CHAPTER IV

TARGET PRACTICE

Military shooting or target practice is very different from shotgun shooting, or even the kind of shooting required of a large-game hunter; therefore we should begin with the most elementary instruction and drills, if proficiency is to be obtained. Our "Small Arms Firing Regulations" says, "The sole purpose of rifle training for the soldier is to make of him a good shot under war conditions."

Proficient shots are made off the range and not on it. By this we mean that the preliminary instruction you will receive before you go on the range will be of more benefit to you than the actual firing for record. Indeed, firing on the range will only test your ability to put into use the many points covered by your preliminary instruction. Therefore, if you are to become a proficient shot, maintain your interest and enthusiasm at its highest pitch during the preliminary instruction.

Your preliminary instructions will probably become so tedious and tiresome that you will lose sight of their objects. Each preliminary instruction has its own and different purpose, and you will not receive the maximum benefit from them unless you realize this.

This chapter will first explain briefly the purpose of each preliminary drill, and then give the essential things to be remembered when actually firing on the range.

PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION

Your preliminary instructions and their purposes are as follows:

1. Nomenclature of the Rifle. The word nomenclature means the vocabulary of names or technical terms which are appropriate to any particular topic. In this case the topic is the rifle. This instruction will be a few lectures or talks by your company officers on the rifle. You should become familiar with the parts of the rifle indicated in the following illustration:

2. Sighting Drills.

Purpose.

(a) To explain the different kinds of sight.

(b) To show how to align the sights properly on the bull's-eye.

(d) To teach uniformity in sighting.

There are two kinds of sights on the rear sight leaf, the open and peep sight. The open sight is the semi-circular notch a-b-c shown in the diagram below; the peep sight is the small hold "d" just below the open sight.

a, b, c--open sight

d--peep sight

The sighting drills will visually illustrate the following kinds of sights.

a--Normal Sight. This is the sight most frequently used. The following illustration is the normal sight when the open sight notch is used.

The figure i-k-l-m is the front sight B-L-M-C the rear sight notch.

When the open sight is used the above diagram shows the correct alignments of the rear sight notch, front sight and the bull's-eye. The following features should be noticed:

1st. The front.sight (i-k-l-m) is exactly in the center of the rear sight notch (B-L-M-C), if it is in the right or left part of this notch the rifle will shoot to the right or left of the point aimed at.

2d. There is a thin strip of white seen between the top of the front sight and the bull's-eye. (The Marine Corps and many army officers do not see this strip of white. The method of aiming given and illustrated in this book is the same as found in the Firing Regulations for the Army.)

3d. The top of the front sight should just touch an imaginary line connecting the shoulder at C with that at B. (This is most important.)

4th. The aim is taken at the bottom of the bull's-eye and not at the top or center.

b--Fine Sight. The following illustration shows a fine sight which should never be used:

This sight causes the rifle to shoot too low because not enough front sight is seen. Correspondingly, if more front sight is seen than illustrated in the normal sights, the rifle shoots high.

c--Normal Sight. The following illustration shows the normal sight when the peep sight is used.

The above illustration shows the correct alignment of the peep sight, front sight, and the bull's-eye. The following features should be noticed:

1st. The top of the front sight and not the bull's-eye is focused in the center of the peep sight.

2d. There is a thin strip of white between the top of the front sight and the bottom of the bull's-eye.

3. Position and Aiming Drills.

Purpose: To so educate the muscles of the arms and body that the gun, during the act of aiming, shall be held without restraint and during the operation of firing shall not be deflected from the target by any convulsion or improper movement of the trigger finger or of the body, arms or hands. These drills must be taken daily, if they are to be of the maximum benefit. If you are enthusiastic about rifle shooting, and these drills are not give^[C] to you, ask your company commander to show them to you, as they can be executed to advantage at odd times.

4. Deflection and Elevation Correction Drills.

Purpose. To show you how to raise or lower your rear sight, change your windage to the right or left, and note the effect on the striking point of the bullet in each case. In general terms these drills teach you:

(1) What to do when you are firing too high or low. (Elevation Drill.)

(2) What to do when you are firing to the right or left of the target. (Deflection Drill.)

The assumption is in each case that the gun is properly aimed the instant it is fired.

Thoroughly to grasp every phase of the Elevation and Deflection Drills, it is best that you become familiarized with the dimensions of the following targets and the ranges at which each is used. It is not intended that you shall retain all these figures in your mind.

