Illinois KISSATA

http://www.appleseedinfo.org/

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Appleseed Shoot, Ottawa IL

Finally!

We made it to an official Appleseed Shoot! While I have pushed Fred's course of fire for several years amongst my Shooting Sports Club and the Concerned Citizens of DuPage Co., this was the first oppurtunity to attend an official event.

I was all geared up for both days and Wet Foot was rarin to go, but then my Boss backed out of our previous agreement and I had to work on Saturday. Within 5 minutes of being there in my KISSATA Shirt, someone walked up and said he checks out my site all of the time! While he was the only one, it was encouraging to know. I hope he becomes more active with us.

Attendance was good considering it was Illinois, They had around 36 pre-registered for Saturday with a few walkins and Sunday probably had 20-25. Weather was not our freind whatsoever. Saturday had around 2 1/2" of rain and Sunday was 4-5" of rain. To give you an understanding how dedicated Fred's Instructors are, The Guy (lead instructor for this event) was demonstrating proper sling use in both the standing and prone positions in the pouring rain with at least an inch of standing water in the grass where he was laying prone!!!! While the shooters sought refuge under a small tent.

In the beginning the rain wasn't much of an issue, but it just kept coming. It would pour for 10minutes and quit for 10 minutes. Then the lightning got a tad nutty. I don't know who upset Thor, but it was so bad we had to seek cover under an old pavilion until the lightning subsided. At this point, the training team, consisting of "The Guy", "The Editor", and "Treadonmecareful", showed their professionalism and dedication even more so. The Guy found a sheet of plywood and a Sharpie, and proceeded to teach us all kinds of good stuff. Everytime The Guy was done with one topic, one of the other trainers would jump in with a great story about the Revolution, then it would go back to The Guy with some more instruction.

After Thor mellowed out a bit we went back to the line, at which point we had a breif regrouping while we poured the rain water from our drenched rifles and pulled all of our stuff off the firing line so that we could literally sweep 1 1/2" of water out of the grass!!! We then were able to shoot until around 12:30 in light rain, but then it opened up again and The Training team had to make a tough decision, they decided on a long lunch. and told everyone who wanted to tough it out come back at 2PM if it wasn't raining and we would continue. Unfortunatly the rain never stopped.

While everyone went into town for a warm lunch, Wet Foot and myself chowed on some PB&J's while driving to the plinking pit to work on his standing position using the hasty sling. Without being surrounded by an M1 Garand on one side and a Galil on the other, Wet Foot was able to relax a bit and concentrate on the steps to firing the shot and was doing very well. In fact it was quite humorous to watch a few fellas down the firing line, who gave us funny looks because we were using slings and proper form, with a bipoded stg-58 and a couple of AK's barely being able to hit 5' diameter puddles while Wet Foot was hitting bowling pins set out at 25+ meters. While he didn't hit them 100%, he was getting them about 50% and he was unsupported.

The Equiptment....

For Wet Foot, a standard Ruger 10-22 carbine that I added a set of Uncle Mikes QD Super Swivels (P/N 1311-2 QD 115 RGS) and one of Uncle Mikes 1" Leather Slings, I don't have the part# for that but it mimics the 1907 Military sling, it is just narrower. I had ordered a set of Tech-Sights for it but they didn't make it in time (I sure hope Fred is getting a healthy kick back from tech-sights, he sure is getting them the business!). His ammo was Remington's garden variety High Velocity hollow points (not their Yellow Jackets), and he had no function problems whatsoever.

For Myself, I brought (2) Greek Issue Rack Grade M1's from the CMP (thanks Harry & Achille!) that I had never shot with a standard green web slings( I brought a spare just in case but it was never needed). This baby has been there and done that! I went with this rifle for two reasons, #1, I have broke down and decided to rebarrel my M1's with Fulton Armory's Chrome-Lined barrels, and they were not ready yet. And #2 Both Fred and myself have been pushing rack grade rifles for several years and I wanted to see if we were correct. The ammo was mid 70's Lake City surplus purchased from the CMP. This is delinked MG ammo and shows a lot of dings and dents in the brass from de-linking, but I had zero reliability issues with it.

Ok Garand, enough with the fluff, what the heck was your score!!!!

Well we didn't get to shoot the whole course after we were sighted in But I can say I am very confident that the Rifle, the ammo, and myself would have got the job done. The initial Classification AQT was abysmal for me due to an un-zero'd rifle. Everything was way high and to the left. For wet foot he did better than I because his rifle was much closer to zero, but he has never shot between a couple of big guns and he was a little jumpy to say the least.

