Posted on Jan 3, 2015
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I have heard everything from, kevlar too tight/loose, gloves, camelbak was in the way, can't fire with knee/elbow pads, never fired with a vest/kevlar in BCT, couldn't see anything, etc.
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Excuses
Marksmanship
Excuses Marksmanship
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 122
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Two months ago I was on range detail and another private said he couldn't zero because his firing pin was bent and was making his shots curve. My team chief was also the armorer and assured him that his weapon was fine after they were inspected for maintenance later that month.
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SGT Michael Glenn
NOOOOOO PFC Palacios...I was a unit armorer for many years and its true !!! if that firing pin is bent the bullets will even shoot around corners!!!!!!! lol.... thanks for that one,I believe you just made my day !!!!!!
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When I was in Basic Training, I was not the greatest shot with iron sites. I always hunted with a scope. So when I zeroed for the first au sucked! I raised my hand and told the range safety that I was Native American (I am a proud Chickasaw) and I needed my bow and arrows! He told my Drill Sergeant and I did some low crawling!
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In basic I shot 39 out of 40 I have been shooting rifles since I was 10... I missed the 150 yard target and first sgt stops the line and asks how did I miss the 150 yard target? I calmly say "1sgt I didn't miss the target my round went through an existing hole" so he sends me out again to prove it and I shoot 40 of 40.... my bunk mate had never shot in his life was losing his mind the night before. I worked with him that night on what to do his first time out he shoots 39 of 40 1sgt asks him where he learned to shoot he says "spc bibbo taught me how last night 1sgt" next thing I know I'm coaching up all the poor shooters. I have one soldier who would blink or actually close his eyes as a pre reaction to the shot I made him take his other arm and hold his eye lids open while he shot and it worked he shot a 28
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SGT Michael Glenn
I used to have my soldiers lay in the prone with dimes on the flash suppressors and practice squeezing the triggers, threatened to staple ones eye lid open as he always scrunched up his whole face causing his shoulders to jerk and who knows where those rounds hit, I dont think he ever hit anything.
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PO1 Charles Carter
Mr. Bibb, some of us were taught from 2yrs on about guns from hands off to gun safety, muzzle awareness and later about aiming, trigger squeeze to allowing for range, wind and motion before teens. Since too few children now days have parents or others to teach this to them, to prevent fatal accidents, there should be a responsibility for gun owners to emphasize the "hands Off" and later on, rifle range might be an added curriculum in public schools. Safer homes,safer hunters and better prepared if called to duty. In boot camp,I got called to task for hitting that white disk when they put it up. Right it was immature of me even at seventeen.
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Well when I was a private and I couldn't hit the broad side of the barn in basic it was because my windage knob was broken and kept turning with every shot. I was finally issued a new weapon and never had a problem since !
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This is a range story - My first experience on a military range was in basic training. My DI walks through the formation once we march to the range and asks us where we were from and did we hunt? They pull about 12 of us out of formation and put us on the first firing order then have us set under a bunch of trees while the rest of the company zeroes. Once that was done, they call us back to the firing line and hand use someone else's M-16, since I shot as good left handed as right handed I would ask how they wanted it zeroed, right or left, and commence to zero.
We then were placed on the first firing order for qualification, of the 12 of us, only 10 qualified expert. we were placed under the trees until the rest of the company finished and called back to the line. This time we got to use our own weapons and qualified for the ones that did not after two attempts. The first two I shot for got expert, at that time I was hit on my steel pot by another DI as he informed me that I was not to shoot expert, but just pass. I did, I had a blast and at 18, I may or may not have known what was going on, but didn't care, I was shooting and not being placed on ammo detail or police call and no one was yelling at me!!
We then were placed on the first firing order for qualification, of the 12 of us, only 10 qualified expert. we were placed under the trees until the rest of the company finished and called back to the line. This time we got to use our own weapons and qualified for the ones that did not after two attempts. The first two I shot for got expert, at that time I was hit on my steel pot by another DI as he informed me that I was not to shoot expert, but just pass. I did, I had a blast and at 18, I may or may not have known what was going on, but didn't care, I was shooting and not being placed on ammo detail or police call and no one was yelling at me!!
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MSG (Join to see)
That is pretty awesome. My Drill SGT's asked for those that hunted, as well. Except they took a different route. They said they were to brain dump any and all of their experience. There words were "We are going to teach you the Army way." Sadly, those guys barely qualified when the instructors were done with them
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"I can't see the targets"
While on The EIB range, multiple soldiers had the same complainant.
