Expert Marksmen reporting in...
Added 2020-06-11 16:53:06 +0000 UTCRange week and the rifle qualification are the cornerstone of any Soldier or Marine's indoctrination.
This is vital to train service members to proficiently operate their main weapon system, but more importantly to have the confidence in engaging an enemy at distance with the same rifle that they will eat, sleep, carry, and grow comfortable with.
INDOCTRINATION is the key word here. It is extremely valuable for a military commander to have a force believing that they can neutralize targets well outside of a weapon system's capabilities; remember close hits still suppress an enemy for a friendly unit's maneuver... but what happens when this indoctrination goes into the civilian world, where it has less useful application? How relevant is the indoctrination and subsequent qualification process? None of this is to suggest that the accomplishment of expert qualification or the ability to connect on targets at 500 yards with iron sights is something to scoff at.
These are extremely relevant proficiency standards. But to reiterate, everything must be kept in context as we continue to explore the effectiveness and capabilities of the various firearms and cartridges we test on this show.
***YES WE KNOW THE USMC USES THE SCORING SYSTEM*** hits on the paper in white = 2 points leading to 5 points if you hit in black. The 500y portion is scored 10 shots in 10 minutes for 50 points of the 250 points overall. Which means if you only hit white for all the 500y shots, technically you can still make "expert" (220/250) if you do well on the 200-300y portion.