Then we got into the sighting squares. It took me 3 groups to get zero'd. First group was 2" and high and left. 2nd group was 1 1/2" and about half the distance to the center. 3rd group was all in the black 1" square, a 4 round clover in the lower right corner and 1 flyer in the upper left corner.

We then shot the Offhand Stage. I had a classic lack of NPOA group. My elevation was consistant, though a bit low, I raised the rear sight 3 clicks from the setting I had on the Prone 1" sighting target, and I should have went 4. All 5 rounds were along the bottom line of the 5 ring with 2 in the 5 and 3 in the 4 giving me a score of 22 in that stage. But they were spaced about 2 1/4" left to right

Then the Sky opened up once again and we were done.

I am confident I would have shot well, maybe not Rifleman but close. We look forward to the next Appleseed and Wet Foot pestered me all the way home about building him a !/2 scale (12 1/2M) range in the basement so he can practice for next time!

If you have not made it to one yet, your really missing out. Follow this link to learn more about the Appleseed Program and where the next shoot is

http://www.appleseedinfo.org/

P.S Some pics to follow

Garand69

Semper Paratus

ATTENTION ALL NEWBIES!!!!!!!!  (posted 10/28/06)

I am an NRA Certified Rifle Instructor, Pistol Instructor and RSO (range safety officer), and I am willing to introduce anyone in my area to firearms for FREE!

Anyone who would like to have the chance to fire a gun for the first time and receive some basic instruction on the safe use of a firearm, please contact me.

This free lesson will include range fees at Gun World in Bensenville, IL. targets and ammo, plus the use of my firearms, safety glasses and hearing protection. This offer is for new shooters, 18 and older, who have never fired a gun before or folks who may have used a gun many years ago but would like a refresher. Firearms that will be available include, .22lr pistol, .22lr rifle, .38 spl Revolver, and .45acp semi-auto.

This is not in any way shape or form an NRA Basic Firearms course, It is just an introduction which hopefully will put you on the right path. I do recommend the NRA Basic courses and I also offer those for those of you who may want more instruction

So if your interested, e-mail me at garand69@hotmail.com with Firearms Training in the subject line.

Those who have accepted this offer to date [8]

Smith Enterprise M-14 DM Rifles ready for shipment to the US Army in 2006

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KRQC

My original plans for the KISSATA Rifleman Qualification Course was to combine Fred's Army Qualification Test (this all started prior to Appleseed Project) with some of the better attributes of the NMS RQC to make the KRQC, This is what I posted on the KISSATA Forum in August in the KRQC thread, it is currently on pause do to the excellent program already available via Appleseed. If you want to get good, go to www.appleseedinfo.org and sign up for an Appleseed, when you hit Rifleman, contact us..... The following is for KRQC historical reference...

Quote:

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The course I have put together thus far is a combination of position shooting and practical.

10% firearm familiarity and safety
50% Fundemental Position shooting
20% Practical shooting (multiple targets against a clock)
15% Malfunction drills
5% developing a practice regiment and explaining how to increase your rating on your own.

The high speed tactical stuff is best taught by the specialized schools that already exist and I highly recommend getting that type of training under your belt, I just don't feel that you would have the time to do the job right at a KRQC.

At a KRQC I want the shooter to walk away with the following.....

A good understanding of Firearms safety on patrol

A good understanding how his/her rifle works and how to maintain it

A good understanding of how to fire their rifle with accuracy and consistancy

A good understanding of how to engage multiple targets quickly with tactical reloads while under the pressure of a clock and/or physical exursion

A good understanding on how to deal with malfunctions in the field

A good understanding of how to practice/train to improve their rating

And of course I would expect everyone in attendance to walk out Qualified, if they have not, the instructor(s) have failed.

I'm sure you noticed that I used the phrase "A good understanding" several times instead of "Expert Knowledge" There is a huge difference between the two But if you have a good understanding of a subject and continue to practice/train you may become an expert sooner or later. That's why at the end of a KRQC, the recruits should be debriefed and provided with several handouts regarding post KRQC training and availible High Speed Training in the area so their abilities continue to grow.

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We are now very close to getting this together. What I would like to see is an all day shoot that takes all of that into account. I would say it would go something like this...

8am
Roll Call, Introductions, etc.
Begin Safety meeting, go over range commands etc.

