Ian Ruins the Elbonian Sniper Corps

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Today's Q&A is from Tim on Patreon:
"The great nation of Elbonia is looking to spin up a sniper program. But they know better than to adopt ZF41 scopes. What rifles do you attempt to sell them?"
After some consideration, I would try to sabotage the Elbonian Sniper Corps by supplying them with equipment that would allow their training to take as many shortcuts as possible. True long range shooting proficiency requires a lot of experience and deep understanding of lots of variables. By using mechanical shortcuts, I could persuade the Elbonian Army that they were saving money, and in simple training circumstances the snipers' performance would look pretty good. Once they got into real combat, though, they would fold like the Russian defense of Izyum.
To this end, I would equip them with a scope which linked magnification to its BDC cam - something like the Vietnam-era US ART or the Russian 1P21. This seems like a clever hack, and works pretty well for basic shots. But when you factor in some extra variables, like a target that doesn't fit the range finding box or the need for short range high magnification, a lack of shooter skill will become immediately apparent.
To go one step further, I would couple this with a multi-caliber rifle and interchangeable BDC cams for the scope. This would ensure that shooters periodically have the wrong scope settings for their rifle, and are ill-equipped to handle it.
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[@boingkster]

Ah yes, the Elbonian Snipers. I believe their fluorescent orange ghillie suits were designed so as to thwart their colour-blind enemies. Cooincidentally, and in a cruel twist of fate, their designer was also colour blind.

[@richhardie6897]

I don’t see the problem. I always wear blaze orange when I go hunting, and have never received return fire from any of the deer. How else will the platoon leader be able to see where his sniper team is emplaced so he knows precisely where to put his call for fire?

[@tylerzmistowski5867]

Friendly fire will not be tolerated

[@bami2]

Reminds me of the scene in Ali G in da house movie where he states "Respect to all of you for wearing your camouflage, it will help you go undetected" and the next shot is of a bunch of guys in neon colored street clothing with camo patterns.

[@kutter_ttl6786]

Elbonian Sniper: "You're all stupid, they'll be looking for camouflaged guys."

[@viridisxiv766]

is he the same guy that came up with the glow in the dark face paint?

[@robertsneddon731]

All Elbonian sniper training takes place in an air-conditioned 1500m indoor range. This is an expensive facility to construct (my cousin the Elbonian Minister of Works has the contract to build it) but it saves costs in the long run due to weather issues that might limit training otherwise. Similarly it will be well-lit so that training can go on around the clock 24/7.

[@buffewo6386]

Don't forget, the lack wind just makes dialing in your long-range shots easier! Maximized training efficiency: Check!

[@christophergreen2892]

It also doubles as the SERE training site. To keep spies from observing this highly classified training!

[@trooperdgb9722]

@Arthur Morgan So whats that.... Tree fiddy? LOL

[@saint-cetacean]

@@arthurmorgan8978 Fortunately, with inflation, 487 sextillion marks has a market worth of about a small car.

[@techpriest5452]

@@saint-cetacean but do to Elbonian poor economy that is still over 10y salary of the defence minister.

[@AlexLee-dc2vb]

My parents both volunteered in the Elbonian army. They died from training accidents before I was born. One day I hope to continue their legacy and serve our ever prosperous country.

[@dave_h_8742]

Sorry for your loss and so young too 😀

[@wisemankugelmemicus1701]

(elbonians reproduce telepathically)

[@thomasgullett3525]

WTF?

[@greenjp779]

I really hate to break character but your comment made me laugh out loud

[@elaqgarahulelpon1479]

That reminds me of when I dropped open a armor plate when they issued the new kit, and it was stone. It wasn't ceramic, because ceramic would have shattered much more, it was cut into a single large stone slab. The least the rimdu could have done was make it out of something lighter, those things were heavy as hell.

[@echodux]

As a proud Elbonian mud farmer, it's good to see our troops equipped for long range. Go get em boys!

[@reliantncc1864]

I'm sure those McAdams shield-shovels (the ones with a hole to shoot through) have served you well in the mud-farming business.

[@planescaped]

As an accomplished Elbonian mole shepherd, I too am grateful we have such a knowledgeable defense minster.

[@1lovesoni]

Being a dirt/mud farmer is hard work, always having to weed out those pesky potatoes

[@ianfinrir8724]

Viva Las Elbonia!

[@Valionic]

listen, strange women laying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!

[@troutmu3804]

Some poor PHD student in 500 years is going to send the better part of decade trying to prove where elbonia was and will use these videos in his research

[@PatrickJones-gs8wq]

Elbonian could be a game difficulty: Every time you reload your SMG there's a 50% chance it's the wrong ammo and don't know until you try to shoot and it malfunctions.

[@drworm5007]

That actually sounds kind of fun. Medkits could heal a random and possibly negative amount and grenades could have a random fuse length.

