Foundation
Build the foundation everything else stands on.
Most courses tell you what you'll learn. We care about what you'll be able to do. Foundation is our Level 1 — built and taught by Marine Scout Sniper instructors with 50+ years of combined time behind precision rifles. Three days, no shortcuts. You leave not knowing about precision shooting, but doing it.
- Level
- Foundational — the base for every follow-on course
- Length
- 3 days
- You shoot to
- Known & unknown distance
- Built for
- New to long range, or filling the gaps
Everyone starts here.
Foundation welcomes shooters of every background — first-time precision shooters, hunters moving past the bench, and veteran competitors filling the gaps nobody ever taught them. There's no prerequisite. The only thing we ask is that you come with an open mind and a rifle that's roughly zeroed.
We've watched shooters with decades behind a rifle find a click in week one they'd been missing for years. Fundamentals don't expire — and they don't care how much you've shot.
What we'll get done.
Every block builds on the last. We teach you the rifle, the mechanics, and the data — then put you to the test at known and unknown distance, in teams, and against a standard. No step skipped, because skipping steps is how shooters end up guessing for years.
The fundamentals & a rifle that fits you
We start with the precision rifle system — action, barrel, trigger, chassis, optic, bipod, bags, ammo, and what each part does for what you're trying to shoot. Then we fit the rifle to your body. A rifle set up to you is the difference between fighting the gun and driving it.
Foundational mechanics — a system to run
We give you the mechanics of operating a long-range precision rifle as one repeatable system — the same process on every single shot. When the sequence runs on its own, good hits stop being luck and start being something you can repeat on demand.
A deep dive on ballistic solvers & truing your data
We go deep on ballistic solvers — the ins and outs of how they actually work — then true your data against real impacts. Most shooters trust numbers they never checked. You'll leave knowing your dope is honest, not theoretical, and how to rebuild it.
A wind process you can repeat
Wind is the hardest part of shooting at distance, so we don't hand you a guess — we give you a process. How to read direction and velocity, calculate a call, and apply the correction the same way every time.
Prove it — known & unknown distance
As we teach, we test. You'll shoot known distance — KD1 and KD2 — and grade yourself against it. Then we move to unknown distance: ranging your own targets with a few tricks of the trade, then calculating and dialing your own solution with a calculator and rangefinder.
Work as a team — shooter & spotter
You'll learn the shooter-spotter dialogue and run targets in pairs — one shooter, one spotting and calling corrections. It's how distance shooting is done in the field, and the fastest way to get better is to learn to read it for someone else.
Test against the standard & see what's next
Time to benchmark yourself against the Cadre standards — call for time, shoot the qual, and see where you stack up. We close by previewing what comes next and how to keep developing as a shooter past Foundation.
The curriculum.
The full Level 1 syllabus — the system, the mechanics, the data, and the shooting. Nothing here is theory for theory's sake; every block ends with you proving it on a target.
The Precision Rifle System
- Action, barrel, trigger & chassis — what each does
- Cartridge & bullet selection for your application
- Muzzle devices: brakes vs suppressors
- Bipods, magazines, rear bags & support gear
Rifle Setup & Fit
- Length of pull, grip & firing-hand mechanics
- Eye relief & eliminating scope shadow
- Cheek weld vrs jaw weld/ building a repeatable head position
- Diopter focus — set correctly, once
Optics 101
- Mil vs MOA
- First vs second focal plane
- Tracking, return-to-zero & reticle use
- Mounting optics, leveling & torque
Foundational Mechanics
- The seven-phase shot process, run in order
- The positional triangle: stability, comfort, recoil
- Natural point of aim & the breath check
- Calling your shot & the post-shot read
Ballistics & Your Data
- Ballistics & how ballistic calculators work
- G7 vs axial form factor calculators
- Building a rifle profile in a ballistic solver
- Trajectory validation — the math behind truing
Engagement, Ranging & Wind
- Known-distance standards — KD1 & KD2
- Ranging targets & dialing your own UKD solution
- Shooter–spotter dialogue & working in teams
- A repeatable wind process & firing solution
How the course runs.