8:30am
Begin instructing the course of fire.
Teach the prone position
Zero Rifles in prone position
Recruits shoot the stage w/100yd targets, 5rnds
Score targets and give advice

9:30am
Teach sitting/kneeling positions
Recruits shoot the stage w/100yd targets, 5rnds
score targets and give advice

10:30
Teach Standing position
Recruits shoot the stage w/100yd targets, 5rnds
score targets and give advice

11:30
1/2hr lunch break (good time to discuss any last minute questions)

12:00
Recruits shoot Fred's Quick & Dirty AQT for record
score targets

1:00pm
Begin Practical stage 1
Multiple targets (reduced for range) vs Clock
(20 jumping jacks, 5rnds ammo, four targets engaged from one station)

2:00pm
Practical stage 2
Shoot & Manuever vs Clock
(10 sit ups, 5rnds, one target engaged from three different stations)

3:00pm
Practical stage 3
Shoot & Manuever w/Induced Malfuction vs Clock
(10 pushups, 10rnds, two targets engaged from three different stations, starting with a induced malfunction)

At the end of this stage, supply recruits with several handouts about practicing at home, KISSATA contacts, etc etc etc

(total rounds for this course of fire, including 5 sighters = 80 rounds)

We will be perfecting this course of fire over the next couple of months. If you are interested in attending a course like this please contact us, regardless of where you live (KISSATA units are nationwide and we will be giving them the materials needed to conduct the KQRC)

Posted 12/3/06

Below you will find the wonderful wisdom of Fred, from Fred's M14 Stocks.com and the RWVA. You owe to yourselves to go to his sites, read all you can read and buy his "Guide to Becoming a Rifleman". It reinforces the need to train now, rather than later, and if you do your part, you will become a Rifleman! (posted 1/20/07)

The Rifleman Series -- Part Seven: Fight Alone, Fail Alone

Source: rwva.blogspot.com/2005/02...alone.html

Today, Fred (www.fredsm14stocks.com) talks about why teamwork is the only way to win, whether in the 'soft war' or something more grim:

The Rifleman knows that the defense of Liberty is a team effort, and that's why he always defends Freedom as part of a team. As one Army instructor observed back in 1942:

"Experience has shown that in the absence of team training, the fire of a group of riflemen in battle is poorly controlled and is haphazardly directed. This fact remains true even where every individual in the group is an expert shot (emphasis added)...."

So becoming a Rifleman is only the first step -- an important step, a worthy step -- but only a first step. If it ever comes to defending Liberty, if you are out there all by yourself....well, it'll get lonely, at the very least. Although you'll be effective firing twenty or maybe even thirty well-aimed shots per minute, you will be terribly vulnerable both to frontal and flanking attacks. By fighting alone, you will be ignoring one of the central Rifleman rules -- to stay alive to fight tomorrow.

Compare that "lone wolf" vulnerability to the concentrated firepower of three trained guys, shooting as a Rifleman team. Sixty, even ninety well-aimed shots, each minute, penetrating the heart of the foe. Comrades to each side of you, sharing the pain, and the joy, of the battle for Freedom. A miniature 'band of brothers', guys you can count on to never let you down, who'll share the risks and cover your butt while doing it.

If you are really lucky through persistence in recruiting, you'll be able to set up a second Rifleman team. Think what tactical advantages two Rifleman teams offer: mutual support (thwarting both frontal and flanking attacks), fire and movement, and mass rifle fire from different points (devastating to an opponent). With two teams, you also move more securely, using the techniques of traveling, traveling overwatch, and, if necessary, bounding overwatch.

For all members, your team's security will go through the roof, while your effectiveness goes up - not 2X - but 8X or more. And during training, competing teams sharpen up everybody's shooting.

Most importantly, with the 'soft war' in full fury right now, that same group effort which will sustain you through a Rainy Decade will make your team's political power almost irresistible, at least to any politician who wants to keep his job. The "force multiplier" effect of allied voters communicating in a coordinated fashion will be even more powerful when you and your teams network with other teams.

But your basic problem, now that you are a Rifleman or soon-to-be Rifleman, is to find two more kindred souls -- today.

The prospect, in present-day America, is kinda depressing. You'll be surprised at the percentage of gun owners ignorant of both the past and the future. People who should know better instead are content to sit and wallow in that slowly heating pan of water. Your audience is crowded with lazy, arrogant know-it-alls, nurtured by the best in liberal education, who are going to wilt like a spider on a hot brick as soon as you mention freedom and the traditional role of the rifleman.

