I read about this game in the book, "Lady Death - The Memoirs of Stalin's Sniper" by Lyudmila Pavlichenko. This was a shooting game that the sniper students would play at the Osoaviakim sniper school that she attended before the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in June of 1941. Here's an excerpt from her book explaining the game. Potapov is the senior instructor.
"Other times, we would generally take a sniper’s rifle into the forest and play a game we called ‘bottle base’. After the drink bottles were empty from lunch, we would set up one of them on its side in a cleft stick with the bottle’s neck towards us at a distance of about 20 or 30 metres from the firing line. With a single shot we had to knock out the bottom of the bottle – that is, the bullet was supposed to enter the bottleneck and, without damaging the sides of the glass vessel, emerge through the bottom of the bottle, which would be smashed in the process.
Potapov would usually knock out the first bottle himself. Then he would hand the rifle to one of his pupils, and the contest for accuracy and skill began. We had some very ambitious kids, generally very young, who would give anything to lead the field and win Potapov’s praises. First, we were required to shoot from a kneeling position, that is, planting your right knee on the ground and resting on your heel. Second, we had to support the rifle with a strap which went under the bent elbow of the left arm. In this way the marksman could rest on the left knee and hold the handguard of the gun, having moved his or her hand closer to the muzzle end. All this demanded strength, stability and good balance.
Anyone who missed exited the game, to the jests and laughter of those present. The victorious were rewarded by Potapov; they received a small chocolate bar and a witty comment. For a while I did not have full confidence in my capabilities. Moreover, I do not like showing off or being the centre of attention, for one of the postulates instilled in us by the ‘dear teacher’ proclaimed: ‘Showing yourself is dangerous. The sniper is invulnerable so long as he is unseen.’
The day came when I was the one to whom Potapov handed the rifle. Suppressing my nerves, I took the weapon, forced the butt into the hollow of my shoulder as usual, placed my index finger on the trigger and, pressing my cheek to the comb of the butt, I stared into the eyepiece of the telescopic sight with my right eye. The PE sight provided four-fold magnification. But even so, the neck of the bottle faded between the three black lines and looked just like a full-stop in bold type. All that was left was to rely on intuition, on the ‘feeling for the target’ which a sniper develops during the training process.
Spending too long taking aim is a common beginner’s error and I had long rid myself of it. So, everything went off exactly according to instructions, that is, within a time of eight seconds. Hold your breath, take aim and breathe out as you exert smooth pressure on the trigger. The rifle responded with the crack of a shot and kick in the shoulder. The white sides of the bottle were still gleaming in the sun as before, but the base of the bottle was…no longer there!
‘Well done, Lyudmila,’ said the senior instructor. ‘Can you repeat it?’
‘All right, let’s have a go,’ I agreed, for I was overcome by the excitement.
Potapov realized this and smiled. ‘Keep calm, my long-braided beauty –‘ that was how the senior instructor sometimes jokingly referred to us girls in his group.
‘You have every chance of victory.’
The others quickly set up a new bottle in the fork. Potapov gave me a cartridge with a ‘heavy’ bullet and, opening the breech, I placed it in the chamber. Of course the mechanism would work without fail. I would press the trigger and, under the pressure of the action spring, the striker would move forwards sharply. Its end point, like the sting of a snake, would penetrate the ignition capsule at the base of the bullet. The powder charge in it would explode and the bullet, fastened in a brass casing by a ring, would finally win its freedom.
The day had turned out fine and sunny and, yielding to my will, the bullets fired superbly. Three ‘bottle bases’ – that was my final score from the competition in the forest. To the envy of other cadets, the senior instructor presented me not just with a chocolate bar, but also with a copy of his booklet Instructions for Sharpshooters, autographed: ‘To Lyudmila Pavlichenko, my able pupil, in fond memory. A. Potapov’. I do not necessarily agree with this phrasing. After all, abilities are from nature, inborn, but when it comes to super-sharpshooting, one should also add firmness of character, industry, diligence, restraint and the persistent desire to learn."
- “Lady Death The Memoirs of Stalin’s Sniper” by Lyudmila Pavlichenko pages 15-16
So here's my adaptation to the game. Instead of littering the range with broken glass, I use the plastic water bottles. The range that I belong to doesn't permit the use of rifles any closer than 50 yards. So I taped a bottle to the upright post of a small target frame.
The rifle was my Vudoo 360 atop a Two Vets tripod and I was seated on a 5-gallon bucket.
I'm not going to lie. The first shot was a failure, ruining the bottle. The second attempt was a success!
I wasn't content to shoot at 50 yards and so tried it at 100. To my surprise, I got the bottom of the bottle on the first shot at that distance!
The second bottle was a failure. When I shot the third bottle, I punched a hole in the center of the bottle. Feeling cocky, I wanted to see if I could get a five shot group at the bottom of the bottle but failed. The fourth bottle was a success and I show it here to illustrate something about this game.
The hard part, especially shooting by yourself, is to get the bottle lined up so you are looking right down the mouth without it being cocked to one side. If that happens, you risk hitting the side of the bottle or, as shown below, the bullet exits off center.
As I was looking at this bottle, through the scope, it was tilted upward. This resulted in the bullet hitting high on the edge of the bottom of the bottle.
If two or more people were shooting, perhaps the shooter could remain at the rifle with the MAGAZINE REMOVED, BOLT OPEN AND CHAMBER FLAG INSERTED. The shooter could look through the rifle scope at the bottle as it's being positioned and can communicate by cell phone with the other person should the distance be too great. When the bottle is aligned properly, the other shooter can return to the firing line.