When the Bde CO came out to observe training, a young PVT, supposedly bet the Commander $50 that he couldn't Qualify either. When the COL jumped down into the firing position to shoot he couldn't see some of the targets either. We were moved to a different range the next day.
Miraculously 95% of the EIB candidates qualified the next day.
While on The EIB range, multiple soldiers had the same complainant.
When the Bde CO came out to observe training, a young PVT, supposedly bet the Commander $50 that he couldn't Qualify either. When the COL jumped down into the firing position to shoot he couldn't see some of the targets either. We were moved to a different range the next day.
Miraculously 95% of the EIB candidates qualified the next day.
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I actually had a soldier tell me he did not know which eye was his dominant one.When he was shooting with his right hand his right eye was closed. When I asked do you see your target he replied by saying yes so why are missing every target he was like I don't know. Took the soldier made sure he knew his dominant eye and that day he qualified expert.
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SPC Stewart Smith
Excellent. You identified a problem and helped a soldier rather than going and talking shit about him to another NCO.
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I had a problem during qualifying/practicing a couple of times.
1) rain kept tearing the targets off the posts
2) snow. Damn I HATE the cold.
3) the worst and lowest I ever qualified, the WM next to me kept ejecting her spent brass down my back. Ever try to fire while being branded!
1) rain kept tearing the targets off the posts
2) snow. Damn I HATE the cold.
3) the worst and lowest I ever qualified, the WM next to me kept ejecting her spent brass down my back. Ever try to fire while being branded!
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Sgt Packy Flickinger
Is that why she was showering my with hot brass, she was a leftie. She is the only one who ever did that.
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Sgt Packy Flickinger
My parents were both lefties but both shot right handed. My dad was a Marine also.
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MSgt Ramon Almendarez Jr
In my time all lefties became right hand when it came to shooting. I was the one who gave the lefties extra help on grass week. Love going to the range.
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I personally watched a young lady pull the trigger and throw the rifle across the berm when she zeroed. She stood up and danced around yelling that "it's too loud!" the range safeties came unglued and all I could do was laugh my butt off. Of Course, this was the same admin training unit that I supported when they went to the grenade range, I rendered safe 5 grenades all because of the shipping clips (jungle clips for us old timers) still attached! It was my turn to light some senior NCO's up over that one.
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My favorites are the ones that can't close just one eye. I used to keep a couple pairs of eye glasses with no lenses & tape over the left or right side. I ran a lot of ranges, and even if I wasn't the 1st line, I could give them the glasses and see dramatic improvement pretty fast.
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SFC Walter Mack
SPC (Join to see) , it was a young Soldier like yourself that taught me that. As usual, all my best ideas are the result of someone else's genius.
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PFC Kevin Shelbrock
Who is teach people to shoot with one eye closed? That is absolutely ridiculous. peripheral vision for target acquisition is out the window if your doing that...
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SFC Walter Mack
Well PFC Kevin Shelbrock , I was a Marine Infantryman, and I've maintained an expert rifle badge for 19 years, so I'd say my resume isn't ridiculous. Different people learn to shoot different ways. Ultimately, it's being faster and better than the person on the other end of your barrel that matters most. It's the instructor's job to help you get there. To address your comment, it is best to keep both eyes open until you acquire your target, then concentrate on the front site post with your dominant eye in lining up the target. Some people have a hard time with the transition. They may be less efficient overall in combat, but I work in a hospital now and we don't have a lot of time for reflexive fire drills or combat patrols.
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SSG (Join to see)
"The magnetic variance of the earth is odd because of the upcoming lunar eclipse. That's why my weapon keeps shaking!"
Leave it to Commo Soldiers to nerd up the excuse.
Leave it to Commo Soldiers to nerd up the excuse.