[@rustyshackleford3053]

We do that at 2gun. It's called the 'hide a snap cap in his magazines' game.

[@fidjeenjanrjsnsfh]

Also magazines that looks interchangeable but actually aren't. Paddle and button type releases...

[@alisenoweirddudo6898]

Noobs at Tarkov be like

[@aequitaskiller]

0.05% chance of firearm explosion.

[@NikovK]

Dazzle camouflage. It works for battleships, it works for zebras, and if the infantry are also wearing dazzle camouflage, the enemy can't tell the sniper from the riflemen. Or pick out the sniper laying on the back of a dazzle camouflage tank.

[@WhatIsSanity]

MG crew: "We don't discriminate between our targets."

[@machinist7230]

Zebras are, in fact camouflaged, just not in the way you think - they're camouflaged against the rest of the herd, making any one zebra hard to distinguish from another. Biologist discovered this when they marked specific animals they were tracking to distinguish them from the rest of the herd with red paint. The problem was, now so could the lions. Any animal so marked made it easy to track, and thus easy for the pack to coordinate the hunt against. Most died within days of being marked.

[@yannicko.8904]

With dazzle camouflage, the rangefinding of the enemy snipers won't work.

[@LeCharles07]

Works for Taylor Swift, even.

[@LeCharles07]

@@machinist7230 That's pretty metal.

[@bazookaboss332]

You gotta love how he knew Ian would pick the ZF-41 scope lol

[@Grubnar]

Ian knows his audience ... and his audience knows Ian!

[@allangibson8494]

The US WW1 musket sight was a much better option…

[@clothar23]

@@allangibson8494 At least you occasionally hit stuff with it.

[@georgewhitworth9742]

@@allangibson8494At least they doubled as artillery scopes, lol

[@nielsborch]

To make it better just buy exactly enough BDC's so the snipers will never have access to the right type.

[@gavinhammond1778]

Or purchase every variant, along with rifle caliber change accessories, and let the quatermaster and armourer lose, misplace, just not know the difference all of them.

[@brettbaker5599]

Does anyone make a BDC for 232-grain 8mm-06? A family member was involved in supplying 150 Spanish M43s rebarreled to that cartridge.

[@F82TwinMustang]

Make sure at least 25% of them get lost in a warehouse too

[@lentlemenproductions770]

@@gavinhammond1778 special inventory codes printed on them that have nothing to do with what variant it is but really look like it's trying to tell you

[@dave_h_8742]

@@F82TwinMustang misplaced, not lost 😀

[@JR9979]

When a Savage Axis or Ruger American in .308 and a $200 Walmart scope can out shoot the Elbonian sniper program you know Ian did a good job here.

[@farolanramadhani7218]

Can we get a Lord of War-ish movie with Ian doing crazy arms deals throughout the world?

[@timcheeseman2956]

Lord of Elbonia - First Blood

[@collinmclaren6608]

Honestly I could picture an action comedy film styled after Ian's Elbonian salesman concept. Something like a Larry Charles film. Just a snake-oil salesman going around the world trying to pawn off shit weapons to unsuspecting armies and terrorist groups.

[@freedomfalcon]

Yes please!

[@markfergerson2145]

@@timcheeseman2956 ITYM Lord of Elbonia: Last Blood

[@williammagoffin9324]

@@collinmclaren6608 They already made that, it was called 'Deal of the Century' with Chevy Chase as the arms dealer.

[@benjamindover2601]

I love that the Elbonian national motto is "We do our best".

[@wwlb4970]

"We tried"

[@Nipplator99999999999]

I think I had this nightmare during my marksmanship courses in the Army.

[@TheWalterKurtz]

Yea. The description sounded like U.S. Army marksmanship training in the early 80s to me.

[@terryduling339]

As someone who was actively involved in Army marksmanship training in those days, I wholeheartedly agree. It was ugly.

[@Toggers99]

Fun fact: Tracking-point does still technically exist, but now they're under the Talon Precision Optics family, where they're currently selling a ridiculously bulky M4 in 300 BLK with a 2-14x optic that weighs nearly 12 pounds... for $7000... So I don't know how long THAT little venture is gonna last.

[@andypanda4927]

14X for a 12LB rifle? (Still think of it as a carbine, myself but waddaiknow) with an optimum range of 250-300yds? I'm thinking 'masochist' or something similar, maybe? Gotta have a bullet arc similar to some of those black-powder long guns.

[@user-pq4by2rq9y]

the official small arms partner of the Elbonian armed forces.

[@TheRogueWolf]

With that weight, you could just bolt another rifle on your rifle. It'd probably be more effective, to boot.

[@firstconsul7286]

@@andypanda4927 Weighs more than many black powder long guns too. My M1861 Springfield weighs 10 lbs.

[@mikehipperson]

If it weighs that much it would make a good last ditch weapon! Just throw it at the enemy when you run out of ammo.

