, 1885-09-23
TARGET PRACTICE.
n rHE SOLDIER IS DRILLED
AIMING AND POM TING


fCoc ST. Louis Oiobs. Democrat
TIL target season In the United States
army extends throughout the year. win
ter and summer alike. during which time
The soldier is cicrnally drilled in aiming
and pointing. in estimating distances BY
pacing and 10y sight. in gallery practice
indoors at reduced targets and reduced
ranges. and in the field before the butts at
all distances. The regular target season
begins about Nav l. and ends about Oct
~. when the new target year actually he
gins Suppose we commence with the re
cruit on Nov. l and carry him through
the regular course Of trimming necessary 10
make q good shooting machine Of him.
which ends oct 81 Of the succeeding
year
1t constantly happens that men detached
from the main body Of the army are called
upon 10 determine for themselves their
distance from an object TO be fired at tx
perience %abundantly proves that soldiers,
by continued practice, may learn to est
mate distances up to 600 and 500 yards
with considerably accuracy by simple.
rapid obscr gation. Every soldier Is sup
posed to nave good eyesight; he. th0e
fore. after q little practice in sightestt'
mating. learns the following facts.
At 80 yards the white Of mans eyes is
plainly seen. aud the eyes themselves up
10 so yards.
Al 100 yards all parts Of the body are
seen distinctly, slight movements are per
ceptible. and the minute details Of the un
form can be distinguished.
At $50 yards the brass buttons on the
blouse can sim he separately distin-
guished.
Al 200 yards the outlines of the face
are confused. aud the rows Of brass but
tons look like yellow stripes
At 800 yards the buttons arc no longer
visible.
At 100 yards the face is a mere dot, but
all movements Of the legs and arms are
still distinct.
A GOO yards details can no longer be
distinguished, though the files OF a squad,
II the light be strong, can be counted.
At 800 yards the men in a squad can
not always be counted. nor their indiyid
ual movements distinguished
At / 900 yards q line Of men simply re
semble a broad belt. the direction OF their
march can, however, be readily deter
mined.
At !. 200 yards infantry can be distin
guished from cavalry.
At 1000 yards n mounted man looks
like a mere speck or dot
These estimating drills are at first con
Quoted on smooth. level country. and
Attefward on rough ground.
Tho above drills are supplemented Il
little later in the season by skirmish prac
tice. when the soldiers are advanced or
returned on a run before a line Of targets
the size Of men lying down. kneeliug. and
standing. when they load and fire at the
sound OF a bugle. depending entirely upon
their Judgment as TO what distance
they happen TO be from the objects fired
at 1t teaches them TO DO quick and oh.
serving. and. above all, 10 depend en-
tirely upon themselves for the manpula.
ton OF Then sights and the handling Of
their pieces. The estimating distance
drills are usually kept up for two months.
when the soldier is practiced indoors at
aiming, pointing. and pulling the trigger.
OF all misses made by anybody when
firing at an object. charge better than 80
per cent of them to defective pulling OF
the trigger. Nearly every riheman In the
world, be he a greenhorn or al expert, de-
ranges his aim to a more OF less degree
when he pulls of the piece.
First class ri1emen will, as a general
rule. ilatly deny any such imputation
against their superior Workmanship, and
will claim hat they nave long ago
mastered the defective pulling Of the
trigger, but the real expert who is a grade
above the first.classr iaeman) knows better
man AAA1I AA1 NAAAA ~ "a nv VI AA1 lOA
one riileman In a thousand pulls oil his
piece perfectly Now, If our best shots
can not always thoroughly overcome this
one draw back TO fine shooting after years
OF hard practice. how difficult 1t must be
for the ordinary soldier In the ranks 10
master it, Hence It is that pointing
and aiming drills are continuously prac-
ticed In the army, so as to give the soldier.
whether standing kneeling. or lying
down, u perfect command of his rifle. as
well as 10 teach him steadiness of both
person and rife. and 10 establish between
the hand and the eye such q prompt and
intimate connection as will insure the
finger acting upon the trigger at the
pr per momen without causing any de.
rangement In the aim
The next step is gallery practice. which
Is conducted indoors at a reduced target
and with reduced charges. Iron target
frames are issued by the ordnance de.
partment on which are painted targets
reduced to any size desired. The eight
inch bulls eye OF the field target at 200
yards Is reduced TO one inch for twenty
five yards. the other sections Of the target
in proportion. The service rifle is used
with a round ball the caliber OF the gun.
and a charge of powder usually not less
than three grains nor more than seven
grains There Is no recoil from such a
light cartridge. and the soldier therefore
quickly overcomes his tendency to finch.
Now If he had been marched direct to
the range and given his rifle with the full
cartridge. and told to shoot u score at the
regular target. the chances are nine oat OF
ten that he would have tightly closed both
eyes when pulling the trigger and trusted
TO luck for hits But the gallery practice
for the soldier raves the way to field firing.
just as the primer enables the schooboy
10 progress successfully TO the higher
studies Excellent results are attained at
The miniature targets. and many full
scores are often made. Gallery firing Is
continued untll the regular practice begins
OF the range. when the soldier is regularly
advanced from one range TO another by d
system Of classification according 10 the
merit Of his scores, and soon learns te
overcome. as far as possible, all the DIM
culties Of light. shadow, wind, moisture.
etc under the competent instruction Of
/ H.. .rtr ,ntaAw