Marksmanship

[jack hamilton]

Movement Under Direct Fire:
The Simple Things Keep You Alive
'Low to the ground'

'Low to the ground', took on a whole new meaning one day 20 years ago
when a friend, old Mallery, 'TURK' was telling me about his
'3 tours' in Vietnam.
We were drinking a few beers after work and he was saying
about a paticularly viscious firefight :
"I took off 'my T shirt',
so I could get lower to the ground."
I laughed and looked in his eyes
and saw that he was not kidding.
He meant it!

I have thought about that before.

A 20 round magazine has an advantage over a 30 rounder.
the length of the 20 round magazine makes it easier to fire
from the prone position.
More rounds with the 30 round mag.
but if you are prone,
and your head is sticking up...
I had rather have a 20 round mag. and be 'closer to the ground'.
{Remember what 'old Turk' said}


Now... has any body ever shot prone,
but rather than shoot with the sights 'up'
like they are in the normal 'standing' position,
'laid' on your side and shot with the sights at an angle?
Imagine the front post, {you know} 12:00 'Oclock', straight up.
Now imagine laying on your left side so that the sights are laid over at an angle {90 degrees}.
The front post should be 'aimed' at 3:00 on the target!
Remember you are laying on your left side.
3:00.
The point of impact is the same, center,
but rather than 6:00 on the 'sight picture' like when you are standing up, the {sight picture} 'on the target' is 3:00.

On iron sights, the back 'v' or 'u' ... whatever,
imagine a line across the top from right to left.
The imaginary line.
Across the top of the rear 'v' or 'u' .
Across the top of the rear sight.
This is where the bullet will hit.
Now, the front sight when it comes up to... and almost ...
meets this imaginary line across the top of the rear sight
is the exact point a round fired from this rifle will strike.
{Thats how I have sighted rifles in all my life}
Lay on your left side and the sight picture is 3:00.
On your right it is 9:00.
laying on your back and shooting behind you the 'sight picture' would be 12:00!


Laying on ones left side {if right handed}
is a way to 'keep close to the ground'
and shoot your 30 round mag too!

56 days till October ya'll.
Cooler weather, Octoberfest, homebrewing
und 'Coon Hunting'
Lets do what God put us men here on the earth to do...
'Lets all 'git ignert' and go go coonhunting !'

{And 'vicious'}
{is the correct spelling for vicious.}
Thank you


J. Knife