SLOW FIRE TARGETS

This target is used during slow fire at 200 and 300 yards.

This target is used during slow fire at 500 and 600 yards.

RAPID FIRE TARGET

This target is always used with the battle sight at 200, 300, and 500 yards rapid fire. Battle sight is the position of the rear sight when the leaf is laid down, which is the habitual position of the rear sight leaf at drill. It is an open sight, and corresponds to an elevation of 547 yards.

WINDAGE

The rear sight is set on a movable base so that it can be moved to the right or left and the aiming point shifted accordingly in order to counteract the effect of the wind on the bullet.

General Rule. To shift the striking point of the bullet to the left move the rear sight to the left. And, of course, the reverse holds true when it is moved to the right.

A Specific Rule. One point of windage moves the striking point of the bullet 4 inches for every 100 yards you are distant from the target. (One point of windage at 200 yards causes the bullet to strike 8 inches to the right or left of the line of aim; one point at 300 yards causes a 12-inch deflection of the bullet; one point at 500 yards a 20-inch deflection, and so on.)

ELEVATION

General rule for changing the elevation after hitting the target: A change of elevation either up or down, of 100 yards on your rear sight, will raise or lower your bullet in inches on the target equal to the square of your distance in yards from the target. I.e., a change of 100 yards in elevation on the rear sight leaf while firing at the 200-yard range raises or lowers the striking point of the bullet at the target 4 inches. A similar change while firing at the 300-yard range raises or lowers the striking point of the bullet 9 inches, at the 400-yard range it would be 16 inches, at the 500-yard range 25 inches, and so on.

The following illustrations are self-explanatory in regard to windage and elevation changes and should be diligently studied during preliminary instruction. The effect of windage changes (given in points) will be found at the bottom of each target, while the effect of elevation changes (given in yards) will be found to the left of each target.

TARGET A, 6' x 4'

TARGET B, 6' x 6'" />
TARGET A, 6' x 4'

TARGET B, 6' x 6'

The above system of indicating the windage and elevation on each target is used in the United States Marine Corps score book. Each man at Plattsburg, in 1916, was supplied with one of these score books. If used at the firing point they greatly simplify sight adjustments, besides containing other very useful information on shooting.

5. Gallery Practise. Purpose

1. To note errors in the position of the man while he is in the act of firing and call his attention to them after he has fired.

2. To give instruction in squeezing the trigger properly.

3. To stimulate and maintain interest.

4. Offers a check on what the man has absorbed from the other preliminary drills.

Fire just as much on the gallery range as you company commander will permit. You cannot fire too much. Every shot you fire should teach you a lesson on some point connected with the art of shooting.

SLOW FIRE

Following satisfactory gallery practise scores the men go on the range for known distance practice. Here the army rifle is fired with service charges at known ranges; first, for instruction if time permits, and then for record. To obtain satisfactory results the firer must perform correctly five essential things, namely:

1. Hold the rifle on the mark.

2. Aim properly.

3. Squeeze the trigger properly.

4. Call the shot.

5. Make the proper sight adjustment.

They will be briefly and separately discussed:

1. Holding. Unless the rifle is held steadily the bullet will not hit the desired mark. The firer must be able to hold the rifle steadily in the three positions, kneeling, sitting. lying down. Holding is a question of the proper body position, use of the sling, and practice.

Body Position. The position of the firer must be comfortable. You may, at first, feel constrained or cramped in the different positions but by continued practice the muscles and joints will become so supple and pliable that you can easily assume the correct position. Each man who is trying for a high score should utilize all available time to this end. The following photographs illustrate the correct and incorrect positions:

No. 1

CORRECT SITTING POSITION" />
No. 1

CORRECT SITTING POSITION

No. 1. Notice the position of the elbows. They are advanced past the knees so that the flat muscles on the back of the arms, above the elbows, rest against the legs. Notice the position of the right thumb and aiming eye; also sling. To assume this position correctly, it is necessary that you lean well forward. Avoid the tendency of getting the feet too far apart.

No. 2.

CORRECT SITTING POSITION" />
No. 2.

CORRECT SITTING POSITION

No. 2. Notice The proper manner of working the bolt during rapid fire. Keep your gun at the shoulder while loading. Turn the gun to right and down a little. Don't make any unnecessary motions'

No. 1. Left elbow is resting on knee cap. No support to steady right arm. Eye too far from rear sight. Lip is against stock. (This causes sore lips.) Thumb around stock. Sling on outside of arm.

