The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-07
rifle PRACTICE SEASON
Members Of the National Guard Must
Visit the Reaimental Ranges.
ORDER FROM HEADQUARTERS
Officers Requested to Impress upOn
Their Men the Importance of Rifle
Practice and to urgc Them to Strive
for Excellc nee in Workmanship.

The current season for rlfle practlcH
in the National Guard of the state
opened May |. and will close October
81 During that period every member
of the Thirteenth regiment is expect
ed to go the rifle ranges at Dickson
City and perfect himself in marksman-
ship by practice at the various targets.
An order issued from National Guard
Headquarters at Harrisburg says that
practice will be required of every Of
ficer and enlisted man, and no COM
mutation for rifle range will be al
lowed any company in the infantry or
cavalry arms of :he service that does
not practice its entire membership.
Continuing the order says: "All Of
ficers are requested to impress upon
their men the importance of rifle prac-
ticc and 20 urge them to strive for
excellence in marksmanShip. Sighting
and aiming drills as prescribed in
'Blunt's Firing Regulations should be
given new recruits in the armory be-
fore they are sent on the range, as
much time and ammunition is wasted
on :he range by new men. owing to
their lack OF instruction in and failure
to understand the principles of sighting
and aiming their rifles. Every infantry
or cavalryman must become a marks
man, for no soldier is effective unless
ne Is aOle 10 quarry.
ALL MUST PRACTICE.
Company commanders will be re-
quired at the end of the rifle practice
season to prefer charges for neglect of
duty, against every man who has fail
ed to present himself at the range for
practice, on the days set apart for that
purpose and also against those who fail
to qualify after having qualified in any
previous year. Any man who shall
have practiced and made an honest eff
fort to qualify without success shall be
discharged for inefiiciency unless re-
tanned by the regiment commander
because of special efficiency in some
other line of. duty. II any company in
the infantry or cavalry arms of the
service fails to qualify as marksmen
Is per cent. of its entire membership.
unless satisfactory reasons are shown
for such failure, |. shall be considered
50 lacking in efficiency as to warrant
its disbandanment.
Recruits who shall have enlisted
since Oct. 81. 1895, and who succeed in
practice In making a total score at 100.
200 and 800 yards of 80 points, shall be
considered as having qualified for the
season, but will be required to qualify
as secondclass marksmen every sue
{
service. Third-class marksmen may
enter for qualification in the second
class.
FOR QUALIFYING.
For qualifying as second or first
class markSmen, five consecutive shots
are allowed at 200 yards and five at 500
yards. Re-entrieS are allowed until q
score of "a is made. When a score of
over % and less than 40 is once made,
the shooter is qualified for the year.
If it be under 40. he is second-class
marlSsmen. II 40 or more, he is a
tirst-class marksmen.
Amy man who shall have previously
qualified as lirst-class marksman may
enter for qualification as sharp shoot
| err. For qualifying as Il sharp-shoOter,
| five consecutive shots are allowed at
600 yards. If a score of 67 or more is
made, !he man is sharp shooter. a
! first-class mariSSman, who fails on the
first trial to make a -shOoter's s
score. will be allowed one re-entry. but
no more. When score of 81 or over
Is made. no re-entry for higher scores
will be allowed.
ANY cavalryman may enter for
qualification as sharp shooter with
the regulation rifle, provided he shal
have previously qualified as a first
class marksman with the carbine.
Hereafter members of the follow
ing organization will not be expected
to qualify with the rifle and no ammu-
milton will be issued to them: Batter
les of artillery. brigade bands, Naval
Reserves.
THE COMPETITIONS.
THE team competitions for the Brig
ade and regimental trophies, present
ed by the state. and for the Mcclellan
skirmish trophy, will take place at the
state rifle range as heretofore. and ad-
! ditional matches will be shot as follows:
a match between teams of four men
from each troop of cavalry at 200 and
400 yards with the carbine: a match
open to all regularly commissioned in
spectOrs of rifle practice in the National
Guard of Pennsylvania at 800 and
600 yards for an individual gold medal
presented by the general inspector OF
rifle practice.
This year one commissioned officer
will be allowed to shoot on each regi-
mental team and inspectors of rife
practice will be eligible to positions or
the state team.