But you will persist.

You'll persist, because it's part of being a Rifleman.

You'll persist, despite discouragement, rejection, and scorn, because you know the battle for freedom has to be won.

You'll persist because you understand that the only people who are going to win it are people who are mentally alert, know their history, respect those brave men who have fought before in defense of freedom, and are determined that freedom will not be lost on their watch.

And the only way to get those sloths awake is to wake 'em up yourself. Your duty as a Rifleman is to be the stone in the pond, sending ripples traveling in all directions, disturbing the existing calm.

Remember, by becoming a Rifleman, you have accepted, at least implicitly, the responsibility to:

1) learn how to shoot, consistently from field positions, at or above the Rifleman standard of 4 MOA from 25 meters to 500 yards;

2) recruit future Riflemen;

3) educate your fellow Americans about the need to become Riflemen, to stop further Second Amendment infringements, and to bring back what the JPFO (www.jpfo.org) calls a "Bill of Rights culture"; and

4) spread that message wherever and whenever you can.

The short form?

Shoot
Recruit
Educate
Communicate
Persistence is the key -- the only key -- to meeting those four obligations.

Now, how you go about your recruiting is up to you. But a few suggestions can be made.

A prime way is to simply let others see you shooting to become a Rifleman. As people watch you going through your shooting drills, welcome their interest by letting them try the AQT with you. Encourage them to overcome their miserable lack of skills with a little practice, using yourself as an example. This is probably the easiest way to bring new members into the fold.

Once you get a couple of guys lined up as "students", your recruiting may tend to snowball, so that the second team recruits quicker than the first. You see, your first team's practice sessions are the bait for the next crew -- or so you hope it will be, anyway.

Another more risky way to recruit is to attempt to wake people up through words and information. Understand though -- for whatever reason, you'll find even many gunowners to be less than receptive. Most gunowners who'll do anything at all will donate $35 to the NRA and go back to sleep on the couch.

Even though to you it seems as plain as the nose on your face, those folks on the couch just don't appreciate what gunowners can accomplish by working within the system -- and working together. That cheap surplus ammo you are able to buy in unlimited quantities now? You know it came from the Reagan years, and the 1986 Gun Owner's Protection Act. In other words, that case of $150 South African 7.62 ball in your safe today was brought to you by an Act of Congress. Without wide-awake, no-fooling Riflemen campaigning and voting for the right people, it would never have happened.

The Good Guys can win. Most times, it happens only by work -- lots of hard, unrelenting slogging towards a goal that may be only barely visible, at least at the beginning.

Sometimes, it happens by luck, or by fate.

But don't fool yourself. Luck and Fate are darned slim reeds to pin your future happiness on.

We have to get this country to wake up, so that the Good Guys win by design, on purpose, through hard work - not by the whim of fate. If we don't, dark days await us.

Right now, we are in the pre-WWII period, fat and complacent, sure of our superpower status. Even 9/11 did not really wake us up. We are still bankrolling the Middle Eastern lunatics who would slaughter us, rather than develop domestic oil and gas resources. Worse yet, we are still pouring billions in trade into the Chinese economy, which is dominated by the Chinese Communist military, just like we did 70 years ago with Japan.

And those lean and hungry Chinese boys are not going to be stupid. If you want a taste of what the future possibly holds, check out Jeff Head's Dragon's Fury novels at www.dragonsfuryseries.com/. It's a five volume series, and it is explosive!

Because the entire country is asleep to the lessons of history, we are going to repeat some bloody chapters in our foreign policy history once again, just as soon as we elect another appeasement-at-any-cost liberal to the Presidency.

That's why now is the time to build your Rifleman team. While you know it will likely be hard to get other team members on board, it'll help you narrow the search if you know the kind of person you are looking for, so you don't waste time on the wrong - i.e., worthless - prospects. "Summer soldiers" and "sunshine patriots" have no place on a true Rifleman team.

No better advice can be found than in an old AMTU Rifle Instructors Guide. Here's their list of questions to ask:


Is your prospect easily perturbed?
Does he quit easily?
Is he easily discouraged by unfavorable conditions?
Is he susceptible to rumors?
Does he worry too much about equipment?
Does he have the will to win?
Is he cooperative?
Can he work with others, of different skill levels?
Is he ambitious?
Is he honest?
Is he reliable, even when being so cuts against his interests?
Let's see - steadiness, doggedness, calmness, determination, honesty - sure 'nuff sounds like a good person to have around if TSHTF. Go ahead -- be honest. How do you stack up?