No. 2. This shows the common error of lowering the gun from the shoulder to load it during rapid fire.

No. 1. Correct kneeling position. Notice that the back of the left arm (not elbow) is resting on knee.

Notice that the firer is sitting well down on the right leg. This is essential.

No. 1. Thumb is around small of stock. Eye too far from rear sight. The gun is turned (canted) to the right. The sharp point of the elbow is resting on the knee which has a tendency to make the position an unsteady one.

No. 2. The improper manner of loading the gun during rapid fire. He has lowered the gun from his shoulder to load it, which is "a time-killing" proposition.

No. 1. Notice the right eye. Notice that the left arm is well under the gun. Notice where the gun is pressed against the shoulder. Notice position of right thumb.

No. 2 Notice position of left arm. Notice the pressure of the sling against the left arm.

No. 3 Notice the correct position of the legs and feet. Notice that the toes are turned out.

No. 1. Gun is canted to the right. Sling is on the outside of the arm. Right thumb is across small of stock which is the cause of bruises and sore lips. Left elbow not well under. Eye too far from rear sight piece.

No. 2. Legs not straight. Gun canted to right. Left elbow not well under gun.

No. 3. Legs are in an improper position. Body is twisted to the left.

Sling. Your ability to hold the rifle steadily in any required position will be greatly increased by the proper adjustment and use of the sling. Indeed, you cannot hope to hold the rifle steadily unless the sling is properly used. The following photographs illustrate the correct way to get into the sling.

No. 1. Notice that the left arm is slipped in between the sling and the gun from the left side. It is then run through the sling from the right side of same. Notice how gun is held against leg. Notice that the muzzle of the gun is pointing up, not down. The bolt should be drawn back while you get into the sling. This is to avoid accidents. Notice that the sight leaf is down.

No. 2. Notice that the sling has been slipped up and over the large muscles of the upper arm. Also the left hand after being run through the sling is grasping the gun to that the sling is to the right.

By turning back now to the photographs illustrating the correct body positions you will see how the sling is used.

2. Aiming. An error of one one-hundredth of an inch in the amount of front sight seen, at the instant the gun is fired, will cause you to completely miss a man 500 yards away. Hence, the eye must be trained unless the firer has at all times a mental picture of how the sights and the bull's-eye look when properly aligned. You should acquire this mental picture during your aiming exercises and by the time you go on the range you should have the eye so trained that you will focus it properly on your sights and target without mental effort.

3. Trigger Squeeze. If you convulsively jerk the trigger to discharge the rifle, you disturb your hold and aim and the mark is missed; this is the recruit's most common error. To properly squeeze trigger observe the following suggestions:

(a) As you place your rifle to the shoulder, take up the loose play in the trigger (called the creep).

(b) When the gun is properly aimed, don't endeavor at that particular moment to fire it but be content to apply additional pressure to the trigger and then hold this pressure until the gun is again steady and properly aimed when a little more pressure is added and so on until the gun is discharged. By using this system, the firer does not know the exact instant the gun is to go off and the common faults, namely, flinching and jerking the trigger are unconsciously avoided.

4. Calling the Shot. If the aiming eye is open when the gun is discharged, the firer should know at what part of the target the gun was aimed at that instant, and he should announce this fact to his coach or in the absence of a coach make a mental note of it. If the bullet struck the target at the point where the gun was aimed the instant of discharge, no sight correction is necessary; on the other hand, if the bullet did not strike the target at the point where the gun was aimed the instant of discharge, the sights are probably improperly adjusted and should be changed as indicated in the following paragraph on sight adjustment.

5. Sight Adjustment. If, after firing two or more shots, you find that, in each case, there is a constant error between where the bullet hits the target and the place where you called the shot, your sights should be readjusted in accordance with your preliminary elevation and deflection drills. When you decide to change your sight adjustment don't be timid and deal in half measures but apply a sufficient correction so that the rifle will hit where the shot is called. The inexperienced man has a tendency to change his sights after each shot. Avoid this tendency.

RAPID FIRE

In rapid fire the battle sight is always used; the firing is against time and at a field target (Target D), and from ranges 200, 300, and sometimes 500 yards.

