New-York tribune., 1904-10-30
FOR GOOD MARKMANSHTP
Skill in Estimating Distances q,
Important Requisite

The probability that Congress will nah.
sion al It's next annual session for a Iaroo . ..-
"Lp'opfiauop TO be devoted to the psrch
seS, 'He equipment OF ranges indoor and -.
i' liS''lOution OF ammunition To oryaniza,I.
OF rlhemen- etc. In accordance vvlth 80
GRATED by the National Board for the Pror,o.,.I.
hlne Practice. is responsible for rsrs,-., - u
IN riHe and revolver shooting Thers a., -
requisites 70 good workmanship gun a -
ammunition and a place 70 shoot The pa.,'--,
DodIu mas announced its desire to secure an epro1
ment in the National Marksmen's Reserve - 80
10000 TO 100000 men. and II Congress iq rasrI -
earnest, adequate provisions must be made eo- -,
guns ammunition. targets and. above all ranos.
But, pending appropriations for this purno
thOse desiring 70 learn 10 shoot find cousldo-
able amusement and experience that will be vain.
able later with a rifle. BY undertaking to es,,r,.
distances In the days 20 come more and No.,
attention will be paid to shooting AT r1rLro, ,,
tances. and, 70 get into the front rank OF shoos-
skill In estimating distances is essential Fr,c,,o
IN this can be obtained easily by first learnf,g -
step distances correctly, step tc the yard ana
then. In course Of stroll through town or country
selecting an object. estimating the distance and
counting the number OF steps necessary to reach h
This proposition appears to be a simple one I'm,
1t Is more difficult than II seems and the result,
especially IL the trials made by parties ~
four or more. will be amusing as well as lnstruc
tive. Some time ago PARTY OF thirty-fve or forry
try. We're gathered at Sea Glrt. y. j. for tbs
matches on the result Of which depended the selee
ton OF a team 10 20 to England 70 shoot Cor n,
Palma trophy. Some one asked how far il was n,
certain fence. and Immediately every man ess-
mated the distance. After much good natural
bantering the distance was paced and the result
was ludcrOus Every had over-estirnated II
the closest guess being fifty yards out Of the way
while The majority exceeded it by TWO huadret
yards. Yet twelve OF those same men went 70 Eng
land and won the biggest international rifle match
the world has ever seen.
Do you know
That at thirty yards the white OF mans ev,
Is plainly seen, and the eyes themselves uD 10
eighty yards?
That at one hundred yards all parts Of the body
are seen distinctly. slight movements are. .pereept-
BILE and the minute details Of the uniform can be
distinguished
That at two hundred yards the outlines Of tina
face are confused and the rows Of buttons look Ike
stripes?
That at four hundred yards the face is a nsr.
dot. but all movements Of the legs and arms are
That at six hundred yards details can no longer
be distinguished though files Of It squad II the
light IS strong. can be cOuntedP
That at eight hundred yards the men in a squad
cannot be counted or their individual movements
distinguished
At one thousand yards a line os men resembles g,
broad belt; the direction of their march. can how
ever, be readily determined. Az twelve hundred
yards cavalry can be distinguished from infantry
and at two thousand yards a mounted man USUALLY
appears mere speCk-
Yet in these days of long range weapons battles
IL ia desirable for markSneu to qualify az thar
range The new rife with which tha 4roons s-s
to be equipped has maximum effective lighting
range Of 47S1 yards, or more than two and a haif
miles. In other words, bullet from this rife viii
firing ii can distinguish an irdivil1aI enemy frorI
the surrounding landscape.