Our Photo of The Day shows a Marine Raider with an M40A6 bolt-action sniper rifle and Nightforce scope. I’m not sure if the photographer played with the levels or some other filters as the images look a bit artificial, but who are we to complain? The M40A6 was used by these Marines as they attended the MARSOF Advanced Sniper Course at Camp Lejeune, N.C. earlier this year.

Introduced in 1966, the M40 has seen many upgrades over the years, but they are all built on the base of a Remington 700. In 2016, the A6 version was introduced with the U.S. Marine Corps.

The MARSOF Advanced Sniper Course is designed to train critical skills operators or SOF equivalent MOS personnel in precision rifle fire to provide support to SOF operations. Training is designed to provide instruction in basic and advanced marksmanship techniques, special reconnaissance skills, counter sniper techniques, aerial operations and close proximity engagement.

Photos: U.S. Marine Corps, taken by Cpl. Ethan Green

In case you didn’t know, the M40 rifle uses the 7.62×51mm NATO round.