The battle sight corresponds to an elevation of 547 yards, which makes it necessary for the firer at the 200 and 300 yard ranges to aim at a point about 2-1/2 feet below the part of the target that it is desired to hit. Prior to record firing each man should determine these aiming points by slow fire, at ranges 200 and 300 yards, using the battle sight.

There is one golden rule that must be followed if you are to get a good score at rapid fire: You must use the minimum time possible in loading and the maximum time possible for aiming and squeezing the trigger. To be more specific, this means work your bolt quickly but aim and squeeze your trigger slowly.

HINTS ON RAPID FIRE

1. When you go to the firing point get two clips of cartridges, one to be used at the command load and the extra one is placed in the belt.

2. See that your cut-off is up.

3. When the target first appears drop quickly into the required position for firing. A great deal of time is usually lost by the firer squirming around trying to get into a comfortable position.

4. Don't hurry your first or last shot. These are the two shots that are usually bad.

5. If your second clip jams or breaks, turn the cut-off up, load and fire each cartridge separately.

6. Leave the gun at your shoulder while working the bolt.

7. Be careful to fire on your own target.

8. If a cartridge fails to fire, it is very probably because the bolt is not all the way down; therefore recock the gun (pull the firing pin back), make certain the bolt is down, and fire again.

9. As soon as the targets disappear cease firing, come to Inspection Arms, examine your rifle for unfired cartridges.

GENERAL HINTS AND CAUTIONS

1. Don't be afraid of the kick; it is more imaginary than real when the sling is properly used, your shoulder properly padded, and the gun properly held.

2. Rest your cheek, not your jaw bone, lightly against the small of the stock.

3. Rest your right thumb along the right side of the stock and not on top of it.

4. Blacken both front and rear sights, adjust and place your arm in the sling, and if possible set your sights while you are waiting your turn to go to the firing point.

5. Approach and leave the firing point with your bolt drawn back. This is to prevent accidents.

6. When not actually aiming, have your bolt drawn back.

7. Never attempt to force the bolt into the gun in case of a jam, but ask a coach to fix it for you.

8. Don't allow the muzzle to touch the ground.

9. Don't rub your eyes while at the firing point.

10. When not actually aiming, rest the eyes by shading them or looking at something green.

11. Clean the bore of your rifle before and after firing. After firing it should be cleaned daily, until a rag run through it will not be soiled.

12. Clean the rifle from the breech.

13. Zero of rifle. Every rifle, owing to slight inequalities of boring, sights, and the personal errors of the firer, shoots differently. When you have ascertained its (rifle) and your own peculiar errors and you know where to set your sights to counteract these constant errors, you have determined what is commonly termed the zero of your rifle. To illustrate, if you were shooting on a perfectly calm day (which is essential) at the target from the 500-yard range, and you found that you required one half a point left windage in order to hit the bull's-eye when no wind is blowing, the zero of your rifle for that range would be one half a point left windage.

CARE OF THE RIFLE

Keep the metal part of your rifle covered with a thin coating of light oil; "3-in-1" oil is ordinarily used. This is especially important in damp weather.

Always clean the bore from the breech. This avoids injuring the muzzle. The pull through (a string found in the oiler and thong case) is only used in the field.

After the rifle is fired the bore is covered with an acid which, if left in the bore, will eat into the metal and pit it. To avoid this, swab out the barrel as soon as possible after firing with Hoppe's "Powder Solvent, No. 9" which can be purchased at the camp stores. If this powder solvent is not available, dissolve some soda in water and use it. When the barrel is clean, dry it out thoroughly by running several dry rags through it. Next run several rags, saturated in oil, through the barrel, this for the purpose of oiling the bore and preventing rust. This process of cleaning should be repeated for at least three successive days following the firing of the rifle.

The metal fouling, caused by the pealing off in the bore of the jacket of the bullet, can only be removed by an application of an ammonia solution which should not be used by an inexperienced man.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

The Bayonet. The bayonet is a cutting and thrusting weapon consisting of three principal parts, viz., the blade, the guard, and the grip. The weight of a bayonet is 1 pound.

Captain B. A. Dixon, retired, has compiled the following interesting data about our military rifle and ammunition:

"Name. United States Rifle (commonly known as the Springfield).

"Cost. $14.40 without the bayonet.

"Barrel. 24.006 inches in length. The muzzle is rounded to protect the rifling. Any injury here would allow gases to escape around the sides of the bullet and destroy its accuracy.

"On the top in rear of the front sight is stamped the Ordnance escutcheon, the initials of the place of manufacture, and the month and year.