[@bashatz2237]

Also set the skopes to calculate drop in yards and the range finders in meters

[@phillipbampton911]

I think that is probably the simplest worst method I've read in these comments...and I've been reading way too many. I have no choice but to report you to the RSPCE.

[@bradleycallahan6169]

Best laugh I had all day.

[@alexguymon7117]

Give it a quick change or takedown barrel but in a bedded stock like an M14, so the thing loses zero every time you go to do so. Also make the stock out of a softer wood that is really susceptible to swelling or cracking from moisture and atmospheric conditions. Maybe make the magazines interchangeable with those on the service rifle so they can mix up the ammo and throw off the accuracy or possibly induce a malfunction. Pass it all off as a cost saving and familiarity thing.

[@headcrabn5347]

"It will take factors out of the equation so that you can shorten the training time for your snipers, and just everything's automated and done easily!" The Ministry of Armaments have decided to procure 1500 Norden Bombsights for the new sniper program. Glory to Elbonia!

[@AgentTasmania]

What about the service rifle you originally selected? A light and handy rifle in the most overpowered cartridge you could pick, the snipers have to zero their scope for the huge flinch

[@johncopeland4782]

How about the pansarvärnsgevär m/40 - a classic Mauser platform in 8x63mm issued at one time to Swedish MG crews. It is Swedish so I has got to be good!

[@Tarquin21723]

45-70 would be a good chambering for that.

[@coyotebrown2294]

Good idea, and that way you could prove the mechanical accuracy in a rest and just blame the soldiers for being wimps to El Presidente should it come back on you!

[@jpthomas9491]

@@johncopeland4782 I believe Ian issued those to the regular soldiers in an earlier video, so they are readily available in the Elbonian inventories

[@petesheppard1709]

And specify Tasco scopes.

[@SafetyProMalta]

1550 Matchlock with Galilean telescope

[@akaroth7542]

It'd be fun to bring in the Chieftain or others to sabotage Elbonia's mechanized forces.

[@jonathansmith6050]

It was fun: Chieftain's Q&A #13: Elbonia gets Armoured. - Jul 26, 2020

[@phillipbampton911]

I think that The Chieftain has already done this 🤔 I am pretty sure that was the first time I heard of Elbonia.

[@fidjeenjanrjsnsfh]

@@phillipbampton911 what we need is Drachinifel in tha naval aspect.

[@ScottKenny1978]

@@fidjeenjanrjsnsfh hasn't he already done one?

[@509Gman]

@@ScottKenny1978 I’m pretty sure he’s who told the chieftain

[@alexdemoya2119]

Convince the Elbonian MoD (McDonalds of Defense, the entire army is ran out of an abandoned mcdonalds in the capital) that a .50 cal anti-mat rifle is a viable sniper

[@JamesDeanShadow_Blitz]

No a 20mm Lahti!

[@vksasdgaming9472]

It is viable sniper. Sniper = ludicrous overkill and .50BMG or it's Soviet equivalent 12,7x108mm does that to humans.

[@d10valentin]

With a 50cal you need only be off by ¼inch to miss, better get 2bore rifles, for "increased" accuracy.

[@DukeVictory]

just combine portable anti-tank with sniper and anti mat - get solothurn S 18-1000 - also well suited for fortifications because you can put them on gun carriages - prefectly fine in usage, logicstics, repairs :D

[@ANobodyatall]

Based on reading 'Desert Sniper', that would actually work.

[@not-fishing4730]

My son was an SDM with the 1/7 in Afghanistan. The decade prior to that we did long range rifle matches through NRA High Power, Steel Silhouette and John C Garand Matches. Over Christmas we had a discussion on what to send to a war zone and what he said was batteries and water. Any system which uses batteries at a high rate is really bad in the field and he had one Op where they didn't get water for 2 days. I sent Clif Shots (double caffeine) which were coveted by his squad for how well it worked when they were on a long operation or standing watch duty, early morning in a Sangin dirt fort.

[@alangordon3283]

Cool story .

[@oldscratch3535]

Send arms, ammunition, and copious amounts of cocaine. War ain't gonna last long.

[@mikejozefowicz888]

Why don't they just pack batteries in with the MREs?

[@littlekong7685]

@@mikejozefowicz888 They are worried the marines would eat the batteries =D

[@oldscratch3535]

@@mikejozefowicz888 MRE's have to sit in storage for quite a long time. Its probably not wise to put a chemical device known for leakage and corrosion in with food where it can't be inspected. There's also a myriad of battery types so which do you pick? Just based on what I run on my firearms there are AA, AAA, CR123, CR2032, and 18650 cells. Some are alkaline, some are lithium, some are rechargeable NiCad or lithium ion. Some devices won't run with lithium batteries. Some you only use lithium batteries in. Its just not as simple as you're making it out to be.

