<P> A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting, using accurate precision scoped projectile weapons (in modern days most commonly a designated marksman rifle or a sniper rifle) to shoot at high - value targets at longer - than - usual ranges . </P> <P> In popular and historical usage, "sharpshooter" and "marksman" are considered synonyms . Within the shooting sports and military usages today, however, sharpshooter and marksman refer to distinctly different levels of skill, which are never conflated . Specifically, in the US Army, "marksman" is a rating below "sharpshooter" and "expert". Four levels of skill are generally recognized today in both military and civilian shooting circles: unqualified, marksman, sharpshooter, and expert . Marksmanship badges for the three qualified levels are commonly awarded to both civilian and military shooters who attain proficiency in shooting higher than "unqualified". </P> <P> The main difference between military marksmen and snipers is that marksmen are usually considered an organic part of a fireteam of soldiers and are never expected to operate independently, whereas snipers usually work alone or in very small teams with independent mission objectives . Snipers are also often tasked with responsibilities other than delivering long - range fire--specifically, conducting reconnaissance and directing coordinates for artillery fire or air strikes . Within the military, marksmen are sometimes attached to an infantry fireteam or squad (where they are known as designated marksmen) where they support the squad by providing accurate long - range shots at valuable targets as needed, thus extending the effective tactical reach of the fireteam or squad . </P> <P> In the Middle Ages, in the first use of the term' marksman' was given to the royal archers, or bowmen, of a palace guard, which was an elite group of troops chosen to guard a royal palace or the royalty . This was around the 10th century, although records of some 9th century English Kings show the listings of groups of marksmen specifically chosen for their militaries . </P>

What's the difference between marksman and sniper bf1