crown: This means the crown is recessed back, which helps prevent the crown from getting nicked from daily use.
Rifling, Lands & Grooves: This refers to the actual spinning grooves cut into a barrel, which leaves the “lands” sticking “up,” that grab the bullet and spin it for stability.
Sharpshooter: Originally describing someone as a sharpshooter or crack shot, it now generally refers to a sniper.
Sniper: A specially trained service member who seeks out and used long range precision fire on opportune or select targets. They carry specialized equipment and are skilled in tactics and fieldcraft.
Spin Drift: This is the small curving of the bullet in the direction of the bullet’s spin due to the very fast at which it travels.
Tang: The top rear portion of a bolt action rifle that extends toward the shooter and is where the bolt will slide into the action.
Trigger Creep: This refers to any movement of the trigger before it “breaks” or “triggers” the sear to release the firing pin or hammer.