For the ordinary soldier, modern warfare is an impersonal business over which he has little direct control, wheras for the sniper it is a deadly one-to-one confrontation. The sniper usually operates alone, sometimes having to wait motionless for hours, or even days, before he fires his shot. This study examines the technical aspects of sniping in detail, looking at the historical background as well as the role of the sniper in such recent conflicts as Vietnam, the Falklands and the Gulf War.