Tips for the Rifle Range

[Adikt916]

I need to score Expert at the shooting range so I can get the MOS that I want to try out for. Anyone Got any tips, that they picked up along the way that will help alot, but at the same time won't **** off the Instructers?

So far I have been told to:

File my trigger finger down so its smooth, so I am not "pulling the tigger" but "feeling it".

[Phantom Blooper]

Pay attention to your PMI!

B...R...A...S...S...!

Windage & Elevation.....cluck like a turkey and when the target sticks its head up FIRE!!!!


Do a search this has been covered!:evilgrin:

[bigalholmes165]

.

Shoot straight!!

[SlingerDun]

There are in depth threads on this site pertaining to exactly what your looking for but i dont recall reading about eye dominance, so heres a tip. Humans except for the few who are extremely ambidextrious have a dominant arm, leg and eye. With horses many believe sidedness is an inherent motor skill. It may be the same with most humans.

Identify an object in the distance, extend your arm and cover the dot with one finger. Now close your right eye. If the object remains covered you are left eye dominant. Try it a few times for consistency. If you are a right handed rifle shooter and left eye dominant like myself, moving your head to the right will position your dominant eye behind the target instead of cocked to the side, or remaining in place and relying on your weaker eye.

The benefits of this technique are most obvious with shotguns, upland hunting, skeet, etc.

--->Dave

[thewookie]

I need to score Expert at the shooting range so I can get the MOS that I want to try out for. Anyone Got any tips, that they picked up along the way that will help alot, but at the same time won't **** off the Instructers?

So far I have been told to:

File my trigger finger down so its smooth, so I am not "pulling the tigger" but "feeling it".

First of all don't miss and you should do OK.

Next thing, I think they meant to shave the trigger down, not your finger. Neither of which I recommend. A good marksman can shoot and hit what they want with any weapon, learn to be a good marksman, not just someone who's good with one weapon under certain circumstances. Try listening to your PMI and you'll do just fine, or you won't. But if you listen you'll increase the odds that you can then apply what you were told.

[MichaelWied]

Sight alignment is basically the big thing they're going to focus on. When you're looking through the small peep sight, you need to imagine there's a crosshair that you line the front sight post up with. Also, don't focus so much on the target itself, but the front sight instead (I know it's weird). In every position except for the standing, you'll have a loop sling around your bicep which will give you more stability. They'll also show you how to position yourself so you're not muscling the weapon and everything is all bone supported. The other big thing is to control your breathing. You naturally pause at the end of every exhale you take, and you're lungs keep atleast 15% of air in them, it's at this point where you want to hold your breath and shoot. If you don't, you'll notice you're shots in an up and down pattern on the target.
As for the trigger finger, you just need to find your spot. Some people might shoot with the tip, but I squeeze the trigger with the 2nd joint from the tip. You'll have a week a snapping in to develope the muscle memory.
Once you get to the range, you'll have to fill out a data book, and coaches will be all around to help you out. Just do your job and be consistant cause if you're not doing good, it might be your rifle. Be confident out there and listen to the PMI, it's not hard to score expert (I did.)

Thumb screw, high pocket of the shouler, reach out and grab air, high firm pistol grib, stock weld, eye relief, rotate down, adjust. Thats all you need to know.

[davblay]

Well it seems this poolee does need help after all. The only thing you have to remember at the Rifle range is listen to your PMI, do exactly what he says and you'll do fine. Forget everything you know, or think you know, about weapons now! History has proven that the best shooters have never even held a weapon!

If I came on strong on the other thread, that was to prove a point. I think it did! We are here to help you in any way we can, but use the search button before you ask, we have the same questions everyday from different poolees.

No offence, and none taken! Just proving a point to you, pup!

Dave

[LoganS2k7]

Just pay attention to everything your PMI and your coach tells you to do.

correct sight alignment
sight picture
trigger control
respratory pause

"clear front sight post in a blurry rear sight apature"

[Bulkyker]

There are in depth threads on this site pertaining to exactly what your looking for but i dont recall reading about eye dominance, so heres a tip. Humans except for the few who are extremely ambidextrious have a dominant arm, leg and eye. With horses many believe sidedness is an inherent motor skill. It may be the same with most humans.

Identify an object in the distance, extend your arm and cover the dot with one finger. Now close your right eye. If the object remains covered you are left eye dominant. Try it a few times for consistency. If you are a right handed rifle shooter and left eye dominant like myself, moving your head to the right will position your dominant eye behind the target instead of cocked to the side, or remaining in place and relying on your weaker eye.

The benefits of this technique are most obvious with shotguns, upland hunting, skeet, etc.

