Haven’t qualified on the old M9 pistol in a while, due to all sorts of intervening circumstances, so when I reported to the range this morning, lo and behold…
I SUCK. (From the 25 yard line. Everything else was pretty much in the black. But, it doesn’t help when the Marine next to you obliterates the X-ring and doesn’t need any white pasties.)
Thank God I have the rest of the week to settle down.
Maj P
Shooting is a perishable skill. It’s not that you suck. You just didn’t have any practice because as a Major, you’re *cough a staff officer. Just kidding, Sir. Good luck on your shooting week. Hope you get expert. By the way, what’s your MOS and what combat units have you served with? I was a supply Marine with 3rd LAR.
Semeper Fi!
A general comment.
Part of the skill of shooting is having someone truly skilled at marksmanship teach it. A few practice runs to understand the subtlties of the range targets, especially those pop-up ones, always helps.
Marksmanship in the military seems almost a lost art, until one is thrust into combat. Or, unless one is in a specialized unit or a rifle/pistol team member. Many military people I know can barely qualify on the easiest of qualification courses.
Many people just like me that are trained marksman didn’t learn it within our military training cycles. My shooting education came from an ex-military competition rifle shooter at the local gun club. He took an interest in me due to my interest in the sport. I always thought I was a good shot, until he taught me what good shooting was really all about. I also met a young lady pistol marksman (purely platonic) who taught me the intricacies of pistol shooting.
Advice:
Off duty range practice with the right people has dramatic effects on ones qualification scores. Preferably off-duty Team/Squad/Section/small group practice and true competition marksmanship training (and practice).
It doesn’t matter what rifle or pistol you practice with (okay, it matters some) a properly trained shooter can operate any rifle or pistol with accuracy.
My advice is to remember that the vast majority of gunfights with a pistol happen under seven yards, and not sweat it.
That or practice more…whatever.
I SUCK. (From the 25 yard line.
Sir, you are a GO preceeded by a NO. :-P
M9
Front sight – in focus and sharp, world is front sight.
Rear sight and target out of focus, front sight sharp.
Squeeze.
Partial to the 1911A1 myself.
Good shooting sir.
.
Next time, make practicing fun by going to a IPSC shooting match (www.uspsa.org) or a steel challenge match. You’ll be amazed at how much you can improve after just one match. Competition sharpens skills.
BTW – Call the match director in advance and tell him that you are Army and need to polish your skills. He’ll likely put you on a squad with Master class shooters that will help you. Here in Georgia, we commonly do that, especially for deploying soliders. They get a day of training from the best pistol shooters in the world, all for a match fee (~$20).