Rilfe Qualifications - 200 Yards

Yoooooooouuurr prep time has ended. Said the crackling speaker on the range.

I rested the but stock of my rifle in my lap and shook out my shooting arm. I didn't take my eyes off the type "A" target down range. I sat Indian style on the wet grass and took deep breaths to control my heart rate. I looked to the large red flag on the left. No wind. The sun just started to appear on the white targets with a small black circle 200 yards away, making visibility more than perfect.

Lieutenants, this will be your table 1, slow fire. You will shoot five rounds from the sitting, kneeling, and standing position with a time limit of 15 minutes.

With a magazine of 5 rounds, LOAD

I took the magazine and slammed it into the magazine-well and tapped the bottom.

Maaaaaaake ready

I pulled the charging handle back, causing it to snap and lock louder than yesterday.


You may commence firing once your AAAAAAAAbel targets appear.

I could feel the determination in my face, as I suddenly became over aware of my surroundings and the position of my body. I started to go through in my head exactly what I had to do. This time, I was going to focus. No head-in-the-clouds or 'oh my god i'm firing a rifle' thinking this time.


Elbows in the pockets of my knees.
High firm pistol grip
Butt stock in the high shoulder
Don't squeeze the hand-guards... relax
Look at the sights, not at the target, get that center mass

TARGETS!, said the loud speaker. The Targets down range slide upward all down the line. Then there was silence...

BANG

a rifle went off. Then another. Then, 50 other rifles started to eject rounds down range. But not mine... Not yet.

Take your time. Breath in
Breath out
Sights at their natural point of aim. Good. Breath in again
Breath out
Hold
Sights... sights...sights...
Squeeze... squeeze... sque..

BANG!

My rifle went off. I nearly jumped. I didn't expect it to go off. It didn't even feel like i was pulling the trigger that hard.

My target went down into the pits behind the protective birm and revealed the other target as the lieutenants down in the pits marked my shot. I turned my head and down at the small data book on the ammo can next to me. I marked where i thought my shot went.

The target came up.

Bulls eye.

No freakin way, I thought. I must have got lucky.

I went through the same cycle of thinking again. The weapon discharged, again surprising me that it went off. The target went down again and came up after 20 seconds.

Another bulls-eye.

After the 15 shots I had, only 3 or 4 made it outside the middle of the target.

Lt. Texas was shooting next to me at the small station not more than 5 yards away. He had been watching my targets down range in between his shots.

"Hey Brian." He said. I pulled out one of my ear plugs
"Ya?" I said
"How much did you pay the Lieutenants in the pits to mark your targets for you?" He said.
"I just gave them your credit card and told them to go crazy." I said.
"Ha ha. Look's like you're going to give us a run for the money a bit here. You might not have to wear those BCG's after all." He said.



The only way I can describe hitting the bull's eye is like hitting a golf ball just right. Or that shot from the three point line that you know, just by the feel of how the ball leaves your hand. Seeing those targets come up with bulls-eyes or close to has been the best feeling I've had all week.


I'm starting to get good at this whole marine thing.


Thanks again for reading.