Now someone is sure to ask -- "But Fred, what about shooting?"

Don't get me wrong. As you build your team, you bet you're gonna work on your team's shooting skills. They will need to become Riflemen, after all. But in recruiting, you should remember an old business saying -- "Hire for attitude, train for skill." If your recruit doesn't have the gumption to persist and burn through the frustrations that he will encounter on the path to Rifleman status, he'll be less than worthless.

Why? 'Cause at the same time that you're pouring your efforts down the dry hole of your prospect's bad attitude, there's likely to be another recruit who does have the stuff to become a Rifleman, just waiting to be found.

Plant your Rifleman seeds where there's a good chance they'll grow into strong trees. Perseverance and willingness to learn are the good soil and water for this particular crop.

Find those character traits listed above, and you'll have a good prospect. Then, using your experience and the Guide to Becoming a Rifleman (www.fredsm14stocks.com/catalog/acc.asp), help that recruit through the struggles that you went through as your shooting improved. Your prospect may not be perfect - after all, it's unlikely he'll be able to shoot well, for one thing - but as long as he is willing to learn both the shooting and the teammate skills, I'd sure give him a chance! And once those Rifleman skills are in the bag, you and your new Rifleman should start to integrate team shooting drills into your practice -- just read the Guide for lots of suggestions.

Remember -- you are unlikely in the current environment to find anyone decisive enough to commit to the team idea, which is why the first technique suggested earlier is a good one. You don't sign them up in advance. Nope - you sucker them in gradually, until they are already a team member and confident enough to be decisive.

Part of the outcome of Rifleman training is a new personality - confident, decisive, knowing who you are, what you can do, what you should be doing, knowing your goals, working to attain them. As the AMTU guide put it, "Individuals must possess outstanding qualities of sportsmanship." Of course, this was written back fifty years ago, before the angry, victimized, she-male types who are so prevalent today.

So what? So it's harder to find good-natured people with integrity. Heck, it's hard to do anything in the battle for freedom. Just that first step away from the couch in front of the TV is too much for many people.

You'll persist, however, because you are a Rifleman.

One final thing: As a Rifleman, and as part of a rifle team, you want to get prepared and to be the best shot you can be. You know and understand your role in the defense of liberty, as visualized by the Founders when they drafted the Constitution.

But never forget the 'soft war' that's raging now. You and your team should be fighting that 'soft war', in hopes of avoiding a future 'hard war'. You and your team should be waking people up, personally & with Letters To the Editor, educating 'em who to vote for, getting 'em to the range, and helping them to shoot well.

And guess what? In the 'soft war', it doesn't even matter one tinker's damn if some of your teammates can even shoot!

What do I mean? The 'soft war' is a political war, and the ammunition in a political war consists of contacts and ballots. Think of contacts -- letters, faxes, emails, phone calls -- as rifle rounds, while ballots -- "fired" only on Election Day -- can be considered as heavy artillery shells. There's no reason at all why you shouldn't get as many "soft warriors" as you can, each sending as many pro-Second Amendment contacts -- pro or con, as appropriate for the particular politician -- as they can send between elections. Then on Election Day, a barrage of pro-Second Amendment, pro-freedom ballots comes crashing down.....in support of our pro-freedom political allies, and in opposition to our socialist, gun-grabbing foes.

In those 'soft war' battles, anyone -- as long as they are of voting age and registered to vote -- can and will be a freedom fighter, even if they have no desire whatsoever in learning how to shoot.

Pretty neat, eh?

So, non-shooters can and should be a part of your team in defense of Freedom. And you never know -- lots of us didn't grow up with guns. We came to the tradition through people who cared enough about us and our country to be patient with us. You, as a Rifleman, need to be patient as well. Remember, the crime is not shooting badly. Everybody shoots badly when they start out. The crime is not learning to shoot better.

Sure, it's tough -- all of it. But not tough compared to what it'll be if you DON'T do it. So you do it, because it is important. Don't forget to have fun, too!

Keep track of what's happening in the Rifleman's world by bookmarking the Revolutionary War Veterans Association website at www.rwva.org. See ya next time!

--- If you have to fire your weapon, you've failed.