"Caliber. .30-thirty hundredths of an inch. Caliber is the interior diameter of the barrel measured between the lands.

"Grooves. The four spiral channels within the bore of the rifle sometimes called rifling. They are .004 inches deep and are three times as wide as the lands.

"Lands. The four raised spaces in the bore of the rifle between the grooves. These lands grip the bullet as it passes through the bore and rotate it to the right about the longer axis. This rotation serves to prevent tumbling and keeps the bullet accurately on its course. This spinning of the bullet also causes it to drift slightly to the right as it passes through the air. The same effect is produced by throwing a baseball with a twist.

"Twist. The spiral formed by the grooves in the barrel of the piece. The twist is uniform and to the right, one turn in ten inches.

"Length. The rifle without bayonet is 43.212 inches long. With bayonet it is 59.212 inches long.

"Manufacture. The United States Rifle is manufactured by the Government at Springfield Armory, Massachusetts, and Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois.

"Rear Sight Leaf. Graduated from 100 to 2850 yards. The odd range is on the right branch of the leaf, the even on the left. Note that the line corresponding to a range is below a numeral.

"Battle sight is the position of the rear sight in which the leaf is laid down. The slide should be drawn all the way back to secure full advantage of the windage. It corresponds to a range of 547 yards.

"Rounds. The rifle will hold six cartridges. Five are carried in the magazine and one in the chamber.

"Stock. Made of walnut wood.

"Oiler and Thong Case. Furnished for every" alternate rifle and is carried in butt of the stock. In one section is a supply of oil, in the other a thong and brush for cleaning the bore. In cleaning by this method draw the brush or rag from the muzzle toward the breech.

"Weight. 8.69 pounds without bayonet. Bayonet weighs 1 pound.

"AMMUNITION

"Cost. About three and one-half cents per cartridge.

"Bullet. Has a core of lead and tin composition inclosed in a jacket of cupro-nickel. The jacket being tough enables the lands in the bore to grip the bullet without rupturing and to rotate it while passing through the barrel. A lead bullet unjacketed would strip and pass through without rotating. It weighs 150 grains and is pointed to offer less resistance to the air.

"Case. Made of brass. The government ammunition is manufactured at Frankford Arsenal, Pennsylvania.

"Powder. Pyrocellulose. The grains are cylindrical, single, perforated, and graphited. Normal charge is 47-50 grains. Pressure developed in the chamber is 51,000 pounds per square inch.

"Penetration. This bullet will penetrate the following materials to depth stated at range of 100 yards: Moist sand, 14.02 inches; loam, 17.46 inches; oak, 31.18 inches; brick wall, 5.5 inches; steel plate, .4 inch. Dry sand is the best stop. The bullet will penetrate 6.88 inches of it at 100 yards and 13.12 inches at 500 yards.

"Range. Maximum range, 4891.6 yards, about 2-3/4 miles) with the muzzle elevated 45 degrees. The time of flight 38.058 seconds.

"Velocity. About 2700 feet per second at 70 degrees F.

"Weight. A complete cartridge weighs 395.5 grains depending on amount of water. It is waterproof."

ESTIMATING DISTANCE

Suppose you are out hunting, and that you see a big buck on a distant hill. Suppose that it is exactly 600 yards distant from you, that you are an expert shot, and that you set your sights at 400 yards and fire. Will you hit the deer or not? You must know how to guess accurately the distance to a deer, or a man, or anything else, if you propose to have any reasonable hope of hitting it.

The art of estimating distances with the eye can be improved by practice. When you are in ranks, observe continually your surroundings. Call attention to and make estimates of the distances to all the prominent objects in view. Others near you will become interested, and the interest will soon spread to the entire company. It will be necessary for the objects to be pointed out to those interested. This in itself is a difficult thing to do. To be able quickly to see distant objects that are being pointed out is a military accomplishment which all soldiers should possess and which comes only with practice.

METHODS OF ESTIMATING DISTANCES BY THE EYE

1. Decide that the object cannot be more than a certain distance away, or less than a certain distance. Keep the estimate within the closest possible limits and take the mean of the two estimates as the range. For instance, that deer cannot be over 800 yards away and not less than 400 yards. Your estimated distance is 600 yards.

2. Select a point which you think is the middle point of the distance, estimate the distance to this middle point, and double your estimate to get your range. Do the same thing with half the distance, if the object is very far away.

