The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-11-21
TARGET PRACTICE.
HOW THE SOLDIER IS DRILLED IN
AIMING AND POINTING.
Facts Concerning Sight EstimatinR''-
Misses Sure to Be Made in Pulling OF
the Piece Gallery Firing
Gus Other Difficulties.
tCor. St. Louis Globe-Democrat.l

ICor. St. Louis Globe Democrat
The target season in the United States
army extends throughout the year, win
ter and summer alike, during which time
the soldier IS eternally drilled In aiming
and pointing, in estimating distances by
pacing and by 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 May !, and ends about Oct
81 when the new target year actually be-
gins. Suppose we commence with the re
cruit on Nov. l and carry him through
the regular course of training necessary to
make a 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 to determine for themselves their
distance from an object to be fired at Ex-
perience abundantly proves that soldiers.
by continued practice, may learn to estt-
mate distances up to 600 and 500 yards
with considerably accuracy by simple,
rapid observation. Every soldier Is sup
posed to have good eyesight; he, there
fore, after a little practice in sight -esti-
mating, learns the following facts:
At 80 yards the white, of mans eyes is
plainly seen, and the eyes themselves up
to so yards.
At 100 yards all parts of the body are
seen distinctly, slight movements are per
ceptible, and the minute details Of the I'M
form can be distinguished.
At $50 yards the brass buttons on the
blouse can still be separately distin-
guished
At 200 yards the outlines of the face
are confused, and the rows of brass but
tons look like yellow stripes.
At 300 yards the buttons are no longer
visible.
At 400 yards the face is a mere dot, but
all movements of the legs and arms are
still distinct
A 800 yards details can no longer be
distinguished, though the files of squad,
if the light be strong, can be counted.
At 800 yards the men in a squad can
not always be counted, nor their individ-
ual movements distinguished.
At 1000 yards line of men simply re-
semble broad belt; the direction of their
march can, however, be readily deter
mined.
At 1900 yards infantry can be distin-
guished from cavalry.
At q 600 yards a mounted man looks
like a mere speck or dot.
These estimating drills are at first con-
Quoted on smooth, level country, and
afterward on rough ground.
The above drills are supplemented a
tice, when the soldiers are advanced or
returned on a run before line of targets
the size of men lying down, kneeling, and
standing, when they load and fire at the
sound of bugle, depending entirely upon
their own Judgment as to what distance
they happen to be from the objects fired
at 1t teaches them to be quick and OBJ
serving. and, above all, to depend en-
tiTely upon themselves for the mRnpula-
ton of their 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 90
the trigger. Nearly every ritiemRn In the
world, be he greenhOrn or an expert, de-
ranges his aim to a more or less degree
when he pulls off the piece
First class riflemen WILL as a general
rule, fatty deny any such imputation
against their superior craftsmanship, and
will claim that they have long ago
mastered the defective pulling of the
trigger, but the real expert who is grade
above the first-class rifleman) knows better
than this, and that as a matter of fact not
one rifieman in thousand pulls off his
piece perfectly. Now, If our best shots
can not always thoroughly overcome this
one drawback to fine shooting after years
of hard practice, how difficult it must be
for the ordinary soldier in the ranks to
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, perfect command of his rifle, as
we'll as to teach him steadiness of both
person and rife, and to establish between
the hand and the eye such prompt and
intimate connection as will insure the
finger acting upon the trigger at the
proper moment 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
i've yards, the other sections of the target
in proportion The service rifle is used
with 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 q
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, anu lOlu 10 SuOOI u score al the
regular target, the chances are n.ne out 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,
I just as the primer enables the schooboy
to progress successfully to the higher
/ studies Excellent results are attained al
the miniature targets. and many full
scores are often made. Gallery firing is
/ continued until the regular practice begins
on the range, when the soldier is regularly
/ advanced from one range to another by 8
/ system of classification according to the
merit of his scores, and soon learns tC
overcome, as far as possible, all the diff
culties of light, shadow, wind. moisture
etc. ander the competent instruction Of
the range officer.