Weapon Training and Marksmanship
Weapons a cadet meets
The .22 rifle is the standard cadet training weapon; cadets also learn about the 7.62 mm SLR and the 5.56 mm INSAS. Know the main parts: butt, barrel, magazine, bolt/working parts, foresight, backsight, trigger and safety catch, plus stripping, assembling, loading and unloading.
The four safety rules
- Treat every weapon as loaded.
- Never point it at anything you do not intend to shoot.
- Keep the finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
- Be sure of the target and what lies beyond it.
Range commands are Load, Ready, Fire, Cease fire, Unload. A red flag means firing is in progress; nobody moves forward until "Cease fire", and weapons are unloaded and inspected.
Marksmanship principles
Steady position with bone support and a correctly used sling; natural point of aim; correct sight picture (front sight centred and level in the rear sight, on the target); breath control (fire at the natural pause after exhaling); trigger squeeze, never a jerk; follow-through.
Worked example
A cadet at 25 m shoots a tight 12 cm group, but 20 cm left of the bull. A tight group means position and trigger control are good; the group being displaced means the sight setting or natural point of aim is wrong. Correction: recentre the natural point of aim or adjust the sight - do not start jerking the trigger. Tight but off-centre = aim/sight problem; spread group = position or trigger problem.
Traps
Confusing grouping (tightness) with accuracy (distance from the centre). Writing "hold the breath and pull the trigger" - the trigger is squeezed and the shot is fired at the natural respiratory pause. Forgetting that weapons must be unloaded and inspected before anyone walks forward.