[@therealinak]

The auto-ranging BDC kind of started as an aircraft concept with the US gyroscopic gunsights. You’d set the enemy aircraft type and then run a wheel to bracket the enemy’s wingspan in the reticle, which would provide the optic with the ranging to provide adequate lead angles before gun radars became a thing. It worked okay.

[@Charstring]

The Mid Sussex Times of 15 Aug 1893 mentioned three different inventions designed to make a “soldier certain of hitting” a target by automatically firing a rifle when it was pointing at just the right angle for the selected range. Two were Austrian - one blocked firing until your arm was at the right angle, one fired automatically by clockwork, and one was German (it was “complicated”). They must all have been as steampunk as all get out.

[@masonsykes2240]

IRL triggerbot in 1893? Holy shit

[@GigAnonymous]

Hm, I would have gone another way. I would have sold to Elbonia WA2000s in .300 Win Mag, with a scope akin to the one used in FRF2' FELIN system (SAGEM SWORD). With IR, ballistic calculator (to reduce training as Ian proposed), radio net integration (which will add more stuff on the poor infantryman), a laser finder... On the paper, you'd have one of the most accurate and technologically advanced semi-auto "sniper" ever made... but it would cost prohibitive, would break all the time on the field, would be a logistical nightmare (you need batteries AND civilian ammunition), and above all stupidly heavy. As a bonus, I'd put a large muzzle break on it (with vents downward), and use really hot ammo with slow burning powder. That way the shooter is guaranteed not to see where their shot landed...

[@jongustavsson5874]

That seems a tad to obviously bad though, doubt anyone would see that as a pro rather than a con.

[@VekhGaming]

@@jongustavsson5874 Say that to everyone who thinks tacticoolest is actually practical.

[@jongustavsson5874]

@@VekhGaming those are rarely in a position to have a say over military equipment.

[@SurveyTurtleGaming]

Same here I was really thinking he would go with W2000 for the fact its one of the greatest snipers on paper but would be way too expensive, and be impossible to maintain in the field.

[@tarmaque]

Great idea! That way when they inevitably appear on the surplus market I can get myself one for cheap and throw away everything but the rifle. I know where to source a good scope.

[@EvilSSP]

Man I have to finally say it........the "I am Ian" part always makes me chuckle in these videos. I guess there's always someone who's tuning in for the first time but I bet most of us are like "yeah...thats......why we're here" LOL.

[@theapplekingdom5493]

It just wouldn't feel like a FW video without that classic intro.

[@muffinswasshoi3731]

I've always wondered if he ever gets tired of saying 'I'm Ian McCollum' at the start of every video

[@madrenwillims4391]

Everytime he starts a video without the classic intro dialogue I lose a bit of my will to live

[@DANO-4899]

If he didn't introduce himself, you just know some FNG watching for the first time would be whining in the comments section. Chalk it up to Ian's good manners.

[@phlogistanjones2722]

Y'all never seen Johnny Cash? :)

[@ste887]

sort them out with a load of Enfield jungle carbines, make sure to point out bolt actions are more accurate than semi autos, and doubly point out that you can add extra lightening cuts in the receiver to give them a rifle they can hold on target for longer, whilst neglecting to mention the standard lightning cuts cause a wandering zero, so deeper cuts should only make that worse. that is going off the old 60s elbonia of older videos, rather than modern day elbonia

[@Chilly_Billy]

The myth of wandering zero in the No. 5 Lee-Enfield is largely just that.

[@martinswiney2192]

Ong. I just realized my whole life is a wandering zero.

[@jessestreet2549]

Much easier to just field strip a rifle and whack the barrel against a pole so the dent won't show under the stock when reassembled. Problem solved.

[@phillipbampton911]

@@martinswiney2192 Not only a wandering zero but even if we were able to get on target somehow, forget shooting blanks, we can't even pull the trigger! Or is that just me? 😉

[@allangibson8494]

A better example would be “Sporterized” SMLE’s with the wood cut back, and free floated and an optic fitted. The SMLE stock is a damper for the barrel that would otherwise whip for minutes after shooting. The stock was factory adjusted to apply 2lb of up force on the muzzle for best accuracy (frequently by inserting a card shim).

[@AsbestosMuffins]

recently they purchased several large drones, upon arrival the airforce was suprised to find in the crates, several large sheets of craft paper and nothing else

[@AGS363]

I have another idea: Make all sniper rifles 50BMG. It is easy to understand that bigger is always better; and now we have snipers that can defeat TANKS! I mean, none of the bureaucrats in acquisition will ever have to carry the thing, handle it in confined spaces or deal if the recoil. So it is the perfect gun for the job!

[@johanmetreus1268]

Why such a wimpy round when you can have 14.5×114mm instead?

[@usov656]

According to the design documents on elbonian sniper sights, those were intentionally mounted backwards on the rifles, making the enemy seem even further away than they actually were, thus conditioning an elbonian sniper's squinting muscles to be superhumanly strong. This enabled elbonian snipers to be able to do things such as crack nuts, tie knots, pull triggers and open rations with their eyelids, further increasing their combat capacity and endurance.

