(v) Standard of Accuracy.—There is no object in establishing a phenomenal standard of accuracy in elementary range practices and deliberate shooting. A satisfactory degree of proficiency is soon attained by the majority of men, and they should then proceed to snapshooting and rapid firing practices. It is in snapshooting and rapid firing up to 600 yards that a very high degree of proficiency is desired.
(vi) Faults of Aim.—Although instruction on the firing-point is an indispensable form of musketry instruction for young soldiers, if it leads to continual alterations of sighting to meet errors in shooting, the firer is confirmed in his errors, and his faults are only obscured. During the firing the instructor should watch the recruit, not the target, and should insist on being told the probable result of the shot before it is signalled.
(vii) Firing Positions.—No departure from correct firing positions should on any account be permitted. The rifle must be gripped firmly, the face kept back from the right hand, and there should be no constraint in the position of the body.
(viii) Breathing and Let-Off.—The management of the breathing and the let-off must be noticed, and the recruit reminded of them continually, so that his mind may be centred on the more important details of shooting, and not on changes of wind or light, with which he will become familiar later.
(ix) Dwelling on Aim.—Although care and deliberation are necessary in elementary firing instruction, recruits must not be allowed to fall into the habit of dwelling on their aim nor of aiming and returning to the loading position repeatedly before pressing the trigger. These errors arise chiefly from taking a fine sight, and focussing the eye on the foresight instead of on the target. When such methods are adopted, it is a sign that the object of range practices is misunderstood, and that the firer is in need of more practical instruction.
(x) Shock of Discharge.—In preliminary training the recruit has not accustomed himself to the shock of discharge. In some cases there is extreme difficulty in overcoming the tendency to flinch from this shock, and this is one of the commonest causes of inaccurate shooting. Men who flinch should not proceed with firing practice. The cause of the flinching can be detected, and can sometimes be removed after one or two rounds only.
(xi) Important Points for Instructional Practices.—The following are important points to remember with reference to range practices:
(a) That best instruction available must always be given.
(b) One instructor can only watch and instruct one man at a time.
(c) No hurry should be allowed. It is better to discuss the reasons for failure of a few shots thoroughly than to hurry over many.