3. Estimate the distance along a parallel line, such as a telephone line or a railroad having on it a well-defined length with which you are familiar.

4. Take the mean of several estimates made by several well-instructed men. This method is used in battle, but is not applicable to instruction or during tests.

1. Preliminary Instruction

To estimate distances by the eye with accuracy, it is first necessary that you become familiar with the appearance of the most convenient unit of length, namely 100 yards. Stake off a distance of 100 yards. Subdivide this 100 yards into four 25-yard divisions. Pace off the entire distance several times, and you will soon become familiar with the appearance of 100 yards. Next, take a distance more than 100 yards and compare it mentally with your unit of measure (100 yards) and make your estimate. Verify this estimate by pacing the distance. Do this once a day for several months, and you may become highly skilled in the art of estimating distances.

2. Preliminary Instruction

If you know how a soldier, or group of soldiers, looks at the different ranges, it will often assist you in quickly making an accurate estimate of the distance. In order to acquire skill in estimating distances by this method one must have special exercises designated to demonstrate the clearness with which details of clothing, movement of the limbs, etc., can be observed at the different ranges. Have a squad march away from you to a distance of 1,200 yards. Then have it approach you and halt every 100 yards. Each time the squad halts make a mental note of the distance, and then observe carefully its appearance, the clearness with which you can see the clothing, movements of the limbs, etc.

APPEARANCE OF OBJECTS

Become familiar with the effect which the varying conditions of light, background, etc., have upon the apparent distance of the object. Don't be content to memorize the following data, but go after the underlying reason in each case.

Objects seem nearer than they actually are:

1. When the object is seen in a bright light.

2. When the color of the object contrasts sharply with the color of the background.

3. When looking over water, snow, or a uniform surface like a wheat field.

4. When looking from a height downward.

5. In clear atmosphere of high" altitudes, as in Arizona and New Mexico.

Objects seem more distant than they actually are:

1. When looking over a depression in the ground (across a canyon).

2. When there is a poor light (very cloudy day) or a fog.

3. When only a part of the object can be seen.

4. When looking from low ground upward toward higher ground.

ESTIMATING DISTANCES BY SOUND

Sound travels at the rate of about 366 yards a second. Therefore, multiply the number of seconds intervening between the flash of the gun and the report of the same by 366, and the product will be the distance in yards to the gun.

RANGE-FINDING INSTRUMENT

Each company is equipped with a range-finding instrument. All company officers and sergeants should be proficient in using it. The accuracy of this instrument will greatly depend upon the skill of the user, and the visibility of the objective.

TRIAL SHOTS OR VOLLEYS

"If the ground is so dry and dusty that the fall of the bullets is visible through a glass or with the naked eye, a method of determining the distance is afforded by using a number of trial shots or volleys. The method of using trial volleys is as follows: The sights are raised for the estimated range and one volley is fired. If this appears to hit but little short of the mark, an increase of elevation of 100 yards will be used for the next volley. When the object is enclosed between two volleys, a mean of the elevation will be adopted as the correct range. The range may be obtained from a near-by battery or machine gun. This is the best method when available."--Small Arms Firing Manual.

ESTIMATING DISTANCE TEST

This test is usually held after the record firing on the range has been completed. No distance used in this test will be less than 547 yards (battle sight range) or more than 1200 yards, which is considered the extreme range for effective fire of individuals or a small command. Should a soldier fail three times to make the necessary percentage in these tests, his rifle qualification will be reduced one grade. For the specific conditions governing this test, see Small Arms Firing Manual.

RANGE FINDERS

Five or six enlisted men, selected by the company

This shows the path of the bullet (Line of Trajectory) of the 1917 Rifle (Enfield).

The Line of Aim, we see, connects the eye, the rear sight, the front sight and the bottom part of the target. It is a straight line.

We see that the Line of Trajectory crosses the Line of Aim at two points. The distance between these points is 452 yards. Therefore, 452 yards is the Battle Sight Range for the 1917 Rifle.

To hit the target squarely when it is 200 yards away, the Line of Aim must be under it, as shown in the diagram.]

commander from those most skilled, will be designated as "Range Finders." These men are practised in estimating distance throughout the year. Their practice will be on varied ground and at distances up to 2000 yards. These men assist the company commander when the company is on the defensive, in estimating the distances to the prominent objects in view before the action commences; and at other times when the company commander needs their assistance.