Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-17
NEWS OF THE LOCAL
NATIONAL GUARDSMEN

national match and other events to be held
at Sea Girt. N. j.. this year beginning
for the participation therein Of a rife team
from your state.
1T should need no argument to prove
that accurate rife shooting is eight and
one-half points out of ten. when we figure
the efficiency Of soldier for the line OF
battle. and while your team might not win
prize. Its members would be brought into
contact with the finest shots in the world.
and thus be enabled to gather Information
and get ideas relative to shooting which 1t
would be impossible to obtain under any
other circumstances They would carry
this information back to their homes and
stations, to be gradually disseminated to
other members of your guard: this will
cause many others to take an interest in
this matter (some of whom Will become en-
thuslastic on the subjecO. will directly pro-
mote greater interest in rife shooting and
incidentally in all matters relating to the
National Guard.
"At the breaking out of the Spanish
American war the members of our small
regular army were, as a class, the finest
body of military rifle shots in the world.
and when an enemy showed his head or
body at a distance of 400 or 500 yards. and
often much farther, he was generally put
out Of action On the other hand, our
men charged. over open ground. to the
Spanish rifle pits, with comparatively few
casualties because the Spaniards had never
been taught to shoot.
This fine shooting on the part or the
regular army was due, mainly. to the com,
petitions which the officers and enlisted
men had attended. Generally one man from
each company would attend a competition;
he might not win a medal. but he would
learn a great deal and carry the inIorfna-
ton back to the company, ana IN SNORT
IL nor
tell them This went for a number or
years and the result produced, as before
stated was the finest lot or military rlhe
shots in the yorld. 1t is believed that these
points about rifle shooting would be ols-
seminated even better in the Nationai
Guard than in the regular army, Tor the
reason that the members or the NatiohAl
Guard as rule. live Tor NUMBER "
wears In the same locality whereas IN the
army most of the soldiers leave after one
enlistment Having made study or mli-
tary rifle shooting for many years, anu
having watched its growth in our country
with a great deal of interest J am con-
WINGED that the things learned by ofncers
and men in shooting competitions nave
done far more than anything else In bring
ing our army and the Na'iollal Iu az ~ ~
attention to this matter. to the nigh DE-
gree of proficiency which they have at
tanned.
n
.It ,s advisable that each state and ter ,
r,tory which decides to be represented at
the national match hold preliminary COM
net,tion two or three months In advance
that the best shots may be selected Every
v,ar chosen should be willing to obligate
nyn,self TO follow the necessary practlce.
which should be held at least TWO nall
days of each week. However, from many |
years experience with competitions. De-
i,eve that very large majority OF rifie and |
revolver shots have concluded that II Is |
very easy to overdo the practice before
going into the match; in other words. near
Iy all competitors shoot TOO mucn ana Dy
th,s get their nerves into a condition which /
Il far from conducive to good shooting. !
A man should shoot enough with fuii
charges to get used to the recoh or MS
weapon and its elevation. After this Is
hone II will be found far more advantage
ous to put In his time In training his |
muscles to be steady In holding his rifle
Or revolver in the various positions. and |
the weapon. taking great care |
each time the trigger Is pulled to see that /
an accurate aim is taken and that the /
front sight does not move away from the
bull's-eye. This training In sighting the |
weapon and trigger pulling liz emphasized 1
FOR the reason that the three positions /
.akcn In rife shooting. standing. sitting /
md lying. are all more or less strainng on l
he muscles. thus causing a certain amount |
II tremor which. for successful shooting |
saHf be prevented.
THE training OF the muscles can be done /
much better. more effectually and more |
by using dummy cartridges |
han by flring full charges. Men who In
tend to enter match should devote about
TWO hours each day to holding the rife
md pulling the trigger. In the three POSI-
IONS It. Il not desirable to do. all this
n two consecutive hours. but to make at
east three or four trials At II each day az
nay be found most convenient; a man can
,ayo his rfde at homo or At his place of
,usiness and put in ten or fifteen minutes
i this work when practicable. Each menu
'er OF the team should be provided with
4 least ten dummy cartridges and u.s. Il