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1SG Bill Farmerie
Actually one of the last ranges I went to, I was informed by the safety I was shooting the major's targets in the next lane. He couldn't hit shit. We both still ended up qualifying (him only because I hit the first 10 targets. I usually shot expert as I had a great NCO who was my section sergeant at my 2nd duty station who taught me as a young SPC as he was once on the Army competition team
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PO1 James Booker
I shoot with guys from the AMU and MMU at matches all over...including Camp Perry and the Nationals. Anyhoo...I was shooting the center out of the target standing @200yds. This is the hardest position to score well for most and IF you can walk away with a good score you have a good chance of placing high when going back to the 300yd line and then to 600 at the end. I was feeling great as I came down to my last couple of shots. I was "in the zone" and dialed in. Felt nothing, heard nothing...just a stone cold target focus. 9th shot down range was an "x". I grabbed my next round, chambered it...then it happened. I calculated that all I needed to do was stay in the 9 ring to walk off with my best score...a 97. Next round off...felt great. I had a great sight picture, called it a 10...but the target never disappeared into the pits. WTF???I looked at the scorer(An MMU Gunny)and he had a look of horror. All of the sudden I realized the target NEXT to me had dropped...but that shooter was already done. My target came up marked a miss...the other came up. "X"...My whole day/match was done for after that. Walked off with a pedestrian score but the psycho damage was done. Laughed it off though...happens to EVERY match shooter eventually!
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"My eyes were sweating, sir."
I told him there is no crying at the range.
My favorite was "the targets are too far away and the ground is uneven" I heard that in Korea.
I told him there is no crying at the range.
My favorite was "the targets are too far away and the ground is uneven" I heard that in Korea.
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The batteries in the lithium sights must be dead... bent barrel.... crooked bullets....sun in eyes....
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This isn't MY weapon, PVT Shmedlap 2 foxholes down has MY weapon, the one I qualified on the range with last time. I asked them (not that all of us remember) what there serial number was. They rattle it off and I checked the weapon, and lo and behold the soldier is firing THEIR weapon as I'm LMAO over their "excuse".
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MSG (Join to see)
I still remember my rifle # from Iraq. But then, my brain is wired for remembering weird crap
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Not just Privates who can't Shoot, I've seen Officers as well as NCOs who have a rough time shooting, even at an Alternate Qual range. Usually they cannot grasp the basics of marksman ship. I heard everything from the weapons screwed to well I just can't or the uniform affecting my ability. I believe the Army doesn't devote enough time to basic marksman ship. Thearine Corps. However devotes a whole week to basic shooting on a Known Distance Range. They qualify up to 500 M and they stress the basics and it pays off. If you want to increase Marksmanship I suggest taking a note from the Marines.
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I had an interesting thing happen to me while qualifying in basic training. The first few targets drop just fine, then all of a sudden, I squeeze the trigger and nothing happens. I chamber a new round, try again, and once more nothing happens. I should have raised my hand after that, but no, my dumb a$$ decided to try one more time. I squeeze the trigger, and it feels stiff, but I keep going and the damn thing starts firing in full auto! I just threw the weapon down in front of me and waited to be killed. I think there were two drill sergeants and a couple of cadre behind me before I could even turn around. I thought I was going to get a boot to the head right there.
My drill sergeant picks up my weapon and says "There better be a rock in your lower receiver." I prayed really hard for a rock and, thank God, there was one! It was a big one, and I have no idea how it got there, but it was Ft. Leonard Wood, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised to find a rock anywhere.
I hind sight, I should have asked to keep the rock. When you consider what would have happened to me had it not been there, it was kind of a lucky rock. I loved that rock.
My drill sergeant picks up my weapon and says "There better be a rock in your lower receiver." I prayed really hard for a rock and, thank God, there was one! It was a big one, and I have no idea how it got there, but it was Ft. Leonard Wood, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised to find a rock anywhere.
I hind sight, I should have asked to keep the rock. When you consider what would have happened to me had it not been there, it was kind of a lucky rock. I loved that rock.
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While a Cadet, I recall an accuracy challenged peer blame the M16 as the reason he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a bass fiddle on the zero range.
Our Green Beret SGM replied, "Really? Let me see that."
He got down in the prone, inserted a full magazine and commenced to empty it in rapid succession. The SGM had cut out a small, silver dollar sized hole in the middle of the zero target.
He handed it to the cadet and said (basically): "I don't think this weapon is your problem."
Our Green Beret SGM replied, "Really? Let me see that."
He got down in the prone, inserted a full magazine and commenced to empty it in rapid succession. The SGM had cut out a small, silver dollar sized hole in the middle of the zero target.
He handed it to the cadet and said (basically): "I don't think this weapon is your problem."
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I'll never forget basic training when we were zeroing our m16s before the range....one of my fellow soldiers was having such a hard time that the drill sergeant made him put down his weapon, pick up a handful of rocks to throw at the target
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