[@jic1]

Those Elbonian optics are unfortunately rarely seen today, although recently the US Navy released a photo of one of their personnel demonstrating one.

[@PaletoB]

You would obviously also switch ammunition source to a different manufacturer because it's "better" even though the bullet trajectory don't correspond to the scope. 🤔

[@woltews]

there are several plats making amo ,but they all make to slightly different specifications of BC and velocity . There is no labelling as to which plant made what amo !

[@PaletoB]

@@woltews Aaah yes, of course. No batch numbers och factory markings. And the "good" ammunition is saved for wartime. For training, lightweight short range ammunition will save money and be safer.

[@woltews]

@@PaletoB one factory loads 140g flat base the other like 155g boat tail kinda differences and they look identical

[@phillipbampton911]

That is Evil, Wicked, Mean and Nasty. I like that in a saboteur.

[@davidgoodnow269]

Yeah . . . 173-grain Long Range Match, 150-grain Ball, 147-grain Armor Piercing, 130-grain Reduced Recoil.

[@UncleLayne]

Yknow Ian, I'm glad you're putting in this sort of effort and though into helping the Elbonian troops. You're a true inspiration to Elboners everywhere

[@andrewrobinson4019]

That moment when the traitorous Defense Minister is thwarted by an exceedingly rigorous Supply Sergeant and a hot, maverick, “text book in the trash” Sniper School Instructor, who make the Defense Minister’s ideas actually work and he gets a promotion and commendation.

[@sionsoschwalts2762]

Elbonian Snipers were using FN49s last I saw, take off the scope and use the iron sights😉

[@anthonyburke5656]

Ah ha, now I belatedly realise, ALL Australian Military procurement staff are trained and mentored by the Elbonian Defence Minister

[@vermiworm]

The Elbonian spirit conquers all adversity, even that which is self-inflicted.

[@MrMisterDerp]

Assuming you were selling to people who didn’t know better, I would try to sell them gyrojet snipers. Not only are the rounds extremely expensive and complicated to make, but the gyrojet has a futuristic feel to it that is in itself a selling point for a small military.

[@andrewrobinson4019]

Defense Ministers tend to work with governing bodies like a congress or a parliament; so they definitely don’t know any better.

[@wildcardbitchesyeehaw8320]

If the point is to really sabotage, you should sell gyrojet as a cqb weapon. Or would that be too obvious?

[@gbladewarrior6884]

Congratulations you've just invented the Stalker Bolter.

[@davidgoodnow269]

Excellent suggestion! BUT . . . Gyrojet small arms ALL AROUND! Pistols for officers and drivers, submachine guns and carbines for commandos, rifles for infantry, SHOTGUNS for guards and close protection (used to skeet hand grenades, in defense of trenches and machine-gun pits) [I've not heard of a gyrojet shotgun before, and I'm pretty sure ammunition would be an engineering nightmare and very expensive!], and, OF COURSE, machine-guns! Only one, though, being reasonable; something like an MG-34, intended to fulfill many roles.

[@fluffly3606]

@@gbladewarrior6884, Bolters use an exploding propellant charge to give the round an initial "kick" out of the barrel before igniting the rocket motor; if I'm not mistaken a gyrojet has only the rocket motor. Bolters also fire cannon-caliber APHE and may or may not use AI for... something. I'll leave it to the reader to decide which is less practical

[@TheReckoningBeginsToday]

The Elbonian Snipers invested in large red X marks that are placed on the ground. So the enemy knows were to stand.

[@johnharder5618]

Nice video Also you sell them on a "Low" Recoil ammo that uses a light weight bullet That "Wonder" Bullet Just needs a Bit Extra Hold over and windage adjustment

[@TheWolfsnack]

...couple with Barska scopes.

[@whoijacket]

I would also screen your applicants for your sniper program. Anyone with medium to big game hunting experiences mysteriously never seems to make the cut.

[@mikeyjohnson9596]

I spoke to Tantal on the akforum over a decade ago about the 1P21. Long story short, there's a reason the Russians stuck with the PSO.

[@MatoVuc]

How much of that story is the ridiculous weight?

[@mikeyjohnson9596]

@@MatoVuc The weight was a factor but moreso the complexity of judging distance and the zoom/BDC affecting point of impact. This is just my opinion but I can see it being much better on a PKM.

[@scottclark7559]

I have one that I imported from Belarus about 20 years ago. Also have an original PSO that was brought back from the first gulf war. Quality of the PSO is far better and obviously far less complicated...I wouldn't trust the 1P21 to survive in combat for very long. It's super cool, and very "Soviet"...but I would take the PSO for shooting any day.

[@sealove79able]

How about equipping the snipers with muzzleloaders and red dots?