Built in order. Every block ends with you proving it — in the classroom or behind the gun. Three days, start to finish.
System, setup & first rounds
Start with the rifle and the shooter behind it — then get on paper, find out where you actually stand, and lock in data you can trust.
- Classroom
The Precision Rifle System
Action, barrel, trigger, chassis, optic, ammo — what each part does and why it matters for what you're trying to do.
- Classroom
Rifle Setup & Fit
Length of pull, eye relief, cheek weld, diopter. We set the rifle up to your body before you ever fire it.
- Live fire
Rough Zero
First rounds downrange. Get on paper and establish a working 100-yard zero to build from.
- Assessment
Pressure Test
A baseline shooting test — an honest look at where you are right now, before we change anything.
- Classroom
Foundational Mechanics
The seven-phase shot process — the sequence we run on every single shot, taught the way we were taught. This block runs deep, so we wrote the whole thing up for you to study before class.
Read: Foundational Mechanics - Live fire
Zero Confirmation & Velocity
Confirm your 100-yard zero and collect muzzle velocity over the chronograph — the two numbers everything on Day 2 is built from.
Solvers, wind & known distance
Build a trajectory you can trust, learn a wind process, then stretch it out to known distance.
- Classroom
Your Ballistic Solver
Build the profile, compare Hornady 4DOF and Kestrel basics, and understand the numbers before you trust them.
- Live fire
Truing Your Data
Validate dope against real impacts so the solver matches your rifle instead of a theory.
- Classroom
Wind Class
Read direction and velocity, make a call, and apply it the same way each time.
- Live fire
KD1 & KD2 — Known Distance Standards
Shoot the Cadre known-distance standards from 100 to 1,000+ yards when the range allows, applying mechanics, data, and wind on steel.
- Classroom
Range Finding & UKD
Range the target, build dope, and dial your own unknown-distance solution using the R.A.N.G.E. Me process.
- Live fire
Shooter / Spotter Teams
Work in pairs to range, spot, communicate corrections, and run the engagement together.
Standards, the qual & what comes next
Put more rounds downrange to lock it all in, shoot the Cadre standards qual, then get a look at where your shooting goes from here.
- Live fire
Consolidation & Rounds
More time behind the gun — apply your data, wind process, and positions across known and unknown distance until it's second nature.
- Assessment
Cadre Standards Qual
The real thing. Anyone who wants to shoot a Cadre standard gets their run at it — an honest measure of where you stand and what comes next in the progression.
- Classroom
What Comes Next
A sneak peek at the next level of Cadre training: shooting positions, dynamic positions, tripod work, and how the follow-on course helps you progress as a shooter.
Capabilities, not notes.
By the last afternoon, any miss you make is a wind problem — not a shooter problem. Here's what you'll be able to do on your own when you leave.
- Safely handle and run a precision rifle system
- Pick the right rifle and cartridge — or spec a build — for your goal
- Set the rifle up for stability and recoil management in any position
- Zero at 100 and know your system’s real capability and limits
- Build a stable, repeatable prone position on demand
- Program and actually trust a modern ballistic solver
- Hit known distances from a solid foundational position
- Spot for a partner — read wind, identify trace, communicate the correction
- Run a consistent wind process and build an honest firing solution
What to bring.
A precision rifle capable of under 1 MOA with a rough 100-yd zero, a precision optic with a level, bipod, rear bag, two magazines, a ballistic solver (Hornady 4DOF is free), and 400 rounds of match-grade ammunition. A full gear list — required, recommended, and personal sustainment — is sent the moment you register.
Taught by former Marine Scout Sniper instructors — guys who shoot the drill in front of you before they ask you to. No has-beens, no gimmicks. Just what works, proven on the range.
Read up before you show up.
The full Foundation library is free — the rifle system, the fundamentals of marksmanship, and the data you can trust. Study it before class so we can spend more of our range time behind the gun, or just dig in for yourself.
Ready to build your foundation?
Foundation runs at select host ranges throughout the year. Find the date and venue that work for you, then lock your spot — classes are small and fill fast.