Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-11-07
FOR GOOD MARKMANshlp
Skill in Estimating Distances an In.
portant Requisite.

The proba bility that Congress will nlk,
provision at its next annual sessiQn far a
large annual apDropTla ZION 10 it Geyotaal
10 the purchase of ranges, the equipment
of ranges, indoor and outdoor dist.isa.
ton u ammunition tn organizations Q.
riIlemen. etc. in accordance with the psr
draftSd by the National Board for ii.
Promotion Of Rifle Practice is responS.
BILE for renewed interest in rifle and re-
volver shooting. There aIe -four reqat
sites to good markSmanship-a gun a In.
get. ammunition ana Il place 70 sh0s
The national board has announced lis DE-
sire 20 secure an enrolment in the Ma.
tional Ma1kSncn'S Reserve OF from 5r.a
To 1.ou.tJo men. and il Consi ess is really
in earnest. adequate provisions must be
made Tor the guns. ammunitiOn targets
and, above all. ranges.
But, pending appropriations f0f tbs
purpose. those desiring to learn 10 stnN
can find considerable amusement ard e. /.
pcrienCe that will be valuable later With
a rifle. by undertaking to estimate d..
tancrS. IL the days to come. more and
more attention will he paid to shooting 1t
unknown distances and. to get inc be
front rank of shooters, skill in estimating
distances is essential. Practice in IBIS
can be obtained easily by first leatrr3h
step distances correctly on step 10 y
through town or country. selecting AZ g.
iect, estimating the distance and CdullEs
the number Of steps necessary 20 reach i
This proposition appears to be s!mpR
one, but it is more difficult, than |
seems and the results. especially II The |
trials are made by parties Of four o. |
more, will be amusing as well as nsIa /
tive. Some time ago a pai;y of thirty
five or forty gentlemen, the in"St expeh
rifle shots in the country, were gathcrd
at Sea Girt. n. J.. for til matches on |
the result of which depended the seee
ton of team to go to England to shcs
for the Palma trophy. Some one asked
how far ii was to a certain fctc, ana
Immediately every man estimated the MS
tance. After much good natured tnnlef- .
ing the distance was paced. ana the re-
suit was ludicrouS. Every one had over.
estimated il. the closest guess being MY
yards out of the way. while the majority
exceeded ii by two hundred yards. .ea
twelve Of those same men went 70 hns
land and won the biggest internA'ioiiai
rifle match the world has ever scen'
Do you know
That at thirty yards the wmte VI
mans eve is plainly seen. and Inc eyes
themselves up to eighty yards ~
That at one hundred yards al paris "
the body are seen distinctly. slight mo,e
ments are perceptible. and the minute de.
tails of the uniform can be distinguishes.
That at two hundred yards the outnness
of the face are confused and the Tow"
buttons look like stripes? s.,.
That al four hundred yards me "a Ia'n ~,
a mere dot. but all movements OF 'he ''se
and arms are still distinct? An
That at six hundred yards details M N
no longer be distinguished. though ~.
of squad, if the light is strong, can =
counted? n
That at eight hundred yards the men ins \.
q squad cannot be counted or tneii ~
vitiuaI movements distinguished =.
At one thousand wards line OF Inss AZ
sembles a broad belt; the direci nv Il.
their march, can. however. be Teau 1. ~.
termined. At twelve hundred yaITE
airy can be distinguished from m. a,ntsd
and at two thousand yards moIl'''
man usually appears as a mere siVr rssu
Yet in these days of long ranep = -
ons battles are fought at a distance ~ "
thousand yards. and 1t Is desirap's i,
marksmen to qualify at that ianse AN
new rifle. with which the troops arr ssal.
equipped, has n maximum eiiectl NJ 'f 10
ing range of 47S1 yards. or more Inaa M.
and half miles. In other Woros ,,a a
LET from that rifle will kill or disa ar;re h
greater distance than the man nt'p IA
Fan distinguish an individual eneh.
he surrounding landscape.