[@nigelmacbug6678]

l'd add rubber baffle suppressor, that can only be used on operation to maintain quality of the rubber

[@ronschramm9163]

Trapdoor Springfield in .45-70 with the early Sharp's tube scope. Add a bipod and you are set. Make that an Arisaka- style monopod...

[@DefZen343]

no bipods, standing monopod or a single shooting stick more better 😉 you know,,, for mobility in the field or something 🤭

[@thomasstevenhebert]

And a vhs copy of quiggly as training material

[@phillipbampton911]

A bipod? What are you trying to do? SHOOT SOMEONE?

[@phillipbampton911]

@@thomasstevenhebert Oi, you takin' the piss? I'll have you know I not a VHS of Quigley (not Quigley Down Under)I've still got the VCR to play it on. Lol 🇦🇺

[@harrisonlewis6853]

@@phillipbampton911 And so I too.. Wait a second, mate, small print on ejection port. It reads Betamax.

[@Tadicuslegion78]

"Mr. Defense Minister, is it wise to equal all our snipers with deer antlers?" "of course, they'll never see it coming." "But this is the urban warfare school." "....deer live in cities too, ya know"

[@british35]

Elbonia back in the news? That’s interesting

[@graham1034]

Since the rifle has a quick-change action/barrel for different calibers make sure to mount the BDC on the main body of the weapon so it doesn't need to be touched when doing a barrel swap.

[@leppeppel]

I think Elbonia's national motto is "Vidit Bona in Charta." (It looked good on paper.)

[@andybelcher1767]

Wow, I learnt more about sniping through being told what is bad than through all the videos on what is good! Many thanks

[@stevbe1723]

So glad another of these vids came out, I always get so invested in stories about elbonia lol

[@robertkb64]

Funnies: I actually use a multi caliber rifle with quick change barrels (an LMT MARS-H) with an auto ranging scope, but mine allows presets for each caliber and bullet combination (so I just tell the scope what I’m firing and it calculates the rest) and incorporates angle and actual range (with a laser rangefinder) into the ballistics. So for me that uphill 328 yard shot is easy if there’s no wind, and only a slight trouble in with a constant cross wind, though on very long shots with multiple wind directions at different ranges (ex: when shooting across a valley or over multiple ridge lines) I do have to pay attention.

[@cikame]

Elbonian Snake you got a PSG1!

[@chillypepperjr]

Hey Ian, i know artillery isnt exactly your strongest point, and perhaps this is a one off question for some more artillery focused colleagues during a Q&A, but what do you think would be the best way to sabotage the artillery corps of Elbonia?

[@dillonc7955]

Too bad Elbonia wasn't made to be like Gaddafi's Libyan army when they faced Chad in a huge territory conflict. They had tons of Soviet era equipment which in theory would've let to the total destruction of Chad. Except Gaddafi's military was horribly trained with said equipment, therefore they lost the conflict to a bunch of Chads/Chadians in Toyotas.

[@gabrielchcosta]

Hope you do another one of these Elbonian videos, really interesting.

[@marcelobravo4270]

As a citizen from Peronia I can confirm that Elbonia exists . They're out best comercial partners !!

[@jamielinsell2188]

Also their rifles need to simultaneously have the least stable bipods possible, and masterkey underbarrels for personal defence

[@lonelystrategos]

A tripod for exceeding stability. Never mind the weight and set-up time.

[@jamielinsell2188]

@@lonelystrategos permanently affixed tripods, you just have to carry them deployed, simples

[@timcheeseman2956]

Medal of Honour NEEDS "Elbonia : the Fight for Freedom"

[@varanid9]

I used to have one of those Russian PO 3-9x42 BDC scopes. I never could find the proper ammo that matched its BDC cam. I've seen video clips from an old Soviet training film in which one of the snipers has that scope mounted on his SVD (the rest all have PSO-1s). However, my understanding is that this scope was intended for use on the PK machine gun. It's telling that it seems to have gone by the wayside while the PSO-1 is still in use.

[@isaiahsmith7123]

Their ghillie suits should come with googly eyes for added psychological warfare 😂🤣

[@ChrisLoew]

Note to self, don't put Ian on r&d for a new product he does not care about, he will know what he is doing in all the wrong ways lolz

[@anthonyhayes1267]

I needed one of these today.

[@ganii1804]

this is the most ridiculous running gag in this channel i love it

[@imadrifter]

Hi Ian 👋🏻 Thank you for never failing to create an interesting and informative video.

[@mr.seaotter-1429]

To summarize : Elbonian Sniper Corps - Have to good to be true stuffs (Easy to use scope and Modular weapon system) and have to waste times on learning adjust scope and shooting with multiple cartridge, While sacrifice other necessary skills to be a good sniper.

