Brandon (TF316)

On Passive & Active Aiming I opened the app to an apparently vigorous conversation about the topic that somehow I’m tagged in. So here’s the rundown on these two methods. Starting with “active aiming”, a term coined to infer use of a laser/ laser & illuminator to engage your target. Active aiming is perhaps the easiest way to shoot, and during the GWOT we could use our lasers with near impunity. I say near, because we did find adversaries with various night optics. However, in current times we see more and more proliferation of night vision in both wearable devices and things as simple as doorbell cameras, which will all pick up on your laser. As such that has prompted the use of and training in passive aiming, but we aren’t going to talk about that just yet. With active aiming, that laser goes both ways: you point out the target and yourself to anyone with NODs. Some regard this as a “kildt in da streetz” issue, and that’s because these folks have never been in a gunfight and only train in their mom’s basement. Though yes, you will highlight your position just as much as the enemy’s; using the lowest power setting possible and then moving after an engagement greatly mitigates risk to yourself. And when you consider that everyone in your unit is using their laser and potentially everyone on the opposing side is using their lasers, it all becomes somewhat moot. However, we can mitigate risk more, potentially, with passive aiming. Passive aiming is simply using your normal sights, albeit looking through your NODs to do so. This is certainly an excellent means to avoid highlighting your position with IR light. Though there are some caveats to this method. It is easiest to aim through your sights if you put them on a riser to bring them above a lower 1/3 co-witness height. You do not NEED this, though it makes it much easier. You need some eye relief between you and the optic so you can get your NV tube behind it. So if you run an LPVO or ACOG passive aiming is out, as to achieve sight picture you’ll have to push the stick forward and out of your shoulder. And lastly there’s visibility, which is itself multifaceted. Every optic has light transmission through it. So your NODs are only seeing what is available through the optic and the image can be diminished because of this. Then there’s your reticle, which if not illuminated will make targeting near impossible; illuminated can bloom out your target even on low power and NV settings. And circling back to visibility through the optic, there’s visibility in general. If you can barely make out a target at 200m, you will be hard pressed to find it through the optic and see it past your reticle. So yes, passive aiming is a thing and something I believe worthwhile trying out. If your optic setup allows for it, then I recommend training to it. However, I look at passive as the “BUIS” of my laser. Something I can do if the conditions are right and I would like to mitigate my signature by not using the laser. So for all the folks who say it’s outright bad or dumb: no, it isn’t. For the folks who say it’s critical and the only way to engage in the open: no, it isn’t. I’ve said here before and on other platforms: be trained in your equipment. Continuously educate, train diligently, and be open to having your notions and concepts challenged. Stay Dangerous 🏴‍☠️