# Anti-sniper technique - which one to kill first? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 30, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-sniper-technique-which-one-to-kill-first/633165 "2012-08-30T17:29:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-sniper-technique-which-one-to-kill-first/633165/21 "2012-08-31T02:26:33Z")
I still like run (or crawl stealthily) away. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-sniper-technique-which-one-to-kill-first/633165/22 "2012-08-31T09:15:41Z")
> [@griffon502](#): > > Say you spotted a typical sniper team consisting of two crew members, one gunner and one spotter, and it’s just you alone. You need to minimize your chance of being killed while killing these two. Their are within the range of your gun, and they are actively visually scanning the area too, so return fire is a possibility. > > So what is the standard military technique for this kind of situation, who are you supposed to take out first? The spotter or the one holding the gun? Calling in arty or fast movers sounds great unless the sniper team is inside a residential building. So what we have here is artificial terrain, that could be protected by rules of engagement which could rule out blunt force methods. Ah screw it, lay in some steel rain. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-sniper-technique-which-one-to-kill-first/633165/23 "2012-08-31T10:54:39Z")
The correct answer is to strip naked, paint yourself blue, and run at them screaming with a claymore. (Or perhaps not. It’s better to have aspersions cast against your manhood than a high-velocity projectile expelled towards it.) ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-sniper-technique-which-one-to-kill-first/633165/24 "2012-09-01T01:05:42Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > This, while running away. You don’t run from a sniper. You just die tired. > [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > As a devout coward and former MI professional, I would like to endorse this option. As a reasonably brave and not too terribly unintelligent former Cavalryman, I highly recommend it. > [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Oh no, you do not want to run. They will see you and shoot you before any artillery shells or bombs can be put on target. Your want to duck and cover. Under a grade school desk if one is handy. 😛 Once again, the difference between cover and concealment are grossly misunderstood. A grade school desk is barely concealment for a grown man. A cinder-block wall is cover. Maybe. Then again, [maybe not.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrett_M82) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-sniper-technique-which-one-to-kill-first/633165/25 "2012-09-01T02:43:20Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > You don’t run from a sniper. > > You just die tired. Okay, sneak. Very slowly. It will be easy, sliding on excrement all the way. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-sniper-technique-which-one-to-kill-first/633165/26 "2012-09-01T02:58:31Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > …not too terribly unintelligent… Username! ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-sniper-technique-which-one-to-kill-first/633165/27 "2012-09-01T06:31:51Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > A grade school desk is barely concealment for a grown man. A cinder-block wall is cover. Maybe. That’s true for a grown man. However, it is a well known fact that a school desk provides to an individual of short stature sufficient cover against most attacks, especially nuclear missiles. My advice is to call in a nuclear strike against whoever, spotter or sniper, doesn’t appear to be carrying a school desk. After that, engage the surviving member of the team using the method described by \*\* Alka Seltzer\*\*. Schoold desks are mostly useless against claymores. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-sniper-technique-which-one-to-kill-first/633165/28 "2012-09-01T16:53:40Z")
> [@FuzzyOgre](#): > > Take the guy whose finger is already on the trigger. Then you can re-aim while the spotter panics, moves his friends body, gets behind the gun and starts looking for you. More likely, he’ll get the hell out of there. Agreed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-sniper-technique-which-one-to-kill-first/633165.md?page=1)