by Zero Theory staff
The purpose of this article is to highlight a few key pieces of support gear for the Designated Marksman (DM). In the law enforcement context this could be a patrol officer trained and equipped with a Patrol Designated Marksman (PDM) rifle. In a different context, be it military or civilian, it could be something else. In any case, our topic is the same: support gear which elevates the capability of a standard carbine into a DM role.
In case it doesn’t go without saying, the most important aspect of a successful DM is training and capability. Without these, nothing else really matters. All the best gear in the world won’t help an incompetent shooter. In contrast, even with no specialized gear, a highly trained and effective DM can make a rack rifle do things the rest of the squad didn’t know were possible. That said, the right support gear can make a big difference.
There is a reason breachers carry specialized equipment; they have a special job. The same follows for DMs. A few key pieces of specialized gear go a long way towards enhancing their unique capabilities. Speaking of capabilities, whenever we talk about gear we should always think in terms of capability. We want to equip ourselves with tools which increase our capabilities. If we’re buying gear for any other reason, we are off track. We don’t collect gear. We select it and use it. If it does not facilitate or increase our capabilities, we trash it. Anything else is a waste of time, at best.
The main equipment which differentiates a standard patrol rifle from a true DM rifle is the optic and the ammo. In this article, however, we are talking about the support gear. What gear do you need to maximize your capabilities as a DM? There is so much out there, it can be hard to know what is legitimate and what is just marketing hype. In our experience there are about four key items which really enhance the capabilities of a professional DM.
Quick-detach Bipod
The QD-bipod is probably the single most important piece of support gear for a professional DM outside of the scope itself. It dramatically increases the shooter’s ability to stabilize their rifle, the importance of which cannot be overstated. The “QD” part is important too. Bipods add weight (and in the worst possible location), so we would rather not have them attached to our rifle all the time. For durability and quickness, we like QD picatinny mounts the best. Our favorite setup is combining a Harris bipod with the Picatinny Harris Swivel Bipod Mount (AD-BP-P2) made by American Defense MFG. It is very easy to attach and detach. It is a bulletproof setup that can be moved from rifle to rifle. You can also add a piece of paracord between the bipod legs, if you want. It helps deploy it a little faster, though it is not necessary.
Short Magazines
The standard-capacity 30-round magazines we all have are great for most uses, but for a DM they are not always ideal. We recommend 20-round magazines for DM purposes. The 30-rounders are just too long and often get in the way. When shooting from prone or alternate positions, the 20-rounders are MUCH better. Besides the obvious capacity difference, the only real downside to the 20-rounders is they are sometimes harder to pull out of magazine pouches. A good compromise is adding a +5 extension to your 20-rounder. This makes it stick up out of your pouch just enough, but it’s still shorter than a 30-rounder. Of course, the extensions aren’t cheap and to be honest, it’s not a significant problem in most cases so we would not call them “necessary” by any means. Just grab some 20s and roll.
Small Squeeze Bag
We have all seen pictures of PRS folks looking like the Michelin man with giant bags strapped to their arms and legs. We know that’s not practical. We’re tracking. But a good, small squeeze bag can make a huge difference in your rifle’s stability, especially in less-than-ideal body positions or shooting off ad hoc barricades. A good support bag should be small, a little bigger than your hand, and have velcro straps that let you attach it to your rifle’s stock or foregrip. In the best scenario, you have a flat shooting surface, a bipod up front, and your squeeze back in the back. For stability, you cannot beat that setup. Most scenarios are not ideal, of course, and in those situations the small squeeze bag is critical. Car hood? Fence rail? Tree limb? Whatever you got, that little squeeze bag makes it better. Armageddon Gear makes some great ones (like the Squishy Rear Bag), but there are many good options out there.
Rangefinder
Knowing how far away things are is a critical skill for a DM. There are a lot of range finding techniques, some better than others, but one of the best is to use a small laser range finder. Some of them are not very expensive nowadays and can be carried on your person. In fact, I keep one on my gun belt at about 5 o’clock in a little pouch (see attached photo). Very few things give a DM more confidence than knowing the exact distance to target. It is a great feeling telling your team “yeah, I can hit it” when you’re looking at a moving target across some seemingly-distant expanse. In reality, your target may only be 215 yards away so you know you barely need a .4 mil hold. That’s confidence. In that situation, having that laser on your hip is clutch.
How you carry all this stuff is important. What works best for you really is dependent on your particular scenario. In some cases, it makes sense to locate all these items in a small bag, a sort of “DM go bag” which you only break out on SWAT callouts or special missions. This example makes a lot of sense for a cop who carries a standard patrol rifle most of the time, but wants to quickly convert it into a DMR when needed. The same goes for the private citizen’s context. Maybe your AR is set up for close range home defense, but on occasion you want to take it out to a scoped carbine match. Attach your bipod, grab your mags/squeeze bag/rangefinder and you’re good to go. The options are endless. Just remember, your mission drives your gear selection.
One potential variation I want to highlight is the QD-magnifier. For most of this article I’ve assumed you are using a magnified optic, but it does not escape my attention there are many LEOs out there who are issued rifles with red dot optics and are not allowed to mount scopes of any kind. If this is you, you may think you are out of luck DM-wise, but I would tell you to think twice. Obviously a magnified scope would be ideal, but if all you have is a red dot, you can still bring to bear some of the capabilities of a professional DM (namely, increased precision and positive identification at distance) by adding a QD-magnifier. The same is true for a private citizen who owns a carbine with only a red dot optic. In either case, filling a small bag with a QD-bipod, a small squeeze bag, a couple short magazines, a range finder, and a QD-magnifier will significantly increase your lethality at distance. You’ve just converted a run-of-the-mill rifle into a DMR and you did it without any permanent modifications to the rifle.
Weight and dollars add up. Everything you buy costs money and adds weight. The more experienced I get the more I want to reduce my gear footprint. Ideally, I want the minimum amount of gear to get the job done right. The same is true here. You can easily fill a giant duffle bag with precision shooting equipment. Don’t do that. Grab a QD-bipod, squeeze bag, range finder, and some short magazines. They will transform your carbine into a highly-capable precision weapon.