Garand69

Semper Paratus

A very common pitfall to shooters is to max out their rifle with all types of gadjets, gizmos, and modifications before they have maxed out their own ability. This is a simple mistake on the shooters part who beleives that his lack of accuracy has nothing to do with himself but instead it must be the equiptment. The sad fact of the matter is, MOST RIFLES ARE ALREADY MORE ACCURATE THAN THE SHOOTER USING IT.

I don't know about everyone else but I'm on a tight budget and I have to constantly choose between gear, ammo, practice, etc. So for me I must make every dollar count. When it comes to my Battle Rifle, I have kept it pretty simple. I still train with surplus ammo, the action is not tricked out,
etc. I do not expect sub-MOA groups from it and it doesn't let me down.

When should you start accurizing your rifle? Well it all depends on what you expect to do with the rifle and wheather or not it is a Surplus Bolt Action, or a Semi-Auto Battle Rifle. I'm not going to cover the Commericial Tactical Rifle because the typical shooter, after finding the cartridge loading that the rifle likes, will never out shoot the rifle in the first place. And I'm not going to cover the Semi-Auto Battle Carbine because the primary role of this type of a rifle chambered in an intermediate cartridge, is CQB and other short range/rapid target acquisition, scenarios. Modifications for Carbines should, for the most part, stick to reliability, ergonomics, and rapid target acquisition modifications. Long distance accuracy takes a back seat to the previous.

The Surplus Battle Rifle

Currently there is a massive amount of cheap, good, surplus bolt guns and CMP Garands out there waiting to be saved from the safes of some collector and taken out and used for what they were intended to do, combat shooting. Depending on which rifle you choose there are many options available. I will not say which rifle is best or worst here, there is far too many factors that make a rifle best for YOU. But what I will say is, if the rifle you buy has a decent bore, it will shoot respectable groups, with surplus ammo, without you modifying it. What do I consider a decent bore? well any bore that would be considered rack grade or better. That is a fair amount of wear but as long as the muzzle is not toasted it will shoot fine. What do I consider decent groups for a rack grade surplus rifle? 4 MOA groups are more than capable of getting the job done with practice. For all intents and purposes here, 4MOA = 4" @ 100yds, 8" @ 200, 16" @ 400, and 20" @ 500. With this amount of accuracy and the knowledge of target acquisition, range estimation and wind estimation, you will be able to hit a man sized target out to 500 yards with iron sights. That takes some practice but one of the bonuses of choosing a surplus gun is that surplus ammo is available and it is cheap. When you first take a new surplus rifle to the range I always like to shoot the first 50 or so rounds from the bench on sand bags.

WHAT DID GARAND SAY, THE BENCH WITH SAND BAGS! Somebody get a rope!

Now, Now settle down, you have a new rifle and first you want to determine the mechanical accuracy of the rifle with your ammunition. If you were thinking, you would have a few different flavors of surplus ammo on hand so that you could determine which one your rifle likes the best. By useing a rest you are eliminating the leading cause of inaccuracy, the shooter. Once you have determined that the rifle shoots, write down the measured grouping size. and the range you shot it at. If you were at 100yds that is your MOA accuracy, if you were at 200 yds, divide the group by 2 and that is your MOA, if you shot it at 50yds multiply the number by 2, at 25 yds multiply the number by 4. Now you know what the rifle is capable and you have a benchmark to judge any future modifications by.

Now it is time to practice your position shooting. Work on standing, sitting and prone positions using a hasty sling in all positions except standing, concentrate on the fundementals of firing the shot;

#1 Line up the front sight with the rear sight

#2 Keeping the sights lined up, bring them onto the target

#3 Take a deep breath in (the front sight will dip if you are in a good position) slowly let the breath out until the front sight touches the bottom of the bullseye, then hold your breath.

#4 Focus your eye on the front sight while you are focussing your mind on keeping the front sight on target (most important step on the list!)

#5 Take up the slack and squeeze the trigger straight back while continuing to keep your concentration on the front sight

#6 When the hammer falls, keep your eyes open and take an instant mental photo of where the front sight was on the target when the hammer fell and call your shot.

Repeat steps one through six as often as possible in all positions.