--->Dave

Great example dave.
Shooters can also make a small window with their hands and place it on an object then close one eye .... the dominant eye is looking at the target through the window and the off eye is looking at their hand. If you observe someone attempting this some with subconciously compensate by moving the window so they can continue to see the target with their non dominate eye. Also a novice shooter will demonstrate occasionally they are for instance left handed and right eyed by assuming a left handed shooting position and attempting to aim with their right eye. Switching to a shooting position which optimizes the use of their dominant eye usually produces higher scores althougth to some feels unnatural. Whew that was long winded and my fingers are tired ;)

Moving on .... what idiot told you to file your finger tip? Are you planning on taking an emory board to combat? Just listen to your PMI and your range coaches and do not self coach yourself right into UNQ. All the information that you require to shoot expert will be provided during the marksmanship phase of your training and it is up to you to apply it.

I digress but it has been proven that statistically infantrymen shoot higher scores simply because they handle their weapons on a daily basis. On an individual level; statistics show that those who a assimilate and apply information provided generally are more successful than those who don't.

[Finger]

Listen to the PMI. Stop watching and believing Hollywood. Get in the best shape you can. Something that you might keep in your mind and workout schedule is to work on flexibility. Good flexibility will help you later on the range.

Good Luck,

Finger

[chili77bowl]

I need to score Expert at the shooting range so I can get the MOS that I want to try out for. Anyone Got any tips, that they picked up along the way that will help alot, but at the same time won't **** off the Instructers?

So far I have been told to:

File my trigger finger down so its smooth, so I am not "pulling the tigger" but "feeling it".

1. Stop watching "Sniper" with Tom Berringer.
You won't even be allowed CLOSE to a file in Boot Camp.

2. Relax, slow steady squeeze, point of aim, point of impact.

3. and if you MUST quote a movie, quote "The Patriot" with Mel Gibson. "Aim Small, miss small." I don't know what it means, but it sounds good here.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Quoting movies...

"Windage and elevation, Mrs Robinson...windage and elevation...."

Filing your trigger finger....hoooboy. I've shot Expert 7 times, and shoot 'master' with the pistol...and I've never heard of that one. Perhaps if I'd filed my trigger finger, I could have went to Camp Perry!

NOW you tell me.

;)

[SlingerDun]

Marston: Ah ha. Legendary Sharps.

Quigley: You know your weapons. It's a lever-action, breech loader. Usual barrel length's thirty inches. This one has an extra four. It's converted to use a special forty-five caliber, hundred and ten grain metal cartridge, with a five-hundred forty grain paper patch bullet. It's fitted with double set triggers, and a Vernier sight. It's marked up to twelve-hundred yards. This one shoots a mite further.

Marston: An experimental weapon with experimental ammunition.

Quigley: You could call it that.

Marston: Let's experiment.

[249gunner]

RELAX
I'll admit for some reason I was always nervous during the first few shots.
The 200 and 500yd lines are where you make money, from what I've learned. I may be wrong. I've seen people ace the 200yd portion and totally suck at the 500, and UNQ! Relax and enjoy those 2 weeks. (dont look at the score, focus on what u gotta do). I can honestly say that was the most motivating time in bootcamp for me. That and the SAW.

[SlingerDun]

yards? its not meters anymore?

[Buckeye]

Just make sure that you aim down range.....please!!...relax,focus,slow steady squeeze...One Shot,One Kill!!

[tmleadr03]

I got the pizza box in Boot, because I was stressing about getting a good score! I got expert the next time at the range because I was relaxed and just having fun making the rifle go bang. The more importance you put on the score the worse it will probably be. Especially at long range, the point is to be relaxed. Shooting a rifle at the range is a kinda zen experiance. You focus with out trying type of thing. Do what the PMI says but relax about it.

[thewookie]

Shooting a rifle at the range is a kinda zen experience. You focus with out trying type of thing. Do what the PMI says but relax about it.

Nice point I definitely agree, and to follow up on that I think a good coach can really help you relax. We had this one coach that worked at Dam Neck, he was a good Marine that could make anyone laugh or smile in the sh*tiest of situations, and I remember that he always had the most experts of all the other coaches on every detail that he worked on. And not just because he was funny, but he also knew when to coach and when to sit back and STFU. Coaches and the PMI's should do their teaching during snap-in week, and on range days 1-3, day's 4 and 5 (assuming today it's the same 5-day range week,) should be left to the shooters. One of the first questions I asked GySgt. Hathcock when I first met him was, how he was able to do what he did? And he told me, he just got into a bubble and focused on doing his job. Plain and simple. If you can get to qual day and just relax, you'll do much better.

I can't tell you how many guys I saw back in my day that got back to the 500 yd line having only dropped 1 or 2 shots all day. And at the 500 yd line all week they were dead on. But on qual day they got back to the 500 yd line and they started talking numbers with their buddies and,,,they blew it. I've done it, most of us have at some point.

So, the best advice I can give you is to just be to relax. This is assuming that you know how to shoot :)

[Kennedy0231]

What really helped me on the 300 rapid fire is aim below the black portion of the target and move up as you are firing. Dont aim for the head. Plus directly over the head is worth 3 points and directly below the body is worth 4. It just makes more sense. Do this and youll be shooting possibles all day. (Possible = all ten shots in black) (they give you candy if you do it on qual day. Dont let the DIs catch you though...)