Pratice marksmanship?

[zwhite84]

Hey,
I would like to practice shooting and getting better at it. I have always been a hunter and can shoot pretty good. Even with a bow <--- so fun. But what would be the best thing to pratice with, something similar to an m-16?

[mrbsox]

It's NOT the weapon that makes a marksman, it's the shooter !!

Granted, you NEED a decent weapon to start with, but even a MATCH grade rifle relys on the shooter.

Anything with open sights, a bb gun, will allow you to 'practice':

Sight alignment; pointed in the right place
Sight picture; where is the impact point
Breathing; watch the 'sight' move as you breathe normal
Holding; your breath when the picture is right
Squeezing; with the finger, NOT the hand
Consistancy; doing it EVERY time

The catch phrase is BRASS !!

B reathe
R elax
A im
S top
S queeze

And a bb gun is CHEAPER, than even a 22. When you can shoot the fleas off a fly, increase your distance, and again, and again. Compensate for wind, distance.

Different shooting positions. How long can you HOLD in an 'offhand' stance??

Good luck.

Anybody else got feedback ??

Terry

[acts837]

Shooting these days can get expensive. My son has a match grade AR15 and we never shoot it.

Shooting is more a mental event than most people realize. Understanding the basics mentally before you ever try to apply them physically will make for a "mo" better shooter. My recommendation: 1) Get a good book or video about the fundamentals of marksmanship. Try here for starters. 2) Get yourself a quality "inexpensive" air rifle like a beeman and try applying the fundamentals without recoil. 3) Finally, find someone you know that has a service rifle (M1, M14, AR15, etc) and try some open sights with the recoil.

Good Luck!

[Caesar Augustus]

I was under the impression that shooting before recruit training would only give you bad habits and cause you to do worse.

[Tom D]

Since you plan on going to bootcamp,why don't you let a PMI teach you?

[acts837]

I was a PMI at Stone Bay RR in Camp Lejuene when I was enlisted. Have met a few coaches/PMIs in the past who didn't have a clue. Caesar - Everyone is different. You would probably be amazed at how many recruits barely qualify at the range. Think about it, one week in a group setting is not enough time to become proficient with the M-16.

Not that I am the worlds foremost authority on marksmanship but I did shoot on the Marine Corps Rifle Team one season. Based on my experience, if a person was interested, I would recommend reading a book on the fundamentals. I will try and find one to recommend.

[Sticky blue]

You don't even need to fire from what we are taught. Dry Drills are the key as they create 'Muscle Memory' where the body goes into an auto mode if you like. Providing the principles are followed they will help. One thing I would add to Mr Bsox is: The weapon pointing naturaly at the target. i.e. Take aim and then close your eyes and come off aim, then go back to the position you thought you were in that is comfortable, open your eye and check your aim. Adjust your body so the aim is where the natural position of the body is. This 'Dry Drill' method was used to great effect during the Boer War, they could shoot a fly on a mushroom at 300 yards or more. Apply the principles and you'll not go far wrong!

Good shooting is a HABIT. Proper Holding, correct point of Aim, controlled Breathing, Instinctive body position, and gentle Trigger control. The basics must be mastered before you can move on. Learn the easy, and then move on to the complex.

[RoboRobinson17]

Caesar- from person to person, you will get a different answer. As the Captain said, everybody is different. If you go in using Kentucky Windage - if its to the right, move your whole body to the left - yeah, you are going to have problems. I shot since I was six, and my dad owns an AR15 that we shot before I left for training. HOWEVER, the positions are going to be different than anything that you are used to, and if you have bad habits, they'll be tough to break. Grassweek teaches you about muscle memory, which is what Sticky Blue is refering to. Our PMI said if it wasn't hurting like a b!tch then we werent doing it right. The biggest obstacle that I had, was that I was a jacked up shooter. I'm right handed, but left eye dominant. Depending on who you talk to, they will tell you this is total b.s. This means that even though I am right handed, I use my left hand as my trigger hand/finger. This was tough in marking my book and also changing mags. Adapt and Overcome, thats what being a Marine is all about.

Semper FI,

Joe