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 to four days, no shortcuts. You leave not knowing about precision shooting, but doing it.
- Level
- Level 1 — entry
- Length
- 3–4 days, live fire
- You shoot to
- Known distance, ~700 yd
- Built for
- New shooters & gap-fillers
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.
Four arcs, taught in order.
Every day builds on the last. We move from the rifle, to you, to your data, to the target — because skipping a step is how shooters end up guessing for years.
Build & set up your system
We start with the rifle itself — action, barrel, trigger, chassis, optic, mount, bipod, bags, ammo — and why each piece matters for what you're trying to do. Then we set the rifle up to your body: length of pull, eye relief, cheek weld, diopter. A rifle that fits you is the difference between fighting the gun and driving it.
The fundamentals of marksmanship
Our six-step Cycle of Operations — ground the rifle, build position, aiming process, firing sequence, post-shot process, bolt manipulation. Taught the way we were taught: teach, demonstrate, execute. You build a stable prone position, manage recoil, and learn to call your own shot off the reticle.
Make your data trustworthy
Zero at 100, collect muzzle velocity over a chronograph, then build and validate ("true") your trajectory in a ballistic solver. Most shooters trust numbers they never checked. You'll leave knowing your dope is real, not theoretical — and how to rebuild it for any elevation or temperature.
Put rounds on target
Known-distance engagements out to ~700 yards, run sniper-school style. You'll also work the other half of the team — spotting for a partner, reading wind and trace, and communicating a correction. The course ends with a real wind process and your first honest wind calls.
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 and a repeatable head position
- Diopter focus & parallax — set correctly, once
Optics 101
- Mil vs MOA — picking and committing to a system
- First vs second focal plane
- Tracking, return-to-zero & reticle use
- Mounting, leveling & torque
Foundational Mechanics
- The 6-step Cycle of Operations
- Natural point of aim & the breath check
- Recoil management & the rifle-to-shoulder bridge
- Follow-through & calling your own shot
Ballistics & Your Data
- Zero confirmation & collecting muzzle velocity
- Internal & external ballistics, made usable
- Building a rifle profile in a ballistic solver
- Trajectory validation — truing your dope
Engagement & Wind
- Known-distance engagements to ~700 yd
- Spotting: reading wind, trace & impacts
- Shooter / observer communication
- A repeatable wind process & firing solution
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.
Ready to build your foundation?
Foundation runs in Alaska, Texas, and North Carolina through the year. Find the date that works and lock your spot — classes are small and fill fast.