"Other times, we would generally take a sniper’s rifle into the forest and play a game we called ‘bottle base’. After the drink bottles were empty from lunch, we would set up one of them on its side in a cleft stick with the bottle’s neck towards us at a distance of about 20 or 30 metres from the firing line. With a single shot we had to knock out the bottom of the bottle – that is, the bullet was supposed to enter the bottleneck and, without damaging the sides of the glass vessel, emerge through the bottom of the bottle, which would be smashed in the process.
Potapov would usually knock out the first bottle himself. Then he would hand the rifle to one of his pupils, and the contest for accuracy and skill began. We had some very ambitious kids, generally very young, who would give anything to lead the field and win Potapov’s praises. First, we were required to shoot from a kneeling position, that is, planting your right knee on the ground and resting on your heel. Second, we had to support the rifle with a strap which went under the bent elbow of the left arm. In this way the marksman could rest on the left knee and hold the handguard of the gun, having moved his or her hand closer to the muzzle end. All this demanded strength, stability and good balance.
Anyone who missed exited the game, to the jests and laughter of those present. The victorious were rewarded by Potapov; they received a small chocolate bar and a witty comment. For a while I did not have full confidence in my capabilities. Moreover, I do not like showing off or being the centre of attention, for one of the postulates instilled in us by the ‘dear teacher’ proclaimed: ‘Showing yourself is dangerous. The sniper is invulnerable so long as he is unseen.’
The day came when I was the one to whom Potapov handed the rifle. Suppressing my nerves, I took the weapon, forced the butt into the hollow of my shoulder as usual, placed my index finger on the trigger and, pressing my cheek to the comb of the butt, I stared into the eyepiece of the telescopic sight with my right eye. The PE sight provided four-fold magnification. But even so, the neck of the bottle faded between the three black lines and looked just like a full-stop in bold type. All that was left was to rely on intuition, on the ‘feeling for the target’ which a sniper develops during the training process.
Spending too long taking aim is a common beginner’s error and I had long rid myself of it. So, everything went off exactly according to instructions, that is, within a time of eight seconds. Hold your breath, take aim and breathe out as you exert smooth pressure on the trigger. The rifle responded with the crack of a shot and kick in the shoulder. The white sides of the bottle were still gleaming in the sun as before, but the base of the bottle was…no longer there!
‘Well done, Lyudmila,’ said the senior instructor. ‘Can you repeat it?’
‘All right, let’s have a go,’ I agreed, for I was overcome by the excitement.
Potapov realized this and smiled. ‘Keep calm, my long-braided beauty –‘ that was how the senior instructor sometimes jokingly referred to us girls in his group.
‘You have every chance of victory.’
The others quickly set up a new bottle in the fork. Potapov gave me a cartridge with a ‘heavy’ bullet and, opening the breech, I placed it in the chamber. Of course the mechanism would work without fail. I would press the trigger and, under the pressure of the action spring, the striker would move forwards sharply. Its end point, like the sting of a snake, would penetrate the ignition capsule at the base of the bullet. The powder charge in it would explode and the bullet, fastened in a brass casing by a ring, would finally win its freedom.
The day had turned out fine and sunny and, yielding to my will, the bullets fired superbly. Three ‘bottle bases’ – that was my final score from the competition in the forest. To the envy of other cadets, the senior instructor presented me not just with a chocolate bar, but also with a copy of his booklet Instructions for Sharpshooters, autographed: ‘To Lyudmila Pavlichenko, my able pupil, in fond memory. A. Potapov’. I do not necessarily agree with this phrasing. After all, abilities are from nature, inborn, but when it comes to super-sharpshooting, one should also add firmness of character, industry, diligence, restraint and the persistent desire to learn."
- “Lady Death The Memoirs of Stalin’s Sniper” by Lyudmila Pavlichenko pages 15-16
So here's my adaptation to the game. Instead of littering the range with broken glass, I use the plastic water bottles. The range that I belong to doesn't permit the use of rifles any closer than 50 yards. So I taped a bottle to the upright post of a small target frame.
The rifle was my Vudoo 360 atop a Two Vets tripod and I was seated on a 5-gallon bucket.
I'm not going to lie. The first shot was a failure, ruining the bottle. The second attempt was a success!
I wasn't content to shoot at 50 yards and so tried it at 100. To my surprise, I got the bottom of the bottle on the first shot at that distance!
The second bottle was a failure. When I shot the third bottle, I punched a hole in the center of the bottle. Feeling cocky, I wanted to see if I could get a five shot group at the bottom of the bottle but failed. The fourth bottle was a success and I show it here to illustrate something about this game.
The hard part, especially shooting by yourself, is to get the bottle lined up so you are looking right down the mouth without it being cocked to one side. If that happens, you risk hitting the side of the bottle or, as shown below, the bullet exits off center.
As I was looking at this bottle, through the scope, it was tilted upward. This resulted in the bullet hitting high on the edge of the bottom of the bottle.
If two or more people were shooting, perhaps the shooter could remain at the rifle with the MAGAZINE REMOVED, BOLT OPEN AND CHAMBER FLAG INSERTED. The shooter could look through the rifle scope at the bottle as it's being positioned and can communicate by cell phone with the other person should the distance be too great. When the bottle is aligned properly, the other shooter can return to the firing line.
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