[@andersjjensen]

Obviously. And to keep spying eyes away from their cutting edge classified sniper program you waste a lot of the budget on making an under ground 500m shooting range to make sure they don't even know what wind is. Then someone realizes this mistake and you spend more money on installing fixed-step blowers that can only blow perfectly perpendicular to the shooting direction. And now, to make ends meet in the budget, the snipers spend more time in the classroom than on the shooting range. With enough theory and paper tests they only need to shoot about 10 shoots a month during their 3 month hyper modern training course.

[@loneghostone6883]

i always love the Elbonia questions, they're great fun!

[@garetz2011]

Very polite when people say elbonia instead of brazil. But we know you are speaking about us! And you are damn right!

[@a4channoob]

Since Elbonia is on a budget, got to buy a bunch of surplus rifles instead of expensive modern precision rifles. but to be further cheaper, got to get them from Ethiopia. that way they have a huge lot of assorted rifles for different sniping conditions, many with various mods already done to them

[@connoisseurofcookies2047]

I would commission a camouflage pattern with squares rather than a curvy/smooth pattern that blends in. Then I'd make sure the colour palette consists of only three colours that would only blend in very particular environments, but because of the squares it wouldn't really blend there either. I don't know how I could sell it without coming off too obvious, no rational decision maker will ever be foolish enough to sign off of such stupidity. Maybe I'll say it's because our soldiers have to be "Cyber Ready." Then I'll call it MARPAT.

[@Winkler_B_Rudolf_1911]

The best Sniper Rifle for Elbonia would be the bolt-action 7x57mm Mauser AK-47 with the Bren Mk.II magazine made in the Khyber Pass with a 1P21 scope and a ZF41 mounted above it like a Red Dot sight.

[@cnf6045]

Do something like making all the sniper ranges point the same cardinal direction (EX. East) so then all the snipers compensate for the Coriolis effect as though they’re shooting that direction, and miss at long ranges any time they’re not shooting that direction.

[@lancerevell5979]

Elbonian snipers..... hmm... need to consult Dogbert on this. 🤔

[@theduchyofmilanball3157]

Half expected to hear either the ross rifle or a mauser with those infamous tank killing bullets.

[@jamespowell7302]

Ah, but... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Pegahmagabow You might want to rethink the Ross in the hands of someone who knew its limits, and worked within them... I mean, in general, probably a good bit of wooden shoe use...

[@theduchyofmilanball3157]

@@jamespowell7302 Fair, but in general, a "Super Accurate Sporting Rifle with this super hot new rifle cartridge" seems like an easy sell. Especially if you neglect to mention that the rifle in question was never intended to handle such high PSI-s.

[@janwitts2688]

Don't forget the large backpack radio (without spare batteries) so your sniper can double as a forward observer

[@tomshepherd4901]

The job of a sniper is more akin to artillery than assassination most of the time. They surveil the battlefield and provide details to the ground forces. They neutralize high value targets, (and materials), but they mostly provide cover fire to pin down enemy positions so they are easier for ground troups and air support to take out. Eliminate enemy artillery and machine gun emplacements, etc. The majority of snipers operate at less than 400 meters most of the time. We only hear about the very long range shots because those are the ones that make news. Simo Hayha, (arguably the most successful sniper in history), didn't even use a scope. He would choose a spot to stake out enemy troup movements from a covered position, shoot and move. His greatest asset was that he knew the terrain and knew how to remain hidden. KZbin has a great interview with Carlos "White Feather" Hathcock. I think the best way to sabbotage a sniper program would be to focus only on the long range shooting and not at all on movement and concealment.

[@ZS-cj3fw]

My dad was a cook on the Elbonian army, he starved to death. God bless Elbonia!

[@auzor5900]

This was a fun treat. Thank you Ian. And yeah, auto-magnification, auto-drop compensation in hilly terrain.. I see no way this could ever backfire. 😀

[@mikeehrmantraut2607]

honestly, i cant believe that i watched, i dunno, maybe 1000 videos of you and still dont get bored. you do a wonderful job and you should always know, that there are millions who appreciate what you are doing.

[@micko6393]

Elbonian rifles are equipped with close fitting dirt protector 'plugs' at the muzzle in order to prevent dirt ingress into expensive rifled barrels. These plugs are carefully designed to be soldier-proof, ie, cannot be removed by the common soldier, thus further protecting the barrel. The conventional manner of removing them is "the first shot", which also removes the last 10 inches of the barrel, instantly turning this fine battle rifle into a handy, (but totally unusable carbine).

[@AllAboutSurvival]

Love this. Interesting take on Elbonia

[@filemonyumul8168]

Perhaps something like a used Carcano with a sniper scope bought off mail order?

[@schrodingersgat4344]

Remington E-tronix Rifles.

