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Okie doke.
A little background to start.
Marines rifle qual on what's know as the KD Course (Known Distance)
We shoot at 200, 300 and 500yds to qualify.
Here's a Marine shooting from the 500 in the prone position. https://twitter.com/25th_Prestige/status/1334190715270619136
A little background to start.
Marines rifle qual on what's know as the KD Course (Known Distance)
We shoot at 200, 300 and 500yds to qualify.
Here's a Marine shooting from the 500 in the prone position. https://twitter.com/25th_Prestige/status/1334190715270619136
Rifle qualification is a week long evolution.
We call it range week.
Because we're at the range.
For a week.
We call it range week.
Because we're at the range.
For a week.
During this week the company is split into two groups, morning shooters and afternoon shooters.
Morning shooters, oddly enough, shoot in the morning.
Guess when the afternoon shooters shoot...go on, guess.
Morning shooters, oddly enough, shoot in the morning.
Guess when the afternoon shooters shoot...go on, guess.
"What are the afternoon shooters doing while the morning shooters are shooting?"
Good question, glad you asked.
The afternoon shooters spend the morning in "the butts"
This is "the butts".
Good question, glad you asked.
The afternoon shooters spend the morning in "the butts"
This is "the butts".
^
Those Marines (Recruits in the picture) are doing what's called "pulling targets".
Shooter takes a shot, guy pulling targets waits to hear the shot go over his head and then pulls the target down, marks the shot hole with a red or orange disc and runs the target back up.
Those Marines (Recruits in the picture) are doing what's called "pulling targets".
Shooter takes a shot, guy pulling targets waits to hear the shot go over his head and then pulls the target down, marks the shot hole with a red or orange disc and runs the target back up.
He runs the target up so the shooter can see where his shot impacted the target.
Then he pulls the target back down and covers the shot hole with a little square of black tape and then runs the target back up for the shooters next shot. Rinse, repeat.
Then he pulls the target back down and covers the shot hole with a little square of black tape and then runs the target back up for the shooters next shot. Rinse, repeat.
After the morning shooter has shot his course of fire, he switches places with the afternoon shooter that was pulling his target.
You're on the same target, whether shooting or pulling targets, the entire week. This is a relevant detail.
You're on the same target, whether shooting or pulling targets, the entire week. This is a relevant detail.
As you can imagine, pulling targets is boring as fuck.
One of the things we used to do for entertainment in the butts was to trace the outline of a quarter in the black of the target and put our initials in it.
One of the things we used to do for entertainment in the butts was to trace the outline of a quarter in the black of the target and put our initials in it.
So you have Marines tracing their quarters on the same target, everyone puts in $1 and the first guy to have a shot impact his circle takes the pot.
Like I said, pulling targets is boring as fuck.
Like I said, pulling targets is boring as fuck.
Now during range week, you shoot the full course of fire on Wednesday for practice and then do it for qual on Thursday.
Now that we have a bit of background out of the way, here's how it went down:
So this particular range week I was a morning shooter, my buddy Coyle was an afternoon shooter pulling my target and I his.
So this particular range week I was a morning shooter, my buddy Coyle was an afternoon shooter pulling my target and I his.
Wednesday afternoon and Coyle was just finishing up his course of fire, I'm in the butts pulling his target.
Afternoon shooters finish and now we're gonna put up fresh targets to qual on the following morning.
Afternoon shooters finish and now we're gonna put up fresh targets to qual on the following morning.
Now when you shoot from the 500yd line, you shoot from the prone position with a loop sling.
It's a very stable position.
Loop sling from the prone
It's a very stable position.
Loop sling from the prone
We also use a specific target at the 500, it's called a B-Mod target, it's a silhouette and there's a "5" printed dead center mass of that target.
Now this Wednesday afternoon, I didn't have a quarter in my pocket but I did have a dime.
Now this Wednesday afternoon, I didn't have a quarter in my pocket but I did have a dime.
"Oh wow Tap, what did you do?"
I taped the dime over the "5" and promptly forgot about it.
I taped the dime over the "5" and promptly forgot about it.
Next morning and I'm shooting for qualification.
Not Imma try not to break my arm patting myself on the back, but I was one of the better shooters in the company and I had already qualified "Expert" by the 300yd line.
Not Imma try not to break my arm patting myself on the back, but I was one of the better shooters in the company and I had already qualified "Expert" by the 300yd line.
We moved back to the 500yd line and got in position to fire our last 10 rounds from the prone with our loop slings. I can't remember exactly but either my 4th or 5th shot got marked with "Maggies Drawers".
"I'm sorry, what?"
Yeah, when you miss the target all together, not just the black, but the entire 6'x6' fucking target they run up the target with a red disc in the top left.
Yeah, when you miss the target all together, not just the black, but the entire 6'x6' fucking target they run up the target with a red disc in the top left.
Keep in mind, I qual'd Expert at the 300, and Coyle just marked my fucking target like I'd missed the whole fucking thing.
this is bullshit
Oh well, shake it off.
Put the rest of my shots in the black and started getting ready to switch places with Coyle.
this is bullshit
Oh well, shake it off.
Put the rest of my shots in the black and started getting ready to switch places with Coyle.
Coyle and I approach each other and I start motherfucking him out of the gate.
"You blind fuck, you saying I missed the entire fucking target you blind fuck?"
Coyle is chuckling and shaking his head.
"You blind fuck, you saying I missed the entire fucking target you blind fuck?"
Coyle is chuckling and shaking his head.
He said "Bro, that was fucking incredible."
Huh?
He flipped me the dime with a 5.56 hole in it.
Huh?
He flipped me the dime with a 5.56 hole in it.
He had marked that shot as a clean miss because nobody could find the shot hole. When he was pulling the target for my next shot, one of the Marines on the next target over spotted the dime with the hole in it.
Now that "5" is dead center mass on the target.
I taped my dime over that 5.
We're trained to aim center mass.
I shot a dime at 500yds with irons.
Was it luck? Yep.
Still did it tho.
The end.
I taped my dime over that 5.
We're trained to aim center mass.
I shot a dime at 500yds with irons.
Was it luck? Yep.
Still did it tho.
The end.
