Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-03
TARGET PRACTICE.
HOW THE SOLDIER IS DRILLED IN
AIMING ksO pom ING
Fact. Canserning sight EstiInasing'--
Misses sure to Re Made iH Pulling OF
the Piece Gallery Firing -vsri-
ou. Other DinieuItie.
a. s InnI. fiinh, -n.mncrat !

! Ihe target season 10 the niieu cthtes
army extends throughout The year. win
ter and summer alike. during which time
the snldier is etcrnally drilled in aiming
] anu pointing. in estimating distances by
pac ng and by sight in gallery practice
indoors st reduced targets aud reduced
I ray ges and in the field before the butts al
! all distances The regular target season
begins about Nav !. aud ends about Oct
I 81, when the new target year actually be
I gins. suppose We Commence with the re-
cruit on Nov and carry him through
| the regu ar course of training necessary TO
( make good shooting machine of him.
I which ends Oct "a of the succeeding
year.
IL constantly happens that men detached
I from the main body of the army are called
I upon 10 determine for themselves tboir
| d stance from sn OH ect 10 be fired at kx.
( per!ence abundantly proves that soldiers.
4 by continued practice, may learn to esti-
mate distances up TO go aud $40 yards
with considerably accuracy by simple.
rapid ohser alton. Every soldier Is sup
posed 10 have good eyesight; he. there
I fore, after a little practice in sight esti.
mating, learns the following facts:
At 20 yards the white OF mans ewes Is
p'sinly seen, and the eyes themselves up
10 20 yards
Al 100 yards ali parts e the body are
seen distinctly. slight mo; sments are per.
ceptible, and the minute lelalls Of the un
iiorm can lie distinguished
A; $50 yards the brass buttons on the
blouse can still he separately ditin.
gu;shed
AT 20O yards the outlines Of the face
are confused and the rows Of bras but
tons look like yellow stripes
At 200 yards the buttons sre no l,nger
visible
AT 90 yards the face Is mere dcL but
all movements of The legs and ar rs are
still distinct.
A coo yards details can no II Ager be
Distinguished. though the flies o, squad.
IL the light be strong can be c. unted.
AT SUu ards the men in q squad can
not alwa lie counted. nor their individ
uaI moveme Us distinguished
At / 900 yards line Of men simply re
sembie broad belt; the direction Of their
march can. however. be readily deter
mined
Al l.. 200 yards infantry can be dislin
guisbed from cavalry.
At ZOO yards mounted man looks
like mere speck or dot
tucHt IisAs arg NJ uIst COu'
Quoted OF smooth. level country, and
sfIeIward on rough ground
The above drills are supplemented
little later in the seasoL by skirmish prac,
tice, when the soldiers are advanced or
returned on q run before line Of targets
the size Of men lying down, kpeeling. 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 lie from the objects fred
a. 1t teaches hem to be quick and oh
serving. and. above all, 81 depend en-.
iirely upon themselves for the manpula
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 prscticed indoors al
aiming, pointing. and pulling the trigger
of all misses made by snybod when
firing at an oh ect. charge better than So
per cent Of them TO defective pulling Of
the Trigger. Nearly every ri emsn in the
world he he greenhorn or TN expert de.
ranges his aim to q more or less degree
when he pulls of the piece
tirst class iaemen will, As a general
rue. Ea,ly den any such imputaiion
against their superi,r Workmanship, and
will claim that they have long ago
mastered the defective pulling Of the
trigger. but the real expert who Is grade
sboVe the first class riiieman knows better
than this and that rs q matter of fact not
one riLeman in thousand pulls OF his
piece per ectly Now. IL our best shots
can no, always thoroughly overcome this
one draw back 10 fine shooting after years
Of hard practice. how difficult il must be
for the ordinary soldier ia the ranks TO
master it, Hence IL is that pointing
snd aiming drills are continuously prac.
ticed in the army. so as 70 give the soldier.
whether standing. kneeling. or lying
down, 4 perfect command OF his rife. a.
well Is 10 teach him steadiness Of both
person and rife and 10 establish between
the hand sad the eye such prompt and
Intimate connection rs will insure the
b ger acting upon the trigger at the
proper moment withou; causing any de
ran ngement in the am
The next step is gallery practice. which
Is conducted indoors at q reduced target
and with reduced charges Iron target
frames are issued by the ordnance de.
reduced TO any size desired The eight.
inch bulls eye OF the fed target at 200
yards Is reduced 10 one inch for twenty.
in proportion. The service rife Is used
with round ball the caliber Of the gun.
and 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 Oyerccmes his tendency TO finch
Now II he had been marched direct TO
the range and given his rifle with the ia |
cartridge and told to shoot score at the
regular target. the chances are nine olt 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 aves the way ID field firing.
just as the primer enables the schooboy
10 progress success ely 20 the higher
studies Excellent results are attained al
the miniature targets. and many full
scores are Jften made Gallery firing is
continued until the regular practice begins
on the range when the soldier is regularly
advanced from one range 10 another by a
system Of classification according 10 the
merit of his scores and scon learns TO
overcome, as far as possible. all the d in
culties of light. shadow. wind moisture.
etc. under the competent instruction Of
the range officer