[@alancranford3398]

The best ally of the traitorous Elbonian Defense Minister is the Good Idea Fairy. Make the scope mount easy on/easy off that shoots itself loose after three shots. The selling point that the scope will swap out with night vision in under fifteen seconds. Never mind that removing the scope will destroy the zero--the zero will go away within five shots anyway and if properly set up will fall off the rifle in ten shots--unless tightened (which also shifts the zero). As for a camouflage uniform, what colors does a tiger wear? An orange and black tiger-striped uniform with white accents will look swell on parade as well as being "natural" camouflage. This uniform tip brought to you by the Good Idea Fairy.

[@billykershaw2781]

Dear Sir, as representative of His Majesty's Government, the gentleman mentioned would be most welcome and rewarded here in England, we have some projects he could advise on, this is consistent with this country 's long friendship with the People of Elbonia.

[@pycoed]

He's already fronted Crossrail & has moved on to HS2😱

[@oloflarsson7629]

If this is post-war (like the previous Elbonia videos) I would suggest eighter putting the scopes on surplus anti-tank rifles (to "simplyfy long range shooting") or M1C/D Garand, with a M1918A2 BAR bipod, (because "they are cheap surplus, from the greatest small arms producing nation in the world") putting great emphasis in the training that the action must be taken out of the stock for daily cleaning.

[@phillipbampton911]

Better yet, there is the old M16 trick. Tell them not to clean them and issue them with the wrong ammo.

[@oloflarsson7629]

@@phillipbampton911 The thing about the M1/M14 is that if you take the mechanism out of the stock to clean the gun, the bedding changes, and therefore ther point of impact.

[@joemarr3555]

angle will certainly play a roll in the ungulating mountainous swamps of eastern Elbonia

[@timcheeseman2956]

And the snowfields to the north

[@BullsMahunny]

Man gave the equivalent of going in your house uninvited and misplacing things lmao. I love it

[@jakeoutdoors9600]

Have the troops practice with FMJ rounds (cost savings) but give them high quality OTM bullets in the field so the trajectory is different. You can take it a step further with the multi caliber rifles. They can practice with 308 win on the range but when they go to the field set the gun up for 300 win mag. Cost savings vs terminal long range performance.

[@CssHDmonster]

elbonia sabotage continues!

[@BatCaveOz]

Are there any updates on the Calico reliability testing? (Asking for a friend)

[@VonGrav]

also the interchangeable calibre rifles really will help with training: You can practice indoor with cheep .22long at 15 to 50 meters. its so much cheaper than shooting the big expensive cartridges for ages when in reality the difference is negatable. Once you pull the trigger it does not matter after all! Its all about pose, trigger finger and technique in general? Good cost saving. Also your snipers can practice shooting much more often and any time of the year! They dont have to lay out there in the mud.

[@philippejoyal8065]

You are one devious Elbonian! Love those q&a

[@p.t.anderson1593]

My Elbonian flag patches are inbound, couple of days out. I. am. stoked.

[@mrtlsimon]

The Elbonia questions are so much fun.

[@unclebob540i3]

Good one! I had completely forgotten about Tracking point and the hype. Not that forgetting them is that difficult. I looked them up, they were bought out by another company which is developing it into just a scope and they have an app.

[@randywatson8347]

Hmm I was thinking about welding two cheap AKMbarrels to make a 80cm barrel. Then the AKM has just a shortened mag. Probably file down the disconnector for crisp trigger action. Ofcourse, the sniper and spotter can also become LMG and longmag ammo carrier. Two roles for the price of one for the Elbonian win. The spotter touch the barrel every two mags to ensure it does not overheat. If so, denies longmag reloading. Parts of he Elbonian ghillie suit can be detached and lit by the spotter to create a smokescreen when escaping in a emergency situation.

[@sarath431]

The tracking point rifle. The real life aimbot. Atleast that is what it has been advertised. It's been a while I heard of this gun.

[@vorynrosethorn903]

I will have you know that Elbonian issues only the highest quality Whitworths to our elite marksmen, we here in the Elbonian parliament watched a video which gave us the good advice that it is just as good as modern guns and on top of that it can be domestically produced and fits in on the hunting estates our snipers train on, our first batch even came with scopes but since then we have learned that Jerry-rigging binoculars on to gives you a wider field of fire, they are even easily detachable with Velcro to aid in loading. We are currently studying austrio-hungarian uniform designs so that they will look more appropriate during the opening of parliament and in the field, personally I am supporting ostrich feather headgear dyed in the national colours.

[@dave_h_8742]

Whitworths were too accurate with their novel shaped bullets, they give no chance for the enemy.

[@septicwhelk3654]

Whitworth or US plastic wabit rifle ? ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping or splat your dead ?

[@jg8263]

As a member of the Elbonian Atlatl Corps, I continue to reject these newfangled weapons. The enemies are cowards if they won't fight in range of our mighty spears! I'm working on regaining backing in this regard from the boomerang infantry division. I'm confident that they will come back around....

[@illtemperedcur9798]

Multi-caliber scope, that's platform agnostic? I think Ian just described the new XM157 Fire Control Optic.