Firearm Basics

**3moose1** · Posted On: 7/19/2010 4:34pm

Originally Posted by Cassius

Saying "I am an amazing shooter" after just having graduated boot camp makes you look stupid, is all.

Lol, I shot quite a bit before boot camp.

But I was just fuckin' around with that stuff at the top ;P

**tideliar** · Posted On: 7/19/2010 4:46pm

Originally Posted by 3moose1

...Also, yeah, to OP, if you only have indoor ranges, ask them for targets that approximate longer distances. I've got able, b-mod and doll targets that I shoot at my range, and their size approximates 2, 3 and 500 yds.

One of the more telling parts of my limited experience was when we started shooting at 3" targets instead of 9". The instructor gave us some lolz and then we started shooting at this tiny little fucking circle. First at 6 feet...then 15 feet...then 25/30 feet (I think that was the distance limit for the "short" range we were on). It was so fucking tiny... But as he said again and again, "The distance between you and the target has increased, but the distance from you to your front sight is still the same. What are you looking at?"

"FRONT SIGHT"

I have to admit, my grouping at long range was seriously wank, because try as I might, I was looking (squinting anyway) at the fucking target not the FS. Didn't realise till he started advancing the target back towards us that I'd been focusing down range.

Hoping to get back out there this week sometime. Practice makes perfect and all that jazz... :new_snipe

**Mutt** · Posted On: 7/19/2010 5:29pm

Originally Posted by Hugo Stiglitz

Moose..

Tip from someone with operational experience. Your marksmanship (and abilities) will change once you get into the ****.

The amount of kit you'll carry on patrol massively influences your ability to effectively and instinctively shoot. If you want some experience of that before you hit down town Sangin, wear a 50lb+ Bergen for a couple of hours as a minimum and try what you know now with that on.

I'm assuming you must be reasonably fit at this point, I can't stress enough how important both physical and mental fitness/robustness is going to be during your tour, if you're not already, start running with weighted kit. I might be telling you to suck eggs but it's a must.

Be safe.

Damn good advice. Stress fires are a great way to simulate your fight-or-flight response and it's impact on your marksmanship; not a perfect simulation mind you, but a good training tool nonetheless. Another similar option is to go run 200 to 400 meters in kit as fast as you can and then IMMEDIATELY hit the firing line (this may not be plausible at all firing ranges, most outdoor ranges will let you do it if you talk to them first). Being able to shoot with your heart rate up, muscles tired, and sweat coming down into your eyes will add a whole new dimension. It also makes for some damn fun shooting as long as you are safe about it.

**Rock Ape** · Posted On: 7/20/2010 9:59am

A slight digress from the thread however;

Moose, when you start doing weighted runs/speed marches ensure your pack is high on your back and not allowed to swing or rest in the small of your back.

When we used to run around the COB at Basra, we'd see US troops on a daily basis running with their packs hanging off their backs as if they'd intentionally not tightened the shoulder straps at all.

The higher the pack is on your pack, the less strain you'll encounter, it will also encourage you to naturally lean slightly forward as you move, this again reduces the strain slightly. We call moving over distance at speed with weight, "tabbing" which is the plural for TAB - Tactical Advance (to) Battle.

Tabbing is an essential physical fitness tool which is very job specific and is much harder than running (obviously) because of the weight, this exercise alone is far better than road running because it conditions your core strength along with everything else you'd expect to stress during a foot patrol.

At the moment I'm only road running once a week, but I'm tabbing three times a week and finding that is having a higher impact on improving my fitness and more importantly the conditioning the body needs to undergo before you deploy.

I can't reiterate enough what Cassius said about IA drills, I visualise and rehearse those in my head as i'm tabbing, as well as things like METHANE, 9 liner etc to make sure they're second nature verbal/radio responses in stress situations.

Dave

**vigilus** · Posted On: 7/20/2010 11:56am

How does one go about tabbing? What exactly is involved in it?

I can't reiterate enough what Cassius said about IA drills, I visualise and rehearse those in my head as i'm tabbing, as well as things like METHANE, 9 liner etc to make sure they're second nature verbal/radio responses in stress situations.

It must piss you off when some officer decides to change the 9liner every month :)

**Robstafarian** · Posted On: 7/20/2010 12:50pm

By way of excusing this post, here's something vaguely on topic: reviewing this thread as you get more practice might help you improve your mechanics. Maybe that's just me though, my balance has always been terrible. Come to think of it, why isn't that thread a sticky?

Originally Posted by GuiltySpark

It must piss you off when some officer decides to change the 9liner every month :)

Thanks to all the military folks here for helping me discover, and nurturing, my fetish for jargon. :icon_stud

Oh, and thanks for that whole life risking thing.

**Rock Ape** · Posted On: 7/20/2010 12:56pm

Tabbing is nothing more elaborate mate than humping a fucking heavy bergen and belt order with rifle, kevlar over cross country terrain (and road) completing a set distance in or under a pre set time.

The British Army undergo the CFT - Combat Fitness Test which is 50lb (aprox) in weight over 8 miles in under 120 minutes

The RAF Regiment undergo the ROFA - Regiment Operational Fitness Assessment which is 80lb (aprox) over 6 miles in under 1hr 40

**tgace** · Posted On: 7/20/2010 1:01pm

Originally Posted by daddykata

Also, use dry-fire "rounds," a.k.a. practice ammo. The extra weight can make a big difference vs. dry-firing empty.

If you are using an auto you can also buy training magazines specifically designed for this sort of thing. Same weight, wont lock the slide back...

http://tgace.wordpress.com/2008/11/10/524/

**3moose1** · Posted On: 7/22/2010 12:31am

Hugo,

Thanks for all the help. Yeah, during training I noticed everyone had their **** loose as *****. I asked one of my instructors how to properly wear the fuckin' pack, and now keep that **** as high and tight as possible. Really fucking helped during our shitty mountain warfare package, though.

Your guys' CFT is harder then ours, how often do you do it? Ours is retarded and simple. Its an 880 sprint, 30lb ammo can presses, and a manuever under fire course where you sprint, crawl, carry douchebags, sprint, carry ammo cans, throw a grenade, and sprint. I didn't try at all, and got a 270/300.

We have to do ours at least once a year, usually two.

I really appreciate all your info and advice. If you have any more, PLEASE pm it to me. I'll explain more in the privacy of an inbox. I've been hitting the gym more, and once I get more comfortable running, as I suck at it (my 3 mile time is, at best 23 mins...though I usually max out the other two portions) I plan to include more pack runs.