After you have some practice under your belt, go to a highpower rifle match (you are not required to use an M1 Garand at a Garand Match, you just wont be able to win any prizes) or shoot either Fred's AQT or the soon to be released KISSATA Rifleman Qualification Course (KRQC). A good shooter, the first time out, will score around 375-410 on a 500-point highpower course. On Fred's AQT or the KRQC they will shoot 185-200 out of the 250 point max. The course of fire for all of these is 10 rounds slow fire standing, 10 shots rapid fire standing to sitting with a mandatory reload/mag change, 10 shots standing to prone rapid fire with mandatory reload/mag change, and 20 rounds prone slow fire.

The point of continuously shooting these matches/courses of fire is to maximize your abilities with this rifle (Try to practice with only one battle rifle during this stage, though supplementing your training with a good .22 is acceptable and cost effective). When you get to a point that you consistantly score a 440-450 on a NRA Highpower course of fire or a 220-225 on the KRQC, with surplus ball ammo, you have now mastered your surplus rifle and wrung out your equiptment's inheirent accuracy.

When you reach these performance levels, you reach the "Rifleman Plateau" . When you hit the plateau and you want to shoot better, it is time to make some changes. Make these changes one at a time. The first change should be to "Match Grade" ammo and if necessary recrown/counterbore the barrel. Depending on your caliber, you may need to experiment a little and make your own. When experimenting with working up a load, go back to the bench for shot to shot consistancy. When you are happy with your ammo choice start shooting the courses of fire again. When you start scoring consistantly in the 460 point range on the NRA High Power or 230-235 on the KRQC, then you can think about working on the rifles mechanical accuracy. The first modification should be a new mil-spec barrel (you will need one after all this practice), then glass bedding the action and or a tighter fitting stock. When you wring that out it is time to get nutty and and add match sights, match triggers, a high end match barrel, action mods, gas system mods, etc.etc. BUT REMEMBER, the more match stuff you hang on your Battle Rifle, the less "Battle" and the more "Match" it will be and may no longer be a worthy MBR. Tight match chambers affect reliability, especially with surplus ammo.

Here is an excellent quote from Fred's Guide to becoming a Rifleman...

http://www.fredsm14stocks.com/

"So the process starts with you, and your willingness to go for a goal, measure your progress, put the basics into your shooting, and once you are a Rifleman, then decide how much further you want to go.
But know one thing: Once you "hit" the Rifleman Status, you are in the top 3% of the Nation shooters, maybe even in the top 1%. P.S. One of the highest scores I have seen on the AQT was a 247 (out of 250) fired with an Egyption Hakim (you know that 8ft long 'broom handle' derivative of the AG42) and to add insult, the 8mm stuff was some middle eastern surplus of unknown origin dated in the 1950's. But the guy shooting it was a rifleman- and he liked the Hakim- said shooting it 'fanned' you everytime you pulled the trigger!"

The whole point here is to get out and practice in the most cost effective manner possible. There is no sense throwing money at your rifle to improve your accuracy unless you are maxed out already. Sure if you add a better barrel, sights, etc. to your rifle you may shoot better, BUT what did that new barrel cost in parts+labor, and how much ammo and range time would that have bought? If that range time was quality range time you would be shooting better than if you spent the money on a new barrel instead.

For a simple example;

Match Grade M1A+4 Magazines =Approx$1875.00                            

Rack Grade M1 Garand  =                        Approx $350.00
4437 rounds of surp 30-06 w/bandleers&clips  $875.00                                      Range fees ($20X(22) round sessions =Approx  $440.00                                     Spare op rod, springs, $210                                                                     Total Cost Of CMP M1+AMMO+Parts+Training =  Approx $1875.00

Rack Grade Mosin Nagant/Mauser + Transfer = Approx $125.00
7000rnds Surplus ammo on strippers (.15 rnd)=Approx$1050.00
Range fees ($20 X (35) 200rnd sessions) = Approx $700.00
Total Cost Of Surplus Bolt + AMMO +Training=Approx $1875.00

So I think you know who would be the most accurate with their rifle choice, 7000 rounds of quality practice in a wore out mauser or 4000+ rounds with an M1 Garand, will be more of an asset than the guy with the new M1a and no ammo or range time.

I hope I have given you some food for thought and have encouraged you to go out and practice.

Garand69

Semper Paratus

"The most deadly weapon on any battlefield is the single well-aimed shot." CPT Jim Land, USMC Sniper School Instructor, 1st MAR DIV Vietnam 1966

"In Vietnam, snipers averaged 1.1 rounds of ammo for each kill. Regular troops required, on average, the expenditure of 200,000 pounds of ordinance for each enemy dead."

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