Note 3.—When for any reason it is found to be impracticable to send the firers into the gallery after a grouping practice, the following signals may be used:
| Bull’s-eye | signal | denotes a | 4 | -inch | group. | |
| Inner | ” | ” | 8 | ” | ” | |
| Magpie | ” | ” | 12 | ” | ” | |
| Outer | ” | ” | 12 | ” | ” | with one wide shot. |
When the signal has been made, after a short pause, the point of the pole will be placed on the point of mean impact of the group.
3.—Figures No. 3 and No. 6 (Open Range).
| Signal. | Methods of Signalling. | Value of Hit. |
|---|---|---|
| Hit | The figure will be raised above the marker’s gallery and twirled. | 3 points. |
| Ricochet or miss | — | Nil. |
4. Figures (Miniature Range).—Scores for hits and misses as in para. 3 above.
5. Scoring in Landscape Target Practices.—(i) A measuring-rod, 26½ inches long, is required to test the accuracy of both concentrated and distributed collective grouping. The following is the method of valuing groups for scoring. When collective fire has been concentrated on any objective on the landscape, the rod is held vertically against the screen with the bottom of it resting on the point of aim. A mark is then made on the sky-screen at the top of the rod. This mark indicates where the centre of the group of shot-holes should be. For instructional practices the groups may be valued on the principle that the smaller the group the greater the fire effect. For competitions two concentric wire rectangles, 5 inches by 4 inches and 2½ inches by 2 inches respectively, may be used for scoring. The rectangles will be placed over the group, their longest sides being vertical, with their centre placed on the mark indicating where the centre of the shot group should be. Every shot in the inner rectangle will then count two points, and every shot in the remainder of the larger rectangle will count one point. For every shot outside the larger rectangle two points will be deducted.
(ii) When fire has been distributed between two points on the landscape, a mark is made 26½ inches vertically above each point, as already described. These two marks are joined by a line parallel to that along which fire has been distributed. A line 1½ inches above, and another 1½ inches below, this line are drawn parallel to it. The ends of these lines are then joined by vertical lines which pass through the two marks joined by the centre line. The rectangle formed in this manner is divided vertically into equal parts, being either one for each firer or one for each fire-unit. Each group of shots fired by a firer or a fire-unit should be found grouped in the proper part of the rectangle. Each shot in its proper part will count two points. For each shot outside its proper part two points will be deducted. For every part of the rectangle which is empty five points will be deducted.
VII. SOLANO TARGET—MARKS I AND II.
1. Official Handbook.—Full directions regarding the Solano Target and landscape targets, together with information as to their use for instruction, are contained in the official handbook—Standard Equipment for Miniature Ranges (40, War Office, 2005)—from which the following short extracts are made. One of these handbooks is supplied to units with each Solano Target, and should be kept for reference.