Spray and pray

From Free net encyclopedia

Spray and pray is a derisive term for firing an automatic firearm towards an enemy in long bursts, without aiming. This may be done especially when quick reaction is needed to achieve a form of suppressive fire, either when aiming proves too difficult or when there is lack of identification of the precise location of an opposing force. However, random automatic gunfire is likely to hit no target, and any form of uncontrolled fire should be used sparingly.

Both parts of the word being observed individually, "Spray" denotes spreading automatic fire and "pray" would denote the hope for what could be considered a miraculous chance that the fire hits something.

The preferred method for achieving effective fire is to use controlled, aimed bursts after locating the opposing force. Many armed forces employ selective fire assault rifles and other small arms with a burst mode instead of, or in addition to, a fully automatic mode, to encourage soldiers to use effective fire techniques.

The term also applies to computer games featuring automatic weapons, usually first-person shooters, in which players fire blindly with the hope of hitting a target. The term is synonymous with spamming.

Photography

The term spray and pray is also similarly applicable to a certain method of photography. It is usually a derogatory term, used to describe a photographic technique of taking a large number of pictures in the hope that at least one will be acceptable, as opposed to the technique of carefully composing each individual shot for optimum lighting, posture, and other techniques. However, in some photographic areas, notably photography of sports, where posing individual photographs is not practical, spray and pray is the best method for obtaining the maximum number of acceptable images, so long as careful control of exposure and focus are maintained.